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Successful Personal Statement For Cambridge Mathematics And Physics

Last Updated: 6th April 2022

Author: Rob Needleman

Table of Contents

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

Today, we are looking through a Mathematics and Physics applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Cambridge University. The Mathematics and Physics Course at Cambridge offers the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects: everything from abstract logic to black holes.

Read on to see how this strong Personal Statement addresses both maths and physics to showcase a high level of their ability. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

INTERVIEW + REJECTED

Enrolling on our Oxbridge Maths 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.  

Mathematics And Physics Personal Statement

Since childhood, I’ve always loved complex puzzles, logical problems and challenges. Later on I discovered mathematics and physics which offered a lot of interesting problems and I enjoyed spending time on them. I loved the fact that real-life events, such as throwing a ball, could be described by a virtual language created by humans. However the most impressive fact for me was when I discovered that mathematicians and physicists can predict events just by solving equations. That’s is when I decided that maths and physics are what I want to do in life to contribute to the world.

Even though my passion in mathematics started very early, I have struggled to get to where I am now. When I got into Bratislava’s best gymnasium in mathematics I found myself at a position I had never been before. That was the first time I wasn’t the best in mathematics in our class, in fact I was one of the weaker students in this field. However over time I made my way to the top, but I still couldn’t surpass my classmates. When I got to the 5th grade, I realized why I didn’t succeed. That year we got a new mathematics teacher and she opened my eyes and showed me the beauty of maths. The most important thing that happened that year however was when I won the regional mathematics Olympiad and they invited me to KMS which is a camp for people interested in mathematics. There I realized that the school mathematics is just a fraction of the possibilities in this area. However the thing that I believe helped me in mathematics is that I started enjoying it. Rather than solving a Sudoku or crossword puzzle I was solving geometry problems. Since then I have won many prizes including bronze medals from the Middle European Mathematical Olympiad and the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Besides maths and physics I also love playing the piano and practicing Kung Fu. I have played the piano for 13 years and my personal favourites are Chopin’s Nocturnes. I may not be great at it, but playing the piano helps me relax and forget about my worries for a while. I practice Kung Fu mainly for health. My favourite style is Bagua. I learned that Kung Fu is not only a martial art, but a way of living. Besides Kung Fu and the piano, I also enjoy teaching kids interesting facts or problems in mathematics. During school, I teach a mathematics club and I want to teach the kids that mathematics isn’t just numbers.

Every summer I help organize a mathematics day camp for children. Mathematics may be the subject which I’m best at, but I don’t want to be ‘just a mathematician’ in the future. Since I was little, I’ve always wanted to do something great like solving global issues or inventing something useful, however I realize that it is very hard to achieve this with pure mathematics. People advised me to go study economics and financial mathematics so I could have a good job and earn money, but that is not what I want to achieve in life. My goal is to shape the world and make it a better place for future generations. This is the reason I want to study physics or engineering. I started doing physics two years ago and since then I participated and won some competitions including the Regional Physics Olympiad. To be better at physics I started reading Feynman’s lectures which helped me a lot, but also taught me that there is much to learn out there about the world. The reason why I want to study in the UK is because there are many opportunities compared to Slovakia. I have many friends who study there and heard from them that it’s an amazing experience. The most important fact, though, is that in the UK I can study and work with people who are ambitious. I know what I want to achieve in life, and even though I don’t yet know exactly how to get there or where ‘there’ will be, I believe that a UK university education will steer me in the right direction.

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

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

Successful personal statement for economics at cambridge, successful personal statement for land economy at cambridge, successful personal statement for chemistry at oxford, successful personal statement for geography at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at oxford, successful personal statement for law at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at cambridge, successful personal statement for engineering at cambridge, successful personal statement for philosophy at cambridge, successful personal statement for veterinary medicine at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychological and behavioural sciences at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychology at oxford, successful personal statement for history at oxford, successful personal statement for physics at oxford, successful personal statement example for computer science at oxford, successful personal statement for english at cambridge, successful personal statement for oxford english language and literature, successful personal statement for medicine at oxford university, successful personal statement for modern languages at oxford, successful personal statement for engineering at oxford, successful personal statement for natural sciences (biological) at cambridge, successful personal statement for economics & management at oxford, successful personal statement for ppe at oxford, successful personal statement for law at cambridge, successful personal statement for dentistry at king’s college london, successful personal statement for medicine at cambridge.

