English Personal Statement Example

Sample Statement

English is a unique subject because it offers the ultimate in flexibility. English courses at university are no prescriptive; they offer the chance for each student to follow their own path and develop their own skills through studying classic and modern literature, drama and poetry and by learning more about how the English language works.

I have always loved English from writing stories in primary school through to GCSE and A level. During my time at college I’ve been thinking about my future. I know I want to go to university and I English is the obvious choice for me. Not only is an English degree useful and applicable to many types of career, it is a thorough training that can expand the way you think and the way you look at the world. I want to explore new avenues in literature, different authors and different styles and I want to work on my own creative writing skills.

My love of English means that I am considering a career in journalism and an English degree would provide the perfect foundation for that. I want to develop my ability to structure my writing, doing factual pieces as well as fiction, and to build my ability to perform critical analysis on the writing of others.

During the past year as I have studied English language and English literature as separate to AS and now A2 level, I have noticed a marked improvement in the way that I can express myself, both in my writing and also in discussions. Reading more widely has enabled me to get a much better understanding of different topics and I can see that I have gained in confidence as well as ability. I feel that I can now explain my views more clearly, offer a critical and fair way of looking at an issue and I can appreciate other people’s opinions and respect them.

My studies at college have been wide ranging, including drama and poetry as well as traditional novels and I have enjoyed doing my own reading of investigative journalism pieces in high quality newspapers, looking at how they were structured and how they got their message across. I have also enjoyed new topics such as visual culture, post-modernism and romanticism. I have particularly enjoyed studying how plays are written and constructed and my love of Shakespeare has really grown. I have found that reading and studying fiction has helped me understand how to write well factually. My appreciation of language is now much deeper and reading literature has helped me learn a lot about how people relate to each other, both people in different times and in different cultures.

Studying English at university is something that I feel very excited about, but also privileged to be able to do. I have applied your university because you have a strong English department, with a great academic reputation, highly regarded researchers, great facilities and a course structure that I know I will enjoy. My motivation for studying is high, I am confident that my interest would remain strong through three years of my course and my presentation and discussion skills are a good standard.

In addition to my passion for English, I am interested in music and dance. I have progressed to Grade 7 piano and Grade 6 flute and have completed 6 years of tap and ballet. My singing voice is good and I enjoy singing in small groups and in larger choirs. Joining a choir and music groups at university would be important to me and I would also be keen to participate in sport – tennis and running in particular.

University is about training your mind and excelling in a subject that you are interested in but it is also about making a positive contribution. As a student at your university, I would aim to do just that.