oxford personal statement structure

How to write a personal statement

How to approach writing your personal statement for graduate applications.

If you’re applying for a grad course that requires a personal statement (sometimes also called a ‘statement of purpose’), it can be difficult to know where to start and what to include. Read on for tips from some of our masters’ students about their process and what they found helpful.

1. Before you start

The academic work is the most important reason why we’re here, but that also translates into work experiences, internships, volunteering. I think a big part of the personal statement is crafting that narrative of academic self that fits alongside your professional experiences, to give that greater picture of who you are as an academic. Lauren (MSc Modern Middle Eastern Studies)

Start by thinking about the skills, knowledge and interests you’ve acquired over time and how the course at Oxford will take them forward.

Your statement is the story you want to tell about yourself and your academic work to the department you are applying to.

Most of your application and its supporting documents communicate plain facts about your academic career so far. Your personal statement is your best opportunity to put these facts into context and show assessors how you’ve progressed and excelled.

Make sure you highlight evidence of your achievements (a high grade in a relevant area, an award or scholarship, a research internship).

Presenting yourself

When I was writing my personal statement, I went onto my course website. I looked at what they emphasised and what kind of students they were looking for, and I wrote about my experiences based on that. Kayla (MSc in Clinical Embryology)

Make it easy for an assessor to see how you meet the entry requirements for the course (you can find these on each course page ).

Don’t make any assumptions about what Oxford is looking for!

Get to know your department

You want to study this particular subject and you want to study at Oxford (you’re applying here, so we know that!) but why is Oxford the right place for you to study this subject? What interests or qualities of the academic department and its staff make it attractive to you?

Use your academic department’s website for an overview of their research, academic staff and course information (you'll find a link to the department's own website on each course page ).

I said, ‘why do I actually want to be here? What is it about being at Oxford that’s going to get me to what I want to do? Sarah (Bachelor of Civil Law)

Talk it out

Talking to others about your statement can be a great way to gather your ideas and decide how you’d like to approach it. Sarah even managed to get benefit out of this approach by herself:

“I spent a lot of time talking out loud. My written process was actually very vocal, so I did a lot of talking about myself in my room.”

2. The writing process

Know your format.

Make sure you’ve read all the guidance on the How to Apply section of your course page , so you know what’s needed in terms of the word count of the final statement, what it should cover and what it will be assessed for. This should help you to visualise roughly what you want to end up with at the end of the process.

Make a start

When it comes to writing your personal statement, just getting started can be the hardest part.

One good way to get around writer’s block is to just put it all down on the page, like Mayur.

First - write down anything and everything. In the first round, I was just dumping everything - whatever I’ve done, anything close to computer science, that was on my personal statement. Mayur (MSc Computer Science)

You’ll be editing later anyway so don’t let the blank page intimidate you - try writing a little under each of the following headings to get started:

• areas of the course at Oxford that are the most interesting to you
• which areas you’ve already studied or had some experience in
• what you hope to use your Oxford course experience for afterwards.

3. Finishing up

Get some feedback.

Once you’ve got a draft of about the right length, ask for feedback on what you’ve written. It might take several drafts to get it right.

This could involve getting in touch with some of your undergraduate professors to ask them to read your draft and find any areas which needed strengthening.

You could also show it to people who know you well, like family or friends.

Because they’re the first people to say, ‘Who is that person?’ You want the people around you to recognise that it really sounds like you. It can be scary telling family and friends you’re applying for Oxford, because it makes it real, but be brave enough to share it and get feedback on it. Sarah (Bachelor of Law)

Be yourself

Finally - be genuine and be yourself. Make sure your personal statement represents you, not your idea about what Oxford might be looking for.

We have thousands of students arriving every year from a huge range of subjects, backgrounds, institutions and countries (you can hear from a few more of them in our My Oxford interviews).

Get moving on your application today

To find out more about supporting documents and everything else you need to apply, read your course page and visit our Application Guide .

