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Sample Economics Personal Statement (admitted to Oxford, Cambridge, LSE)

how to make a good personal statement for economics

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

In personal statement samples by field.

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

You might also be interested in reading this Statement of Purpose in Economics  that got admitted to Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

Sample Personal Statement Economics

“Flick…chuggachuggachuggaa…puttt-putttt-puutttttt…rizzzz…”

The sounds coming from near the doorway may have startled an outsider but were barely noticed by the people lounging on charpoys and mooras (wicker stools). With the atmosphere abuzz with their chatter, the sputtering sound of the diesel generator lent more time to catch up as the bulbs lit up and fans whirred on throughout the haveli (palace) on an otherwise hot evening. But on days when it refused to crackle, my grandmother would enkindle gas lanterns filling the veranda with hissing sounds and soothing moonlight rays.

I still cherish these memories from my childhood trips to XYZ, my native village, some 450kms from the closest city. At the time, the short sojourns from Kuwait felt rather adventurous. However, the perspective turned wrong when I permanently moved to XYZ. Due to unannounced electricity breakdowns, we would find ourselves groping in the dark to the closest candle stand while sweating in the scorching summer.

And just when we thought it couldn’t get worse, the occasional power breakdowns segued into a full-blown crisis of the decade. Over the next seven years, we witnessed unprecedented power outages averaging 15-18 hours daily. People weren’t just lamenting the loss of mental peace; they were mourning the monetary losses worth billions of rupees translating into 1.5% of GDP.

Fast forward 15 years, and I found myself in a position to alleviate the situation. As Deputy Administrative Head of the Government’s Economic Affairs division, I administer a departmental budget worth $500 million. I am currently undertaking solarization projects. A recent shift towards renewables has occurred after public unrest during the early decade led to hasty investments in thermal-based power plants. Unfortunately, seven years later, we are still reeling from the aftermath of a bitter public backlash as we have the lowest regional electricity consumption per capita.

In addition to high tariffs, the energy sector has been marred by the accumulation of circular debt of $30 billion. This has been caused by multiple factors, such as electricity theft, transmission losses, and non-payment of dues. Having worked in Economic Affairs Division, I have also been part of a team that took massive power sector reforms, including:

  • elimination of subsidies
  • policy formulation on electricity theft and conservation 
  • overhaul of sectoral regulatory bodies
  • privatization of distribution companies et al.

However, as the Program ended, so did the reforms.

Regrettably, negative externalities from these energy woes have had spillover effects on all socio-economic sectors. The environment has especially poorly been affected by the process for the lack of an integrated generation and transmission policy framework in the renewable industry. Being a lower riparian state has also exacerbated climate change. We face extreme weather conditions – floods, droughts, smog, and diminishing water tables. Unable to agree on water issues not covered under the Indus Water Treaty has led to regular skirmishes and legal battles in the International Court of Justice.

Given the background, my country’s economic and Energy woes require a holistic understanding of the subject. This makes Economic policy specializing in Energy the right choice for my graduate studies. Furthermore, I can become an effective leader and economist in the sector through the interdisciplinary pedagogical approach covering policy, economics, management, law; practical skills; quantitative and qualitative analysis within an international context.

My aim is socio-economic development in tandem with confidence-building measures and strategic partnerships with the neighboring countries. Studying at Oxford will provide this learning opportunity in and out of the class as I will interact with some of the most brilliant minds worldwide and work in teams with them. I also look forward to student-led events, conferences, guest lectures, field trips, and panel discussions to augment my understanding of supranational political demands. This will help me lead economic policy reforms for the next 25 years.

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Ensure your enthusiasm for economics stands out

It's key to explain in your personal statement why you’re interested in economics and why you want to study it.

Think about the following:

  • Show an appreciation of mathematical concepts.
  • Reflect on something that has given you an insight into local, national, European or global economic issues, and explain what interests you about it.
  • If you have already been studying economics at A level (or equivalent), talk about an area of the course you’ve found especially interesting.
  • If you haven’t studied economics before, explain what has inspired your interest in it.
  • What especially appeals to you about the subject or the courses you’ve chosen? You can look up specific course details using our course search .
  • Demonstrate that you have a real interest in economic principles and concepts.
  • Show some understanding of economic theory.

What to include in your economics personal statement

  • Your long-term goals: explain how your degree choice fits with your future ambitions and career aspirations.
  • Wider reading: do pick out one or two specific issues that had an impact on you – just saying you subscribe to ‘The Economist’ or ‘The FT’ or that you’ve read ‘Freakonomics’ or ‘The Undercover Economist’ won't have an impact unless you elaborate. Better still, think outside the box and write about something you’ve read that’s slightly more obscure. As one admissions tutor said: 'If I read about ‘Freakonomics’ one more time, I’ll scream.'
  • Economics-related experience: reflect on any work experience, responsibilities, or non-academic interests or achievements that are relevant to economics or demonstrate appropriate skills or qualities.
  • Other relevant insights: if you’ve undertaken an economics-related project, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or summer school, reflect on any insights this has given you.
  • Demonstrate your skills: give examples of skills you possess that will serve you well as an economics student and mean you're able to proactively contribute to the course. These could include self-motivation, teamwork, the ability to think logically, effective time management, good communication, or problem-solving skills.

What not to include in your economics statement

We've also picked up some tips on what to avoid:

  • Don’t skim the surface – be specific.
  • Don’t give a shopping list of things you’ve read or done.
  • Don’t exaggerate.
  • Don’t waste space trying to impress with things you’ve done that aren’t relevant – relate everything to the courses you’re applying for.
  • Don’t make sweeping claims about your 'passion for economics', how you’ve 'loved it from an early age' and 'what an honour it would be to get accepted at your university'.
  • Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes.

As the University of Bristol's ' Why Study Economics? ' website says, 'a straightforward personal statement that gets all the core points across in a coherent way serves the purpose best'. So do say something that will stand you out from the crowd, but avoid being too off-the-wall.

Don't be too bland and generic, either. London School of Economics says 'your statement should be as original as possible to differentiate you from other applicants' while the University of Nottingham looks for 'students with a wide variety of interests and enthusiasms from a wide variety of backgrounds'. Strike the right balance by demonstrating your enthusiasm, your intellectual curiosity, and the quality of your insights.

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How to Write your Economics Personal Statement

Are you applying to economics courses at university this year? If so, this guide might come in handy. Based on my experience helping students with personal statements, as well as discussions with other Cambridge students and fellows, I have built up an understanding of what makes a very good economics personal statement. Below I present a series of steps for how to write the personal statement.

Decide on your course

It sounds obvious, but make sure you have decided on the courses which you would like to apply to. If you are unsure, you can consider your A-levels, particular interests, or whether you have a particular job in mind for after university.

From this point onwards, I will assume you are interested in applying for some kind of economics degree. However, the advice below generally applies to joint degrees and other courses however.

