The first step in the Oxford and Cambridge application process is to craft a personal statement that sufficiently captures the interest of the admissions tutors. The personal statement serves as a tool for you to show off your unique interests within the subject you are applying for, how this interest was sparked, what extracurricular activities or reading you have done to expand on this, and, ultimately, why you should be considered for studying your subject.
The personal statement is not, however, an extended essay in which you write arguments for and against an issue or a step by step breakdown of a molecular pathway or technique. That is the purpose of the interview. The personal statement is used to assess your motivations and the extent to which you have read beyond the scope of your A-Level/IB syllabus, as well as whether you have considered the significance of your subject on the wider world. The interview will then test your knowledge of the content of your personal statement, and look to stretch your intellectual capacity a bit further.
Now that we better understand the purpose of the personal statement, let's answer the question: how to write an excellent Oxbridge personal statement? Here are my three top tips to write a compelling personal statement for Oxford and Cambridge University admissions. 1. Pick an 'angle' or 'theme' within your subject.
Oxbrdige degrees are notoriously broad. While you may be interested in multiple topics, you run the risk of not communicating your passion and knowledge in sufficient depth if you discuss too many topics. Worse still, if there is no connection between your interests, you risk coming across as disorganized and confused in your thinking. This would be a big red flag. For example, in the case of my subject, Biochemistry, I could have genetics or genetic modification as the theme of my personal statement and then go on to discuss my interests in crop modification, human genomics and gene therapies in a cohesive manner. If your subject happens to be PPE, your theme could be the role of AI and how it may threaten democracy (politics), revolutionize the world of work (economics) and what I means for the nature of man (philosophy). By having a theme, you can produce a cohesive personal statement, while still touching upon multiple areas.
2. Link your specific subject interest to concrete examples of recent developments or research.
Once you've made apparent your theme/specific interest in the opening paragraph, it is essential to connect this to examples of scientific advancements in the relevant field or recent societal events that reflect the issue(s) at hand. If your interests lie in cancer research, don't talk loosely about a new class of drug that is being developed. Instead refer to the specific research group or published paper in question and briefly comment on the mechanism of action and how and why this is an improvement over the current standard of care. You can go even further and discuss what impacts this might have on society e.g human longevity. Alternatively, for humanities / social science subjects you can provide your criticisms of a political / societal event or the vision presented in a published book. Regardless of your subject, it is essential to be specific and give your take on the recent developments. The tutors want to assess your originality and intelligence as it relates to recent research or developments.
3. Consider including a conclusion paragraph to summarize your interest, to emphasise the importance of your subject on the world, and what contributions you might make.
Oxford and Cambridge love 'big-picture' thinking. If you can produce a cohesive summary of your specific subject interest, whilst at the same time linking this how new breakthroughs in your subject may revolutionize society or resolve some of our greatest challenges at present, you will come across as that type of 'big-picture' thinker. Remember, the personal statement will not be read by administrative staff, but rather the very tutors who teach at Oxford. These are passionate academics, potentially leaders in their field. Accordingly, it is in your interest to excite them by emphasising how important their subject is and what role you might like to play in the future (i.e. researcher at X institute or director of a policy think tank or NGO).
I really hope you found this guide to writing an excellent personal statement useful! Remember, you still have plenty of time to keep working on yours until the deadline on 16 October 2023. Whether you are struggling with idea generation or finding it difficult to effectively communicate your interests and activities within the word count, Elvis Oxford Admissions and Tutoring is here to help you with your personal statement needs. Book a session today! Stay tuned for more great content over the coming months.
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