個人陳述是留學申請中必不可少的材料之一，也是同學們通過寫作向學校展示自己的重要途徑。

對於撰寫個人陳述時應該注意的地方，牛津大學招生辦有著自己的看法，各位正在著手申請的同學們不妨來了解一下吧！

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撰寫個人陳述是申請過程中十分重要的一步，在個人陳述中你需要介紹自己想展示的方面並闡述你想學習該課程的原因。有人會認為在申請牛津大學時寫個人陳述是有訣竅的，或者說可以找到成功的捷徑，但事實並非如此。個人陳述只需一份，這意味著你申請的所有大學都會看到相同的陳述和表達。個人陳述的重點應該放在你想要學習的課程上，而不是學校本身。請閱讀 helpful advice from UCAS

個人陳述究竟有多重要？

大學會根據你提供的不同材料信息對你有了一個初步印象，從而來決定是否錄取你。你需要提供的材料包括：個人陳述、學術成績、預估的A-Level成績(或同等成績)，以及你的老師的推薦信。此外，對於牛津大學的大多數課程來說，你還需要參加入學考試或提交書面作業(查看課程詳情)。如果你的申請被列入決選名單，面試也會成為一個考量環節。這說明你的個人陳述很重要，但並不是全部: 它只是你給學校留下的印象中的一部分。

牛津大學的導師想看到什麼？

牛津大學的導師只對你的學術能力和潛力感興趣。在個人陳述中，僅僅說明你對這個科目感興趣是遠遠不夠的 ，他們希望看到你是真正致力於你想在大學學習的科目。你需要嚮導師展示你對學術研究的投入程度和熱愛程度，以及你在以前課外活動中所學到的東西——關於這點，你可以寫任何與科目相關的課外活動來證明。

寫個人陳述時，你應該要避免像在勾選列表上的東西一樣。因為導師心中並不沒有一個列表規定你必須要取得的成就，導師也不會只掃描你寫的東西來尋找關鍵詞或短語。導師會仔細閱讀你的個人陳述，嘗試著去了解是什麼促使你申請他們的課程。導師通過評價你的經歷來初步了解你——因為這些經歷可以展示你從中學到了什麼，以及如何幫助你加深對所學專業的理解。

個人陳述應該從哪部分開始寫起？

想像一下你正在和你的朋友談論你想在大學學習什麼：你會告訴他們什麼呢？ 你所閱讀，觀看或看到的什麼內容引起了你的興趣？（這些資源可能從學校、家裡、博物館、電視、書籍、YouTube或播客或其他任何地方獲取。你還可以查看我們建議的讀物和資源suggested reading and resources.)，想想為什麼你認為這個東西有趣？ 你想在下一步找到什麼？ 你已經做到了什麼？

如果你覺得這很困難，可能是時候考慮一下你是否真的選擇了正確的課程。如果你想不出任何可以說服自己和他人的理由，那麼你在個人陳述中或者面試中的表現可能會缺乏熱情，導師們看不到你對所學科目的熱情，他們是不會給你機會的。如果你覺得回答這些問題很容易，那麼你將有很多思路來幫助你撰寫個人陳述。

當你開始寫作時，記住不僅要列出你的過往成就，還要展示它們如何影響你，你如何從中受益，以及你接下來想要學習什麼。誠實地面對自己和能激發你興趣的東西，無論這些東西是從教科書、博物館和文學作品，還是網站、播客和博客中獲得的。切記一定要說實話，因為導師隨後可能會對一些情況進行核實，所以不要誇大，更不要做出任何虛假陳述。但也千萬不要退縮 - 這不是謙虛的時候。

當你撰寫初稿時，請回顧一下你的課程選擇標準，並考慮如何提供證據證明你滿足了每個標準。你的陳述中有沒有包含所有內容？

是否應該在陳述中寫課外活動？

如果你申請的是大學裡競爭非常激烈的課程（包括牛津大學在內的任何課程），我們通常建議在你的個人陳述中，80%的內容集中在學術興趣、能力和成就上，包括討論任何相關的課外活動。剩下的20%可以用於任何無關的課外活動。

有一種說法是，牛津大學在尋找最全面的申請者，只有當你有一長串五花八門的課外活動時，你才會被錄取。事實上，課外活動只有在滿足了課程的選擇標準時才有幫助。

如果你在申請牛津大學的同時申請了其他大學(你可以在UCAS表格上做出五種選擇)，那麼你可能需要了解其他大學是否有不同的選擇標準。如果他們有不同的標準，那麼你需要提供一些關於你課外興趣的信息—但要保持在最低限度。你的個人陳述篇幅有限，所以要仔細考慮你想要寫什麼。

是否需要寫工作經歷和旅遊經歷？

因為不是每個人都有機會去工作或旅行，所以這些活動不是任何課程的要求。導師不會關注你的人際關係或護照上的印章，但他們會對你對所學科目的投入程度印象深刻。

例如，我們的一些醫學申請者可能有在著名醫院實習的工作經驗，但無法評估他們在那裡的時間。即使你只有一些簡單的志願工作經驗，或者只是和你的朋友和家人討論過一些醫療問題，你仍然可以寫出一份優秀的個人陳述，前提是要批判性地反思你所學到的和討論的內容。