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Personal Statements Bank

Want some help from successful applicants.

Writing your personal statement can be daunting – for many university applicants it might be their first time preparing a formal summary of their academic achievements, and that can often feel boastful or uncomfortable – where should you even begin!?

Our current students have very kindly given us permission to publish some of their unammended personal statements to help give you some suggestions as to how to structure your personal statement. Most importantly, these personal statements are by no means perfect, but they earned these students their places at the University of Oxford, and therefore your personal statement doesn't have to be perfect either. 

If you haven't already, check out our Personal Statements Overview video where we explain the basics of personal statements, and watch our Personal Statements Tips video, where students give some of the advice they found most useful when writing their own personal statements. Even if the subject you are applying for isn't contained in the list below, seeing how the students structured their personal statements and the kinds of language & sentences they used can be really useful in writing your own – but always make sure to be original and not plagiarise! UCAS does use anti-plagiarism software to verify each personal statement's originality.

This page is being regularly updated as more St Anne's students kindly submit their personal statements, so watch this space for developments. If there isn't yet an example personal statement here for the subject you're applying for, then please get in touch and we may still have one on-file that we can send to you.

Academic year application was made:  2022-23

My interest in biochemistry began while I read an article on the dynamics of ssDNA hybridisation. The scientists achieved an extraordinary amount of detail when using TIRF imaging. They revealed the kinetics of independent strands and explained how these were affected by extrinsic factors with the Eyring equation. Their precision inspired me – chemical principles can be applied to produce a dynamic view of biological systems. The overlap between biology and chemistry highlighted the intricacies of the molecules which allow for life – all of which contain carbon. This special atom has the perfect number of electrons to have sp3 hybridised orbitals, lending it the ability to form 4 equal sigma bonds and long chains – a phenomenon known as catenation. When a lecture and supervision by Stewart Sage of Selwyn College, Cambridge presented the delicate subcellular pathways of osmoregulation, I was fixed on learning more about the chemistry of life. Having taken part in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, I enjoy being exposed to problems which at first seem challenging but can be solved by applying prior knowledge in elegant ways. I have been especially interested in methods with which enzymes carry out their functions. By gaining a detailed understanding of these mechanisms, we can seek to use the biological machinery to our advantage, as I saw when at the Royal Institution. I was tasked with using gel electrophoresis to compare DNA fragments from different group A Streptococci strains. After running the gel successfully, I understood that palindromic mutations in the fragments had acted as markers for the restriction enzymes, producing DNA bands which were identifiable with the ladder. When analysing the results, we were able to predict the severity of the infection, ranging from mild strep throat to necrotising fasciitis. The first section of MITx’s Molecular Biology MOOC, discussing DNA replication and repair, drew me more towards enzyme mechanics. I enjoyed learning about the structure of DNA polymerase and how its ‘fingers’ hold dNTPs in place using pi-stacking, interactions with other charged amino acids in the O-helix, and Mg2+ ions. Nucleotide tautomerisation also poses a threat to the accuracy of replication; therefore, the dienzyme contains a proofreading exonuclease, making the process 100 times more accurate. The overlap between mutation and apoptosis interested me; changes in the fine balance between bcl2 and Bax expressions could escalate to cell death, with bh3 mimetic drugs being used to combat this. I saw how problems in the biological field could be solved using chemistry. Articles on the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s and ARMD led me to read about iPSCs and their use in deriving specialised tissues in vitro – tissues which were used as organoids to study potential therapies for the diseases. After listening to Shinya Yamanaka’s lecture on the future of iPSCs, I was inspired to undertake an EPQ dissertation on the viability of iPSCs in precision medicine. During the research phase, I shadowed researchers in the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, where I was trained in primer design, protein BLAST, western blots, genotyping murine lines, and PBMC isolation. Above all, I was able to speak to researchers in Prof. Pete Coffey’s lab about their work using a patient-derived iPSC organoid model. This led me closer to understanding how research was approaching to their use in medicine – the team had already developed a strong stem cell replacement therapy. I found an importance in self-study early as I taught myself the drums and guitar to a high level. This gave me a sense of accomplishment as I sought to imitate this in other impersonal interests. In college, I found it fulfilling to study ancient world literature, via a MOOC; stretching my interests in the arts, I read classical plays and joined a college poetry society. On my DofE Bronze expedition, I developed an interest in adventure sports, camping frequently since.

