Personal Statement Cheat Sheet for Teachers - Bringing the Best out of Oxford & Cambridge Applicants
Oxbridge personal statements are different to most. Focus must be on analysing and evaluating relevant literature. Whilst the exact balance between this and highlighting previous experience differs from subject to subject (Medicine being a particular case where experience takes a more prominent role), the rule tends to be to include at least two or three academic pieces.
Providing students with relevant reading lists and then encouraging them to debate key themes with their peers and yourself is a great way to help them get to grips with nuances within relevant pieces.
Finding good reading lists isn’t too tricky, with both Oxford and Cambridge often making recommendations. If not available, asking subject relevant teachers makes for a great alternative.
Once students have engaged with relevant literature, getting them to formulate strong arguments takes priority. It is no use providing a list of books in a statement; literature should only be included if it supports relevant arguments.
Breaking down argument structure, as simple as it sounds, can be a great way of ensuring students’ opinions remain concise and relevant.
Once students have formulated their own opinions, testing them becomes important; students should be forced to justify these to teachers, who then challenge their core argument. Getting students to write short essays justifying these, then marking them, can be a useful exercise. If you find yourself without resource or time to do so, getting other students to mark them can be equally useful.
Statement structure should vary heavily from student to student, depending on their own interests. However, all should flow and link; nothing should feel inconsistent or out of place. Academic exploration and relevant argument should build throughout. Students will naturally be taken aback if told to change their structure; it always feels like an overwhelming thing to change.
Ensuring students do not feel overwhelmed is key here; explaining that it will be easier and quicker than they think is important.
Lastly, proofing statements is always painful. Having read each student’s once is difficult enough; more painful is re-reading statements. A fresh pair of eyes is always useful here, as they will see things you do not. Rotating statements between teachers and students can be helpful. Do not expect them to see all errors, but use them to double check anything you may have missed.
Let us know if you have any questions about this article or anything related to helping students apply to Oxbridge at all. Doxa provides support for students and teachers across all aspects mentioned in this article; online classes are priced at £35 per hour.
For further information please see our Personal Statement Advice page.
This article was written by Kes (Oxford - PPE).
If you find this content useful, please visit Kes' profile for further information on applying to Oxbridge. Alternatively, book support now with Kes, using the form below.
Author: Kes - Oxford
BA Philosophy, Politics & Economics
In my mentoring, I like to focus on building critical thinking and communication skills, which are fundamental to both PPE. In my experience, the best way to build these skills is through understanding argument structure and then applying it to different scenarios.