再舉一個例子，在藝術史課程中，如果你不能談論你對所看到的藝術的見解，老師們就不會想聽你在世界各地參觀過的所有畫廊和展覽。相反，即使你只是在網上或書中見過這些藝術品，而沒有離開過學校圖書館，通過評估藝術品，你也可以很有效地在你的個人陳述中體現出你的能力。

不要被其他申請者影響，即使他們有著多麼令人艷羨或者驚訝的經歷。請記住，導師們心中沒有規定你必須要取得哪些成就: 他們想看到的只是你是如何專註於你的學術研究的。

當申請不同大學的不同課程時，應當如何寫個人陳述？

如果你想在不同的大學申請完全不同的課程(如物理和會計，或生物和音樂)，希望你能慎重考慮。選擇一個你真正想學習的學科領域是很重要的，當你申請的時候需要專註於這個領域。此外，你只能寫一份個人陳述，它會被你申請的所有大學看到，所以它需要與你所有的課程相關。

如果你正在考慮申請不同大學的相關課程，我們建議你在個人陳述中避免使用課程名稱。我們建議你寫一下你對通識課程主題的興趣，以及你是如何致力於相關學科領域的，這樣你的個人陳述就能與你的每一個課程選擇同樣相關。

個人陳述是否需要過於突出？

學生們有時覺得他們需要一些誇張甚至戲劇性的東西來從申請者中脫穎而出，這樣就能讓導師留下深刻的印象，但這其實是一種誤解。申請牛津大學不是一場才藝秀，你可能只有幾秒鐘的時間給人留下印象。導師會仔細考慮每一份申請，並尋找出能證明你的承諾和能力的證據。如果你的個人陳述的重點是展示你的學術能力和你對所學科目的投入程度，那麼就很有可能獲得導師的認可。

個人陳述應當進行幾次修改？

你需要做的是讓老師仔細閱讀你寫的內容，聽取他們的反饋，然後根據他們的建議不斷做出修改。你可能需要兩到三次才能完成修正，這個過程也許特別漫長，特別是在字元數量有限的情況下，要儘可能囊括進你想提及的一切會比較困難，但要注意不要花太多時間試圖讓你的個人陳述看起來盡善盡美-因為個人陳述只是決定錄不錄取你的因素之一。

還有哪些注意事項？

必做事項：

l 申請你真正想要學習、感興趣的課程。

l 做你自己：說出你的興趣所在。

l 懂得推銷自己：這不是謙虛的時候，要讓導師看到你的閃光之處。

l 在面試前重新閱讀的個人陳述 - 因為導師可能會要求你談談你提到的事情

l 請仔細閱讀UCAS guidance on personal statements

禁止事項：

l 不要試圖編造任何東西，因為你可能會在面試中被問到。

l 不要抄襲別人的個人陳述。UCAS會使用剽竊檢測軟體進行檢測。

l 不要在申請表上列出像普通中等教育證書(GCSE)成績之類的資格證書或其他內容。

l 不要只列出你的其他成績或成就:你需要評估它們。

l 不要為了試圖讓導師記住你而誇大或者戲劇化你的個人經歷。

Ref：

University of Oxford. (n.d.). UCAS application-Personal Statement. Retrieved from ox.ac.uk/admissions/und

【英文原文】

UCAS application-Personal statement

One section of the application is called your personal statement. This is where you can write whatever you』d like to say about yourself and your motivation to study your course.

People sometimes think that there is a trick to writing a personal statement for Oxford, or that we are looking for some special secret formula, but this is not the case. It』s important to remember that you can only write one personal statement and so the same wording will be seen by all the universities you apply to. Your personal statement should therefore focus on the course you want to study, not the universities themselves. Please read this helpful advice from UCAS.

How important is the personal statement?

Universities build a picture of you as a student from all the different information you provide, to help decide whether or not to offer you a place. The picture is made up of several different pieces: your personal statement, academic record, predicted A-level grades (or equivalent), and your teachers reference. For most courses at Oxford you will also need to take an admissions test or submit written work (check the details for your course). If your application is shortlisted, your interview will also be taken into account. This means that your personal statement is important but it』s not everything: it』s just one part of the overall picture.

What are Oxford tutors looking for?

Tutors at Oxford are only interested in your academic ability and potential. They want to see that you are truly committed to the subject or subjects you want to study at university but it』s not enough just to say that you have a passion for something: you need to show tutors how you have engaged with your subject, above and beyond whatever you have studied at school or college. This can include any relevant extracurricular activities.

Try to avoid writing your personal statement as though you are ticking things off a list. There is no checklist of required achievements, and tutors will not just scan what you have written to look for key words or phrases. Tutors will read your personal statement to try to understand what has motivated you to apply for their course. It』s a good idea to evaluate your experiences, to show what you have learned from them and how they have helped develop your understanding of your subject.