Academic year application was made: 2021-22

Used to also apply for: Medical Biosciences; Biochemistry

Used to also apply for: Geology

Used to also apply for: Mechanical Engineering

Academic year application was made:  2021-22

Academic year application was made: 2019-20

Used to also apply for: Liberal arts; Languages and cultures; Sociology

Academic year application was made: 2022-23

Academic year application was made: 2020-21

Used to also apply for: Theoretical Physics; Mathematics and Physics

Current St Anne’s Students

Want to add yours to help out.

If you are a current St Anne’s student and want to share your personal statement as a way to guide prospective applicants toward a more successful application, please submit your personal statement (anonymously) here .

• Aug 12, 2018

How to write an Oxford personal statement

Make sure your personal statement conveys your interest in the subject – write down talks you’ve been to (and what they made you think), open days you’ve attended (and what you took away from them), and maybe even books you’ve read (and whether or not you agree with the author and why). Are you seeing a common thread? It’s less about what you’ve done and more about what you make of it! It’s best to only mention one book or one talk, but really go in to some critical analysis, rather than to just write a list of seven without any additional commentary.

Any extra-curricular activities should be ‘super-curricular’, i.e. related to your degree: for Maths, maybe the Maths Olympiad, for Science, maybe a Science EPQ or that time you entered a Lego competition (totally relevant to Engineering!). For Law, I talked about teaching and debating, and the self-discipline involved in teaching myself a language as an A Level. You can honestly make anything work – try to make yourself stand out a little by having something people don’t normally have! But don’t worry about not having twenty different hobbies – you don’t have space to mention more than one or two, and you won’t really be asked about your personal life at interview.

What I would reiterate, above all, is to not stress over the personal statement. If you’ve spelt everything correctly and you’ve got all your proof that you’re genuinely and voluntarily interested in your subject outside of school then you’re doing it right! And, to the year 12s going in to year 13 – for the love of all that’s holy, take a few weeks off this summer. Breathe. Let yourself detach from the intimidating university admissions process and the pressure of A Levels for a bit, because that will let you be so much more engaged when you jump back in.

#Oxford #OxfordUniversity #PersonalStatement #UCAS #College #Oxbridgeapplication #OxfordPersonalstatement

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• Medicine: How to Apply

Medicine: Writing your Personal Statement

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Your personal statement is an important part of your application to Oxford. It allows you to tell us about your interests, achievements and ambitions in your own words. Although we do not formally score your statement we read it carefully. If you are invited for interview, the statement is likely to provide a focus for the questions that you are asked. It is therefore essential that your statement is an accurate, unembellished account of your activities. We may check the claims that you make on your statement: discovery of fabricated or exaggerated material – during the admissions exercise, or even later on during your time as a student – may bring into question your suitability to practise Medicine. 

Present yourself in the best light:  the same basic facts about yourself (in terms of education, interests, experience), when presented differently, can quite dramatically convey positive or negative messages about you to tutors.

For A100 Medicine at Oxford, UCAT and (if taken) GCSEs are predominantly used initially to determine whether or not you are short-listed for interview. The information that you provide in your personal statement becomes increasingly important if you are not short-listed on the basis of UCAT score and (if taken) your GCSEs. Of course, every detail becomes important once you have reached the interviews and are being considered for a place.

1. Please do not be shy in declaring any mitigating circumstances

These may help us to put your achievements or personality within a finer context. We actively look for reasons why you may have under-performed in examinations, or performed well against the odds. These may be factors associated with your schooling, health or domestic circumstances. If you are returning to study after a break, or switching vocation, it is even more important to highlight your reasons for choosing to study Medicine, and for you to demonstrate your determination, resilience, ability and commitment. 

