Show evidence of your engagement with the subject beyond your lessons at school, college, or sixth form and focus on what it is that specifically interests you about the debates you engage with, the books you read, and the ideas you discuss.
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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?
Professor Nicholas Allen - Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, Royal Holloway, University of London
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:
- Get your interest in a politics degree across. Whether you’re fascinated by the Nordic model of social welfare, or how the UK would work under proportional representation, describe what debates you engage with, books you read, ideas you discuss, and what excites you specifically about them and the degree you’re applying for.
- Could you talk enthusiastically about a particular module you’re excited about on the course you’re applying to, and why? For example, if you’re keen to learn more about global history, or data analysis in politics, elaborate on that. Take care not to talk in detail about a module that’s only available at one of your options, and rather pick something broader that most universities will offer in your first year.
- Write about your future ambitions, whether it’s the next step after you graduate, such as an internship in an MP’s office, or your longer-term goals working at a think tank or in the civil service.
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:
- If you’ve already studied politics, or you’ve studied subjects like humanities, you’ll have picked up knowledge about how the world works, as well as analytical skills and the ability to, for example, question a source – all of which will be useful on a politics degree.
- Can you mention any specific projects or coursework you’ve done that’s relevant? Perhaps you’ve done a project on economic sociology, or about the history of the Middle East, both of which will have given you skills and insights you can use.
- Think about clubs you’ve been part of too, whether that’s the school magazine, radio station or a basketball club. What relevant skills have you picked up, such as good written and communication skills, listening skills, and leadership?
- 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:
- On its website, the University of Bristol explains its politics admissions tutors are looking for you to show evidence of your engagement with the subject beyond the A level (or equivalent) syllabus, so mention podcasts you listen to, such as The News Agents or The Rest Is Politics, or specific articles you’ve read in The Spectator or The New Statesman, and what you gleaned from them.
- Tutors would also be very interested in your reflections on any relevant volunteering or campaigning you might have done. Do mention if you’ve shadowed your local MP or councillor or been out canvassing, and reflect on what you learned. But don’t worry if you haven’t – it’s you as an individual and your intellectual engagement with ideas they most want to get a feel for.
- Politics students also need to demonstrate empathy, logic, and reasoning. Write about times you’ve worked well with others, or even volunteered somewhere like The Samaritans, and if you have hobbies such as Minecraft, chess, or programming, these can all demonstrate the use of logic.
- 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?
Obviously, where you can, mention any relevant political experiences you’ve had, whether you were on the school steering group, joined your area’s youth council, or took part in the debating club. Make sure you also give your unique insights into what you got from those roles and why you now want to study politics.
Then tell the tutor something about your personally that shows you have the skills, attributes or interests for this degree. You may come from a family where one or both parents has struggled to find work, or received Universal Credit, and have reflections on that.
Perhaps you’re a good listener, or you’ve gained an understanding of other people’s lives through charity or volunteer work, or just through living in a diverse neighbourhood. Remember to reflect on these experiences and how they relate to your desire to study for a politics degree.
Write about your personal interests too
Tutors want to see you can enjoy all of university life, not just your studies. Mention If you love sports, outdoor pursuits, film or theatre, and what you’re looking forward to exploring more at uni.
It’s even better if you can mention applicable skills you’ve picked up such as perseverance, good time management, cultural awareness, and/or analytical skills.
Some more tips to consider
- Structure and organisation: To study politics, you need to demonstrate you’re capable of constructing an argument and articulating yourself well. Your personal statement needs to be clear, organised, and free of spelling or grammatical errors.
- Examples of your relevant skills: Can you describe situations where you’ve demonstrated relevant skills like good communication or teamwork, problem-solving, negotiating, initiative or achieving goals?
- Research the course: Why do you want to study politics, 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?
- Making your business experience count: It’s not just what you've done but how you've reflected on it. If you work-shadowed at an NGO, a newspaper, or in your local MP’s office, that’s great, but it will have zero impact unless you spell out what you personally gained from it.
- Transferable skills: Whether through extracurricular or supercurricular activities, work experience, or a part-time job, you’ll have lots of skills that will be relevant to your course. Try to think outside the box – ok, so you’ve reached black belt in karate; can you explain how that has helped with your self-motivation, focus, and time management?
