oxbridge maths personal statements

Sample Math Personal Statement (Oxbridge)

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field | personal statements samples by university.

The following personal statement is written by an applicant who got accepted to top graduate programs in math. Variations of this personal statement got accepted at Oxford, and Cambridge university. Read this essay to get inspiration and understand what a top math school PS should look like.

Sample Math Personal Statement for Oxbridge

The challenges involved in problem-solving have always been vital to my passion for studying Mathematics. However, the first beauty of mathematics I observed was in my childhood when I first encountered Geometry.

It was a simple but exciting problem relating to circles; thus, I got myself attached to the subject. I have always been a bright student in Mathematics, and later on, I realized that Mathematics is my thing. Besides Mathematics, no other field grabs my attention. I have also won the National Calculus competition in my country.

Throughout my voyage, I have kept my studies limited to the curriculum. Still, I have also explored different things, which gave me significant exposure to what we have accomplished in Mathematics and what is left for us to do.

I eagerly want to contribute to the development of Mathematics. My current area of research is regarding simplicial complexes, which borrow ideas from Graph Theory and Combinatorics. I want to pursue my education by enrolling in the Math program at Oxford and eventually do Post Doctorate in Pure Mathematics. My area of interest lies in Algebraic Topology and Algebraic Geometry. I want to become a researcher and devote my life to the nourishment of Mathematics.

Aside from that, I am very fond of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture, which motivated me to choose the abovementioned areas. I learned about this conjecture when searching for methods to determine the solutions of polynomials having two variables. After digging further into things relating to this conjecture, I was amazed and startled by the beautiful work of Bryan Birch, Peter-Swinnerton Dyer (pioneer of the conjecture), Louis Mordell, Gerd Faltings, Manjul Bhargava, and Victor Kolyvagin. Their astonishing and brilliant results grabbed my attention, and I got myself attached to the conjecture.

It is surprising that different branches of Mathematics, such as Number Theory, Topology, and Algebraic Geometry, are connected abstractly. In my leisure time, I’m continuously exploring what has been accomplished so far regarding this conjecture and developing the background of Mathematics that I would need to understand and work on the conjecture. I’m eagerly looking forward to meeting this challenge in life.

Accomplishing such dreams in my country is nearly impossible as we have limited resources and no exposure to modern tools of Mathematics. However, I am much inspired by Oxford University and find it an ideal place for me to pursue my further education. Oxford has a phenomenal reputation globally and has played a significant role in current research and development of Mathematics.

I am very fond of Professor XYZ and Professor XYZ, currently members of the senior faculty at Oxford. There are of research that coincides with my area of interest. Professor XYZ’s work on 3-Dimensional Topology and Differential Geometry is advanced. His lectures on youtube are very insightful and give an excellent understanding of the subject.

On the other hand, Professor XYZ’s expertise in the subject of L-functions would help me understand the BSD conjecture. Besides that, the atmosphere of Oxford is also very appealing as it focuses on the character-building of its students. There are several societies at Oxford for this purpose, one of which is the Oxford Invariants Society. Such activities keep the student attached to people outside their field and allow them to communicate knowledge between them. The exposure of a student is bound to increase in such an atmosphere. Unfortunately, the universities in my country lack such activities, and I dreamed of such an atmosphere. It would be an honor to educate myself in such an ideal institute under the supervision of the mentioned Professors.

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• Oxbridge Personal Statement Examples

Check out our successful Oxbridge personal statement examples below.

You will find a collection of standout personal statements that have helped students gain admission to the prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge .

These Oxbridge personal statement examples can serve as inspiration and guidance as you begin to write your own.

Whether you are applying to study law , natural science , economics , or any other course , these examples can help you showcase your unique strengths and experiences compellingly.

Recommended reading:

• How to Apply to Cambridge University
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Successful Oxbridge Personal Statement Examples

Oxbridge personal statement example for economics course.

I volunteer at a local soup kitchen in Singapore, where I help distribute food and check on the well-being of lower-income families living in public housing.

One day, we encountered a family of five who were all seriously or terminally ill but were not receiving any government social support and had been relying mostly on NGOs for assistance.

This experience highlighted a social issue that concerns me – the lack of adequate social security support in Singapore despite its economic strength.

I believe more attention should be paid to addressing poverty and inequality.

I volunteered at the soup kitchen not only to help those in need but also to understand their struggles, as their interests are often overlooked.

