example of personal statement for economics

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

by Talha Omer, M.Eng., 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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FindAMasters
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.

What are some of my options for studying a Masters in Economics?

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice, economics - msc, university of cologne faculty of management, economics and social sciences, msc in economics and business administration - economic analysis, nhh norwegian school of economics masters programmes, msc in economics and business administration - economics, behavioural economics (msc), erasmus school of economics masters programmes, business economics/international business economics msc, city, university of london school of policy and global affairs, find a masters in economics.

If you're interested in a studying Economics, then why don't you check out our regularly updated catalogue of available Economics Masters courses .

Hannah Slack

Hannah worked at FindAMasters as a Content Writer from 2020 to 2023. She started with us part-time whilst studying for her PhD, giving her personal experience with balancing work responsibilities with academia. Hannah has a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of East Anglia, and both a Masters in Early Modern History and a PhD on Early Modern English seafarers from the University of Sheffield.

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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.

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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Economics Personal Statement Guide

Your personal statement is a significant part of your university application. It gives you the opportunity to show universities your enthusiasm for studying Economics and demonstrate your skills and motivations.

Many students struggle with writing personal statements. It can be difficult to balance academic interests with personal achievements, keep everything relevant to the economics courses you're applying for, and fit it all into just over one A4 page.

To help you get on the right track, our Personal Statement Guide takes you through everything you need to know to create an excellent Economics personal statement:

Why are Personal Statements Important?
What Should I Include in an Economics Personal Statement?
What Should I Avoid in an Economics Personal Statement?

Advice on How to Start an Economics Personal Statement

Advice on how to finish an economics personal statement .

What Should I Avoid in an Economics Personal Statement ?

You must avoid waffle and cliches. A common cliche that we recommend you avoid is "I have wanted to study Economics since I was a child" or "I want to study Economics because I want to make money". While these statements may be true, you need to focus on demonstrating your interests in economics, not just stating them.

Instead, talk about a documentary you came across and how it interested you and how, in light of this interest you read a book related to the topic. Connecting your academic interests in this way instead of using cliche statements helps keep you under the word count, but also makes your personal statement interesting and personal to your academic journey.

You should also definitely not mention anything in your personal statement that you have not read, watched, listen to, or done yourself. In other words, absolutely do not lie! Admissions tutors will sniff dishonest statements out very keenly, especially if you attend an interview with them further along the line.

Economic ,at undergraduate study contains many elements and topics; use this to your advantage and research widely to find various areas of personal interest. Before starting to write your Economics Personal Statement, consider making a mind map or list of the reasons you are interested in the subject, and any areas in which you are particularly interested. Which podcasts have you listened to, books have you read, or videos have you watched?

Remember to focus on what you have done, what inspired and benefited you, and what you would like to learn next. For instance, in studying elasticity of demand, what questions did it raise for you, and how have you explored the topic further?

If you are struggling to get your wider research off the ground, or need something new to get out of a research rut, check out some of our recommendations below:

Poor Economics by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo

The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs

Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

IMF Podcast

Planet Money

Journals/Publications:

The Economist

American Economic Review

The Econometrics Journal

Journal of Political Economy

This is not an exhaustive list, and we strongly encourage you to research your areas of interest.

Writing the ending of an Economics Personal statement can often be just as hard as beginning. The most important task for the final section is not to overcomplicate things; focus on using clear and concise language to round up the main theme(s) of the preceding content.

Your final sentence or two should summarise your academic interest in Economics and your excitement about studying the course . If you wish, you may also briefly mention your hopes for the future (be it working in further research, a financial institution, or government policy) and tie an Economics degree into your plans going forward (although this is not necessary).

Think about what you want the admissions tutors to remember about you once they have finished reading. This is the information to foreground in your conclusion.

Lastly, always proofread your personal statement several times . We recommend giving a final version to a parent, guardian, teacher, friend, or anyone else you can find, really! Getting a second opinion, be it from someone with Economics expertise or someone completely new to the subject, can help weed out mistakes and ensure your writing is clear and your intentions can be understood.

