Article on the iniquities of the current system in today's Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/9737039/Personal-statement-for-sale-is-the-current-system-fair.html?dm_i=14DE,13WBO,5PB90J,3GXRX,1
Our comment:
'Admissions tutors clearly do see through Personal Statements that are 'the work of more than one mind' to use the phrase of an Oxford admissions tutor we spoke to: to a certain extent it is expected, but a pre-fabricated response is certainly dangerous and will be caught out by UCAS similarity detection software. What the independent sector offers, or should offer, is tailored guidance on not just the Personal Statement, but the whole application: where to apply with a particular set of predictions, how to balance the academic and extra-curricular in the statement in relation to particular universities, how to demonstrate proper reflection on work experience, whatever the experience may be, rather than simply listing 'stuff I have done', how to find the right course and university and appropriate insurance choices if things go wrong on results day. I work in an independent school where we go out of our way to give the best quality advice, which might very well be not what the candidate or their parents want to hear. We also get a lot of pupils from other schools (sometimes other independent schools) who are not offered the same level of support - but it is support with the whole process, and definitely not a Personal Statement writing service. In fact we've just sent back a statement that was clearly written by someone else.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/9737039/Personal-statement-for-sale-is-the-current-system-fair.html?dm_i=14DE,13WBO,5PB90J,3GXRX,1
Our comment:
'Admissions tutors clearly do see through Personal Statements that are 'the work of more than one mind' to use the phrase of an Oxford admissions tutor we spoke to: to a certain extent it is expected, but a pre-fabricated response is certainly dangerous and will be caught out by UCAS similarity detection software. What the independent sector offers, or should offer, is tailored guidance on not just the Personal Statement, but the whole application: where to apply with a particular set of predictions, how to balance the academic and extra-curricular in the statement in relation to particular universities, how to demonstrate proper reflection on work experience, whatever the experience may be, rather than simply listing 'stuff I have done', how to find the right course and university and appropriate insurance choices if things go wrong on results day. I work in an independent school where we go out of our way to give the best quality advice, which might very well be not what the candidate or their parents want to hear. We also get a lot of pupils from other schools (sometimes other independent schools) who are not offered the same level of support - but it is support with the whole process, and definitely not a Personal Statement writing service. In fact we've just sent back a statement that was clearly written by someone else.'