Get across why you want to work in this developing and in-demand profession by giving admissions tutors some insights into your interest in this career, your existing attributes and experience, and where you see yourself going.
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Think about why you want to study the subject
- Have you been inspired by someone, a news story, a documentary, or a podcast?
- Do you have career aspirations in this area of study?
- What interests you about the subject – be specific; rather than saying you enjoy it or are good at it, try to explain the ‘why’ behind your reasoning.
- What do you already know about the subject and what are you looking forward to learning more about?
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What makes you suitable to study the subject?
- Have you done projects or essays in this subject at school or college?
- Think about who you are as a person; your personality, your strengths, your experiences in life – how do these make you suited to study the subject?
- How have you shown an interest in the subject outside of school or college – have you done extra reading, online courses, been part of clubs or competitions?
- Your current subjects and grades will be included elsewhere in your application, so try to think about specific things you’ve learned during your studies that relate to the subject, rather than listing your grades and subjects.
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Look at the bigger picture
- Have you done any work experience, an internship or had a part-time job in this subject area or related? Most job or work experience will give you transferable skills, even if it’s in a different industry.
- Do you have any hobbies you can mention that might relate to your chosen subject? Many hobbies show that you can be motivated outside of school to achieve and succeed in something you’re interested in.
- Think about how your life and personal experiences have helped make you the person you are today, and how these challenges and experiences can support your application by evidencing essential qualities for certain subjects.
- If you’ve got ambitions and goals for your life and career, can you express how this subject will help you reach these goals?
Guidance and examples you can use
Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?
This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities and colleges why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions.
Examples:
- What is it that’s made you want to work in digital media, production, and technology? Have you already been following social media campaigns by companies or influencers you like? If so, could you critique what you like about the script or production on one of their digital marketing campaigns?
- Is there anything else you’ve done that’s made you want to learn more about this subject? Perhaps you already post YouTube videos and you’d like to become a professional content creator. Or maybe you’ve been managing the social media account for a charity and you’d like to expand your video production or technical skills.
- Mention books, forums or blogs you read, or people you follow that have influenced you. Elaborate on one or two things – for example, perhaps you learned something on production techniques from reading Digital Media Production for Beginners, or you’ve got an opinion on how the Diary of a CEO podcast uses video on social media.
Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area.
Examples:
- Elaborate on specific skills you’ve picked up, such as digital drawing or Photoshop in your art, graphic design or photography A level or equivalent. Think about other skills too, like creativity, innovation, thinking outside the box, project management, and teamwork.
- What else have you learned during your studies? You may have discovered a great mind-mapping technique for revision that you can also use for coming up with creative ideas. Maybe you've learned scriptwriting skills from being in a drama group, or content writing skills from contributing to a section of the school website or magazine.
- Have you done any online courses to boost your knowledge in the subject? For example, why not try Subject Spotlights or Virtual Work Experiences from Springpod to grow your skills and interest?
Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education, or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.
Examples:
- You’ll have learned things from supercurricular or extracurricular activities, whether that’s good communication skills and teamwork from playing a team sport or using audio editing software for music.
- Mention any volunteering, work-shadowing, or part-time jobs you’ve done. It’s great if you’ve got experience at a digital media or marketing company, or managing social media for an organisation, but if not you’ll have picked up useful skills working in a restaurant, shop or supermarket – like customer service, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
- Think of any personal experiences and attributes too. You may have taught yourself basic programming, which shows initiative as well as technical skills, and maybe you’ve created a vlog about your hobby or home environment, which has taught you some digital storytelling techniques.
- Do relate any examples back to the subject you’re applying to – make it relevant
- Do make it personal – admissions staff want to get to know who you are
- Do use a spell-checker and grammar-checker to ensure there are no errors
- Do ask people for feedback, whether that’s family members or teachers
- Do your research to find out what universities are looking for, and make sure you include evidence to show how you are suitable for the course
- Don’t just list out examples, subjects you study, or experiences you’ve had without any evidence
- Don’t copy something you’ve seen online or use AI to write something for you
- Don’t make things up just because you think they’ll make you look good on paper
- Don’t leave it until the last minute – you need time for several drafts
- Don’t worry about making each section the same length; as long as you hit the minimum character count, you can use the 4,000 characters across each answer in the way that suits you best
Tell admissions tutors what makes you tick
If you’re into music, do you play in a band or orchestra, and do you ever edit any of the music yourself?
Similarly, if you enjoy photography or filming videos, how do you edit them in Pixlr or Capcut? Can you elaborate on any techniques you’ve found that are good for particular social platforms, such as an editing style that works better for TikTok than Twitch?
Write about what culture interests you too, whether you’re into gaming, running, crochet or cricket. If you love running, for example, show admissions tutors how it helps you relax outside of your studies and keep fit – or how you’re looking forward to joining the running club at uni.
Finally, it’s even better if you can relate what you’re saying in your statement answers back to something you’ve read on LinkedIn, Marketing Week, or via a social media agency.
Some more tips to consider
- Research the course: Why do you want to study digital media, production, and technology, what specific aspects of the course interest you, how does it relate to your academic studies, and what additional reading or other activities have led you to apply?
- Make your work experience count: If you’ve work-shadowed a social media manager, digital marketing manager, or SEO lead, that’s great, but make sure you also spell out what you gained from it.
- Creativity and innovation: Try and give examples of when you’ve storyboarded or produced a piece of digital media or technology during your studies or in your own time. Mention any awards you’ve entered or won too.
- Transferable skills: Brainstorm what skills you’ve picked up through extracurricular or supercurricular activities, work experience, or a part-time job that are relevant to your course. If you’ve learned piano, can you explain how that has given you self-motivation, good time management, and perseverance?