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

A strong Economics personal statement will include relevant academic interests and the motivations behind pursuing Economics at a higher level, and not a lot else.

As Economics is a subject that links to other social sciences such as sociology or politics, the temptation can often be to discuss topics that are potentially not covered in an Economics course. To ensure against this, it's always good to check back over the course syllabus and double check that everything you mention is linked either by content or by the skills needed to study it.

If you are applying for different courses, such as PPE at a few universities and Economics at others, carefully think about which topics you write about to demonstrate that you are a passionate Economics student.

We recommend that you use the majority of the limit UCAS gives you. It is your first chance to make a lasting impression on the admission tutors, so you should take advantage of the opportunity to show them why you would be an exceptional Economics student.

4000 characters of 47 lines (whichever comes first) may seem ample, but once you have spoken about your interests in detail, you will find that it really is not. Often students go over the limit in their first draft of their personal statement; do not worry about this, as continual redrafting and reviewing (which you really should do) will help you shorten it down.

You want to ensure that you only include extracurricular activities that demonstrate relevant skills, interests, and qualities in your statement.

Whether the activity or resource you want to mention is directly related to economics or not (and it doesn't necessarily have to be), you should not just mention it, but also explicitly discuss why or how you believe that it either motivates you or equips you with the skills to perform well on the degree course to which you are applying.

There is no secret formula when writing a personal statement for Oxford or Cambridge, and you need to make sure not to mention the Oxbridge course directly since your personal statement goes to all your universities. In our experience, however, the key to an Oxbridge Economics personal statement lies within the amount of academic content you have in your statement. Oxbridge tutors are keen to hear as much as possible about your academic interests, therefore we recommend aiming to focus 80-90% of your statement on academic content, whilst the remaining 10-20% talks about your extracurricular activities.

To demonstrate your academic ability and potential, you must talk about how you have engaged with your subject beyond the school syllabus. This can include presenting your views on economists such as Milton Friedman or analysing the implications of theories such as economies of scale. You need to avoid waffle, be concise, and demonstrate your love for Economics at every stage.

It is important to note that if you do reach the interview stage of the Oxbridge application process, you can be asked questions about your personal statement, so do carefully select topics that you are passionate about. We offer a fantastic interview preparation course if you need support preparing for the interview stage of the process.

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Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements

Your Personal Statement is the first demonstration of your character that the admissions teams at Oxford and Cambridge will see. Your perfect Personal Statement can only be written by yourself as it has to convey exactly who you are, why you want to study at Oxbridge and why you deserve to be there. But that doesn't mean help isn't available. There are many things to learn that can improve the effectiveness of your statement when implemented correctly. One of the best ways to get a deeper understanding of what makes a good Personal Statement is to read successful statements that have transferable qualities. This page features over 25 Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements from a whole variety of subjects. Read through them and learn what makes them so good (as well as the mistakes that some make), so that you can create a strong base for your own writing.

Why are Personal Statements Important?

Your personal statement is essentially you introducing yourself to the Oxbridge admissions teams and explaining why you should be given an offer on their courses. It’s a piece of writing that will have a lasting impact throughout the application process, so you need to make the best first impression.

The admissions teams aren’t just interested in the achievements that you have made or the grades you have earned; they are looking for applicants with the right attitude for the course. They need applicants who can go the extra mile, have a true understanding of the subject and have the qualities needed to become successful in their chosen field. All of these things can be expressed in a well-written personal statement.

How To Prepare for your Personal Statement

Your personal statement may not be prepared for in the same way as an entrance exam, but there are still things you can do both before and during the writing process.

Firstly, it’s a good idea to view examples of successful personal statements, such as the 25 + available below. It helps to view those related to your chosen subject, but there are still benefits to looking through as many as possible.

