Think how you can demonstrate you’ve got the curiosity, analytical skills, and passion to take on a philosophy degree. Add a sprinkle of something that tells admissions tutors about you as a person and you’ll be arguing your way onto a philosophy course in no time!
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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:
- Some philosophy degree applicants will already be studying the subject, but many won’t have studied it before. If you’re in that position, then Professor Christopher Janaway at University of Southampton has some simple but clear advice to offer: 'We want you to show us that you have a genuine interest in the subject, so tell us about the reading you’ve done, lectures you’ve been to, or any other ways you have engaged with philosophy’.
- London School of Economics admissions tutors are also interested in your views and opinions on 'questions such as morality, free will, or consciousness', as well as experiences you've had that led to your desire to study philosophy. For example, maybe something you’ve seen on a history documentary, or a book or monument you came across on holiday sparked an interest in Greek or Roman philosophy.
- Or have you been inspired by a particular philosopher you follow, or whose work you admire? Reference books or articles you’ve read, programmes you’ve watched, or podcasts you listen to, such as The Daily Stoic, and be clear what’s inspired you to want to take this subject to degree level.
- Where do you see your degree taking you? If you’ve already thought about becoming a journalist, lawyer, or teacher, how will studying philosophy help you? But don’t worry if you don’t know yet what your future career might be; admissions tutors want to hear mainly about why you want to study the subject at degree level.
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:
- Write about what you’ve studied already that relates to a philosophy course, whether it’s questioning the concept of good and evil in religious studies, philosophic literature in English, or critiquing the works of a philosopher you came across during history projects.
- What skills have you picked up from these studies that will help you during your degree, such as analytical skills, critical thinking, or questions around morality or existence?
- Mention if you’re part of a debating club, book club, or other hobbies in or out of school and relate it to the course you’re applying for. For example, reason, argument, and analysis will likely form part of your degree studies, so demonstrate how you’ve picked these up.
- 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:
- Reference jobs or hobbies you have and how they relate to skills you’ll use on the course you’re applying to. For example, as a bartender or barista, you’ll use good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Whether you enjoy visiting castles, historic homes or art museums, what do your pastimes say about you, your historical understanding, and your cultural awareness?
- Think how you can demonstrate your critical thinking skills and intellectual curiosity, whether through a hobby like art, reading, listening to podcasts, or going to talks. Elaborate on how you’ll use these skills at uni.
- What personal experiences have led you to become a flexible thinker, or to question existence or morality? You don’t need to go too deep, but reflecting on your own life experiences may help you hone your philosophy skills.
- 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
How to set yourself apart
The key to setting yourself apart in your application is to remember how important the ‘personal’ bit is to your personal statement. What makes you, you?
University of Bristol admissions tutors outline a whole range of qualities that would impress. But what perhaps stands out amongst these, alongside demonstrating your interest and commitment to philosophy, is that the way you approach your statement needs to show you’re capable of clear thinking and understanding, and that you can analyse problems and construct an argument. Make sure you structure your answers to the statement questions, though how you actually thread it is entirely up to you.
Tell admissions tutors what you enjoy doing in your spare time
If you’ve done work experience at a school, newspaper, magazine, or in another area of business, think about the skills you picked up such as good listening and writing skills, attention to detail, and flexibility. It’s even better if you have an idea of how a philosophy degree will take you further towards the career and life you hope to lead. Write too about hobbies you enjoy and how you’ll make the most of these at university, whether you enjoy rock climbing, sailing, badminton, or archery.
Reflect too on current affairs and things you’ve read in newspapers online, in The Economist, or on the BBC website, or things you’ve learned in your geography, sociology or psychology studies, as long as they’re relevant to the course.
Some more tips to consider
- Don’t overthink it: The personal statement has questions for you to follow, but don’t try to be too smart. You’ll stand out by doing your research, being interesting, relevant, and different, and by analysing what you’ve been reading.
- Be reflective: It’s the 'how' that brings your statement to life and makes it interesting and personal. So, try to think of specific occasions or unique ways you’ve demonstrated your potential, or maybe something you've observed about customer behaviour in a part-time job, or an effective (or ineffective) teaching style!
- Examples of your relevant skills: Describe situations where you’ve demonstrated relevant skills like logic, teamwork, analytical reasoning, initiative or attention to detail.
- Research the course: Why do you want to study philosophy, what specific aspects of the course interest you, how does it relate to your academic studies, and what additional interests or activities have led you to apply?