Supercurricular activities for economics

Given you have decided on the course for which you are applying, the next step I recommend is to write a list of all your supercurricular activities .

This is not the same as an extracurricular activity. You can think of the difference like this:

  • A supercurricular activity is an activity that takes place outside of school lessons, that is directly related to your university course of choice. An example is reading an economics book.
  • An extracurricular activity is, again, an activity that takes place outside of school, but that is not directly related to the course you are applying to study at university. An example of this is being part of a sports team.

Supercurricular activities should form the bulk of your personal statement. Some universities post recommendations such as 75 to 80% of the personal statement should be about supercurricular activities exclusively. Other universities will state that they are only interested in your academic pursuits (in other words, supercurriculars).

Complete Guide

For the complete economics personal statement guide, click the link here (paid resource):

Types of Supercurriculars

Supercurricular activities can include, but are not limited to:

  • Online or in-person lectures.
  • Magazines or journals.
  • Online courses.
  • Essay competitions.
  • Reading blogs.

In a future blogpost, I will outline some examples for various areas of economics.

How should you choose your supercurriculars?

I recommend choosing activities based on your particular interests within the subject of economics. For example suppose you are interested in labour economics (in other words, what decides the wage and employment level in an economy or labour market). Then I would recommend finding activities relating to these topics. This could include entering an essay competition by writing on a labour economics topic such as migration, minimum wages or inequality, or searching in YouTube for lectures relating to migration (such as Alan Manning’s LSE lectures, for example here ). You may be able to find podcast episodes covering these particular topics.

Another example is let’s say you had an interest in environmental economics. Then you could look into a podcast episode on carbon taxes (for example here ). You could then look into books, blogs or online courses on the topic and so on.

One possible way to structure your personal statement is to have one paragraph for each topic area. You could have a paragraph discussing labour economics, then another discussing the economics of crime, and a third paragraph discussing macroeconomic policy as an example. However supercurricular activities may not naturally group into topics. So you can choose to link them together in other ways, such as the type of activity or a common skill the activities show.

Several economics courses are looking for you to be proficient in mathematics. Hence it may be worth devoting some part of the statement to discussing economics supercurriculars that relate to mathematics, covering areas such as the use of calculus in economics, statistics, econometrics, game theory and so on. Alternatively you could simply includes pure mathematics supercurricular activities such as maths challenges or reading.

Activities to avoid mentioning

Ideally you should avoid mentioning books where economics and popular culture overlap. This includes books like Freakonomics and the Armchair Economist for example. While these are very enjoyable books to read in their own right, these books are too frequently mentioned and are often seen as too basic by some universities.

If you are applying to a very competitive university that does not interview, for example LSE, then it would be preferable to find books that are less frequently mentioned.

Work experience is not necessary for an application to an economics course. This is because work experience is often acquired through connections rather than ability, so it would be a poor indicator for admissions staff to use in assessing students’ abilities. Also work experience is often not directly relevant to the economics course. However work experience can be mentioned if you work on something that is relevant to the economics course, such as working as a research assistant or an economics journalist.

Generally you should not be mentioning your A-levels. Almost everybody applying is doing A-levels and so speaking about what you have covered in your A-levels will not help you to stand out. In any case your teachers will be mentioning your A-levels in your teacher reference anyway, so it is better to devote the personal statement to activities beyond your A-levels. If there are one or two relevant ideas from A-level that you really want to mention, as they are very relevant, then you can do so. But I would not recommend devoting a whole paragraph to your A-levels for example.

I have my supercurriculars. What next?

Suppose now you have your list of supercurricular activities. You can use these to form the main body of your personal statement.

For these activities, as above, group them into particular paragraphs. This grouping could be based on the topic of the supercurricular activities. You could aim for 2-4 activities per paragraph.

To discuss each activity I recommend three steps:

  • Name the activity. For example name the book you read or name the essay competition title.
  • Discuss what you specifically did. For example what did you write about specifically in your essay competition, or what was involved in your online course?
  • Explain your personal takeaway. Did you agree with the book? Or did you find something particularly fascinating about the essay competition?

Note this is just one possible way of doing things. Depending on the activity you are discussing, you may find a different structure appropriate.

Between activities and paragraphs, it is often a good idea to try to create linking clauses. For example if you discussed your mathematical ability in one paragraph, then you could easily transition into discussing the use of statistics in economics in your next activity or paragraph.

I plan to expand more on how to write about your activities in a future article.

Other Paragraphs

I will now pay particular attention to other paragraphs you may need to write.

Introductions

Often students spend too much time trying to write a good introduction at the very start of the writing process. I recommend leaving the introduction until you have been writing about your supercurricular activities.

One mistake when writing introductions is to start with “from a young age” or “since I was five….”. This way of starting your statement is far too common.

Instead you could jump into discussion of a particular supercurricular activity. This could be an activity that summarises well why you want to study economics for example. You might also have supercurricular activities that do not fit well into a particular paragraph. The introduction could provide a good place to put those kinds of activities too.

Extracurricular Activities

It is possible to put a small paragraph in the statement discussing your extracurriculars (in other words activities not related to economics), for example sports teams, societies, positions of responsibilities, other hobbies etc. Some universities will want to see you are well rounded candidate while others will only care about your academics. I recommend inspecting the applications pages of the universities you are applying to, in order to verify the importance of extracurricular activities to the universities you are applying to.

You may wish to round off your personal statement with a few concluding sentences. I have seen this done in a few ways:

  • A short sentence summarising why you think you would be a good candidate for the course.
  • A couple of sentences discussing the most important part of your application or something you want to emphasise. This could be a research interest in a particular area, or a particular strength within the field.
  • Alternatively, if you think there is a common idea linking most or all of your personal statement activities, you could mention it here too.

See if you think any of these ways are appropriate for your statement. Alternatively you could find your own way to conclude.

Checking and Revising

Get your statement checked by multiple people. Also different teachers will give different advice, so do not feel like you have to accept one’s person entire advice (including my own advice). After all, this is your personal statement and nobody else’s.

In revising the statement, one process most students go through is cutting down characters to fit the UCAS character and line count limits. If you are exceeding these limits, see if you can make points more succinctly. Often a second pair of eyes is very helpful in this instance. Beyond that, you may have to choose one or two of your activities to leave out, based on which you think offers least value to your personal statement.

Best of luck in writing your statement. More will follow on specific ideas for economics supercurricular activities.

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By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 21 September 2023 | 8 min read

Writing an economics personal statement: expert advice from universities

Get your economics personal statement in top shape with these insider tips

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how to make a good personal statement for economics

Read around the subject 

  • Read more:  how to write an excellent personal statement in ten steps

Let your passion for economics shine through in your personal statement

  • Read more:  teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

Make sure you really understand what economics is all about

Do your research into the course.

  • Read more:  personal statement FAQs

Keep your personal statement personal

Talk about how you engage with the world around you.