As an economics student, I have learned how well-informed economic policy can improve lives by guiding social analysis.

This subject excites me and has motivated me to learn more through books, volunteering, and participating in economics-related competitions.

For example, I received a distinction award in the National Economics and Financial Management Quiz, which tests quick thinking, logical, and mathematical skills.

I also submitted an essay for the GlaxoSmithKline-Economic Development Board Book Prize on how Singapore can capitalize on Asian talent as a source of growth.

In addition, I participated in the local Math Olympiad received a bronze award, and completed a month-long internship at Centennial Asia Advisors, where my work contributed to the analysis of the Great Recession and the process of purchasing bonds to address the crisis.

This experience gave me a greater understanding of the importance of economic policy and its application.

I am also actively working to make a difference. Along with a group of friends and an NGO, I am committed to helping the village of Tom in Cambodia escape poverty by building schools and providing water filtration devices for villagers.

We also plan to support children with scholarships through fund-raisers. Personally helping Tom overcome poverty is one of my goals, and I believe that a strong understanding of economics will be essential in achieving this.

In addition to my academic and volunteer pursuits, I have also participated in various activities that have helped me grow as a person.

For example, I participated in The Odyssey of The Mind, a competition that challenges teams to think creatively through dramatic performances.

Our team won the World Championship after competing against teams from 60 other countries.

I am also an avid sailor, having represented my school as captain and Singapore in international competitions.

What I value most from these experiences are the relationships I formed with my teammates and the importance of dedication and perseverance in achieving success.

At school, I helped start the Young Diplomats’ Society, an interest group focused on Model United Nations Conferences (MUNC).

At Princeton University MUNC, I received an honourable mention, and at the Nanyang Technological University MUNC, I received the Dorothy Cheung Award for Best Delegate.

I also organized the annual iMUN@AC, serving as Chief of Staff in one year and Secretary General in another.

These MUNCs sparked my interest in global politics and led me to research the causes of the Rwandan Genocide for my IB Extended Essay, a 4000-word research paper that I thoroughly enjoyed and received an “A” grade for.

As John Maynard Keynes said, an economist is part philosopher, part statesman, and part mathematician.

I hope to study economics so that I can learn how to make changes on local, regional, and global levels.

Oxbridge Personal Statement Example For Law Course

I have always been drawn to the fields of law and justice. Even as a child, I was fascinated by the concepts of right and wrong and how they were applied in society.

My interest in history has also allowed me to learn about the evolution of the legal system over time.

During my school years, I took on leadership roles, including being a Senior Prefect and a member of the Student Council.

These experiences gave me a unique perspective on how a school operates and the importance of rules for both students and staff.

In my GCSE years, I had the opportunity to study Critical Thinking, which allowed me to hone my analytical and debate skills.

As part of this course, we visited Winchester Crown Court, giving us the chance to observe a court case in person and see the legal system in action.

This experience had a profound impact on me and further solidified my desire to pursue a career in law.

I also gained valuable insights into the legal profession through a two-week work placement at a local solicitor’s firm during the summer between school and college.

During this time, I was able to observe court proceedings and learn about the daily operations of a solicitor’s office.

In my free time, I enjoy reading classic fiction such as “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens and “North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell.

I also enjoy cooking, travelling, and leading a healthy and active lifestyle.

I am confident that my personal skills, knowledge, attributes, and work ethic make me an excellent candidate for a law degree at your university.

I hope to use my time at university to develop the skills and qualifications necessary to have a successful career in law and to gain further experience in the courtroom.

Oxbridge Personal Statement Example For Natural Sciences Course

I was always fascinated by the natural world and spent hours exploring the forests and streams near my home.

This curiosity eventually led me to pursue a degree in biology at Oxford University, where I excelled academically and gained valuable experiences that have prepared me to take the next step in my education.

Throughout my undergraduate studies, I have taken a range of ecology courses and consistently earned high marks. In addition to my coursework, I have also been actively involved in several extracurricular activities that have allowed me to further explore my interests in biology and ecology.

For example, I have participated in research projects on the Forest Eco Programme and have worked as an intern at EcoBio Ltd where I gained valuable hands-on experience.

One of the things that set me apart from other applicants is my passion for biology and my dedication to making a positive impact in the world.

This drive was sparked by my achievements in school, which taught me the importance of the environment and motivated me to pursue a career in which I can make a difference.

