A Biochemistry Personal Statement written by an Oxford Graduate
EXEMPLAR BIOCHEMISTRY PERSONAL STATEMENT WITH ANNOTATIONS FROM SUCCESSFUL STUDENT
An article outlining the strengths of a Biochemistry personal statement written by a successful Oxford applicant.
A simple fact sparked my desire to study Biochemistry. I am small, in stature, and I wondered why. My curiosity led me to research X chromosome inactivation. X chromosomes have pseudoautosomal regions not inactivated by Xist allowing transcription and translation to take place. This affects height in males and females with different numbers of X chromosomes. As Nessa Carey states in ‘Junk DNA’ 98% of our DNA is non-coding. Therefore, I realised I am possibly vertically challenged as a result of the non-coding regions in my genome as opposed to the coding regions. In addition, the breadth of the subject fascinates me from stem cell biology to how changes in amino acids within the chromophore region of green fluorescent protein can cause fluorescence colour shifts.
[1] It’s important to start your personal statement with something genuine and not generic. People tend to start by writing ‘I have always been fascinated by Biochemistry…’ which is 1) generic and 2) simply not true. As much as you may love Biochemistry now, you definitely weren’t a super fan at 4 years old. Try to pinpoint the event that triggered your interest in the subject and write about that. This might be a book, documentary, a podcast, a museum trip or even a real-life scenario. By writing about this experience that is personal to you, it enables you to truly write a PERSONAL statement. For me, I read a book on the function of the DNA that doesn’t code for proteins and realised that a process called X-chromosome inactivation can lead to variations in heights. I found this super interesting so decided to open my personal statement with this.
[2] The final sentence of the paragraph highlights that I am aware Biochemistry is an extremely broad subject. It isn’t just about DNA and proteins! I wanted the tutors to know that I do understand what Biochemistry entails and that I am passionate to study all aspects of it. I also discussed GFP and its mechanism here as I learnt about its importance in acting as a fluorescence marker for gene expression when I was on a summer school in year 12.
During the University of Oxford’s UNIQ summer school a topic that particularly interested me was Dr Hayley Lees’ lecture on ageing and stem cells. This gave me a deeper understanding of the factors which cause ageing, including telomere attrition and cellular senescence. The article “The Biology of Ageing” by Joao Pedro De Magalhaes enlightened me in the importance of telomerase in ageing and how, despite this, there is evidence that telomere shortening is an anti-cancer mechanism in the body. An example of a biochemical contradiction. These complex biochemical interactions fuel my desire to research further why things are the way they are. Research into the biochemistry of ageing very much appeals to me as a future career. One may suggest this is pertinent when considering the global impact of the ageing population.
[3] The fact that I attended a Biochemistry summer school exemplifies that I have a genuine interest in the subject, enough to spend some of my summer holiday in Biochemistry lectures and labs. In addition, further passion for the subject is demonstrated by the fact that I read an article about ageing after the lecture to learn more about the topic.
[4] My comment about the biochemical contraction highlights critical and analytical thinking skills. I had read that telomere attrition can lead to ageing and that the enzyme, telomerase, can extend these telomeres to prevent ageing. However, telomere extension by telomerase is also involved in tumour formation to allow for indefinite cell proliferation. I found it so fascinating that a mechanism to prevent ageing can also cause tumour formation and possible death, therefore, I wanted to make a point of this in my personal statement.
[5] The short sentence about researching ageing as a future career is impactful as this lets the tutor know that I am interested in not only studying Biochemistry at university, but also having a career in the industry.
[6] My acknowledgement of the importance of this research due to the ageing population proves that I can contextualise the impact of biochemical research in tackling global issues.
Practical sessions I have experienced, using technical and sophisticated equipment, have given me an insight into degree level practical work. Dr Ivan Campeotto led a session on DNA Purification and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). It was a privilege to undertake PCR for myself, such a revolutionary method to analyse short sequences of DNA or RNA. I enjoyed working through problems and discussing ideas in the tutorial system. The Chemistry Sutton Trust Summer School at the University of Cambridge also enabled me to further enhance my lab skills in experiments led by Dr James Keeler. I was able to put the calculations from AS Chemistry into practice using my own experimental data. These experiences confirmed to me that Biochemistry is undoubtedly my passion and that I will thrive in the University environment.
[7] The nature of Biochemistry is lab-based, therefore, showing tutors that you have practical experience outside of the school curriculum can help you to stand out. PCR is a common technique used in many labs across the world, as exemplified by the Covid-19 testing process, therefore, being able to demonstrate to admissions tutors that I understood the process and had actually run a PCR possibly helped me to stand out as an applicant.
[8] Biochemistry is heavily chemistry-based as the subject is centred around using chemistry to understand biology. Highlighting that I also completed a chemistry summer school lets tutors know that I love chemistry and have a good background in it for the Biochemistry course. It also proved that I could apply the information I learnt at A-level to real-life experimental situations - an important skill required to succeed at Oxbridge.
After reading an article in the New Scientist about the link between menopause and Alzheimer’s, I have decided to complete my Welsh Baccalaureate individual project on the reasons for the prevalence difference of Alzheimer’s between men and women. At first I thought it was due to the general longer life of women compared to men. The statistics surrounding gender prevalence, however, showed such an extreme difference that the longevity factor alone could surely not account for this. This caused me to question my initial assumption and led to further exploration of this topic. The possible fact that the lower oestrogen levels after menopause increase beta amyloid production as well as cause a decline in glucose metabolism in the brain, leading to the catabolism of its own white matter for fuel, fascinated me. This led to the development of my interest in the biochemistry of Alzheimer’s. In the process of carrying out this project I have developed my data handling, time management, critical and analytical thinking skills.
[9] The fact that I read an article on a Biochemistry topic and then decided to write an individual project on it highlights my curiosity about the subject and my passion to delve deeper into the things I learn about it. Curiosity is a key attribute that tutors like to see in a personal statement.
[10] I discuss how, after reading the article, I created my own assumption for why there might be a greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s in females and males, however, through doing more research I discovered that the actual reason for this was completely different. This demonstrates my ability to take information I read, critically think about it to create my own hypothesis on the topic, and then research it further to determine if my hypothesis is correct. This ability to analytically and critically consider information is sought after by admissions tutors.
[11] It is important to highlight relevant skills you have for the course. You should never just list skills you have with no evidence. Here, I have discussed the project I did and then mentioned the skills I have developed through doing it.
My role as Head Girl demonstrated my ability to take on responsibility. Working as a team, effective communication skills and the ability to work under pressure have been essential qualities for my role as a member of the Army Cadets, a member of the local theatre and working as a Barista. I also consider myself an independent learner who works to solve problems effectively, skills I hope to bring to studying biochemistry at university and beyond.
[12] An Oxbridge personal statement should be around 80:20 academic to non-academic. My last paragraph is the non-academic section. I wanted this section of my personal statement to be impactful and contribute towards answering the question of why I would be a great candidate for the course. To achieve this, I mentioned a few of my extra-curricular activities and then used these to demonstrate key skills they have equipped me with that would be applicable to the course.
Received offers from:
Oxford (accepted)
Durham
York
Warwick
Lancaster
Why is this a good Oxbridge Biochemistry personal statement?
Overall, this personal statement is full of a range of super-curricular activities which are discussed in ways that highlight passion, intellectual curiosity, critical and analytical thinking and problem solving. These are key attributes and skills that tutors look for in personal statements.
