Be mindful of the course you’re applying for – don’t talk only about portraits or Rankin if the course you’re applying for has a broad-based curriculum (and high application numbers). Instead, focus on your passion, insights, and experience in photography, so you can stand out in a competitive field.
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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:
- Admissions tutors want to understand what really fires your interest in photography, including wider cultural influences. Think about who inspires you – artists or writers as well as photographers like Sarah Van Rij or Steve McCurry – and how this has influenced your photographic choices and approach.
- Dr Paul Cabuts, professional photographer and previous admissions tutor at University of South Wales, says photography is about communication, and that he looked for students who had something to say about the subjects in their photographs, and could also use photography to express ideas.
- Talk about the ways in which you engage with the visual arts outside your studies – such as a gallery visit, or a particular exhibition that inspired you and why. Keep information you include about your interests relevant to the application.
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:
- What projects or coursework have you done that’s relevant? Talk about what you learned from a specific school photography project or, for example, Photoshop skills you’ve picked up studying graphic design or how you’ve learned about composition in art, and how these relate to your course.
- Think what other skills you’ve picked up from your studies. For example, many photographers will need to be good with people. Give examples of when you’ve worked well as part of a team or demonstrated good interpersonal skills.
- 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:
- It’s important to demonstrate an awareness that being successful in photography isn’t just about taking a good picture. Admissions tutors are ooking for a range of skills, including those gained outside of the photography world, for example through volunteering or undertaking work experience. Perhaps you can mention what you’ve learned from watching the news or reading about current affairs, or a time when you’ve taken photographs for a family event or a charity website.
- What life experiences have you had that might lend themselves to this subject? You may have moved area and had to start college with no friends – communication skills and being able to talk to people you don’t know can be useful in photography, as can sales skills which you might have picked up from working in a shop or call centre.
- Have you created an online portfolio of your work or taken part in an exhibition? Not only does this show off your photography but it also shows initiative and motivation.
- 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?
It could be things like a project you’ve started off your own back – for example, photographing families, events,or weddings for free to build up your portfolio, or raising money for a charity through a bake sale and posting photographs online. Relate what you learned from those projects, whether it was empathy and a greater understanding of people, lighting or learning to photograph outdoors, or simply the best size and quality of photographs for social media apps.
It doesn’t all need to be about photography
What skills have you learned from volunteering or other jobs you’ve done, whether it’s customer service skills in a bakery or time management in an office role?
You could also relay how you’ve planned your time revising for your A levels or equivalent while balancing a part-time job or caring duties.
It’s ok to talk about a particular style of photography you enjoy or you’re interested in, whether it’s fashion, advertising, editorial, documentary, or wildlife, but be mindful of being too prescriptive when it comes to specifying a particular photography genre in your personal statement if the course you’re applying for covers a broader range of styles. It’s great if you can link back to something you've learned in your business, art and design, or photography studies, or seen in Wired Magazine, at the British Wildlife Photography Awards or from a visit to the V&A Museum.
Some more tips to consider
- Your engagement with the course: Geoff Buono at University Campus Suffolk wants to read about your photography interests, ambitions, activities, and achievements, as well as why you want to study the courses you’re applying for, your future aspirations, what you expect from the degree, and what you can contribute.
- Independent thinking: Professor David McGravie from the University of Chester likes to see 'evidence that you’ve done something off your own back, like books you’ve read, exhibitions that have informed your own practice, or photos you’ve taken that have gone beyond your own comfort zone’.
- Examples of your relevant skills: Can you describe situations where you’ve demonstrated relevant skills, like good communication, planning, teamwork, initiative, innovation or achieving goals? Think about sports teams, organising a film or book club, mastering a hobby, or even starting a community garden or recycling project.