Beyond this, learning specific techniques and advice from experts will also help. Our Premium Oxbridge Programmes provide a wide variety of support, including books and courses, all of which are designed to help you write the perfect personal statement. View our courses page to find out everything that we can do to help your application.

Download our FREE 80-Page Personal Statement Starter Guide

We have developed an 80-page E-Book filled with expert Personal Statement Advice. Inside, you’ll find guides on planning and writing your personal statement, as well as our full collection of 25+ Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements.

To access all this for free, just enter your name and email address and you’ll be sent the guide directly to your inbox.

Successful Oxbridge Personal Statement Examples

Successful humanities personal statements, cambridge law ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, oxford law ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford law & french ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford economics & management ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge economics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, cambridge land economy ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge classics ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford classics ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, cambridge pbs ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, oxford psychology ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge philosophy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford ppe ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge english ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, oxford english language & literature ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford modern languages ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford geography ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford history ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, successful science personal statements, cambridge medicine ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford medicine ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, cambridge veterinary medicine ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, kcl dentistry ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆, cambridge natural sciences (bio) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, cambridge natural sciences (phy) ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford physics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford chemistry ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, cambridge engineering ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, oxford engineering ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, cambridge maths & physics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★, oxford computer science ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆, personal statement posts from our blog.

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Successful Personal Statement For Medicine At Oxford University

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Writing a Law Personal Statement for Cambridge? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study Law at Cambridge.

Successful Personal Statement Example For Computer Science At Oxford

Read through a successful Computer Science Personal Statement for Oxford with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive an Oxford offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Economics At Cambridge

Read through a successful Economics Personal Statement for Cambridge with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive a Cambridge offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Economics & Management At Oxford

Writing an Economics and Management Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study E&M at Oxford.

Successful Personal Statement For PPE At Oxford

Writing a PPE Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study PPE at Oxford.

Successful Personal Statement For Law At Oxford

Read through a successful Law Personal Statement for Oxford with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive an Oxford offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

Read through a successful Natural Science Personal Statement for Cambridge with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why the Personal Statement helped the candidate to receive a Cambridge offer.

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Sciences (Biological) At Cambridge

Writing a Natural Sciences (Biological) Personal Statement for Cambridge? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we go through a REAL Personal Statement submitted to UCAS for a candidate wishing to study Natural Sciences at Cambridge.

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Finally, we assess the student’s attitude and reasoning behind applying to Oxford or Cambridge. This is one of our most important considerations.

If a student has below-average (but still realistic) grades for Oxford and Cambridge, but the correct attitude, we would consider accepting them onto our Programme. Unfortunately, if the inverse is the case, it’s unlikely the student would be accepted onto the Programme.

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As much as you like! Although we do offer rough guidelines for how to use your tuition hours, you are more than welcome to dedicate more or less than the recommended amount to your personal statement if you wish to do so.

The UniAdmissions Portal is where you will find all of the support and resources for your Programme.

You can think of the Portal as the hub of all the materials included within your Programme. If you are ever looking for a relevant book, an online course, course dates or anything along those lines, the Portal is very likely to be your answer.

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Economics personal statement examples

Economics degree personal statement example (2d) with review

This is a real personal statement written by a student for their university application. It might help you decide what to include in your own. There are lots more examples in our .

Recently, I have participated in the Bank of England’s ‘Target 2.0’ challenge. From this, I not only improved skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication and analytical skills, but also learnt about the consequences that a seemingly small decision, such as the lowering of the interest rate by a quarter of one percent, can have on just about everyone. Another aspect of the project that I enjoyed was the way in which all of our team members’ research and work came together at the end to form the whole, and enabled us to come to a conclusion. I would very much like to have the opportunity to study this area, among others concerning the interest rate and monetary policy, in greater depth. I am enthusiastic about the subject, and a highly motivated student, and I therefore think that I would be well suited to studying economics at university level.