Download our Free Personal Statement Starter Guide 

Good Points Of The Personal Statement

This is a very good statement. The statement is well-written and structured. The student describes their life experiences without making the statement sound like a list of achievements. This is achieved because the student explains every experience described, rather than listing their life experiences with no context. It is clear that the student has many talents and achievements, and these are stated in a humble manner that does not make it seem as though the student is bragging. It is clear that the student is aware of the significance of their decision to study outside of their native homeland and the challenges that this will bring. The student explains their reasons for applying to study a dual honours course and does not neglect either discipline.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The student uses the word ‘gymnasium’ instead of school/college. Whilst this may be the term used in Slovakia, in the UK a ‘gymnasium’ is a place where people exercise and its use in this statement is somewhat confusing. The way in which the student writes about their personal experiences makes the statement sound somewhat like an autobiography.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

This is a very good statement. The student clearly has personality and a high level of ability. Strange terminology used can be excused due to the fact that the student’s first language is not English, and that the vast majority of the statement is very well-written.

This Personal Statement for Maths and Physics is a great example of how to showcase a high level of ability. The candidate’s interest and achievements are clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Cambridge, 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 Cambridge Mathematics and Physics application.

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

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Mathematics Personal Statement Guide

Your Personal Statement plays a crucial role in your mathematics university application , as i t’s the first chance you have to introduce yourself as an individual to the admissions tutors .

Y ou can demonstrate your passion to study maths, show the contribution you would make to the cohort, and prove that you have the abilities and motivation to receive an offer.   

A lot of applicants struggle to write personal statements. It’s difficult to balance writing about academic interests with personal achievements, keep everything relevant to the maths courses you’re applying to, and fit it all within just over one A4 page of text.   

To help you get on the right track, our Personal Statement Guide takes you through everything you need to know to create a great maths personal statement :  

• Why are Personal Statements Important?
• What Should I Include in a Mathematics Personal Statement?  
• What Should I Avoid in a Mathematics Personal Statement?  

Advice on How to Start a Mathematics Personal Statement  

Advice on how to finish a mathematics personal statement  .

Why are Personal Statements Important?  

The personal statement is a written piece that you submit as part of your UCAS application. You write and submit one statement that is sent to all of your university choices, and it must fit within either 4,000 characters or 47 lines in the UCAS form (whichever limit you reach first).   

The personal statement gives Admissions Tutors a feeling of who you are as a potential student. It gives a personality to the rest of your application and helps universities decide between applicants with very similar qualifications , based on who they think is best suited to the course.   

As an applicant, you have to check certain boxes in your personal statement. You have to prove that: you have the skills to succeed on the course, you are academically curious about mathematics , and you are motivated and passionate about studying mathematics at a high level .    

This means that a successful mathematics personal statement needs to be unique, interesting, and packed full of specific interests that you have within the field of maths. If you’re applying to Oxbridge or other top-level universities, you especially need to make sure the statement is focused on your academic interests and only includes maths-relevant achievements.   

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What Should I Include in a Mathematics Personal Statement ?  

A mathematics personal statement needs to cover your passion for studying maths, your academic achievements and experiences relating to maths, and your specific interests or evidence of research you’ve done within the field of math ematics.   

Passion for Studying Maths 

You need to demonstrate your passion and motivation without being general or telling a long story.   

Begin by thinking about why you decided you wanted to study maths? Perhaps you’ve always loved working with numbers, maybe you want to use maths to solve engineering or mechanical problems, or maybe you find beauty in the logic and process of pure maths proofs?   