2. Do not simply recount everything you have ever undertaken

We’re looking for quality, not quantity! Remember that large numbers of applicants apply for our courses. Tell us in what ways you will stand out from the crowd. In choosing to talk about an activity, describe what you have drawn from the experience: has it changed you as a person? Did it surprise you?

3. We want to learn about you as a person, not just about your academic qualifications

If you have undertaken extra-curricular activities, or hold positions of responsibility at school, tell us why you sought these, and why they are important to you. You will not impress us by simply recounting that you took up a placement in Thailand, but we might be more appreciative if you tell us what you personally learnt from the experience, about your interaction with local people, and about shadowing the medical team working within your village. 

Example: I have become involved with a city music and drama group, and work especially with the younger members. I find this exciting and more than occasionally challenging. Coaching for the group has given me experience in organising others, as well as teaching them. Watching group members learn and progress is thrilling, especially in the case of one of them who has ADHD. At first he was incapable of remaining still, silent or attentive for even a few minutes, but eventually became far more focused and calmer, making excellent progress in many areas.

4. Directly address our selection criteria in your statement

Here are our selection criteria and some examples:

Personal characteristics: suitability for medicine

• Empathy: ability and willingness to imagine the feelings of others and understand the reasons for the views of others

Example: My volunteering in the local community and my studies in Religion and Classical Civilization have also increased my ability to understand varying cultural, ethical and social perspectives, and allowed me to look at issues in a wider context.

• Motivation: a reasonably well-informed and strong desire to practise medicine

Example: My interest in the human body burgeoned while I was taking the Essentials of First Aid class organised by St John Ambulance. The two consecutive years of volunteer service in X Hospital that followed reinforced my passion for the subject.

• Communication: ability to make knowledge and ideas clear using language appropriate to the audience
• Honesty and Integrity
• Ethical awareness
• Ability to work with others

Example: I have had a weekend job at X since 2016, which has further allowed me to develop teamwork skills, taught me how to work towards personal targets when under pressure, and allowed me to interact with many different members of the public.

Example: Dancing has taught me valuable people skills; you learn to work intimately with fellow dancers and trust them completely.

• Capacity for sustained and intense work

Academic Potential

• Problem-solving: critical thinking, analytical approach
• Intellectual curiosity: keenness to understand the reason for observations; depth; tendency to look for meaning; enthusiasm and curiosity in science
• Communication skills: willingness and ability to express clearly and effectively; ability to listen; compatibility with tutorial format

Example: Studying History at A-level has helped develop my writing and critical analysis skills.

Example: At school I have taken part in a French exchange programme which greatly improved my language skills, independence and confidence.

5. You will not be alone in trying to open your statement with an attention grabbing intro

If you try this, make sure it helps tutors to learn something about what motivates and enthuses you.

Example: My vast collection of books and videos on "How the Body Works" when I was 7 years old first triggered my interest in the functions of the body. Watching the little personified, cartoon blobs that represented red blood cells run around an animated yet functioning body fascinated me and I longed to find out more. As a result, when a friend received a letter explaining their little girl had just been diagnosed with X at just 14 months old, I was intrigued to find out what this was.

6. The statement is called a personal statement for a reason

It should be written by you, not by your parents, siblings, or teachers. Do not plagiarise material that you find on the web as there is a great chance that such deception will be discovered.

7. Do not feel that there is a precise template to follow that will score you points!

We look for bright and independent thinkers, so try to be original!

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Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements

Your Personal Statement is the first demonstration of your character that the admissions teams at Oxford and Cambridge will see. Your perfect Personal Statement can only be written by yourself as it has to convey exactly who you are, why you want to study at Oxbridge and why you deserve to be there. But that doesn't mean help isn't available. There are many things to learn that can improve the effectiveness of your statement when implemented correctly. One of the best ways to get a deeper understanding of what makes a good Personal Statement is to read successful statements that have transferable qualities. This page features over 25 Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements from a whole variety of subjects. Read through them and learn what makes them so good (as well as the mistakes that some make), so that you can create a strong base for your own writing.

