Write your way to success with a personal statement that tells admissions tutors something unique about you, your academic ideas, and your practical experience. Package it all up with concise and relevant answers to the questions, and you’ll demonstrate you’ve got the skills needed for a career in PR and communications.
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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:
- Explain why you want to study PR and communications, and where that passion comes from. You may already be a big consumer of digital communications and have opinions on how people receive information. Or you may have reflections on how the media landscape has changed in the last ten years, and what you want to do within that new framework.
- Mention blogs and articles you’ve read that have given you further inspiration. Maybe you follow Freuds Group on Instagram and LinkedIn – critique one of their campaigns and explain what you’d like to learn about effective communication. Or perhaps you’re fascinated by influencer marketing and have ideas on how you would use it in public relations.
- Show you’re across current affairs and you understand the impact the media has on culture and politics in the UK. You could give an example of how political parties communicated with the electorate during the last election, and why it has made you want to work in strategic communications.
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:
- Can you give examples of projects you’ve done at school, such as creating a magazine or digital campaign for an English project, writing an essay expressing your own opinions and thoughts, or a video you created to explain or market something?
- Mention critical thinking skills you’ve picked up in media studies or politics, for example, and research or management skills you’ve picked up in law or business.
- What other schoolwork or clubs have you done where you’ve shown good project management, interpersonal skills, and persistence?
- 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:
- Think of times when you've written for a particular audience, such as your own blog, a school magazine, or promotional material for an event. What did you learn about working to deadlines, capturing people’s attention, and how to adjust your style depending on the intended audience?
- Similarly, if you’ve created content in another way, such as videos for TikTok and YouTube, or a podcast you host, what skills have you picked up, such as audio and video editing skills and writing for search engine optimisation (SEO)?
- What else do you enjoy doing that may be relevant? You’ll have picked up good interpersonal and teamwork skills from being on a sports team or other group at school, as well as effective time management and working to deadlines from balancing schoolwork with outside activities.
- 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
You may also be a ‘people person’, so mention if you love meeting new people and networking. Or maybe you can demonstrate a time when you remained calm in a crisis – a skill that might be needed in PR and communications!
Use your other interests or hobbies to show you have a cultural awareness. You might be really into watching or playing rugby and football, and want to work in sports PR. You may work in a shop or retail outlet, and have observed how products are marketed or how brands use social media to capture an audience. Or you might have had work experience in a small or large business and observed how they communicate with media outlets. Give specific examples where you can.
Where do you see yourself taking your PR and communications degree? Perhaps you’re passionate about making a difference in the world and you want to improve the public relations of a charity you support, or work in communications in the NHS? It's even better if you can link back to something you've learned in your English, sociology, or media studies, read in Influence, or on a company website or newsletter.
Some more tips to consider
- Creativity and initiative: Give examples of work you’ve already created, whether that’s an essay, online article, blog, social posts, podcast, or YouTube video which demonstrate the beginnings of your PR and communications skills.
- Other relevant skills: Can you describe situations where you’ve demonstrated relevant skills like good communication, networking, and presentation skills?
- Research the course: Why do you want to study PR and communications, 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 sure you tailor your statement to the course you’re applying for.
- 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. If you’ve taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, how has it developed your research skills, management skills, and ability to work well under pressure?