Whatever the reason may be, it should be unique to you and a genuine reflection of why you love maths. 

Academic achievements and experiences  

You should think about what you are proud of having completed in your mathematics career so far. This could be ‘proper’ achievements like winning a maths competition or receiving a school prize, or it could be more personal, like persevering at solving a difficult problem.   

When it comes to experiences, this could be anything provided you can link it to maths (either directly or indirectly). Think about transferable skills here; for example, undertaking a law internship could be relevant if it involved lots of data handling and statistical work, as well as analytical and critical thinking.   

Specific interests and evidence of research  

The point of this element is to show that you have thought about maths beyond the classroom.   

You could discuss interesting academic books you have read, relevant news stories that relate to or involve maths, or multimedia sources like documentaries, films, or TV programmes that in some way relate to or have inspired you to pursue mathematics.   

Rather than producing a list of sources, you should pick some key examples and discuss them in depth: get to the heart of the mathematic principles involved, and engage with them on a personal level. Not only will this make for a good personal statement, but it will also help prepare you for Oxbridge interviews .

What Should I Avoid in a Mathematics Personal Statement ?  

Do not be wishy-washy with your statements . Rather than saying that you have always loved maths, perhaps explain how numbers or equations fit into your world view; rather than saying you like a particular mathematician, discuss their specific contributions and how they have inspired your maths journey.   

Being specific and digging down into the academic side of maths is what is really going to impress admissions tutors.   

Avoid cliched statements like the plague . Even though you are passionate about maths, don’t state “I am passionate about maths”; find a less cliched way to say it instead.   

Your statement might require several drafts to ensure the language is interesting yet accurate, but it’s worth it: if you came up with something in a minute, then it’s likely so did lots of other applicants.  

Don’t be tempted to mention personal achievements that are not related or involve transferable skills relevant to maths. We understand that it’s tempting to include details of your Judo black belt, your gold Duke of Edinburgh award, or your prize for best history essay, but unless you can clearly argue its relevance to studying mathematics, then it won’t impress the tutors.

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There are a thousand different ways that you can begin a personal statement, which often makes it the most difficult part of the process.   

There’s one one-size-fits-all answer to this: some applicants begin with a quote from a mathematician that has inspired them, others start by discussing what inspired them to pursue maths at university, whilst others jump straight into a discipline that they find most interesting.   

The opening of the statement sets the tone for the entire personal statement , so it’s crucial that it’s in your own words and reflects your own personality; admissions tutors will be able to tell if it’s someone else’s words! If you’re struggling to find an opener, we recommend drafting the rest of the personal statement before coming back to write the introduction.   

This can help you have a better idea of what opening will best set the groundwork for the rest of the statement body.   

Knowing how to close out a personal statement can be just as difficult as beginning one. The final paragraph of your personal statement should round up the statement and summarise your dedication to maths and your academic interest.   

Like the opening, the final section of your personal statement will likely need a good few rewrites, so don’t feel disheartened if you haven’t captured it perfectly first time round.   

• What are some Tips for Writing a Strong Mathematics Personal Statement?
• How Long Should my Mathematics Personal Statement Be?
• What Kind of Extracurricular Activities Should I Include in my Mathematics Personal Statement?
• How Can I Tailor my Mathematics Personal Statement to the Oxford/Cambridge Course?

Getting started is one of the trickiest parts of the personal statement process. We recommend making a big list of everything you have done or are interested in to help focus your mind.   

Just because STEM subjects like maths seem less creative than other subjects, it doesn’t mean that your inspiration has to be stale. Prehaps try:  

• Watching films about maths or mathematics (the most famous examples are Good Will Hunting, Moneyball, and A Beautiful Mind ) to get you in the right frame of mind  
• Getting into a podcast about maths (Oxford University has one called The Secret of Mathematics )  
• Reading some accessible maths books (such as Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors by Matt Parker or The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh)  

Remember to Keep note of the things you read, watch, and experience that inspire you as you do them; this will help make writing the statement easier.  