  • Read more:  the ten biggest mistakes to avoid when writing your personal statement

Show your interest in collecting and analysing data

  • Read more:  universities reveal all about personal statements

Don’t only focus on finance

  • Read more:  universities explain how to end your personal statement with a bang

Include extracurricular activities with relevant skills

  • Read more:  how to write your personal statement when you have nothing interesting to say

You could talk about your plans for your future, but don’t worry if you don’t have a definite career trajectory all mapped out

  • Read more:  how long does it take for universities to reply to your application? 

It shouldn’t matter if you haven’t studied economics before

Proofread your personal statement before you send it out, you may want to look at these..., personal statement secrets – universities reveal all.

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  • Economics Masters Personal Statement Sample

Written by Hannah Slack

This is an example personal statement for a Masters degree application in Economics. See our guide for advice on writing your own postgraduate personal statement .

The notion of financial risk has always fascinated me. Risk is involved all parts of our life, and learning economic theory and statistics can help mitigate some of the larger financial risks that can massively impact our economy. Since my undergraduate course I have been intrigued by the theoretical side of economics and statistics. I particularly enjoy learning how to project potential outcomes, as this is a vital skill desired by many corporations to strengthen their decision-making processes.

Currently I am in my final year of an Economics undergraduate degree and I am projected to graduate with a first. Modules in Behavioural Economics, Finance and Investment have been a strong interest of mine since the beginning of my degree. I have also enjoyed learning more about economic policies across the globe. In order to keep up to date with the latest economic policies I make sure to follow governmental and news outlets, such as the Financial Times.

In my second year I completed a four-month placement with a national bank. This allowed me to learn more about the practical implications of economic theory in a financially focused setting. I grew very interested in the work of the Risk Manager, who further enlightened me on the many different factors that must be considered before making a major financial decision. The main thing that I enjoyed about financial risk was the tangibility of it. As history has demonstrated, financial decisions can have a major impact on society, both positive and negative. Learning how to restrain negative impacts, and how to manage risks appropriately, intrigues me as an essential part of our modern world.

My third year I spend abroad studying Economics in Australia. I found it particularly interesting to learn the differences between the Australian economic system and the UK’s, which will become increasingly important with the advent of post-Brexit trade deals between the countries. This experience only contributed to my enthusiasm with economic theory as I was able to learn more about its role within other countries.

I have decided to apply for this course because it is one of the finest in the country, with excellent links to industry. To contribute to financial risk management in the way I aspire to, I believe that I need the best education possible. This course not only has a compelling combination of modules and specialisms, but its reputation and research quality will help propel me as a competitive graduate on the job market. I truly believe that with my passion and intrigue in the subject, and this course’s quality resources, this university will be the best place for my studies.

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How to Write an Economics Personal Statement

how to make a good personal statement for economics

Many students are unsure of how to write an Economics personal statement as they haven’t written one before. Starting your personal statement can be daunting, but you are not alone! We are here to give some pointers for students wishing to study Economics at university, particularly those applying to UK universities via UCAS. We have separated the process into three stages – research, writing and editing.

What to Research for your Economics Personal Statement

What to include in your economics personal statement, how to edit your economics personal statement, research your economics courses.

Research is vital for writing your Economics personal statement. First, you should have good knowledge of the Economics courses you are applying to. How does the university describe the Economics course (e.g. how Mathematical is it?). What content does the course include? Will your interested area in Economics be taught in the course?

Research Advice on How to Write an Economics Personal Statement

Second, you may want to read Economics personal statement examples from past applicants. This will give you some information what a good Economics personal statement includes, and what you should aim for. It is also good to look up any advice on writing personal statements. For example, this article you are reading! LSE also provides some general advice to writing any personal statement.

Research Which Aspect of Economics you are Interested in

Finally, you should research into the topic in Economics that you are interested in, which we will discuss more below. Google Scholar is a great way of searching for academic papers/essays regarding a specific Economics topic you want to learn more about. Another option may be to look through any suggested texts/reading for the university course you are applying to – does any topic in particular catch your eye? Finally, our article on Economics books to read for your personal statement may also help.

An Economics personal statement consist of many different components, and we explain the reason behind including each one in the sections below.

Area of Interest in Economics

In your statement, more than half of it should be used to show academic interest for a key topic/theme in Economics. The topic can be an extension to A-Level/IB syllabus that is slightly more advanced, or it can be something that will be explored further at degree level. This shows your understanding of Economics, and is a good opportunity to impress the admissions tutor with your enthusiasm. Remember – if you are interested in studying Economics, you should be self-motivated to learn more than what you are required to! Ideally, the topic/theme should also be tied to your personal reason to study the subject. This will make your interest more genuine, consistent and convincing. Have a specific topic in mind? Ask us about it !

Your Opinion on Economics

It is all well and good to explain what aspect of Economics you are interested in. However, that is not enough – admissions tutors would want to know your opinion on the issue/concept you discussed. They want to understand if have processed and understood what you have learnt, rather than just regurgitating it. It also demonstrates your ability to think and evaluate about a topic in Economics critically, showing independence of thought.

Motivation to Study Economics

Of course, you need to specify why you wish to study your subject in your statement. It is important to figure out a good reason here that is relevant to you personally, in order to stand out. Avoid generic reasons like ‘I wish to study Economics to understand the world better’ or ‘I wish to study Economics as my father works in finance’. Think deeper – what is it that is uniquely different about your environment, or what you experienced, that causes you to be interested about Economics?

Interest in Mathematics

For most, if not all Economics courses, there is a large amount of Mathematics involved. This is because Economics pursues a more scientific approach via Mathematical Modelling and Econometrics at higher levels of study. Hence, it is important for you to demonstrate your interest in Mathematics, and the use of it within Economics. You can reduce emphasis in this component if the course you are applying for involves less Mathematical modules.

Extra-curricular activities

It is important to include some extra-curricular activities relating to Economics, as it demonstrates your interest in the subject outside of your studies. Ideally this can relate to your area of interest in Economics and your motivation to study the subject. The activities can range from anything such as reading books on Economics , attending Economics events, to having a related work experience. If you want to include any experiences not relevant to Economics to show what you are like as a person, that is certainly acceptable, but should be less than 25% of your statement. Ask our Economics admissions advisor a free question below if you would like to know more about the various activities, and how to write about them.

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After a first draft, it is important for you to get someone to review your Economics personal statement. This can help give you an objective perspective on what others think. Show it to your careers advisor at school, your Economics teacher, your Economics classmates, maybe even parents/siblings that have gone through a similar process. Of course, those who have more exposure to the subject may be a bit more helpful, like someone who applied for an Economics degree a few years ago. If you need professional, personalized advice on your Economics personal statement, you can reach out to our qualified admissions advisor for suggestions. After receiving feedback, you can edit your personal statement accordingly, taking into account each reader’s unique perspectives. You will then have to compare the suggestions and decide which parts/sentences to keep, change or remove. After many changes/edits your personal statement will finally be concise, unique and polished enough for submission!

