Top tips for writing your personal statement!

Top tips for writing your personal statement!

Putting together a personal statement can be tricky! Every year, we speak to lots of applicants about what we expect and what we are looking for in the finished piece – it’s something we get asked about a lot!

‘What should I talk about in my personal statement?’

‘How can I make my personal statement stand out?’

‘How long should my personal statement be?’

Fear not! The personal statement section on your application is broken down into 2 clear questions so you can write responsive answers, that offer us insight into the key attributes we look for! That being said, we do have our own tips and guidelines that we like to share, so read on for our full insight!

Why does Imperial College Business School ask for a personal statement?

Quite simply, we ask for a personal statement because we want to know about you. All aspects of your application are important, but many areas tend to be factual and to the point. The personal statement is your opportunity to expand and tell us more about who you are, and what your motivations are for applying to Imperial. Our programmes are hugely competitive, so we often rely on the personal statement to help us understand your profile and fill in any missing pieces from our assessment.

What questions are included in the personal statement section of my application? 

You will be required to complete 2 mandatory questions, which cover your motivation to study and contribution to the cohort. The questions are as follows:

1. Why do you want to study at Imperial College Business School and how will you contribute to our community? (2500 characters, approximately 500 words)
   Treat this as a priority. Ideally, your CV and academic history should have already given us a good idea of your achievements to date, so be sure to tell us why you are pursuing postgraduate study and why you have chosen your programme of interest. You should be able to link your past experiences to your suitability for the programme and expand on anything else that is relevant.
   
   This is also your opportunity to show us how you will enhance the college experience of those around you and how you will make the most of your time at the Business School. Think about how you will make the campus community a better place, whether this be through participation in extracurricular activities or interactions with staff and students across campus. 

2. Imperial's values are Respect, Collaboration, Integrity, Innovation, and Excellence. Describe a time where you embodied one, or more, of these values and explain the impact it had. (2500 characters, approximately 500 words)
   This could be professional, personal, or extra-curricular, but we want to know about your achievements, how they may embody our values, and how it has helped shape you into the person you are today. We love to hear about all the interesting things that applicants have done and achieved, and this is a great way to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Hopefully, we have given you some good guidance on what is expected from the personal statement and we wish you the best of luck if you are submitting an application, and we look forward to reading your personal statement soon!

Please note: the information listed above is subject to change. We regularly review our applications process, including what's required for the personal statement, and Imperial reserves the right to change this at any time.