UCAS has strict limits for all personal statements: 4,000 characters or 47 lines on the UCAS form (whichever limit is reached first). This is roughly one to two sides of typed A4.   

This may feel like a lot of space, but once you get going you’ll realise that it’s not! We recommend using up the majority if not all the space given to you so that you give admissions tutors the best possible idea of who you are as a maths student.   

It can be difficult to decide what you should or shouldn’t include in a maths personal statement.   

As a general rule, if you include something, you must be able to relate it to maths – either through its content or through transferrable skills.   

For example, if you spent time working as a maths tutor or competed in maths competitions, then clearly these are relevant. However, the link you find can be more creative than this: perhaps you have studied multiple languages which exercises your skills at pattern-spotting, or maybe you have won a critical thinking essay competition which demonstrates your problem-solving skills?   

The key is to think outside of the box, and for every activity you mention, clearly state how it links to important maths-related skills.   

Tailoring a personal statement to any one course is difficult, since the same statement is sent by UCAS to all of your university choices (of which you have up to five). This means that you should not directly mention the specifics of any one course, since it signals to other universities that you are not considering their course as your main option.   

Instead, we recommend targeting Oxbridge through the style of your statement: keep it tight to the academic study of maths and demonstrate your analytical skills.   

Showing that you’ve researched maths outside of school to a high level, and leaving out any personal interests that don’t relate to maths, is a good way to keep Oxbridge tutors interested.

Book your Mathematics Personal Statement Package

You can contact our Oxbridge-graduate Consultants on +44 (0) 20 7499 2394 or email [email protected] to discuss our personal statement packages.  

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Mathematics Personal Statement Examples

Hopefully, these examples of Mathematics Personal Statements will help you create a unique statement for your UCAS application . 

I have always been fascinated by the world of mathematics and its ability to explain and understand complex phenomena in the world around us. From a young age, I have been drawn to the beauty and elegance of mathematical concepts and their ability to provide answers to some of the most challenging questions we face.

At school, I have excelled in mathematics, consistently achieving top grades in my exams and regularly participating in extra-curricular math competitions. I have particularly enjoyed studying topics such as calculus, algebra, and geometry, and I have found that my natural aptitude for problem-solving has allowed me to excel in these areas.

In addition to my passion for mathematics, I have also developed a strong interest in computer science. I have taught myself several programming languages and have enjoyed using these skills to create my computer programmes and simulations. I believe that the combination of my mathematical knowledge and computer programming skills would make me an ideal candidate for a degree in mathematical sciences.

As a university student, I am eager to continue exploring the fascinating world of mathematics and to push myself to the limits of my abilities. I am confident that a degree in mathematical sciences would provide me with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a successful career in this exciting and rewarding field.

I am applying to your university because I believe that it offers an outstanding programme in mathematical sciences, with a strong emphasis on both theoretical and practical applications. I am particularly impressed by the diverse range of research opportunities available, and I am eager to participate in cutting-edge research projects that will challenge and inspire me.

As a student with a passion for mathematics, I am excited at the prospect of studying at such a prestigious institution and I am confident that your programme would provide me with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a successful career in this field.

At school, I have consistently achieved top grades in my mathematics exams, and I have regularly participated in extra-curricular math competitions. I have a particular interest in topics such as calculus, algebra, and geometry, and I have found that my natural aptitude for problem-solving has allowed me to excel in these areas.

In addition to my passion for mathematics, I have also developed an interest in computer science. I have taught myself several programming languages and have enjoyed using these skills to create my computer programmes and simulations. I believe that the combination of my mathematical knowledge and computer programming skills would make me an ideal candidate for your degree programme.

As a university student, I am eager to continue exploring the fascinating world of mathematics and to push myself to the limits of my abilities. I am confident that a degree from the University of Cambridge would provide me with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a successful career in this exciting and rewarding field.