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  • Successful Personal Statement For Economics & Management At Oxford

Last Updated: 22nd April 2020

Author: Adi Sen

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 an Economics and Managment applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Oxford University. The Economics and Management Course at Oxford examines issues central to the world we live in: namely how the economy and organisations function, and how resources are allocated and coordinated to achieve the organisation’s objectives.

Read on to see how this candidate managed to navigate the many disciplines of E&M. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

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Economics and Management Personal Statement

Economics is the study of now. I view it as the study of the psychology of the people who dictate our lives. The world around us is shaped by the fundamental concept of supply and demand, wants and needs, goods and services. What grips me is that everything I have studied I can apply to real life. Discussions about inflation, for example, are so applicable since its current status is active in the world of pricing; the price of a Big Mac and “Burgernomics” is something to which I can relate from my travels.

The statistical aspect of economic analysis is closely linked to my interest in Mathematics, thus I will take an Econometric route on option modules. This scientific approach to what is otherwise a field-based solely on individual theories and concepts interests me, as I find quantitative analysis much more accurate and reliable than qualitative theories. As an example, I relish analysing more Econometric models on the A-level Course: like Profit Maximisation calculations.

Despite this, Economics intertwines both Maths and Philosophy on a regular basis. I recently read an article from the Guardian by George Monbiot, which discussed the cost-benefit analysis model and whether nature could be quantified as a tangible asset, and how this would benefit neo-liberals in their perpetual quest for profit. This is just an example of how Econometric analysis does not always deliver such verisimilitude where the figures given are ambiguous. This is what is unique about Economics: there is no right answer to the question ‘Is there a right answer?’ The concept of there being methods of analysing the psychology of and nature behind the way that the interface between consumers and producers operates seems to exceed all other subjects in terms of interest.

I find it peculiar that a subject that has such a ubiquitous undercurrent in our society is so undefined and obscure; it is undoubtedly this which draws me to it. Consequently, I strive to keep up with Economics in the modern world by reading the “I” and “Guardian” newspapers, and “The Economist” magazine regularly. For wider background reading I have read Marx’s “Communist Manifesto”, Tim Hartford’s “The Undercover Economist” and “Too Big To Fail” by Andrew Ross Sorkin.

Sorkin’s book provided a gripping, in-depth insight into the world of investment banking and entrepreneurship – I finished the book in a matter of days. His book has inspired me to enter the investment sector. Upon graduation I would like to become an investment banker or negotiator, hence I am in the process of trying to arrange some work experience with the London Metal Exchange.

I completed a programme of work experience with Linden Homes this summer, through the Career Academy Programme on which I am enrolled. It was a six-week internship during which I gained a firm understanding of a construction company’s place within the national economy. I enjoyed spending valuable time in a variety of departments within the firm. I also have work experience planned in Belgium in 2013.

Additionally, I participate in a multitude of extracurricular activities. My team and I finished second in the national UMPH Business Competition; in Year 11 my team set the school record for the Enterprise Day Challenge and for three consecutive years my team won the Grimsby Inter-School Quiz without loss. Furthermore, I am part of both the Franklin College Debating Team and the weekly “Blue Sky Club”, where students meet to discuss current affairs.

Recently, a particular subject of interest has been the US election. We frequently discuss the debates and the candidates, covering subjects like their political viewpoints and how it will affect both our lives and those of the American public – plus the potential Economic ramifications of the possible outcomes. With a genuine zeal for the subject and an ability to relate my studies to the real world, I am convinced that I will thoroughly thrive at degree level Economics.

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Good Points Of The Personal Statement

The student gives a good insight into their academic interests and what’s inspired them to develop over time. They also demonstrate a passion for the subject, not only by stating their interest in it but by further explaining what interests them and why they would make a good candidate to study it at university. The student is already accomplished and explains well what they’ve gained from their various extra-curricular activities.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The writing is weak and, at points, unnatural. The forced interjections of examples and unusual adjectives make it read like a student attempting to write a formal and formulaic exam essay. They would do better to write in their usual style, even if it is somewhat informal; this will allow them to better express themselves and they will come across as more interesting to those reading it. More importantly than this, however, at times, the student fails to keep up their otherwise good level of detail, and the writing becomes list-like.

This is particularly prominent when they discuss books they’ve read to develop their understanding of economics. Although they expand on one of these, they do so in little detail. Interviewers are unlikely to be impressed by simply mentioning that you’ve read a book – any student applying for degree-level economics is able to read The Communist Manifesto, for instance – but they will be impressed by your response to it and what you gained from the experience of reading it. Unless you expand on these details, a list of books you’ve read does nothing to contribute to the statement.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This statement is strong, except where it discusses academic work. The detail here was likely sacrificed in favour of expanding further on their extra-curricular activities and their particular areas of interest. However, they have limited discussion of their study of various classic economic works so severely that it fails to add anything to the piece. The statement would, therefore, benefit from a more balanced approach to the various areas of the student’s life.

We give this Economics Personal Statement a 4/5 as they have clearly projected their passion for the subject onto paper – the most important part of a strong Personal Statement – albeit this was at the cost of other factors that should have been covered in more depth.

And there we have it – an Oxford E&M Personal Statement with feedback from our expert tutors. 

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

Our Free Personal Statement Resources page is filled with even more successful personal statements and expert guides.

Our expert tutors are on hand to help you craft the perfect Personal Statement for your Oxford E&M application.

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Top Tips for a Cambridge Economics Personal Statement

Cambridge economics personal statement – top 10 tips: dos and don’ts.

economic personal statement cambridge

The Cambridge Personal Statement is a crucial component of your university application. It presents a unique opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from other applicants. You would be able to articulate your story and explain your interests beyond that of numbers on an admissions test. Furthermore, it gives the interviewer a chance to understand who you are. It also provides a platform to bounce off questions during your interview. 

They can tailor questions to your personality, interests, and commitment to who you are as a person and your amalgamation of experiences before you. To guide you through the arduous university application process, our Oxbridge application experts have compiled a list of top 10 Economics Personal Statement Cambridge tips. This includes dos and don’ts– for your Cambridge Economics Personal Statement for the 2024/25 application cycle.

General Advice for Cambridge Personal Statement

The economics course at Cambridge is a comprehensive course that covers all types of economics: core, pure, and applied. Furthermore, the course at Cambridge is also engineered in a manner that allows students to use techniques and schools of thought from other related fields This includes sociology, statistics, mathematics, politics, and history.

