English degree personal statement example (1k) Oxford offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Literature has the power to move me to tears, make me laugh, and satisfy me intellectually. I knew studying English was the right choice for me when I realised I would not be truly happy without it as the main focus of my academic life.

Eighteenth and early nineteenth-century literature is a particular interest of mine. I wrote my Advanced Higher dissertation on the concept of the contrast between human transience and the eternity of nature within Keats's Odes. These poems reflect Keats’ growing preoccupation with his own mortality as his health worsened, and analysing the different conclusions he reached on the subject of life and death in these poems was extremely absorbing. Though very different from the typical Romanticism of Keats, I also greatly admire Jane Austen’s subtle ironies and portrayal of the role of women. Particularly poignant is her darkest novel, ‘Persuasion’ which I consider to be one of her finest works; perhaps because, like Keats’s Odes, it reflects her own anxieties at the time.

I greatly enjoyed studying ‘Hamlet’ and ‘King Lear’ while at school. Comparing the two plays allowed me to examine various issues such as the nature of kingship and parent-child relationships, as well as the broader areas of revenge and tragedy. In order to maximise my comprehension of Shakespeare's themes, I read various critical pieces on both works, such as A.C. Bradley’s analyses of the flawed characters of both Hamlet and Lear. I anticipate the prospect of further examination of literature’s perennial questions with enthusiasm.

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

Learning French to a high level has been very rewarding, and has sparked a developing interest in foreign literature. I have read novels such as ‘Suite Française’ in both English and French, and found observing the process of translation that the text has undergone enthralling. Last year I chose to write a folio essay on the concept of freedom in Sartre’s ‘Huis Clos’. Besides finding his philosophical ideas and bleak portrayal of Hell thought-provoking, I found the actual literary analysis of a text in a language other than English an interesting experience. I have already had to use similar skills in reading texts in Scots dialects e.g. Lewis Grassic Gibbon‘’s ‘A Scots Quair’. The study of other languages has furthered my appreciation of our own language: the intricacies and decidedly quirky nature of English captivate me.

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

I play the piano and flute to Grade 7 and 8 standard respectively, and have been an enthusiastic and dedicated member of a number of musical groups, both in and out of school. At university, I hope to maintain my participation in music; I find it both artistically and academically stimulating, as well as valuable in terms of teamwork and time-management.

I am taking a gap year primarily to finance my studies and to travel in 2008. The extra maturity and independence I expect to gain will enable me to adapt more readily to university life than I would have at seventeen.

English is a subject whose all-encompassing nature will enable me to maintain and incorporate my wider range of interests while allowing me to focus on my greatest love, literature itself.

Universities applied to:

• Oxford
• York
• Durham
• St Andrews

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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