I spent countless hours on my personal statement! Undoubtedly, too many.
In Year 12, I took part in LSE Springboard, a program run by LSE which allowed me to receive personalised support on my Personal Statement from an LSE admissions tutor - someone who reads applications.
All in all, I've learnt a lot about what makes a strong Personal Statement, so hopefully this post helps with that! There's a slight social science/humanities bias here though, so keep that in mind...
Best of luck :)
Initial Advice for your Personal Statement
Your Personal Statement should have a theme
Examples: meritocracy, immigration, religion, etc.
Bonus points if YOU are linked to this theme.
e.g a PS on Islamic Law if you're a Muslim applying for Law would be great!
Your Personal Statement is an argumentative piece
State a theme, give three arguments you've learnt through reading, conclude
Here's an Example
Economics with Immigration Theme
Intro: Why immigration matters to YOU
Para 1: Argument for/against points based migration system
Para 2: Argument for a welfare system including/excluding migrants
Para 3: Argument for Open Borders
Concl: Looking forward to studying XYZ at uni; one sentence is fine
Use crisp, clear language
Do NOT be flowery - LSE specifically hates this
Clear language = clear communication
Cut characters everywhere
Be as concise as possible while getting your point across
No adjectives, adverbs, etc
When mentioning a book, use this format:
Pork's 'How to Kill a Cat' introduced me to...
Also, as above, use single quotes
Look at these examples before starting
Introduction:
Your opening line should be genuine and personal, ideally introducing your theme (in a somewhat profound manner)
I started with 'I am frustrated with the governance of Britain' --> that's my hook
My theme was about building a fairer future
Your introduction should ideally say something smart and show your motivation
I criticised UK policy and stated that I'm interested in how we can fix it
Main Body:
Each paragraph should have a clear theme
The immigration example above has three clear themes:
points based migration
welfare systems
open borders
Start the paragraph with your theme and then pose an argument
Example: My IEA internship introduced me to UBI
Then: I agreed that a UBI... But I'd question whether...
Use 2-3 super-curriculars per paragraph
The super-curricular itself isn't that important! Essay comps are great, but so are books are documentaries
It can be anything, so long as the quality of your engagement is impressive
High quality of engagement looks like:
Snowball Effect: X was interesting so I did Y which led to Z
Read book -> watched video -> wrote essay -> won award = excellent paragraph!
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: CRITICAL THOUGHT
Most people say I read X and learnt Y --> this is boring and basic
Instead, give YOUR original thoughts on the SC! It's far more interesting, thoughtful, and unique. Emphasis on unique; that's how you stand out!
Example: I said a piece of architecture in London (the Barbican) reminded me of meritocracy, making me critically reflect on whether it's ethical to use architecture this way through the lens of Plato's Republic
Use evidence/counter arguments to strengthen your argument (aka your critical thought/opinion)
Find evidence from studies using Jstor, it shows really great depth of engagement with subject
You can also mention books with counterarguments, then beat them up
Avoid assertions and GO IN DEPTH
This is the main issue I see with PS
People don't use critical thought and, if they do, it's one sentence
Instead, you must go into huge levels of depth!
Really go deep into your argument: support and oppose it using research (as above)
Also, minimise assumptions! Make sure your point is clear and not resting upon things which aren't proven
Weave in 1-2 extracurriculars if you've done something cool
The 80/20 academic to extracurricular rule died years ago imo
Instead, 99% academic is ideal for top universities like Oxbridge, LSE, and Imperial
The best way to weave in extracurriculars is to find links
E.g: include debating at the end of a paragraph on free speech
Also, if you're Head Boy/Girl applying for a STEM degree, that shows you touch grass and have social skills, which might help lol
Try include 2-3 key thinkers in your arguments
This is a niche bit of info I got from LSE, it shows strong understanding of your subject
For example, in Economics, consider Keynes, Friedman, and Smith
Doesn't need to be in too much depth
I did a 2 sentence Keynesian analysis of UBI
Conclusion
One sentence conclusion is great!
I said I'm excited to see how Britain can become fairer and more equal through further study
Anything more than one sentence is questionable
You can include ECs if you really want
Reminder: top unis don't care about them!
Only incl them if you've done something incredible or if you're also applying to lower tier unis
Final Thoughts
LSE cares the most about your PS by far
If you optimise for LSE, you'll be more than fine for Oxbridge and anywhere else
Do NOT use The Student Room
The Student Room is brainrot & their examples are old :(
If you're really struggling to write a PS, consider whether the course is right for you
The beauty of the PS is you can figure out what's best for you
I personally switched from CompSci to PPE to Econ!
Don't include generic books
Go to a book store and pickup whatever looks cool related to your subject
Basic books are boring (poor economics/freakonomics/the bottom billion/why nations fail etc)
I will be updating this post continually, either making it read better/look nicer, or adding advice I've received from my mates.
Reach out if you have Qs!
Wishing you all the best of luck.
Afternoon,
I want to apply for politics and economics at LSE, my concern with my personal statement is whether my ' theme' isnt related to the course. I want to write about how colonialism in middle eastern countries have cause political and economical issues but idk if this suits the course, and i dont want to change my course. Thank you for all the information.
:))