Anthropology degree personal statement example (1h) International Baccalaureate

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I grew up in Germany, Japan and Hong Kong. The differences between these three very diverse nations are a major influence on my choice to study Anthropology at university level.

The contrast between the East and West fascinates me. Moving to Japan from Europe when I was ten years old was a great shock to me. I found it strange how differently people behaved and found aspects of Japanese society quite alien. This was my first taste of anthropology and my appetite for knowledge and understanding of how societies are structured differently is what I find particularly motivating.

Since Japan I have experienced a variety of other cultures. From witnessing the impact of colonialism and materialism on the Hong Kong Chinese to the antithesis of this in Kenya, I have constantly been surprised, exhilarated and occasionally humbled by the fantastic cultures and peoples I have been lucky enough to experience. During the time I spent in Kenya I undertook charity work helping out underprivileged school children. I got a lot out of this experience and ultimately learnt what survival really means. The people opened my eyes to their culture and how different it is to my own, from this I have also grown a fond interest in the Maasai tribe and my experience with this tribe has influenced my choice to study Anthropology.

In my Theory of Knowledge class we watched an Australian film called "Rabbit-Proof Fence". The film showed how half white half Aboriginal children were taken away from their tribal families and sent to homes to 'civilise' them. I find the ethnocentric way in which people perceived the Aborigines to be shocking. Many wrongly saw them as primitive and backwards simply because they did not understand. I found it interesting to see the interactions between these two groups of people. These sorts of issues interest me greatly, and I wish to explore this further though Anthropology.

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

Through studying English, French, and German in the International Baccalaureate, I have been able to further my understanding of language at a very high level of competence. I believe that my skills in the study of different languages will help enrich my study of Anthropology, not necessarily through formally studying another language, but through an awareness and sensitivity to the problems that many anthropologists have faced in losing nuance, subtlety and real meaning in translation. I also believe that studying History has been a good foundation to this course as contextual understanding must be of primary importance when attempting to analyse the motivation or culture of others.

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

Outside of lessons, basketball is one of my many passions and it allows me to develop leadership and teamwork skills, as well as enabling me to travel to other countries on tour and meet a lot of a new people. I also enjoy my role as a boy scout leader. This activity puts me in stressful situations that I have to deal with, both individually and as a team. I have learnt to be a strong and fair leader to my peers, learnt a lot about nature and survival and I have also learnt the importance of good communication in fostering relationships.

In 2006 I was selected for an international leadership conference called International Student Leadership Institute through submitting an essay about why I am a good leader. By attending this conference I further developed my team-building, management and organisation skills. I believe these skills and qualities will help me excel in Anthropology.

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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