Navigating the UCAS application

As the capstone of a strong UCAS application, the right Personal Statement is crucial for any university placement. Having gone through the UCAS application process themselves as well as led countless students to successful placements, BartyED’s admissions consultants know first-hand the kinds of mistakes that students usually make and the stress that comes with the entire journey. We know what it’s like to be unable to stand staring at a Personal Statement for a second longer, or simply becoming completely stuck about how to edit it, much less perfect it. Today, BartyED admissions consultants identify the most common mistakes that university applicants make with Personal Statements, and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Relying on online resources

While finding resources and examples is valuable, and helps with understanding personal voice and other abstract elements of the Personal Statement, it is very easy for students to get carried away with how they apply this information.

Understandably, students want to start the Personal Statement process by seeking advice, online or otherwise, and becoming familiar with what a good Personal Statement looks like. However, most students don’t actually know how to appropriately and effectively apply the information they absorb. They tend to apply it superficially, and many end up copying or mirroring examples they find online, whether in structure or content. The key is being able to extract the spirit of the important information, while not letting it dictate the content of your own work.

Mistake #2: Striking the wrong balance

Another common mistake students make with their Personal Statement is being overly critical with their work.

This is again an understandable mistake; it is exceedingly difficult to step back and observe one’s own work suitably objectively and critically, and naturally harder for high school students who have produced nothing of this sort up to this point. However, this means that Personal Statements usually end up unnecessarily verbose, cliche, and generally awkward in expression, since students struggle to strike the right balance between personal voice and formal expression. Being overly critical means that students cannot judge their own work well, which ultimately leads to a poorly constructed Personal Statement.

Mistake #3: Unproductive student-consultant fits

The advice of a trustworthy source is extremely valuable for university applications, and individualised guidance is perhaps the most important factor for successful placements.

However, it can be very challenging to find a productive student-consultant fit, not in the least because in Hong Kong, most university admissions consulting is too general and therefore inadequate. It is unfortunately often driven by partnerships between universities that offer kickbacks in exchange for students fast-tracked from educational consultancy services. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all approach or structure for Personal Statements, and above all students need individualised consulting with experienced consultants that also prioritise their welfare and academic needs.

Mistake #4: Not asking for help

Whether it is because students think they don’t need it or because they are put off by the possibility of inadequate admissions consultancy, it hurts their chances to go through this process without external guidance. Without the targeted, individualised support of an admissions consultant to help you navigate the many pitfalls of the Personal Statement, even an academically strong student could fail to secure placements in their ideal universities.

BartyED admissions coaching is the first with no ties to any international institution, and takes into account a holistic view of the candidate. We consider every facet of a candidate’s admissions processes and tailor their profiles to best reflect their strengths for the admissions officer’s desk. To find out more about our UCAS admissions consultancy, check out our website here. Or, reach out today at (852) 2882 1017 or enquiries@bartyed.com.