I am particularly impressed by the wide range of research opportunities available at your university, and I am eager to participate in cutting-edge research projects that will challenge and inspire me. I am also excited by the opportunity to study at such a historic and prestigious institution, and I believe that the intellectual environment at Cambridge would be the perfect place for me to grow and develop as a student.

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Last updated

August 28, 2023, how to write a personal statement for maths, rowan wright.

Your personal statement provides an opportunity to convey your passion for your chosen subject. Its importance is sometimes exaggerated for applications to top Russell Group universities, but it is nevertheless an important aspect of an application and may form the basis of some discussion at interview.

Personal statement writing is an iterative process. You should start early enough to allow plenty of time for preparatory reading, drafting, feedback, and revisions. The summer holiday is the ideal time to start reading and exploring super-curricular material you might like to include (see our reading list for some recommendations). There is no prescribed structure for the 2023 admissions round (the format will be changing in 2024) but we recommend the structure outlined below. UCAS screens for plagiarism in personal statements, so it’s very important that you don’t 'borrow' any content from sample personal statements or articles found online (including this one!).

Personal Statement Structure

Our recommended structure may provide a good starting point for putting together some ideas and drafting the first version of your personal statement. However, the structure of your final version will very much depend upon the ideas you choose to focus on and the way in which you tie them together. There will likely be several ways to convincingly structure your writing, and the key is to redraft several times until you find the version that works best.

Introduction

Avoid clichés and use specific examples where possible:

• “I’m intrigued by the mysterious links between seemingly unrelated topics, such as the appearance of π in the solution to the Basel problem, or probabilistic proofs for number theorems.”

Try to make it as personalised as possible (this goes for the whole personal statement!):

• “As a bilingual student who has studied maths in English, Spanish and Japanese, I’m drawn to the fact that mathematical proofs depend only on a set of axioms and not on culture, place, or time.”

Discussion of Super-Curricular Reading

Don’t merely regurgitate a book summary but give your own thoughts and demonstrate engagement with the content:

• “I was fascinated by the implications of the Abel-Ruffini theorem, which defies the common assumption that every problem in mathematics has a solution.”

Give examples of how you pursued the topics in the book(s) further, and what you learned:

• “captured by the simple proofs of divisibility rules using modular arithmetic, I decided to try and prove analogous rules in other number bases such as base8. I came away with a much deeper understanding of why there are simple rules for some numbers but not others.”

Don’t bluff and write about anything you haven’t understood, or worse, read! You might be asked about your personal statement at interview.

You can engage with a variety of materials: lectures, videos, podcasts, and journals are also excellent resources. You might like to link this section to an EPQ or IB extended essay.

Discussion of A Level/IB Subjects

You should aim to explain the links between your A level subjects and how you have explored them further. You can also mention academic pursuits such as maths challenges and other competitions.

Try to explore natural links rather than links that may sound overly forced:

• “After my physics teacher mentioned the Friedmann equation, I was surprised to see that it was a simple differential equation which I could solve using knowledge from A level mathematics. It was fascinating to explore solutions for different matter combinations and see how mathematics reveals that small changes can completely alter the long-term fate of the Universe.”

Discussion of Extracurriculars

This section is less important for the most competitive universities, but some discussion of extracurricular activities and achievements allows you to demonstrate positive character traits and the fact that you have been able to juggle your academic studies with other pursuits.

If you are able to link your extracurriculars to your chosen subject of study, you could make links between them in this section to demonstrate your interest in the subject. However, try to avoid manufacturing links that sound very contrived, for example, linking the game of pool and angles! This is a successful example:

• “Outside of school, I have trained in ballet for 15 years, completing grades 1-8 with distinction. Ballet has allowed me to develop strong organisational skills and resilience. This year, I developed a physics experiment to study spinning tops, torque, and angular momentum in order to better understand pirouettes, as I am drawn to the power of mathematics to describe the physical word accurately.”