I am excited to apply to the biology course at Oxford University because of its reputation for excellence and its commitment to providing students with a world-class education.

I believe that the University of Oxford will provide me with the knowledge and skills I need to achieve my goals and make a meaningful contribution to my field.

I am confident that my strong academic and extracurricular background, along with my passion and dedication, make me a strong fit for the course.

I am eager to join the vibrant intellectual community at Oxford and to continue pursuing my goals in biology.

Oxbridge Personal Statement Tips 

Focus on the following suggestions to write a successful personal statement for Oxbridge :

• Start by thinking about your goals and why you want to pursue them at Oxbridge. What sparked your interest in your field of study, and how have your experiences prepared you to pursue it at a top university?
• Reflect on your achievements and experiences. What have you accomplished that demonstrates your potential to succeed at Oxbridge? This could include academic achievements, extracurricular activities, internships, or other experiences.
• Consider what makes you unique. What sets you apart from other applicants and makes you a strong fit for the program you’re applying to?
• Write in a clear and concise manner, using concrete examples to illustrate your points. Avoid using overly complex language or jargon, and be sure to proofread for spelling and grammar errors.
• Edit and proofread your personal statement carefully. It’s important to take the time to polish your statement and make sure it’s the best it can be.

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Top 10 Tips for an Oxbridge Personal Statement

1. make it personal.

University admissions tutors go through hundreds of Personal Statements every year, especially at Oxbridge, where there are usually over 10 applicants per place! Applications, from the university’s perspective, are a long process involving thousands of applicants so it’s important that you use your Oxbridge Personal Statement to stand out and be remembered. They will likely make a decision about whether you will be further considered for admission long before they’ve finished reading. Therefore, you need to make sure to capture their attention quickly. Have you done any relevant work experience, or perhaps a research project? Put that near the top of your Oxbridge Personal Statement to stand out straight away.  Look online for example Oxbridge Personal Statements for your chosen course to get ideas, but make sure not to plagiarise! All UCAS Personal Statements are checked for plagiarism against all other Personal Statements.

2. Don’t talk about your A levels

Further to the last point, don’t spend a lot of time talking about your A levels. Almost everyone has done them, and you want to give Oxford or Cambridge a reason to choose YOU and not someone else. You have a limited number of characters in which to show them why, so use that space to talk about things unique to you. Keep reading for ideas about what you should put instead.

3. Read around your subject

Books you’ve read are a great way to both show your interest in the subject and stand out from everyone else on your personal statement. Remember that if you go to Oxbridge, you might even meet the person who wrote the book you read, or someone who worked with them. Make sure to discuss an idea from the book you found interesting or surprising, and why the book was important to you to show that you’ve really learnt from it.

4. Ask for feedback

A great way to improve your Oxbridge Personal Statement is to ask for feedback from your teachers and friends. It’s easy to miss spelling and grammar mistakes, and it can be very useful to get a second opinion about vocabulary and sentence structure. Your Oxbridge Personal Statement will likely have sentences that are phrased awkwardly and it will be difficult for you to notice it and think of anything else to say when it’s something you’ve written yourself. Therefore asking someone else is an important tool, make sure to ask someone with experience in your subject to make sure all the specifics are correct, your school teacher for the chosen subject or any family/friends who studied a similar subject at University.

5. But not from too many people

Although the last point still stands, you don’t want to ask too many people for advice. How can this be? They will all have their own ideas, and although most of them will be good, hearing a lot of conflicting suggestions will confuse you and make you doubt yourself. The truth is that there is no perfect Oxbridge Personal Statement, but there are a lot of great ones. Whilst external opinions are valuable, ensure that they don’t take away from what is YOUR piece of work. Ultimately, your Oxbridge Personal Statement should capture who you are and not anyone else!

6. It will take more than one draft

It may seem like you could get your Oxbridge Personal Statement done in one night. After all, it’s only 4000 characters or about 600-800 words. However, if you think this then you’re in for a rude awakening! Take it from us, first, you’ll feel like you’ve got nothing to write, then it will start pouring out and very soon you’ll have far too much and you’ll have to get rid of whole sections. After that comes vocabulary. “If I can just rephrase this, I can make it 5 characters shorter”, you’ll think to yourself. Trust me, I’ve been there. Then you’ll show it to your teacher and she’ll tell you to include another point in there. It can feel like it never ends, but you have to finish it at some point – again you need to find a balance. Don’t rush it – you have until October for Oxbridge/medicine applications and until January for other applications. This gives you plenty of time to make the best Personal Statement you can. If you’re really stuck for something to improve, come back the next day with a fresh set of eyes, or ask a  friend or teacher to read it.

