I'm applying for the MSc in social work, well i am starting my ucas application. The personal statement is loooooooooooooooong. Any hints to help me stand out.
I'm giving my self a deadline” 9 NOV 09" it will be sent off”
Question:
If you already have a degree, can you apply for the undergraduate social work course?
Hey there! I've just replied to your other post about best uni's to go to! Firstly, you can apply to do the undergraduate course with an existing degree but from my experience they are unlikely to accept you. I applied for 3 postgraduate and 2 undergraduates as back ups and was accepted onto all 3 postgrads but rejected on both undergrads. I spoke to one of the uni's that rejected me and they explained that it would be pointless to do an undergrad when you are already educated to degree level. I found this a bit strange as my undergrad was almost completely unrelated but that's what happened to me anyway!
With regards to your personal statement try to be as concise as possible and make the most of the skills and qualities you have. Remember they are looking at your style of writing as well as content so be careful with your english etc. The advice my old manager (An approved Social Worker) gave me when I was applying was to attempt to demonstrate that I had taken the initiative for my own learning and grasped opportunities to take on 'social work type' tasks. Also remember that whatever your experience, the skills that you learn in most jobs are tranferrable, so apply them to Social Work in your statement. Demonstrate that you are aware of current affairs and of the huge part that the media has to play in this country. I could go on and on but hopefully this will get you started! Good Luck! Gillian xxx
You need to cut down your personal statement else you cant submit it. Try to be precise. Why do you want to become a social worker? What experience do you have? What skills/personal qualities you have? You need to make sure you show them you have an understanding of social work. Universities like it when you say what qualities/skills you have learnt from your experience, whether it is work related experience or personal experience. Make sure you get a few other people to read it, it's quite shocking how many mistakes people can make without realising! You may want to do a search on a search engine to find the university league tables - this will show you who the "best" or "worst" universities are. When you find the universities you want to apply to, have a good look through the course requirements, have a look to see whether you meet them in terms of qualifications, experience, etc. I worked in a residential home before entering the degree and I linked what my roles there were to social work i.e. paperwork, communication skills etc. I also mentioned any qualifications. It may look brief to you but you don't have much space so be precise and to the point. I'm not sure about standing out, if you have a good range of experience, a good understanding of social work and good writing style you shouldn't have a problem with getting interviews. My friend applied for social work and she used a quote in her application, of course you don't have to do this but may impress if it links in well to your application. Good luck with everything, it's a long process, cant believe this time last year I was applying! Where does time fly to!!
thanks