This is where you should summarise why you are suited to the courses you are applying for:

• “As a passionate student in maths, attracted by abstract concepts and problem solving, I believe that I am fit to study mathematics at university level. I have actively pursued opportunities to lean more about maths outside the classroom, which have only reinforced by determination to continue to grow as a mathematician at university."

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Mathematics personal statement example 12.

Mathematics is at the root of many academic subjects, such as mechanics in Physics, organic Chemistry and even Music and this is why I find it so fascinating. The process of starting from a simple set of formulae and deriving nearly all mathematical truth from these is what makes Mathematics a leading academic subject.

I particularly enjoy exploring the core modules in A-level Mathematics, especially calculus and graph drawing; this is because they involve a certain degree of proof. My other A-level subjects support Mathematics as they are about finding ways of describing how our earth operates, be it through equations or models, in both Physics and Chemistry. I am currently working on an Open University course: 'Planets: an introduction', which has encouraged me to explore deeper and gain further knowledge into planetary physics and has also helped me to develop my ability to study independently and manage my time efficiently.

Outside of sixth form I have pursued my interest in Mathematics. Over the last two years I have attended the 'Nottingham Saturday Maths Academy', receiving lectures that uncover either new interesting areas of Mathematics or improve upon familiar knowledge. This has helped me to broaden my ability in Mathematics especially in the area of problem solving using a logical approach. I have entered two Junior and one Senior UKMT Mathematical Challenges for which I received one silver and one gold award, and was awarded 'Best in School'. This gave me the chance to learn and discover areas of maths that I would not otherwise encounter in the classroom. I have also participated in a four-day 'Sutton Trust Summer School' at the University of Cambridge, where I expanded my knowledge in Reference Frames and Special Relativity. I really enjoyed the experience of living as a student and being independent. Of the books I have read recently the most intriguing was 'Mathematics for Economics and Finance', it gives a clear presentation of how Mathematics can be adapted in many financial models, and at the same time solve the problems in our modern business world.

Aside from Mathematics I have had many other experiences outside of academia. In Year 12, I worked part-time in a local Chinese takeaway which helped me to improve both my written and spoken Chinese and English language skills. I have also worked as a mentor to a Year 10 student helping him to excel in his GCSE exams, achieving A grades in both Mathematics and Physics when he was initially only on C grades. I am part of my sixth form's reading partner scheme, where I act as a role model to Year 7 students, encouraging them to read and building their confidence in literacy. The Duke of Edinburgh award is my favourite extra curricular activity, I have already achieved the Silver Award during which I experienced leading a team on several expeditions in Snowdonia, and I am looking to complete the Gold Award this year. I also enjoy playing the piano and practicing Karate. I am working towards my 3rd Kyu in Karate and Grade 7 in piano, and last year I performed Chopin's 'Nocturne, E flat' in the school concert. All of these experiences have taught me the value of striking a balance between my academic successes and developing valuable life skills such as leadership, organisation, time management and dedication, which I feel will be great assets to me at university.

Until the age of ten I lived in China then I moved to the UK. I quickly learned to adapt to a new language and culture and feel that this valuable experience will help me to adapt to University life. I am looking forward to exploring Mathematics at degree level. I feel that I will be an asset to the university both in terms of my academic and non-academic contributions and I believe that I will make the most of every opportunity available.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by obrio for application in 2011.

obrio's university choices University of Bath Cambridge University The University of Sheffield University College London The University of Warwick

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

Degree Mathematics at Cambridge University

obrio's Comments

This is the best I could squeeze, but I do think I could have done a lot better if I spend more time on it.

This personal statement is unrated

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Sat, 09/11/2013 - 22:42

Grammatical mistakes can really stand out on a personal statement. The verb "to practise" is spelt with an "s". It's only the noun that has a "c". I noticed that you wrote "practicing" instead of "practising", although oddly enough this comment box doesn't know this rule!