7. Show, don’t tell

Imagine someone told you that they are the best mathematician ever. You wouldn’t believe them at first; you might ask them some maths questions, what qualifications they have etc. In the same way, universities won’t believe you if you just say how good a candidate you are; you need to show them. For example, don’t say that you’re passionate about your subject. Instead, tell them what books you’ve read about or online courses or extracurricular projects you’ve done. Don’t just say that you’re organized, tell them about some work experience you’ve done and show them how you used your organizational skills to do it. Never say anything you can’t back up. If you don’t think you’ve got anything like this to say, it’s not too late to start. Go and do some work experience or read a book before you have to submit your Oxbridge Personal Statement . Self-reflection is key so learn how to do it effectively and efficiently. 

8. Make it relevant to your chosen course

For everything you say about yourself, try to show why it will make you a good candidate for the course you are applying to. Obviously, don’t go too far with this. There are some skills, such as intelligence, that are just generally good and you don’t have to say why they’re good for a specific course. However, if you apply to something with a high workload like medicine it may be good to show how you’re good at time management, and if you apply to something with a lot of problem-solving like STEM then it may be good to show that you have problem-solving ability. This is also a good way to plug up any gaps left by your A levels. If, for example, you are applying for a course with a creative element and your A levels don’t include a lot of creativity then talk about a hobby you do and how you use creativity to do it.

9. Get it done early

The Oxbridge Personal Statement is the first step in your application, and it will require your best work. As such, it’s vital to give yourself plenty of time to come up with all the best things about yourself to write and to make improvements. Start it with plenty of time to spare so you don’t have to rush, and don’t let it take up all your time when you have important studying to do.

10. Submit it and move on

When you’ve dotted every i and crossed every t, checked all your spelling and vocabulary, and asked your friends, your teachers, the postman and his dog to read your Oxbridge Personal Statement, you still may feel like there’s more you can improve. You have to ignore this feeling. If you’ve done all you can and followed all the tips in this article then your time will be better spent studying to ace your admissions test, and make sure you keep up with your A levels!

Getting your Oxbridge Personal Statement in nice and early also shows the university that you’re well prepared. We will admit, the waiting for a response can be the hardest part, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and the Personal Statement is only the first hurdle.

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How to write a great Oxbridge Personal Statement

Tips for acing the oxbridge personal statement.

Writing a great Personal Statement is a prime opportunity to showcase yourself and stand out from the crowd. What Oxbridge looks for is a little different from other universities, so here are some tips to help you write a standout Oxbridge Personal Statement.

1. Start Drafting Early  

The extra level of preparation that an Oxbridge application requires, combined with the mid-October deadline, means that you should try to start planning your Personal Statement towards the end of Year 12. 

It usually takes a few drafts before you have a perfectly polished Personal Statement staring back at you, so ideally your first draft should be done by the end of the summer holiday before Year 13. This means that you should try to have completed any extra reading or work experience that you want to write about in your Statement by then as well. 

Tip: If you haven’t decided which course you want to study yet, start planning a more general Personal Statement, or even two separate ones for two different subjects. Writing about your enthusiasm and experiences will probably help your decision-making process!  

2. Focus on your academic interests and achievements  

Admissions decisions at Oxford and Cambridge are solely based on academic ability and potential, so you should focus on showcasing your understanding and passion for your chosen subject. We’ve written a guide about navigating Oxbridge’s attitude towards extracurriculars which explains more about this. 

You can show your interest and ability in your subject with examples of books you’ve read, an EPQ you’ve written, a prize you’ve won, lectures you’ve attended, documentaries you’ve watched, podcasts you’ve listened to, or really anything you can think of! 

Tip:  

• Instead of: “I am interested in molecular biology”
• Try: “My interest in molecular biology led me to read X”

3. Set yourself up for an interview  

All successful Oxbridge candidates are interviewed as part of the admissions process, and interviewers often draw on things mentioned in the Personal Statement. 

To help put you in control of the interview as much as possible, you can leave ‘hooks’ for the interviewer which direct them towards topics you’ll be able to talk about confidently. For example, if you write: “I was fascinated by the similarities between Ovid’s Amores and contemporary love poetry” , you should expect to be asked what in particular you found fascinating. 