Why are Personal Statements Important?

Your personal statement is essentially you introducing yourself to the Oxbridge admissions teams and explaining why you should be given an offer on their courses. It’s a piece of writing that will have a lasting impact throughout the application process, so you need to make the best first impression.

The admissions teams aren’t just interested in the achievements that you have made or the grades you have earned; they are looking for applicants with the right attitude for the course. They need applicants who can go the extra mile, have a true understanding of the subject and have the qualities needed to become successful in their chosen field. All of these things can be expressed in a well-written personal statement.

How To Prepare for your Personal Statement

Your personal statement may not be prepared for in the same way as an entrance exam, but there are still things you can do both before and during the writing process.

Firstly, it’s a good idea to view examples of successful personal statements, such as the 25 + available below. It helps to view those related to your chosen subject, but there are still benefits to looking through as many as possible. 

Beyond this, learning specific techniques and advice from experts will also help. Our Premium Oxbridge Programmes provide a wide variety of support, including books and courses, all of which are designed to help you write the perfect personal statement. View our courses page to find out everything that we can do to help your application. 

Download our FREE 80-Page Personal Statement Starter Guide

We have developed an 80-page E-Book filled with expert Personal Statement Advice. Inside, you’ll find guides on planning and writing your personal statement, as well as our full collection of 25+ Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements. 

To access all this for free, just enter your name and email address and you’ll be sent the guide directly to your inbox. 

Successful Oxbridge Personal Statement Examples

Successful humanities personal statements, cambridge law ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, oxford law ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford law & french ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford economics & management ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge economics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, cambridge land economy ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge classics ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford classics ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, cambridge pbs ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, oxford psychology ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge philosophy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford ppe ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge english ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, oxford english language & literature ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford modern languages ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford geography ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford history ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, successful science personal statements, cambridge medicine ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford medicine ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, cambridge veterinary medicine ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, kcl dentistry ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, cambridge natural sciences (bio) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, cambridge natural sciences (phy) ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford physics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford chemistry ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, cambridge engineering ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford engineering ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge maths & physics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford computer science ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, personal statement posts from our blog.

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Successful Personal Statement For Medicine At Oxford University

Writing a Medicine Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study Medicine at Oxford.

Successful Personal Statement For Law At Cambridge

Writing a Law Personal Statement for Cambridge? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study Law at Cambridge.

Successful Personal Statement Example For Computer Science At Oxford

Read through a successful Computer Science Personal Statement for Oxford with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive an Oxford offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Economics At Cambridge

Read through a successful Economics Personal Statement for Cambridge with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive a Cambridge offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Economics & Management At Oxford

Writing an Economics and Management Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study E&M at Oxford.

Successful Personal Statement For PPE At Oxford

Writing a PPE Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study PPE at Oxford.

Successful Personal Statement For Law At Oxford

Read through a successful Law Personal Statement for Oxford with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive an Oxford offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

Read through a successful Natural Science Personal Statement for Cambridge with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive a Cambridge offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Sciences (Biological) At Cambridge

Writing a Natural Sciences (Biological) Personal Statement for Cambridge? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study Natural Sciences at Cambridge.

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We do have ideal start times at points throughout the year, however, the syllabus can be adapted to suit your particular start time if you are accepted onto the Programme. Our Admissions Consultants can help you understand the Programme timeline in your specific case – all you need to do is ask.

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If a student has below-average (but still realistic) grades for Oxford and Cambridge, but the correct attitude, we would consider accepting them onto our Programme. Unfortunately, if the inverse is the case, it’s unlikely the student would be accepted onto the Programme.