Add new comment

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PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Mathematics Personal Statement

Submitted by Jay

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Mathematics Personal Statement

Mathematics at times can be the most frustrating subject, the best feeling in maths for me is when I get the right answer to a very problematic question. Every mathematical problem is like a puzzle, at times it can be hard work but all you need is the right jigsaw pieces to fit the puzzle. In the words of Stefan Banach, it has made me realise that 'Mathematics is the most beautiful and most powerful creation of the human spirit.' This caught my attention because mathematics shows a solution to every problem for example, in my A level further mathematic studies I came across to a topic called 'Proof by induction' which has been the most alluring thing in my mathematic studies so far. Proof by induction is a challenging topic but the beauty about it has intrigued my love for mathematics even more. I have enjoyed all my modules for mathematics. My favourite area is Pure Mathematics because it focuses on thought processes and problem solving. Differentiation and integration Is my favourite part of Pure Mathematics.

A level Chemistry is helping me strengthen my knowledge in mathematics because there are a lot of calculations you have to do for example: chemical equations, calculating molarity and speed of atoms. Studying Chemistry demands that I grip onto concepts and the application of mathematics helps me gain general solutions to problems. I have enjoyed studying my AS modules for Further Mathematics and it has given me a huge understanding which I will take forward to A2.

Studying mathematics continues to be extraordinarily enjoying and the difficult task of trying to solve questions presented in a strange way is very pleasing. For Further Mathematics I had to teach myself decision 1 in the few months leading up to the June examination and now during the summer holidays I am self-teaching Core 3. I enjoy working independently and pushing myself to achieve. I particularly enjoy trigonometry especially questions where you have to prove the left or right-hand side of the equation, it's almost like problem solving and trying new ways of approaching the question as there are more solutions.

I love working with young people because I take the opportunity of inspiring them to take interest in something that will be beneficial for them. Whilst on my work experience at Yew Tree Primary School I was a teaching assistant helping children out with their subjects, in particular mathematics. Throughout my work experience I gained confidence talking to others, problem solving for example tackling questions that students wanted help on and the teachers.

I took part in the National Citizen Service challenge. At the start of the challenge I set goals which were to build more confidence and communication. My NCS experience has been amazing and I think by participating it has made me better as a person also improve skills such as communication. In the first week I was a team leader where I had to provide information to the team and the plan for the day. For the second week I worked in a centre where there was people with mental disorders. I planned a session for the people at the centre which had to be sport-related. We had a pitch day where my team presented our social action project to a panel of Dragons. I was part of the finance team where I had to use my mathematical skills and problem-solving skills for the social action project. The social action project was to raise awareness about visual impairment, by doing this it made me a better public speaker.

Sports has always animated my competitive nature and I've always wanted to strive to become better, be it mentally or physically. I enjoy playing for my local cricket club where in my first season I won an award for all round performance. I like to acknowledge the game of cricket, be it on-field or off-field.

I believe that university education will not only expand my knowledge in mathematics but let me experience a lot of new things and meet people who have various interests.

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Writing A Successful Personal Statement

• The Maths Scholars Assessment Centre Success Tips
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• Advice To Applicants

1. Get The Basics Right

You need to spend a lot of time making sure that your personal statement sounds professional – this means excellent grammar, spelling and punctuation, and a good choice of words. It is definitely advisable to read example personal statements online, but you need to make sure that you don’t let any stock phrases creep into your own statement. There is nothing worse than a personal statement which looks like it has been cut and pasted from the internet. Make sure you ask someone else to check your statement – it is all too easy to miss errors when the same 600 words have been swimming before your eyes for a whole day.

2. Follow The Instructions

The personal statement is an essential component of the initial application stage.  Very specific instructions are given about what you should include in your personal statement, even providing a bullet pointed list of what is needed. It might sound obvious – but you need to include everything in this list – if you miss anything then your application will be rejected. At the same time, you don’t want to make your personal statement sound wooden by simply following lists – always make sure that what you are writing flows well and sounds natural.

It could be well worth printing off the application instructions and ticking off each point to make sure that you have covered everything. If a candidate looks like they haven’t followed instructions then it puts their application in a very bad light.