In secondary school, I held a position of responsibility as a prefect. I also sang soprano in the school choir, which again helped me to hone my skills of teamwork and co-operation. Prior to beginning sixth form, I spent a summer working as a volunteer in a scheme run for children with disabilities, which was both a lot of fun and very rewarding. Although working with some of the children was demanding and required the ability to adjust and adapt quickly, I would definitely say that it was worth it and would love to do it again. In addition, I currently have a part-time job in a retail environment. Because of this, I believe that I am able to communicate and solve problems more effectively. I have also gained understanding of the worlds of business and commerce within the context of a large company.

I have put serious consideration into my choice of course applications, and believe that I would be able to contribute both academically and socially to university life.

Universities Applied to:

Warwick - AABb (Firm)
Loughborough - ABB
Leicester - ABC (Insurance)
Swansea - BBC or 280 UCAS points
Bath – Rejected

General Comments:

Overall this statement is quite weak for a competitive subject like economics and while there is some economics discussion, the extra-curricular side has been too extensively covered and there is a need for greater focus on economics. This could include more on the economics-specific side of Target 2.0, Public Choice theory, and perhaps one other area that the applicant is interested in from monetary and fiscal policy. In doing so, they could also alter the structure so that the final section includes a direct reference to one of these economics topics. If they study economics at A-level then it would be expected that they discuss this relating their interest in the degree to their coursework/class work. At the moment there is no mention of economics from "My hobbies" onwards. To make the space for this, the penultimate two paragraphs could be merged into one.

At times the statement is very disjointed in the way it is written and the applicant would benefit from properly structuring this before submitting it.

Comments on the statement:

I am applying to study a degree in economics principally because of the diversity of both the subject and its applications, and because I find it fascinating and challenging at the same time. Having studied the subject at A-level, I believe that the possible depths to which it may be studied are almost endless, and as such, the number of real-life situations to which it is relevant is similarly vast. This is a long intro without much substantive content. What is it about economics that fascinates and challenges the applicant? A lot of applicants make assertions such as this then never back it up with why . It is so important that they say why they like economics and give examples. For example, the area of economics in which I am most interested is the study of the ways in which monetary and fiscal policies affect society as a whole. Why are they interested in this particular area? Again, more detail and explanation is required For this reason, I found the Public Choice theory particularly engaging. This is better, but they need to discuss a part of Public Choice theory in more detail and say why they found it engaging. In the future, I hope to gain employment in the banking or financial sector, and I think that a course as flexible as economics would be of great benefit to this. This isn't really something they should mention in the introduction, its fine for them to mention careers in the conclusion if they've got an idea but not really in the introduction as this implies they want to do the degree only for the job. Admissions teams will be looking for students who will love studying economics for the next 3/4 years of their life, not just students who want the job at the end of it.

Recently, I have participated in the Bank of England’s ‘Target 2.0’ challenge. This is a good thing to include. From this, I not only improved skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication and analytical skills, The sentence structure is a little clumsy here, with quite a long list and "skills such as ... skills" but also learnt about the consequences that a seemingly small decision, such as the lowering of the interest rate by a quarter of one percent, can have on just about everyone. This is good and the applicant could go on to explain some of these 'consequences' 'on just about everyone'. Another aspect of the project that I enjoyed was the way in which all of our team members’ research and work came together at the end to form the whole, and enabled us to come to a conclusion. OK, so what was the conclusion and how did the group come to it? What was their specific area of 'research and work'? I would very much like to have the opportunity to study this area, among others concerning the interest rate and monetary policy, in greater depth. Rather than just alluding to 'among others', which specific areas, ideas or concepts would the applicant like the 'opportunity to study'? I am enthusiastic about the subject, and a highly motivated student, and I therefore think that I would be well suited to studying economics at university level. It should be self-evident that you're 'enthusiastic', 'highly motivated' and 'well suited to studying economics'. It is best left to the referee to comment on what a wonderful student they are, it doesn't need to be in the PS and can make the applicant appear arrogant

The key thing in this is the research and conclusion, all of the stuff about team work is secondary to the pure economics side and this is what the applicant needs to focus on. How this has enhanced their interest/engagement/knowledge of economics? This is their main academic part of the PS meaning I'd expect to see mentions of reading, research and theories in this part. The applicant will struggle to get into competitive universities if this section is not redrafted in more detail and in a more academic way.