Hence, your Cambridge personal statement should clearly demonstrate that you understand that the course is not only theoretical but also includes a significant portion of mathematical reasoning and knowledge. Furthermore, when planning out your Economics personal statement Cambridge admissions tutors will be looking for you to research Cambridge’s achievements in economics and include it in your writing to illustrate your interest in economics. 

oxbridge personal statements

Additionally, when you are crafting your Economics personal statement, you would most likely also be applying to four other university courses. This may result in your statement being vaguer. The University of Cambridge is aware of such and will require you to fill out an ‘Online Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ)’. This is shortly after submitting the UCAS application. So make sure you’ve created another condensed version of your Economics personal statement that you can directly submit to Cambridge.

Top 5 Tips for your Cambridge Economics Personal Statement

1. demonstrate that you are well-read in economics ..

Cambridge does not presume prior knowledge of Economics (after all, you are going to Cambridge to study it!). However, being familiar with Economics terminology as well as its basic principles would give you an edge over other applicants. Furthermore, being well-read in the field also signals to the examiner that you are interested and passionate about the subject. You would take the initiative and seek out knowledge on your own if you are truly passionate about the subject! If you don’t know where to start, you can access Cambridge’s recommended preparatory reading list on their website, or through this link here: Prelim Reading . Furthermore, remember that you are not restricted to books! This could also be in the form of news articles – The Economist, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Vox, The New York Times, etc. are all great places to start. You can also read magazine columns. Or it could even be in other forms of medium such as podcasts, documentaries (available on accessible platforms such as Netflix!), or even Youtube videos. Watching an economics documentary instead of your usual prime-time TV show would be a great way to incorporate learning into your everyday lifestyle.

2. Demonstrating that you are proficient or interested in Mathematics .

Although it is not immediately obvious for an Economics course, the Economics course at Cambridge assumes and requires students to be proficient in Mathematics. Fret not, they only require you to have fully mastered your course syllabus and material at the A-level Mathematics level before commencing your studies. However, showing that you are proficient and interested in Mathematics would help you both in your application and if you end up pursuing the course as there are definitely mathematics components in the course. For example, if you take further mathematics, you would benefit from knowledge in Further Pure Mathematics as well as Statistics. Participating in mathematics competitions or having done work in statistics would be useful in your application as well as course.

3. Focusing your application on your interest in Economics .

Remember that in your Economics personal statement Cambridge admissions tutors are looking out for students who are interested and are a good fit for the course. Hence, it is always important to remember that in your personal statement Cambridge Economics should feature highly! Elaborate on your interest in Economics! You can do so by answering the following trigger questions: Why are you interested in Economics? Are there specific aspects of the course that interests you and why? Do you have any personal qualities or traits that would make you a good Economics student? Focusing your body paragraphs on certain aspects of Economics that interest you and why, or qualities that make you a good Economics student could be used as an overall structure when crafting your Economics Cambridge personal statement. Referencing relevant experiences and reflecting on them would also be useful when writing your personal statement.

4. Having a good structure for your Cambridge personal statement .

Using a good structure when writing your Economics Cambridge personal statement would be good to not only enhance readability but also allow you to not miss out on or forget certain points when crafting your personal statement. You can have a look at a Cambridge economics personal statement examples. But remember when looking at economics personal statement examples Cambridge admissions tutors are adept at spotting plagiarism so looking at it to gain an understanding of structure rather than content is a good option.

A good structure could look something like this: Introduction– A short 3-4 lines briefly mentioning the main reasons why you are interested in Economics, or how you started becoming interested in the course. Next, your body paragraphs can focus on traits that you have that would make you a good economics student, or specific details or aspects of the course that interests you. Each point could be one body paragraph, and you can support and elaborate on each point with examples (such as competitions that you have participated in, books surrounding those concepts that you have read, societies that you have been a part of, etc.) You can then conclude by summarising the important points you want your Cambridge admissions tutor to remember and take away.

5. Giving yourself sufficient time to write your Cambridge Economics personal statement .

It might seem impossible to start crafting your Economics Cambridge personal statement, especially when you are staring at a blank word document and you have no idea where to start. If you are experiencing writer’s block, you can start by listing down all your achievements and experiences. You can then list down details or aspects of the course (you can easily research this!) that interests you, as well as a separate list of qualities that an economics student should have. You can then match your experiences to any points from the two lists, and use each match as a backbone when fleshing out your body paragraphs!

personal statement economics cambridge

Top 5 things to AVOID for your Cambridge Economics Personal Statement

1. having a poor or incorrect understanding of the course.

Many students who apply for a course at university have a misguided or misinformed idea of the course that they would be studying. This is because their impression of the course is from hearsay or what they see in films, or they assume that it would be the same as the subject they studied in high school. For example, especially for economics, students would not expect the amount of mathematics or statistics that are part of the course.

Having a good understanding of what you are in for can also benefit you when writing your personal statement. For example, you can explain how parts of your interest or personality align well with specific or general aspects of the course. This signals to the Oxford admissions tutor that you understand what you are applying for and that you are interested and are a good fit for it.

2. Making your Economics personal statement an economics essay instead of elaborating on your interest or story

Although it is helpful to mention economic theories in your personal statement when you are trying to explain your motivation to study economics, or when elaborating on the books that you have read, ensure that you do not turn your whole Economics personal statement into an economics essay. Keep in mind that what the Cambridge admission tutors are looking out for when they are reading your personal statement is to understand why you want to study economics, and what makes you the perfect fit for the course. Even if you found a really difficult or obscure economics theory, talking at breadth about it rather than focusing on your story would put you at a disadvantage– these tutors would be experts in their field, and if they wanted to learn more about a particular theory, they would pick up a textbook instead of your Economics personal statement!

3. Using too much jargon or using vocabulary that you are not familiar with

You might think that using unconventional vocabulary or fancy terminology would make you sound or appear intelligent. However, especially if you are unfamiliar with the terms, this would actually work against you instead of helping your application. This is because your personal statement could end up sounding unnatural, wordy, and hard to read. Think about it this way– explaining a difficult concept in simple words is more impressive than using a difficult word incorrectly! Furthermore, Cambridge admissions tutors would be reading hundreds of Economics personal statements a day– If your Cambridge personal statement is full of jargon and tough words, it would be difficult for them to understand what you are trying to convey to them. You would not way your ideas to be lost in translation, so make sure you communicate in a simple and effective manner! Always value clarity over vocabulary.

4. Not reflecting on any experience that you mentioned in your Cambridge Economics personal statement

Your experience is only as valuable as what you have taken away or learnt from it. Especially when you are mentioning experiences that are not directly related to that of Economics, you should always mention how it is relevant to your application to Economics– whether it be your interest in it or certain personal qualities that you have. If you want to mention a particular experience that you have, however, you are unable to link it to Economics, you can think about how it has led you to develop certain transferable skills. For example, if you have done a lot of community service or volunteered at a charity, you can talk about how this has led you to be interested in learning more about Economics policies or theories that could help with inequality or poverty.