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As much as you like! Although we do offer rough guidelines for how to use your tuition hours, you are more than welcome to dedicate more or less than the recommended amount to your personal statement if you wish to do so. 

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Undergraduate admissions: How to write a personal statement

• Prospective Students

Andrew Miller

• Access Officer

13 Oct 2021

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What is a personal statement?

Let’s start with the basics. A personal statement is the supporting statement that you send along with your UCAS application. It is your chance to tell universities, in your own words, why you will be a great student in your chosen subject. Your personal statement should demonstrate your interest in, and suitability to, your subject. It is limited in length to 4000 characters, which translates to around 500-600 words.

What do Oxford look for in a good personal statement

At the University of Oxford we read every personal statement, multiple times, so it is definitely worth spending a good amount of time writing it. We are interested in your potential in your chosen subject, so we are very keen to hear about anything academic . This means that were interested in what you have done/are doing at school, but also in anything that you have done above and beyond your school curriculum that can be linked to your chosen subject of study. We refer to these as super-curricular activities .

Super-curricular is different to extra-curricular, as extra-curricular is not related to your academic interest. Super-curriculars can be things you’ve read, listened to, watched or visited, or any number of combinations. However, this should not just be a list of things. We also want to know how these things support you academic ambitions. Why did you choose these activities? What impact did it have on you? What did you do next? You can use all of this as specific  evidence  of your interest in, and commitment too, your subject.

For some ideas you could start with some suggestions from the University of Oxford here .

Basic structure

As a base line, around 80% of your personal statement should focus on your academic and super-curricular activities:

• You should have an opening paragraph explaining why you want to study the course
• Followed by 3 or 4 paragraphs analysing your academic and super-curricular activities
• Finally, a short closing paragraph about your extra-curricular interest, focusing on transferable skills, and future aspirations/career plans

Pitfalls to avoid

An important thing to remember is that if we invite you to interview we could use your personal statement as the starting point of your interview. This means it is a good idea to re-read your personal statement beforehand. It also means that you should not be tempted to embellish your personal statement with things you haven’t read or done because you think they sound good. If we ask about those things in interview it can get very awkward very quickly!

Likewise it is important that the personal statement is in your own words and not copied from anywhere else. You also do not need to be entertaining or funny, you just need to get to the point about your academic interests and your evidence for why you will be a good scholar.

Finally, please take care with spell-checking and use whatever opportunity you can to have someone (teacher, parent, etc.) proofread for you. Most schools will want to do this for you, so please listen to your teachers.

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Where next?

• How to choose your subject Read more
• The application cycle Read more
• UCAS and applying to Oxford  Read more

Top Tips for an Oxford PPE Personal Statement

Table of Contents

Oxford Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Personal Statement – Top 10 Tips : Dos and Don’ts

The Oxford Personal Statement is a crucial component of your PPE Oxford university application. It presents a unique opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from other applicants. You would be able to articulate your story and explain your interests beyond that of numbers on an admissions test. Furthermore, it gives the interviewer a chance to understand who you are. It also provides a platform to bounce off questions during your interview. 

Some of the Oxford interview PPE questions will be tailored to your personal statement and include personality and interests. Questions will also ask about your commitment to who you are as a person and your amalgamation of experiences before you. Our Oxbridge application experts have compiled a list of top 10 Oxford Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Personal Statement tips. These include dos and don’ts for your Oxford Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Personal Statement . 

General Advice for your Oxford PPE Personal Statement

Self-explanatory in its title, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics is a course that comprises three main branches.

Philosophy shapes and demands critical thinkers. The study of it involves a high amount of logical rigour, leading one to be extremely analytical.

The study of politics leads one to have a strong knowledge base on the political systems worldwide. It also delves into their impact on communities and societies at large. It allows you to not only understand but also evaluate and form an opinion on the priorities and choices of political parties. You will also learn how to explain the ideas and values that help to make such decisions and analyses.