This is one reason why it's really important to be honest in your Personal Statement. You should never claim to have read a book that you haven’t (even if you plan to read it after submitting your UCAS form, because who knows what will happen!) You also shouldn’t pretend to have an interest in a something just because you think it will sound impressive. Interviewers are likely to ask you about it and it will be pretty clear if you aren’t genuinely interested. 

4. Show that you are intellectually curious and thoughtful  

Oxbridge admissions tutors are looking for thoughtful and perceptive students who are curious about their chosen subject. How much material you have consumed on your subject is not as important as how deeply you have thought about each one. For example, there’s no point listing thirteen books that you’ve read with no comments or thoughts about any of them.  

To demonstrate a thoughtful approach to your studies, you can do things like: 

• Give an example of something you found particularly interesting in what you learned, and explain why you found it interesting.
• For example: “Learning about A at school led me to read X. I was particularly interested by the chapter on B, because …. This led me to further research B by watching Y.”
• For example: Did two different theorists interpret a concept differently? Is there a theme that runs through a set of books you’ve read? Did you disagree with an opinion presented at a lecture?

5. Try to be original…  

In 2019, Oxford University received more than 23,000 undergraduate applications for roughly 3,300 places. The vast majority of these applicants have really good grades, which can make it difficult to stand out from the crowd. This is where your ability to be perceptive and original comes in. Think about how the subject that you are applying for relates to your other studies, the world around you, and even your personal experiences. 

For example, almost every Classics student out there will know the plot of Medea , but how many of them will be able to demonstrate that it’s since been stolen by the screenwriters of Eastenders? Did campaigning for the most recent election remind you of a piece of propaganda from the First World War? 

Remember that the people who will read your application, and interview you, have made a career out of their chosen subject, and it really is their passion. They will genuinely be interested to have a conversation with you if you can bring an interesting or original thought to your Personal Statement and interview. 

6. …but don’t overdo it  

Don’t try to be original for the sake of it. And don’t go overboard with the thesaurus - concentrate on being clear rather than trying to be a lexical aficionado (annoying, right?) 

7. Proof-read, then proof-read again  

One thing which can negatively affect the opinion of Admissions Tutors is a typo. Even if it’s something really minor, some tutors are very strict on accuracy, and it could be the difference between receiving an offer or not.  

Proof-read your Personal Statement several times yourself, and then ask your parents, friends, or teachers to read it over, looking specifically for typos or grammatical errors. A lot of the time, it's easier for someone with fresh eyes to spot a typo than for the person writing.  

8. Don’t name drop Oxbridge  

Remember that you need your Personal Statement to be relevant to all five of the universities you are applying to. This means that you shouldn’t mention Oxford, Cambridge, or any other university by name.  

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How to write a brilliant personal statement

Your personal statement satisfies a number of checkboxes for Admissions Tutors. It’s the first opportunity to give them the chance to meet the real you. You can demonstrate a passion to study your intended subject, show what you are capable of bringing to the university and faculty and prove why you are the applicant that should be offered a place.

As you only have a limited space to express yourself – just 4,000 characters or 47 lines in the UCAS box (whichever limit you reach first) which is equivalent to just over a full typed page of A4 – you need to make every included sentence count. It’s important to remember you only get to write one personal statement that will be sent to all your over university choices. Your statement needs to be tailored as much as you can to each of the courses you are applying to as you don’t want tutors to doubt your commitment to their university and course. 

There is one guarantee when writing a personal statement – you won’t get a quality, polished personal statement on your first attempt. In fact, it often takes many drafts, lots of editing and plenty of late-night spurs of inspiration to get a strong personal statement that encourages offers from your preferred universities. To assist you in getting started, we’ve gathered together the following useful tips that will lead you in the right direction and help you to get to grips with how to write a great personal statement for university. 

What should you include?

