Psychology Model Personal Statement
This is a model personal statement by a succesful Oxbridge Psychology applicant.
Watching B. Ambridge’s “9 myths about psychology, debunked” TED talk in 2014 removed my misconceptions about psychology and piqued my curiosity to explore the wide array of topics within the subject. Reading “Love’s Executioner” by I.D. Yalom, which discussed a plethora of psychological issues including romantic obsessions, eating problems, and death anxiety, inspired me to research schizophrenia and phrenology, leading me to complete a course about schizophrenia, its treatment and the devastating impact this disorder has on lives.
Following this, I independently wrote an essay on Theories of Intelligence, with phrenology serving as a starting point, which enhanced my research skills. My particular interest in psychopathology led me to proactively engage in “Mental Health on Record”, a project at the National Archives focused on asylum patients from the Victorian era, where I created an animation to raise awareness about the history of mental health. I had conversations with volunteers from Mind at this time; their experience of anorexia and self- harm moved me deeply and reaffirmed my career interest in clinical psychology post- graduation.
Working in Clinical Simulation at Croydon Hospital last summer gave me insight into training methods and how health specialists work with psychologists in a clinical environment. By speaking to patients, nurses, and a health psychologist when volunteering at Macmillan make-up days, I was exposed to the psychological and emotional effects of cancer. Whilst upsetting to hear the difficulties, I was motivated to seek out more interactive human connections. At my next placement at Whitgift nursing home, I conveniently had the opportunity to organise an afternoon for residents. Wanting to make a worthwhile difference, I ran a “Gratitude and Reflection” session from which I consolidated my findings into a report; I recommended points of improvement that would help the residents, placing an emphasis on existing positives. It was eye-opening to see the impact diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s had on residents and their families and I read about ethnopharmacological approaches for dementia therapy to educate myself on alternative treatments of this neurodegenerative disorder.
To keep updated with research findings, I read cognitive and neurology-related articles like “prenatal parental stress linked to behaviour problems in toddlers.” I also enjoy watching documentaries such as “Real Stories: Broadmoor’s High Dependency Psych Ward” and am currently reading “Talking with psychopaths and savages, A journey into the evil mind” by C. Berry-Dee to learn more about individual case studies.
As Team Leader during NCS in summer, fund raising for a childcare centre improved my leadership, teamwork, and communication skills, helping me to become Head Girl at school. Attending meetings to improve school life has enhanced my listening skills, which will prove useful when talking to clients in an understanding, non- judgemental manner as a psychologist. I found the behaviours of the children at the centre compelling, so I enrolled on an online Child Development course, which combined my love for biology and psychology with the nature versus nurture debate.
My work placements and experiences have confirmed my passion for science. Having developed my analytical and interpretation skills at school, I conducted a psychology research project into the matching hypothesis, an explanation for relationship formation, which received high praise by teachers. Writing this in a university style thesis has given me applicable scientific and statistical skills and provided cognisance about ethical standards in modern research. The combination of my scientific mind and interest in human behaviour makes Psychology the perfect course for me.
My academic and extra-curricular achievements, strong work ethic, empathy, and responsibility will allow me to succeed at University and as a prominent Psychologist in the future.