My hobbies mostly centre around music; I sing, play the piano to grade four standard, and have also composed music for keyboard-based instruments. I have found that the more knowledge of music, and its structures, that I have gained, the more insights into popular music I have acquired, and can then enjoy it on many more levels. I think that this holds true for many subjects: the more understanding you have of something, the more you can enjoy it. A tenuous link, but OK. I also like to get involved in sports, such as swimming, in my spare time, as I find them a great way to unwind and have fun at the same time! The punctuation in this paragraph needs some work and in PSs saying you enjoy having fun/socialising/hanging out with friends can often be read as an implied way of saying "I enjoy getting drunk" etc. which is something to be avoided. Universities couldn't care less what the applicant did in their life in that respect so its better to stick to the "I like swimming" type of pro-active hobbies. These are more interesting and set the applicant apart from others.

In secondary school, I held a position of responsibility as a prefect. I also sang soprano in the school choir, which again helped me to hone my skills of teamwork and co-operation. Nothing wrong with including the singing, but 'teamwork and co-operation' from being part of a choir is really pushing it. Prior to beginning sixth form, I spent a summer working as a volunteer in a scheme run for children with disabilities, which was both a lot of fun and very rewarding. Although working with some of the children was demanding and required the ability to adjust and adapt quickly, I would definitely say that it was worth it and would love to do it again. A little long, but good content-wise. In addition, I currently have a part-time job in a retail environment . Because of this, I believe that I am able to communicate and solve problems more effectively. I have also gained understanding of the worlds of business and commerce within the context of a large company. Once again, stretching it a bit (I'm presuming the applicant works part-time in a shop) but probably just about acceptable.

In the last 2 paragraphs the applicant has developed their communication and problem solving skills many times over. It's really important that they only mention each "skill" once and that they only have this as a small part of their PS. All of the extra curricular activities should only be a paragraph (around 30% of the PS) at the most, with this substantially reduced if they're applying to Oxbridge and the like.

I have put serious consideration into my choice of course applications, and believe that I would be able to contribute both academically and socially to university life. This needs bringing back to why the applicant wants to do economics, or why they would be a good economics student, as this final line doesn't add much to their PS, and it's been a while since any mention of economics. They can mention their career ambitions here if they want and draw together all of the things they've already said.

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The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd.

Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: Imperial House, 2nd Floor, 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB

Applied in: Winter 2013

University offers: lse, ucl, bristol, queen mary, warwick.

To me, Economics is the intertwining of science and art. The models, theories and flow of thought in Economics concepts I learn in school is similar to that of science and mathematics, where logic is used as the basis of theories. What I find interesting is the fact that in some cases, these theories do not hold in the real world. The fluid and dynamic nature of Economics fuels my curiosity to want to learn more about it. I believe that reading Economics at a tertiary level will allow me to understand how these concepts are derived and at the same time, gain better insight into how Economics can influence people and societies alike.

In my free time, I enjoy reading Economics-related articles on magazines such as The Economist or online newspapers such as Project Syndicate. These out-of-textbook readings allow me to gain greater knowledge of economies outside of Singapore. For example, reading up on the wide-ranging issues that may arise when the Federal Reserve (Fed) starts tapering their bond-purchasing program known as quantitative easing is both eye-opening and intriguing. In addition, I find it fascinating to read about how different economists will have contrasting schools of thought. The differing economic visions of India’s top political rivals, welfare economist Professor Amartya Sen and Professor Jagdish Bhagwati, demonstrates this. It is interesting to read about how they both make use of economic concepts to support their respective visions, but yet their visions are not aligned with one another. From my readings, I learn to draw the links between real-life examples and theoretical concepts. It is this real-world application that sustains my growing interest in both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, beyond what we learn in our textbooks.