It’s called a personal statement but that doesn’t mean Admissions Tutors want a complete timeline of your life from childhood. They want to see the best side of your academic self, your passion for the course and subject you are applying to and an overview of your academic achievements that are relevant to your subject. In your personal statement, it’s beneficial to include;

• Any subject-related work experience you have completed or intend to carry out
• Any courses or lectures you have attended that advanced your knowledge
• Demonstrations of your interest extending beyond the classroom environment
• A relevant list of book, articles and essays you have read

Try to avoid simply listing the things you have done and instead, try to show how your reading and experiences have expanded your knowledge and developed your interests and understanding of your chosen subject. Relevant extra-curricular activities and achievements should also get a mention however, how much space you dedicate to this section is dependent on the university you are applying to. For students applying to Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial universities, extra-curricular activities should be kept to a footnote mention with a greater focus on your academic achievements. Students that are applying to universities such as Loughborough will need to include their extra-curricular achievements in more detail. These universities look at what you can bring to the faculty as a whole and supporting extra-curricular activities can show you will be a good fit. 

How do you start?

Starting your personal statement can be done in a million ways and is often the part that many students get stuck on. There is no correct way to start your statement off, some applicants choose to begin with a quote that is relevant to their interests while others open with an anecdote that provides insight into where their curiosity for the subject has come from. 

How you open will set the tone for the rest of your personal statement, including establishing your enthusiasm and interest in your subjects and providing the Admissions Tutor with an introduction to your personality. Never use someone else’s words or pretend to be someone else in your personal statement, the Admissions Tutors will quickly see through this and with only a short space to express your true academic self, you don’t want to waste space on other’s content. We recommend speaking as though you were speaking to your headteacher, in a clear, mature tone that retains a sense of who you are as an individual. 

How do you finish?

Finishing your personal statement can be as hard as finding the right words for your introduction. The final paragraph doesn’t have to be long or expansive, but simply enough to round off your statement and summarise your interest and dedication to your chosen subject. This part may need some reworking after 4,000 characters of blowing your own trumpet so get plenty of feedback to avoid getting carried away and coming across too arrogant or self-assured in your outro!

Is there anything to avoid?

Your personal statement is submitted alongside your UCAS form, so there is no need to rehash or revisit certain details such as your A-Levels or GCSE grades. Avoid mentioning anything that is readily available to the Admissions Tutors and instead, use the space to focus on selling your own subject interest and dedication. 

Aim to remain positive in your personal statement as you are selling your achievements and showing off why you are going to be a good choice for the university, so you should avoid using this space to explain potential disagreements that influenced your grade or reasons behind extended periods of leave. 

If there is further information that you feel is beneficial for the Admissions Tutors to know, you should talk to your teacher about including a note in the reference section of your UCAS form. Admission Tutors prefer to read this from the teacher’s point of view and it ensures you can use your personal statement space for the things that matter – the achievements, interests and eagerness that universities are looking for. 

Final advice

After potentially spending days, weeks and even months drafting, editing and reworking your personal statement, proof-reading may not seem like an exciting activity but it is absolutely essential. Typos can and do regularly change our opinion of a piece and its author, even if it is something minor in an otherwise engaging and informative article, so it’s key to ensure your personal statement is without grammatical flaws. 

Admission Tutors are likely to be strict on accuracy and grammar and to ensure your personal statement ticks the right boxes. We recommend asking your teachers, friends and parents to read over and proof-read your personal statement a few times. A further tip we can offer is to begin with the last sentence and work your way through your personal statement backwards, sentence by sentence. This ensures you can focus on the individual sentence and its accuracy and grammar, rather than getting distracted by the full statement. 

From all of us at Oxbridge Applications, we wish you the best of luck with your personal statement. It can be tricky, but look at it as your first challenge to university life and use this opportunity to talk about your best and most interesting subject – you!

Writing a personal statement for Oxford and Cambridge? We explore some of the frequently asked questions about Oxbridge personal statements in our  12 Personal Statement FAQs and answers  article.

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Successful Personal Statement Example For Computer Science At Oxford

Author: Rob Needleman

• Getting started
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Table of Contents

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present an example of a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it. 

Today, we are looking through a Computer Science applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Oxford University. The Computer Science Course at Oxford is about understanding computer systems and networks at a deep level. Read on to see how this excellent Personal Statment gives attention to the mathematical side of Computer Science and showcases their achievements. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement (the applicant came very close to the 4,000 character limit):

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

LOUGHBOROUGH

Enrolling on our Oxbridge Computer Science comprehensive Programme will give you access to Personal Statement redrafts. 

Your tutor will give you actionable feedback with insider tips on how to improve and make your Personal Statement Oxbridge quality for the best chances of success. Discover our Oxbridge Computer Science Premium Programme , enrol and triple your chances of success! 

