courses I'm interested in are poles apart - psychology and engineering.

Hey, I just got my A level grades and I did well. According to the UCAS site, as an international student I have the opportunity to send in my applications now and they'll still be considered, so I decided to give it a shot.

But I'm facing a major problem - the courses I'm interested in are poles apart - psychology and engineering.

How do I write my personal statement? According to the UCAS site, the PS is an "opportunity to tell universities and colleges about your suitability for the course(s) that you hope to study. You need to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment, and above all, ensure that you stand out from the crowd."

Since I have to talk about the course, does that mean that I have to choose either engineering or psychology?

PLEASE HELP ME, ASAP too - i would appreciate it very much.

"Course(s)" would indicate that you can write about more than one. I don't know if UCAS cares about style of writing, but if it's a straight-forward term-paper kind of writing, you could simply write about one or the other first, then write about how your interests are diverse and jump into the second subject. Conversely, you could join the two subjects together. Can you think of a situation where both physics and psychology are important? If you go this route, you can write about how humanities and science mix better than most people would think.

Hi Sandra,

Are you applying to an undergraduate program? A graduate program? What you write in your personal statement depends entirely on what type of program you're applying to. On a graduate level, your interest must be very specialized. Even on an undergraduate level, though, it helps to demonstrate a sense of purpose/direction. Ask yourself the following questions:

-What is the purpose of this program?
-What do I hope to study in this program?
-What will I contribute to this academic community?
-Why am I a good fit for this program, and why is it the best school for me?
-What are my short- and long-term goals? How will an education here help me to achieve these goals?

Psychology and Engineering are indeed very different disciplines. Do you hope to pursue both? Are you leaning toward one or the other? If you are at a point in your education where you are aiming to explore both, you can absolutely state that in your PS and go on to explore the interface between the two. How are they different? How, if at all, are they similar? Do you see one discipline helping you become more informed, adept or advanced in the other? How do they influence each other? How has each one shaped you as a student, a researcher, a thinker?

By asking yourself the tough questions, you will automatically deepen your thinking, deepen your analysis, and write a much more unique essay.

Best of luck!

Regards,
Brooke