English degree personal statement example (2b) Cambridge offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Literature acts as a frame to view the world. By interpreting the intricate, constructed ideas of some of the great minds, like Milton, Shelley and Shakespeare, new ways of understanding life are revealed. When we read, our personal experience and perspective influence our interpretation and we form our own, unique response. I relish the prospect of developing a distinctive critical style myself by studying English on a University course.

Caliban in 'The Tempest' is dehumanised as 'The Other', outcast as a dark animal and reified by the dominant 'same' as 'profitable'. After seeing a performance at The Globe Theatre, I explored a post colonial interpretation put forward by George Lamming at an intensive course at Cambridge University. By imposing language on Caliban, Prospero imitates Empire's subjugation of the native, which contemporary audiences would have viewed differently to critics today. I enjoy the possibilities and limitations such interpretations of texts can have. To further understand how reception of Shakespeare's work has changed, I joined an all male production of 'Twelfth Night' in the role of Olivia. This experience has given me greater insight to how casting alters the impact of a production. My current internship at the Rose Playhouse in London will develop my knowledge and love of Renaissance drama, as we stage a production of 'Dr. Faustus'.

I am enthused by the breadth of choice on a Literature course, but specifically the chance to explore Tragedy and Renaissance theatre in depth. Words, reading and writing have always brought me immense pleasure, and have propelled me intellectually, while achieving 394/400 UMS in 'A' level English Literature. I am excited to study an English degree where I would be surrounded, not only by thousands of characters in books and poems, but by those who share this same passion.

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

In Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and Shelley's 'Frankenstein' both Adam and The Creature are the first creations, with mature bodies but unformed minds. Where Adam finds companionship in Paradise, the Creature identifies more with the 'fallen angel', becoming a 'malignant devil' in desolation. Romanticism re-interpreted 'Paradise Lost', making Satan the tragic hero of the text. I am interested in how critical appraisal changes the interpretation of the author's intent. To broaden my knowledge, I attended a 'Poets in the City' lecture on the character of Satan and read Milton's Books One and Two. Ambiguities in Tragedy inspire lively debate. This is the form I especially look forward to examining over the course of my degree.

In Keats' 'Odes' and in 'To Autumn', time is measured by precise word choice, emphasising autumn's 'ripeness to the core' and progression into winter. Intrigued, I studied 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' at a UCL Summer School, among other works of literary movements such as post-modernism and the Gothic. My talent for poetry was recognised on receipt of the school poetry prize two years running.

I have arranged with The Times newspaper to gain work experience on its Foreign Desk next Spring. I strive for each word to be evocative and well placed, and know I will further my appreciation of close analysis by viewing verse from the poet's perspective on an English course at University and beyond.

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

Writing is my primary passion, and I thrived on opportunities to write for the local Guardian Young Reporter scheme and contribute articles to our Sixth Form newspaper, heightening my awareness of language's impact on a readership.

This academic year I intend to work for English Language magazine, Tokyo Weekender, and take a TEFL course, offering an insight to English as a world language. Such commitments require perseverance and discipline. These are qualities I have demonstrated as a Wimbledon Ball Boy, learning Latin as an extra GCSE subject outside of school, and undertaking Philosophy 'A' level in a gap year to develop my analytical skills and pursue a long held interest.

Universities applied to:

• Cambridge
• Bristol
• Manchester
• York
• Edinburgh

Grades achieved:

• English (A2) - A*
• History (A2) - A
• Biology (A2) - A
• Chemistry (AS) - B

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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