Example Computer Science Personal Statement

My first experiences with mathematics throughout school were always enjoyable but not inspiring. While I loved working with maths, and enjoyed representing our school in both the UKMT and Hans Woyda team competitions, I felt that maths could not be the end-in-itself the school syllabus presented it as. As I progressed through secondary education, however, I began to really see it as the powerful tool to understand and structure reality that it is.

The first time I saw that my interpretation of the use of maths had some substance was during a work experience placement I organised at IMSO (International Mobile Satellite Organization). There I encountered some examples of the mathematical and computing problems involved in working with satellites: from the difference between the Euclidean geometry on a map and the Elliptical geometry on a globe, to the logistics of moving satellites around to meet demand while keeping them in orbit. These were problems that demanded much more than mere number crunching, and being exposed to this gave me a taste of what maths beyond school might involve. A second work experience spell at Siemens provided me a much more in-depth view of the important role that communication systems play in keeping a company running efficiently and effectively.

My passion for mathematics and computing was further extended while reading ‘The Magical Maze’ by Ian Stewart. The description of maths as the exploration of a maze of our own creation had an incredibly profound effect on my understanding of what research in mathematics involves. What interested me especially was the visual part of resolving problems, so that they did not rely completely on resolving long calculations. This was close to how I like to understand and explain my ideas in mathematics.

Douglas Hofstadter’s ‘Gödel, Escher, Bach’ gave me a much deeper understanding of the axiomatic systems that make up maths and how parallels can be drawn between different subjects to gain a further understanding of them all. Connected by the theme of Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem, the author passes through seemingly unrelated topics, such as the problem of consciousness and the mathematics of Zen principles, to explain the theorem. Although not the focus of the book, I have also enjoyed reading the links that are presented between maths and computing; it seems to me that maths is not just related to computing – computing is the physical manifestation of mathematics.

Maths and computing are about describing mental processes in a precise, logical way. The rigour required for mathematical proof leaves little room for subjectivity: something can be proven, disproven or unproven, but this depends completely on the validity of your logic. The idea of being able to extract order from apparent chaos, working through concepts until they click is what I love about these subjects, and what has attracted me to take those as an integral part of my further education.

However passionate I am about my academic studies, I also enjoy being involved in extracurricular activities. As head of mentoring and a prefect, I have improved my organizational abilities working with staff and mentors in developing study programmes for those students requiring extra help. Completing the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award – now working on the silver award – has allowed me to practice and develop my leadership and teamwork skills.

In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis, skiing and swimming; the latter I practice at competition level. I also love travelling, as having spent my childhood in Denmark, Egypt, United Kingdom and Spain has given me a hunger for mixing with different cultures. I like to unwind by playing the piano – I find that the pleasure one derives from making a piece your own is one that few activities can match.

I am thrilled about the prospect of further study in these subjects with some of the leading professors in the fields, and look forward to participating in university life.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

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This is a well-written, structured statement. The student explains their reasons to pursue a dual-honours degree and gives equal attention to both disciplines to which they are applying. The student adds personality to the statement by thoroughly explaining their own views on all of the examples of literature read around maths and computing.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

There are quite a lot of short paragraphs. The student could have saved space by consolidating some paragraphs into one, hence shortening the statement. The student starts three paragraphs with ‘My’ or ‘In my’. This is quite repetitive. There are too many paragraphs, seven in total. Paragraphs five and six could be shortened and grouped into one paragraph. In the third paragraph, it appears as though the student has either forgotten to add an addition space (in order to start a new paragraph) or has incorrectly started a new line for the sentence ‘Douglas Hofstadter’s…’.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This is a very good statement. The student has clearly achieved a lot and writes in a clear and easy-to-understand way. Attention is given to both maths and computer sciences, which is essential as the student is applying for a dual honours course. With some restructuring, this could be an excellent statement.

This Personal Statement for Computer Science is a great example of how to tackle applying to two different degrees or dual honours. The candidate’s interest and achievements are clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Oxford, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years, so you need to appeal directly to them.

You can find more successful personal statements and our expert guides on our Free Personal Statement Resources page.

Our expert tutors are on hand to help you craft the perfect Personal Statement for your Oxford Computer Science application.

With our  Oxbridge Computer Science Premium Programme, we help you craft the perfect Personal   Statement , score highly on the MAT  and teach you how to  Interview effectively .

Discover our  Oxbridge Computer Science Premium Programme by clicking the button below , learn about the programme,  enrol and triple your chances of success.

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