I am particularly interested in the application of economic concepts in policy-making. This interest was sparked by my experience in organizing an outing for the elderly at the Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society last year, where my interactions with the elderly allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of their changing needs. Currently, I am in the midst of helping out in a community initiative called “Project Upstart” which raises funds for the under-privileged children at the Little Arts Academy. This experience highlighted to me how the fruits of economic success in a nation does not always trickle down to the lower strata of society. Through my various community involvement experiences, I reflected upon some of the pressing problems Singapore will face in the future; an ageing society, rising income inequality and worsening social mobility. This got me to think about how current governmental and economic policies must change to suit the changing societal needs.

Besides reading up on Economics and getting involved in volunteering activities, I also enjoy sports. My experience in my extra-co curricular activity, Wushu, is an exhilarating and enriching one. Trainings taught me the importance of dedication and devotion to one’s profession while representing my college at competitions cultivated a strong sense of sportsmanship within me. I also served as part of the executive committee for Wushu and this gave me the opportunity to bring a group of individuals from vastly different backgrounds together to form a team that is bonded, motivated and hardworking. As a leader, I often had to give motivational talks or resolve disputes among team members. From these experiences, I learnt to communicate better, which made me a more confident public speaker. In addition, the need to prioritize my time given the hectic schedule of trainings and school work allowed me to develop my time-management skills.

Fuelled by my passion and equipped with the above qualities, I hope to read Economics at a higher level in the United Kingdom as I believe that a tertiary education overseas would be a valuable experience to me and would allow me to become a more mature and independent individual.

Please note UCAS will detect any form of plagiarism. PSE and its contributors do not take any responsibility for the way in which personal statements are used.

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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?

Add new comment

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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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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 ...
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This statement is thoughtful and interesting, and conveys clear motivations for studying Economics, as well as demonstrating a good level of preparation for university study. The student elaborates on their response to each preparatory activity they engaged in, rather than falling into the trap of simply listing books read and lectures attended.
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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 ...
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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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A strong Economics personal statement will include relevant academic interests and the motivations behind pursuing Economics at a higher level, and not a lot else. As Economics is a subject that links to other social sciences such as sociology or politics, the temptation can often be to discuss topics that are potentially not covered in an ...
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Step 7. Think ahead to any potential interviews. Some competitive universities (such as Oxford and Cambridge) routinely interview candidates as part of the application process. Your UCAS personal statement will be an important deciding factor in whether you get offered an interview with your chosen university.
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Firstly, it's a good idea to view examples of successful personal statements, such as the 25 + available below. It helps to view those related to your chosen subject, but there are still benefits to looking through as many as possible. ... Read through a successful Economics Personal Statement for Cambridge with a full analysis by Oxbridge ...
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Economics degree personal statement example (2d) with review. This is a real personal statement written by a student for their university application. It might help you decide what to include in your own. There are lots more examples in our collection of sample personal statements. I am applying to study a degree in economics principally ...
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Economics and Finance Personal Statement Example 15. Through life's experiences, I have come to realise that the economy affects almost everything in the world. Newspapers dedicate more headlines to financial issues in comparison to other topics. This has led to the realisation that without a good stable economy the world could fall to its ...
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For example, reading up on the wide-ranging issues that may arise when the Federal Reserve (Fed) starts tapering their bond-purchasing program known as quantitative easing is both eye-opening and intriguing. In addition, I find it fascinating to read about how different economists will have contrasting schools of thought.
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This personal statement was written by Jellybean732 for application in 2012. Statement rating: One look at the world around us and we can instantly see how vital a role economics plays in every aspect of life. A fleeting glimpse of a newspaper headline or the core section of the evening news will tell you that economics influences nearly ...
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