There is a strict limit of 600 words – make sure you stay within this length, but also make sure you don’t write a statement which is too short – candidates who submit a statement which is nearer the minimum of 400 words may look like they are struggling to find things to write.

3. Make It Relevant

Make sure you focus on relevant experiences - particularly your experience of teaching and observation in schools It is fine to include other experiences, but you always need to make sure they are linked back to the purpose of your application – i.e. your ability to be an inspirational and passionate maths teacher. If you coach a youth football team then you need to relate this experience back to your passion for teaching young people, rather than emphasising how much you love football. If you have an experience which is not directly related to working with young people then it is important that you make it relevant, for example if you worked weekends in a restaurant, then you may have discovered that you enjoyed training new staff, helping you decide on a career in education. You might find yourself in the lucky position that you have far too much relevant experience to fit in the statement, meaning that you need to be ruthless and prioritise what to put in.

4. Don’t Repeat Yourself

Don’t include anything in the personal statement which you have already included in the application form – this is simply a waste of space. Your degree is already listed on your application form, so there is no need to include it again in the personal statement. It can be tempting to include absolutely everything in the personal statement, whereas you need to be looking at your application as a whole – have you covered all the points across the whole application?

5. Don’t Copy The Website Verbatim

Whilst you may think you are being clever by copying and pasting text from the Maths Scholarships website into your personal statement, be warned that those who are reading your personal statement also wrote this website. Basically, they recognise when they are having their own words quoted back at them. It also shows that you do not fully understand what it is you are applying for.

Take the time to fully understand what the Maths Scholarship is, why the additional support is being offered and that may help you to address the bullet points relating to being a Maths Scholar.

6. Replacing Maths Teacher With Maths Scholar

It can be tempting to replace 'maths teacher' with 'Maths Scholar' in the personal statement that you produced for your application to teacher training. As a word of caution, doing that normally makes no sense and you appear to not fully understand the Maths Scholarship and its benefits.

7. And Finally...

Try and remember that the effort you put into your personal statement will be well worth it and will hopefully be the first step on an exciting and rewarding adventure. When you read your personal statement, you need to imagine it sitting in a large pile of statements from other people. Does yours read well? Is it relevant? Does it have an excellent opening paragraph? If using clichés such as “maths is my passion”, expand on this by explaining why you are passionate about maths, and what is it that gets you all fired up. It’s OK to say you love a specific equation, or that it’s applicable to everyday life but show us how you interpret that. It’s a line that’s all too easy to say and all too hard to prove!

You could have the best teaching ability in the world, but if you have a poor personal statement then you won’t be invited to the Assessment. On the other hand – if you make the effort to write an excellent personal statement, then you will be giving yourself the best chance possible of progressing to the next stage of the application process.

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• Education, training and skills
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• Primary curriculum, key stage 1
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Optional key stage 1 tests: 2024 mathematics test materials

Optional mathematics test materials used in 2024.

2024 key stage 1 mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-022-2, STA/24/8807/e

PDF , 538 KB , 20 pages

2024 key stage 1 mathematics Paper 2: reasoning

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-023-9, STA/24/8808/e

PDF , 1.08 MB , 32 pages

2024 key stage 1 mathematics - administering Paper 1: arithmetic

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-140-3, STA/24/8825/e

PDF , 223 KB , 4 pages

2024 key stage 1 mathematics - administering Paper 2: reasoning

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-141-0, STA/24/8826/e

PDF , 309 KB , 12 pages

2024 key stage 1 mathematics mark schemes

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-024-6, STA/24/8809/e

PDF , 4.24 MB , 28 pages

2024 copyright ownership: key stage 1 national curriculum tests

It is recommended that schools administer the optional mathematics tests at the end of key stage 1 in May 2024. Test administration instructions and mark schemes are also provided.

Please refer to the copyright ownership report for details of how schools, educational establishments and third parties can use these materials.

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