Where should I start?

Think about talking to your friends about what you want to study at university: what would you tell them? What have you read or watched or seen that has inspired you? (This might have been at school, at home, in a museum, on TV, in a book, on YouTube or a podcast or anywhere else. You can also take a look at our suggested reading and resources.) Why was it interesting? What do you want to find out next? What did you do?

If you find this difficult, it might be time to think about whether or not you』ve really chosen the right course. If you can』t think of anything that has inspired you, this lack of enthusiasm will probably come across in your personal statement, or it will become clear at interview, and you』re unlikely to gain a place at Oxford. If you find it easy to answer these questions, you will have a long list of ideas to help you write your personal statement.

When you start to write, remember not just to list your achievements but show how they have affected you, how you have benefited, and what you』d like to learn next. Be honest about yourself and what has inspired you, whether that』s been text books, museums and literature, or websites, podcasts and blogs. Be sure to tell the truth, as tutors might check later, so don』t exaggerate and certainly don』t make any false claims. Don』t hold back either – this is no time for modesty.

When youve written a first draft, have a look back at the selection criteria for your course and think about the evidence youve given for each of the criteria. Have you covered everything?

Should I include extra-curricular activities?

If youre applying for competitive courses, which includes any course at Oxford, we typically suggest that you focus around 80% of your personal statement on your academic interests, abilities and achievements. This can include discussion of any relevant extracurricular activities. The remaining 20% can then cover any unrelated extra-curricular activities.

There』s a myth that Oxford is looking for the most well-rounded applicants, and that you will only be offered a place if you have a long list of varied extracurricular activities. In fact, extracurricular activities are only helpful in so far as they demonstrate the selection criteria for your course.

If you are applying to other universities as well as to Oxford (you can make five choices on your UCAS form) then you may need to find out whether the other universities have different selection criteria. If they do, then you might want to provide some information about your extra-curricular interests – but keep it to a minimum. The space in your personal statement is limited, so think carefully about what you want to include.

Do I need experience of work and travel?

We understand that not everyone has the opportunity to do work experience or to go travelling so these activities are not a requirement for any of our courses. Tutors won』t be impressed by your connections, or the stamps in your passport, but they will be impressed by how you』ve engaged with your subject.

For example, some of our applicants for Medicine may have had work experience placements in prestigious hospitals but not be able to evaluate their time there. If you have no more experience than some simple voluntary work, or even just discussing medical matters with your friends and family, you can still write an effective personal statement by reflecting critically on what you have learned and discussed.

To give another example, for the History of Art course, tutors will not want to hear about all the galleries and exhibitions that you have visited around the world if you cannot discuss the art that you saw. You can come across more effectively in your personal statement by evaluating art you have seen, even if you』ve only seen it online or in books without ever leaving the school library.

Don』t be put off by any friends who you think have more impressive things to say in their personal statements. Remember that tutors do not have a checklist of achievements that they are looking for: they want to see how you have engaged with your subject.

I』m applying to different courses at different universities – how should I write my personal statement?

If you are thinking of applying for completely different courses at different universities (eg Physics and Accounting, or Biology and Music) we』d encourage you to reconsider. It』s important to choose a subject area that you really want to study, and focus on that one area when making your applications. Also, you can only write one personal statement which will be seen by all the universities to which you apply, so it needs to be relevant for all your courses.

If you are thinking of applying for related courses at different universities then we suggest that you avoid using course titles in your personal statement. We recommend that you write about your interest in the general course themes, and how you have engaged with relevant subject areas, so that your personal statement is equally relevant for each of your course choices.

Does my personal statement need to stand out?

Students sometimes feel that they need to say something dramatic to stand out from the crowd and be really memorable in their personal statement but this is not true. Applying to Oxford is not like a talent show where you may only have a few seconds to make an impression. Tutors consider each application carefully on its individual merits, looking for evidence of your commitment and ability. If you use your personal statement to demonstrate your academic abilities and your engagement with your subject or subjects, then your application will be memorable for all the right reasons.

How many versions should I write?

Ask a teacher to read through what you』ve written, listen to their feedback and then make any updates that they suggest. You may need two or three tries to get it right and it can take longer than you think, especially with the limited number of characters. It can be tricky to get in everything you want to mention, but dont spend too much time trying to make your personal statement completely perfect - its only one of the things that the tutors will consider.

Some dos and don』ts

DO:

· DO apply for a course you really want to study.

· DO be yourself: tell the truth about your interests.

· DO sell yourself: this is not the time for modesty.

· DO re-read your personal statement before an interview – the tutors may ask you to talk about things youve mentioned

· DO read the UCAS guidance on personal statements.

DONT:

· DON』T be tempted to make anything up, as you might be asked about it at interview.

· DON』T copy anyone else』s personal statement. UCAS uses plagiarism detection software.

· DONT list qualifications like your GCSE grades or anything else thats covered elsewhere on the application.

· DON』T just list your other achievements: you need to evaluate them.

· DONT feel the need to be dramatic in order to be memorable.

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