5. Only give yourself enough time to write a singular Cambridge Economics personal statement

Never expect to only write one Cambridge personal statement, and that being the final draft that you would be submitting. Your first personal statement that you craft would not be your best one, and you should always give yourself enough time to constantly improve and write multiple drafts to further improve it. After writing a draft that you are proud of, it would also be good for you to leave it aside and not think about it. After a week, you can return to it with a fresh mind, and you would be able to note out errors or aspects of it that you would like to further refine. You can also let seniors, friends, or your school’s career guidance counsellor proofread your Economics personal statement for them to give a more objective view and perspective on your personal statement. Their feedback could be immensely helpful, as sometimes we might not be the most objective person when telling our own stories. However, do remember to not share your Economics personal statement with anyone, as this could lead to unnecessary plagiarism problems!

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  • Economics Personal Statement

A personal statement is up to 4000 characters or 47 lines where you tell a University why you are a suitable candidate for the course. Unfortunately, there is no way of guaranteeing a place on your chosen course but a combination of a good personal statement and the right grades will certainly give you a good chance.

To offer you something useful, we asked senior Economics lecturers around the country what they like to see in an Economics personal statement;

1) Ensure the personal statement is grammatically correct and without spelling errors . Applicants have time to prepare and go over their statement over and over, as well as to get help from their teachers, parents etc. Sloppiness of this kind gives the worst possible impression .

2) Keep paragraphs short and to the point. This is easier to read than a big body of text – admissions officers are unlikely to spend a long time reading over the statement, so make the key points stand out.

3) I see little need to innovate by writing bizarre things so as to stand out – keep things clear, relevant and to the point, also statements such as ‘I have dreamt of studying Economics from when I was a small child’ are completely implausible and all too common! Show enthusiasm for the subject but back it up with evidence of this , such as relevant books you have read (but make sure you have indeed read them before an interview…if caught out lying, looks very weak – you would be surprised how often this happens), issues in the media or current affairs that interest you etc.

Emphasise the reasons why you’re interested in and want to study, Economics . What is it about the subject that makes you want to spend 3 years specialising in it? What especially appeals? If you’ve studied Economics before you might talk about some of the areas you’ve found most interesting; if not, then explain how you came to want to study it. I think this is an exercise that’s of value notwithstanding the personal statement: students who’ve thought carefully about their choice are more likely to make the right one and ultimately to enjoy success with their degrees . Both with this and more generally on the personal statement, be honest (for your own sake as much as the selector’s, remembering that any exaggerations and poorly thought out statements are likely to be exposed in the event of any interviews ) and resist the temptation to write what you think the selector wants to hear (e.g. “I have always loved Economics ever since I was 2”) or to try and flatter (e.g. “I welcome the chance to study at your esteemed institution”); both are likely to sound insincere, won’t convince and will therefore, add little value. Just be yourself, and be both interested and interesting!

Paragraph 1 – give a general introduction of why you wish to study Economics; this might include a particular aspect of the subject that fascinates you (though explain why), when your interest was peaked and how a degree in Economics fits in with your future career aspirations.

Paragraph 2 – give a brief account of why you are suitable for the degree(s) in questions, highlighting relevant A-level courses taken and aspects of them that were of interest. Give academic and non-academic reasons -applicants tend to focus on what they would take from the opportunity to study towards a particular degree- it is nice to explain how they hope to contribute also to the social fabric of the university and interaction within the course/degree.

Paragraph 3 – give evidence of interest for Economics by listing one or two popular Economics books (e.g. Freakonomics, Superfreakonomics, the Armchair Economist, the Bottom Billion…the list goes on) that you have read. Rather than giving an implausibly long list of books read, focus on one or two (or three if the course is a joint honours degree with other subjects) books and (this is crucial…) identify how the book/particular chapter/treatment of a particular issue fuelled your interest in Economics, in particular, what questions it raised in your mind that a degree in Economics would help answer.

Paragraph 4 – describe (briefly) any work experience/voluntary work, highlighting any aspects that are relevant to Economics. A few lines on hobbies or sporting activities could also be included – perhaps to show perseverance of enjoyment in interacting with others. Some interests e.g. debating, are arguably of more relevance than say, golf.

Somewhere in the statement – if applying from overseas, list the qualifications attained in English language and perhaps say a few words on how studying Economics in the U.K. is of particular value to you.

Paragraph 5 – list any awards, prizes etc attained or participation in things like the Model UN or Duke of Edinburgh awards. Some applicants are involved in Target 2.0 and in doing so get a first-hand feel of the role of monetary policy and how interest rates are set and inflation targeting. These are relevant to the statement.

A statement that follows the structure above should give enough information to satisfy most readers and should appear structured, well-written and clearly thought out.

Vague statements of interest with broad sweeping statements of unbridled enthusiasm for the subject lack credibility if not backed up by specific activities/books read/courses taken etc. In my view, a straightforward personal statement that gets all the core points across in a coherent way serves the purpose best.

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Advice for People Writing their Economics Personal Statement

Advice For People Writing Their Economics Personal Statement

Introduction

Some of the advice here will be mirrored in the general PS writing guidance as well, particularly in the extra curricular section and the style advice.

Start writing your personal statement early as many people go through a huge number of drafts before they are happy with their final PS.

This is the general format for a PS and some good advice (you don't have to use this format, just make sure you include all the sections).

When you know where you want to apply, make sure you have a look on the websites for any specific advice on what they want to see in your personal statement, as different universities may have different things they want you to include, although all universities are likely to have similar core modules such as macroeconomics, microeconomics, or econometrics. This may differ for BA degrees (with the possible exception of Cambridge where all subjects are BAs), as opposed to a BSc, which is likely to be more maths-based. BA and BSc degrees may differ quite significantly, with BAs being more essay-based. This point is therefore especially relevant you are applying to a mix of BA and BSc courses: Be sure to check the course contents carefully and ensure that you do not talk about content that is not covered on some of the courses.

Before you apply, look at the university requirements. Due to the maths and statistics included in an economics degree, many universities specify a certain minimum grade at GCSE Mathematics and some require A Level Maths. At a small number, Further Maths may be desirable, at least to AS level. A Level Economics is not essential; studying both economics and business studies should, as a rule, be avoided. In some cases, candidates offering three A levels which include Further Maths may be disadvantaged, as this will be expected as a fourth A Level and may not count towards offers. Check the requirements of each university carefully if in doubt.

Remember, very few universities interview for economics degrees (Cambridge does, as well as Oxford, although Oxford offers only Economics and Management, not straight economics), so this is the only chance most people get to impress the admissions tutors and bring in anything to make themselves 'stand out from the crowd'.

Introductory Paragraph

Starting the personal statement is arguably the hardest part. The start needs to be interesting to draw the reader in immediately. Remember that admissions tutors will see a huge number of statements, and you want yours to stand out. You don't need to waste characters saying "I am applying to study economics" - the admissions tutors know this already, and cliches such as "I have always wanted to study economics" should be avoided. However, it should be clear from the outset exactly what course you are applying for. Starting with a quote, or indeed using any quotes, is generally a bad idea and rarely works well, as it is not something that the applicant has said.