Economics studies how three main stakeholders in our society (governments, consumers, and firms), make decisions in determining the allocation of scarce resources. 

These three branches complement each other well. The knowledge and skills picked up in each branch being transferable to the other. For example, the critical thinking skills that philosophy hones are extremely relevant and useful when studying politics and economics. The knowledge and skills from all three branches have great applications that help students understand the world around them.

PPE personal statements can be difficult to write. In your Oxford PPE personal statement, you must explain your interest and skills in each branch but in a limited word count. Furthermore, when planning your Oxford PPE personal statement, research Oxford’s achievements in PPE. Use it as a guide to illustrate your interest in the course. 

Top 5 Tips for your Oxford Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Personal Statement

Display in your oxford ppe personal statement that you can think critically and have good analytic skills.

A key quality that Oxford admissions tutors are looking out for in a PPE student is having critical thinking skills. You can illustrate this in your Oxford PPE personal statement by mentioning and reflecting on experiences that involve analysing data or formulating arguments. It is equally valuable for you to reflect on other types of achievements and experiences that you have. For example, if you have adopted a particular passion for a specific economic policy or theory, you can talk about why you started being interested in it. Is this linked to a personal interest in a greater societal problem such as that of reducing inequality or poverty? It is also advised to talk about what you have done to cultivate and grow this passion.

Focusing your Oxford personal statement on your interest in PPE and how you have the relevant skills for the course

The main purpose of your PPE personal statement and the top thing that Oxford admissions tutors are looking out for when reading your statement is to determine if you are going to be a good Philosophy, Politics, and Economics student. Being a good PPE student can be demonstrated in two main ways. If you are able to show that you are interested and passionate about the course. And, if you have the relevant skills that would make a good PPE student. You can show that you are interested and passionate about the course by talking about self-reading that you have taken the initiative to do. You can list specific details and aspects about the course that enthrals you. Equally, you can mention and reflect on experiences that you have undertaken to cultivate further your interest in philosophy, politics, or economics. You can demonstrate that you have the relevant skills that would make a good PPE student by talking about the experiences that you have done in the past. Reflect on how they have shaped you as a person. Try and extract a personal quality or trait from each of the experiences you mentioned. Then talk about how it would be relevant for PPE.

Being well-read in philosophy, politics, or economics

Oxford definitely does not require you to be an expert in your field of study. After all, you are applying to study PPE. So it does not make sense for you to be a specialist in it even before you have started. However, it would definitely be useful both to you as a future student as well as an applicant to have done preparatory reading. This would signal to your Oxford admissions tutor that you are passionate about the field of study. If you are interested in something, you would take the initiative to learn more about it on your own even without being pressured to! It would also signal to them that you are able to get through large volumes of text, a skill useful in any humanities course. If you do not know where to start, you can simply google Oxford PPE reading lists, you access one put together by one of the Oxford colleges here: Oxford PPE .

It is also good to keep in mind that you do not necessarily have to pick up a book. Reading can be in the form of magazine columns, news articles. Or even in alternative medium forms such as podcasts, Youtube videos, or documentaries. Some news sites that you can check out include Vox, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Economist, The Guardian, and many more.

Don’t burden yourself with reading textbooks. If you are truly interested in the course, there would definitely be a book or video out there that you will find enjoyable reading. Furthermore, reading news articles instead of scrolling on Tiktok, or listening to podcasts on your way to school instead of your usual playlist would be a great way to incorporate content into your everyday life that is not burdensome.

Only bring up experiences if you are able to draw the relevance to Philosophy, Politics, or Economics

There is little value in bringing up an impressive experience unless you are able to draw how it is relevant to Philosophy, Politics, or Economics. If you are bent on talking about an experience but find it difficult to draw the link to PPE, you can think about how it has inspired you to be interested in any of the three fields. For example, being heavily involved in mission trips and being a committed volunteer might not have a direct link to PPE. However, you can talk about how witnessing poverty and inequality has led you to be curious about learning more about the economical theories and policies that political systems use to reduce such destitution. You can then elaborate that this motivation has then led you to read up more on politics or economics or participate in related competitions.

