Personal Statement:Sociology and politics

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

My interest in political and social studies is deeply rooted in the way I have learned to see the world. Benefitting from primary education in Hanoi, I was taught to value and respect other cultures and different lifestyles. At an early age I experienced what it means to live in a country still struggling with the consequences of war, western intervention and a totalitarian regime. Children my age were not only suffering from poverty and hunger, but had to cope with issues such as physical deformity due to an unexploded bomb in Laos or the remains of Agent Orange. All these left a strong imprint on my early developing mind. Beyond Vietnam, my formative third-world experiences stem from family visits to Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Uganda, combining travel with field visits to development projects. I kept a travel journal during these trips in order to record and structure my impressions. Comparing them now, it is interesting to see how my thoughts evolved, from analysing the country's nature and wildlife to the different culture and religion, to the effect of poor governmental politics on Egypt and Zimbabwe and reflections on western society and values while in a different environment. However, my growing curiosity for this course does not merely stem from the third world. My thoughts are in constant stimulation through family discussions and literature.

In a European School environment I come into daily contact with different languages, cultures and ideas, learn from and work with them. Volunteering for "Serve the City" in Brussels, catering for and talking to the homeless, made me realise that social injustice, inequality and poverty remain also an unfinished agenda at home. These experiences have fed my fascination with the sociological aspects that create us. I take cultural differences further to ask myself where these stem from, how political and religious differences affect people's actions, their morality and the way in which societies function.

I have grown up bilingually with German and English, am fluent in French and have picked up Italian through living in Rome. This has given me the privilege to be able to combine each language's psyche in tackling my thoughts. Studying Mandarin for the past six years has been an intellectually stimulating struggle which has given me insight into a foreign culture through understanding the concepts of its language.

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

Due to my extensive curiosity in many areas of study, my choice of curriculum at school has remained broad, combining sciences with humanities. Developing my artistic creativity through Art lessons and playing the saxophone in and outside of school (ABRSM Grade 8) have remained passions of mine. Such a wide range of studies has required lots of self-discipline and motivation but been very rewarding, inspiring as many parts of my intellect as possible to create an open-minded way of thought.

As an active member of the school's jazz band, I have for three consecutive years organised the school Gala concert—one of our biggest charitable events. These concerts as well as working with the Amnesty International group and student committee have improved my communication and organisational skills. In tutoring younger students I have taken on educational responsibilities and experienced what it is like to share knowledge and experience. All this has shown me the impact individual initiatives can have, provided they are carried out with conviction and passion.

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

Given the opportunity, I plan to take what I have gained from studying sociology and politics into the fields of journalism combined with advocacy on issues of global governance and human rights. I wish to learn how to connect different aspects of society and address global challenges with a deep understanding of their socio-political context. I am confident that this course will give me the best suited academic foundation to do so.

Universities applied to:

• University of Cambridge (HSPS)
• University of Edinburgh (Sociology & Politics)
• University of Warwick (Sociology & Politics)
• University of Bristol (Sociology & Politics)
• University of Exeter (Sociology & Politics)

Grades achieved:

• AAA* (European Baccalaureate: 90.1%)
• English (AS) - A*
• History (AS) - A*
• Philosophy (AS) - A*
• Geography (AS) - A*
• German (AS) - A*
• Art (AS) - A*
• Biology (AS) - A
• Further Maths (AS) - 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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