Give background. Show that this is not just a random short term decision, but that doing an economics degree is natural extension of your studies.

Academic content should take up around 2/3 of your PS. It can be split into two: college academics (A Levels etc) and academic interests/activities outside of your formal education. The latter is obviously more interesting, as it shows more motivation to know more about the subject you are wanting to spend 3+ years (if you include a relevant postgraduate course) studying. However, you may not want to separate them that crudely - for example, covering something at A Level may have enthused you to discover more about that subject, so put it together.

Exam results are important, but they don’t sell your motivation or interest in the subject, only your capability. Lots of other candidates will also have good exam results, so it is important to use your PS to make you stand out. There is no need to state your exam results as these can be seen in other parts of your UCAS form. If you have particularly high UMS marks that you'd like the universities to know about, these should be mentioned in your reference, not your PS.

This is not the place to list your A Levels and what you've done in them. It is also not the place to try and link everything to economics, especially if the link is tenuous. Try and avoid saying 'Studying English literature has improved my essay writing skills and helped me construct concise arguments/Mathematics has helped with my data analysis skills'. These will be pretty self-evident and a waste of characters. Instead, talk about what in your A Levels (related to economics) has interested you and why. If you found it particularly interesting, you may want to briefly talk about any studies that you did during A Level Economics or subjects that particularly interested you. Don't just explain what different areas of economics are about - reflect on them. Admissions tutors will be familiar with the concepts you're talking about. While you want to present yourself as a good economics student, if your PS becomes simply a short essay about economics or a particular theory or concept then it's saying nothing about you as a person.

The second part would be far more interesting. This can come in a variety of forms: reading undergraduate level text books/academic journals (including those aimed at college students), and possibly work experience (see below). As for what things to read, try and avoid the common economics books, such as 'Freakonomics' - a huge number of applicants mention it (along with 'The Armchair Economist' and 'The Undercover Economist') and the relevance to degree-level economics is extremely limited. Also, think about the relevance of any books you've read: classic texts may have little relevance to what you will study at degree level, so are best avoided. Look for what kinds of modules you'll be studying and try to link you're reading and discussion to some of them.

It's very hard to find particularly relevant work experience for an undergraduate economics degree. Work experience is not essential for this degree, however if you have managed to get some relevant work experience then you can develop this to talk about your interest in the subject. Avoid sounding like you're name-dropping. If you have irrelevant work experience then don't try to make it sound relevant as an excuse to mention it. Working in a shop, for example, does nothing to help sell you as an economist but other skills developed such as organisation or time-management can help to sell you as a student.

Extra curricular

This section is for anything that is not specifically related to your interest in economics. This part should be short, a maximum of 1/3 of your PS. It can include things from school/college as well as in your free time (including a part time job). For school/college, you may want to talk about peer mentoring, prefects. Remember to keep your sentences short and snappy. If they're long, people get bored and stop reading. Cut out all unnecessary words. Don't start your sentences with verbs unless absolutely necessary (e.g. “Being a prefect” is too informal). Say what you did/do, then what you learned from it, and sometimes explain why that is useful, but not at the expense of it being interesting. Don't repeat things you learned - you only need to demonstrate characteristics once each throughout the statement. You don’t need three examples of how you can handle responsibility. Other characteristics you can talk about are team work, communications skills, leadership, confidence, etc. Don’t worry if you don’t include them all. If it is just going to sound fake and boring, it’s better not to bother. You do not need to relate everything to economics - you are allowed to have a break from it, even at university, though if you can link them to the course or why you are suited to it, it will help.

As for your interests outside of roles of responsibility, keep it very brief. Sport and musical interests are generally good ones to include and just briefly say why you enjoy it. Things like 'I enjoy going down the pub with my friends/shopping/going to the cinema' etc should be avoided. As long as you have something written about your extra-curricular activities (if just to show you exist outside of college), it doesn't matter how many. Quality is better than quantity, and you want this section to be brief, so there is no point in listing a load of activities. Think about how they've helped you. No one is going to be impressed by your ECs in themselves, you need to use them as a launching pad to sell skills. "I sing in the church choir" is not good, but you might use your singing experiences to show skills, e.g. That you can co-operate, or learn and interpret source materials.

If you are applying for deferred entry, it would also be useful to include any gap year plans and say why you are doing them.

Your final paragraph should conclude and summarise why you are a good candidate and why you want to study economics. Although you should be confident that you are a good candidate, it is important not to sound arrogant (e.g. 'I am the ideal candidate to study BSc Economics'), as it's very off-putting. You shouldn't include any new information in the conclusion, except possibly career plans. Don't worry if you don't have any, you don't have to mention career plans at all. Don't refer to the university directly ('your university') as this comes across as very insincere considering you're applying to four or five universities.

Joint Honours

Economics is available as a joint honours degree with many other subjects. Note the difference between "Economics with X" and "Economics and X"; the first implies a 67/33 split between economics and the other subject, while the second implies a 50/50 split. The amount of space in your PS spent talking about each subject should be adjusted accordingly. You should if possible avoid mixing choices of straight economics and economics joint honours. Any indication that you are not 100% committed to the course admissions tutors see you applying for can count very strongly against you. The exception to this is Oxford's Economics and Management course, which is the de-facto economics course at Oxford. While a brief mention of management would be beneficial, it is expected that candidates will be applying mostly for other pure economics courses.

General Hints/Tips

When you've written your PS, read and reread it. Read it aloud to see how it sounds. It's surprising how many times you can notice poor grammar/repeated words close together when you hear it, rather than reading it silently! Get other people to read it - teachers, parents, friends, siblings.

Try and keep things up-to-date. Generally things from sixth form only, although a brief mention of things done during GCSE years may also be OK.

Lots of people read The Economist or The Financial Times. If you must mention them, find something specific to talk about, as simply saying that you read them is totally unremarkable. Avoid talking about The Wealth of Nations, it is completely outdated and of little or no relevance to modern economics

Avoid mentioning extenuating circumstances. These belong in the reference, if you mention them in your PS it may sound like you're trying for sympathy or just making excuses.

Writing Style

Keep your sentences varied - don't start all your paragraphs/sentences with the same format (e.g. 'I did X/I did Y' or 'My A Level in...'/'My studies of...'), as it doesn't flow very well and sounds very boring. Also, one sentence (or even two) do not make a paragraph!

Don't have any sentences that put yourself down. Even if you try to turn it round, it's better not to say anything negative to start with.

You are writing formally. “Can’t” should be “cannot”, “Doesn’t” should be “does not”, etc. Do not include digit numbers, write them out unless they're three digits or more. "I did two weeks..." not "I did 2 weeks". Do not include brackets- (...), they are too informal. Be careful not to miss out words like "have", "I", and "that", like most people do in spoken language. It is safer not to use exclamation marks at all. Look up 'how to use commas and semi-colons'. Spelling and grammar can make or break a PS.