Another way of linking a seemingly irrelevant skill is to talk about relevant skills or qualities that you picked up during your experience that are transferable and applicable as a PPE student. For example, if you were involved in a scientific research project, you could mention how this has led you to be comfortable and efficient in reading large volumes of information or research journals. This is a useful skill as a PPE student. Otherwise, you could also say that it has led you to recognise that there are always limitations and no theoretical model applies perfectly in real life. This is similar to economic or political policies.

Have multiple drafts before submitting a finalised version

Do keep in mind that your first draft would never be your best draft, so you should always buffer sufficient time that allows you to make multiple drafts. You can also seek feedback from seniors of the same course, friends. Or even school career guidance counsellors, and use their feedback to further refine your Oxford PPE personal statement. Even if they are not familiar with the subject, they could also provide valuable feedback on the readability and the clarity of your Oxford PPE personal statement. However, do take care when sharing your Oxford PPE personal statement with anyone, as you want to avoid plagiarism issues!

Top 5 things to AVOID for your Oxford Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Personal Statement

Only mentioning one or two branches of ppe, instead of all three.

The course that you are enrolling on consists of three different fields of study, each important in its own right. Hence, your Oxford personal statement should reflect this. It should signal to the Oxford admissions tutor that you have a strong understanding of the course that you are applying to. It should also show that you are a good fit for it. You can ensure that you do not miss out on any points that you would have liked to mention. You should also ensure that you can communicate all your points and relevant achievements within the limited 4000-character word count. To do this, you can frame your Oxford PPE personal statement with a good structure. For example, you could have 3 body paragraphs, each explaining your interest or relevant skill in each field.

Simply listing achievements and experiences without reflecting on them

Many applicants mistake the application process and think that Oxford is looking out for the most decorated student with the highest number of achievements. This is not the case. Instead, Oxford is looking out for the student who is the best fit for the course. This does not necessarily refer to the student who has the highest number of achievements. But rather the student who has the most relevant achievements explained and reflected in a way that shows that you are a good match for the course. Instead of simply listing or name-dropping an achievement, you should reflect on it and talk about how it has led you to develop certain relevant skills. For example, merely mentioning how you won your school’s debate tournament is not enough. You should talk about how it developed your ability to form coherent arguments and communicate them to a general audience. Oxford admissions tutors would not care if you started a non-profit and cured children from cancer. They want to know why you did the things that you did and what you have learnt from them. Also, how these skills would help you become a good PPE student.

Wasting precious word count on achievements that would otherwise be available on other aspects of your application

Do not waste your precious words on achievements or experiences that your Oxford admissions tutor would already know about you by reading it off other aspects of your application. For example, if you have achieved impressive grades at your GCSEs or your A levels, do not feel the need to go in-depth about it in your application. This is because this information would already be made available to your Oxford admissions tutor. They would already have considered it alongside your Oxford PPE personal statement. You can choose to talk about information that they would not otherwise have known about. For example, the societies that you were a part of or competitions that you have participated in or won. It could also be events that you have organised, or books that you have read.

Not starting early

If you are just starting out on your Oxford PPE personal statement and find it difficult to overcome writer’s block, you can start out by listing all your achievements. In a separate column, you can create a list of all the desirable qualities of being a PPE student. You can then list details and aspects of the course that interest you. Next, you can match up your achievements and experiences with the qualities and course details. Use each match as a backbone or inspiration when fleshing out your main body paragraphs.

Using vocabulary that you are not familiar with

You might feel that using difficult terms and fancy vocabulary is necessary. However, it is much better to use words that you are more familiar with in order to communicate your ideas more clearly to the Oxford admissions tutor. Furthermore, if you embellish your essay with too much unconventional terminology, it could make your essay wordy and hard to read. You want to get your thoughts across, so always prioritise clarity and readability before anything else!

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