Anthropology degree personal statement example (1f) Cambridge offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Anthropology interests me greatly because it explores the often overlooked fundamentals of human nature from a biological, social and cultural perspective. The subject appeals to me further as it blends humanities and sciences, disciplines which I have both enjoyed and excelled in during my English Literature, Latin, Biology and Chemistry AS levels. I have a keen interest in evolution. When watching an online Royal Academy lecture which explored human ontology through comparisons between man and animals, I focused my curiosity about evolution on humans in particular as I found the ability of human evolutionary history to explain physiological and cultural aspects of human life particularly fascinating. I further explored this topic through attending talks on human evolution at a UCL Anthropology taster course and London Anthropology Day, and reading ‘The Complete World of Human Evolution’ (C. Stringer + P. Andrews). In reading this I was intrigued by how contemporary primate behaviour can be used to model past stages of human evolution and decided to present a seminar on the matter at my school science society, of which I am co-head. I am also attracted to the social and cultural aspects of human life such as Economic Anthropology. When studying ‘Frankenstein’ I was intrigued by a Marxist interpretation of the novel, and Marx’s view on the transfer of resources in Capitalist systems; and when hearing the opinion that ‘exchange underpins all relationships’ in an Anthropology lecture at a SOAS taster day, I was fascinated by the different roles that exchange can play in society. The unequal exchange of money for labour in Capitalism and its accumulation of riches had seemed almost universal to me, but the Kula ritual of the Trobriand Islands, explained at an Anthropology masterclass I attended at Cambridge University, in which participants attempt to avoid accumulating gifts, struck me as very different. I further explored exchange in western systems by reading ‘Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street’ in which K. Ho creates a vivid picture of life within an investment bank, an environment saturated by elitism to the extent that it is conveyed in architecture, with workers of differing importance segregated through the use of different lifts. Fascinated by the power of ethnography to open up a previously unfamiliar world I not only began to keep a journal of what I had read and seen about societies around me, but also immersed myself more in banking culture by reading about the observations of those connected to but working outside banking in J. Luyendijk’s blog on the Anthropology section of the Guardian’s website.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

The subject appeals to me further as it blends humanities and sciences, disciplines which I have both enjoyed and excelled in during my English Literature, Latin, Biology and Chemistry AS levels. I have a keen interest in evolution. When watching an online Royal Academy lecture which explored human ontology through comparisons between man and animals, I focused my curiosity about evolution on humans in particular as I found the ability of human evolutionary history to explain physiological and cultural aspects of human life particularly fascinating. I further explored this topic through attending talks on human evolution at a UCL Anthropology taster course and London Anthropology Day, and reading ‘The Complete World of Human Evolution’ (C. Stringer + P. Andrews). In reading this I was intrigued by how contemporary primate behaviour can be used to model past stages of human evolution and decided to present a seminar on the matter at my school science society, of which I am co-head.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I took the opportunity to see a completely different world entirely when I visited Madagascar in the summer to finish my Gold DofE and help with local community projects. There I observed the violent beating of a child by his own father for the theft of a camera which at first shocked me, and upon reflection highlighted just how highly integrity and honour are valued in Malagasy culture, that a father would put the life of his son in danger as reprimand for a breach of these values. Outside of studies I fulfil my roles as House Prefect by mentoring a younger boy at school and planning house assemblies, and as Head of Energy and IT of the school sustainability committee by speaking in house assemblies and delegating tasks to improve the sustainability of the school. In addition I write regularly for the school satirical newspaper, have completed a week of work experience at the law firm Allen and Overy; and attend an improvisation based Drama course, which has improved my confidence and eloquence markedly. Engaging in a breadth of extracurricular activities, whilst finding time to complete school work, has greatly developed my time management skills: preparing me for the rigour of university life.

Universities applied to:

• Cambridge (Human, Social and Political Sciences)
• UCL (Anthropology)
• Durham (Anthropology)
• Exeter (Anthropology)
• Kent (Anthropology)

Grades achieved:

• Biology (A2) - A*
• English Literature (A2) - A*
• Latin (A2) - A
• Chemistry (AS) - A
• EPQ - A*

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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