Some words and phrases are extremely cliché: Passion, fascination, love, aspiration, intrigued by, broadened my knowledge, enhanced my skill, affirmed/confirmed my decision. Use these words with caution. If you're using alternatives, be careful not to sound like a thesaurus, sound natural and simple. You want to make it easy for the admissions tutors to read, as they will read lots of PSs every day.

Using phrases such as "quenched my thirst for" or "sparked up my interest" also don't read anywhere near as well as you think they do.

There's a tendency to use "also" all the time, when it's not needed. Be concise! Unnecessary linking words like "Furthermore" and "As a result" get used too often. A few of them are OK, but only a few. Remember to use commas after these linking words and phrases.

Don't use complex words in extremely long and convoluted sentences. People lose interest (and it makes you look somewhat pompous). Keep it short and make it flow.

Capital letters: NOT needed for subject names, economist, secondary school, etc. Be careful where you use them.

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My interest in studying economics is born from my growing up in the wake of an economic crisis that affects both my present and my future. The huge rise in unemployment and poverty that followed the great recession are things that mean my generation face a great struggle as we leave education and enter the working world. Economics is a subject grounded in that which effects the lives of people all over the world today; it is constantly evolving and growing and there is always more to be found and learnt which I believe makes it a truly brilliant subject. few other subjects have foundations in both maths and human nature, but I believe that economics is something which really allows people to see how the two connect.

I spent a lot of time reading about world events and watching the news, and learning about the horrors and troubles faced by the entire world all the time is something that fuels my passion for economics. I believe that as far as we have come as a race, there is still so much further we can go, and so many more ways we can improve, by growing and learning, the lives of people around the globe. I think studying economics at university can help me to change the world – to truly effect lives and improve them for the better, to narrow the wealth gap that allows few to live in luxury and many to suffer poverty, when that need not be the case.

At AS-level I studied Mathematics, English Literature, Physics and Economics. Studying economics at as-level was one of the first times if truly encountered the subject, and learning it with little to no prior knowledge only made it that much more interesting to discover. I find both micro and macro economics hugely intriguing to learn, as both play a part in the way that countries are run globally, and I feel that understanding and employing knowledge of both are essential for the betterment of societies everywhere.

Although I used to believe that maths, while enjoyable for me, had no roots in the real world, economics is something that really showed me how very much it does. This means that I am very keenly interested in the mathematical side of maths –  econometrics is one of my favourite disciplines within economics. I find it so interesting because it seems to me that using these models and equations we can predict humanity’s behaviour, and almost tell the future. In that regard one can almost see economics as being magical; it incites a passionate interest me and I would love to take the subject on to a deeper knowledge.

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Economics and accounting personal statement example.

Accounting to me is not just a subject, but a life skill. It invokes not only the core disciplines of business and economics but it provides these in both a local and global context.

I see Accounting as an international common language between businesses, to analyse accounts and influence future decisions companies will make.

The application of business within the accounting degree has been one of the major pulling factors that have influenced my decision to study the subject.

After studying GCSE business and discovering the accounting and finance aspect of it, I have become fascinated to learn more, going on to extend my knowledge of the subject by reading outside of the school environment.

As an avid reader of the Accounting blog on the tutor2u website, I have gained a good grounding in the fundamental application of accounting, especially in the way websites such as ‘facebook’s’ growth is driven by their own growth through advertising, and the fact that their books and accounts continue to stay cash flow positive, despite their impressive rate of expansion.

I am particularly interested in the law aspect of the course and how decisions made can influence an individuals’ desire to defraud their accounts to avoid taxation, and the often extensive amount of time it takes to bring these people to justice.

Although initially studying psychology may not seem to have a direct influence on accounting, I feel the knowledge I have learnt about the interaction of people’s behaviour in social situations will help me greatly. This would especially be within the aspects of the course that involve management methods and organisational behaviour.

By studying Economics at A level I have found that it has had a profound effect on accounting.

The understanding I have acquired of the financial world as a whole has provided me with a strong awareness of international sections of the course. The barrier for trade inside and outside of the EU and how this affects profit margins, with relevance to extra costs on balance sheets is one example.

This awareness will help equip me to have a better understanding of real world accounting situations, where I hope to find my self in the future.

Last summer I was accepted on a two week work experience placement at the Bank of England to do shadowing and accounting of my own, however due to circumstances beyond my own control, it fell through, much to my disappointment. Nevertheless I have tried to keep in touch with current Accounting developments through the newspapers and internet.

I am currently completing my silver Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and I am planning an eight day trip, alongside “World Challenge Organisation”, to Norway next summer for my Gold expedition. The trip will be funded entirely through the money my team raise. I feel these experiences have helped me develop valuable life skills such as the desire to achieve, self-confidence and discipline.

I believe that these skills I have learnt will provide the perfect platform for a degree in accounting and aid me on into the workplace. I also play hockey for the North of England and have captained both Yorkshire and South Yorkshire sides as well as my School and Club teams.

Hockey is a major part of my extracurricular life, giving me teamwork and leadership skills and I feel I could contribute greatly to a wide range of university activities.

I look forward to studying accounting at degree level. This will allow my interest in the subject to flourish. I hope to immerse myself fully in the experience and challenges the university will provide.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by ash4932 for application in 2011.

ash4932's Comments

I believe that this a one of the best personal statements around i hope to use this to help others. I received 5/5 offers last year with this but unfortunatly missed out on my grades by 4 marks i have applied again this year and within a week i had 4 conditional offers. Hope this helps!

Related Personal Statements

Universities.

Sun, 10/07/2011 - 20:20

to which universities have you applied for? Is Oxford, Cambridge and LSE one of them?

P.S.: It is really nice one

It is a very strong and

Fri, 19/07/2013 - 16:51

It is a very strong and smooth personal statement, what I wanted to know was how my offers did you receive once to sent out the personal statement to your chosen universities?

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    Examples. Firstly, here is a list of ten economics personal statement examples available online. Also below, there is analysis of what makes a great economics personal statement. + Good evidence of independent study. + Great supercurricular activities discussed.

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    Suppose now you have your list of supercurricular activities. You can use these to form the main body of your personal statement. For these activities, as above, group them into particular paragraphs. This grouping could be based on the topic of the supercurricular activities. You could aim for 2-4 activities per paragraph.

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    The bottom line is that showing an interest in Economics requires time and effort alongside your studies. Starting to implement extra reading alongside your studies should be done at an early stage. When you start university you are expected to do extra reading, so this is a good skill to start developing now! Step 6.

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  18. Economics degree personal statement example (2d) with review

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    I look forward to studying accounting at degree level. This will allow my interest in the subject to flourish. I hope to immerse myself fully in the experience and challenges the university will provide. This personal statement was written by ash4932 for application in 2011. ash4932's Comments.