What’s a private assertion?
A private assertion is a doc some universities use to judge an applicant’s suitability for admission. Generally the private assertion is used just for admission, and generally it’s additionally used to evaluate the applicant for scholarships (so the aim could be two-fold).
Some private statements (generally additionally known as private profiles or different names) are required for admission and a few are non-obligatory. For instance, the Private Profile is required for admission to all UBC packages, however the Queen’s Private Assertion of Expertise is non-obligatory for many packages (though required for some Queen’s packages).
Admissions private statements are frequent within the US. Though they’re much much less frequent in Canada, extra Canadian universities are beginning to use private statements of their admission and scholarship processes, and I predict this pattern in the direction of extra "holistic" admissions will proceed to develop.
Why use a private assertion?
The rationale behind utilizing the private assertion varies, however mainly it supplies one other method for universities to judge the suitability of the applicant, past lecturers. It’s used very often at universities the place admission is extra aggressive, as a approach to differentiate well-qualified candidates.
For instance, in packages like Queen’s Commerce and McMaster Well being Sciences, a lot of the candidates have averages at 90% or above, so the private assertion supplies one other analysis methodology to pick probably the most certified college students. Some packages, like Waterloo Engineering and UBC Commerce have additionally added a video interview (along with the private assertion) as an one other methodology of analysis.
What are they in search of in a private assertion?
The form of info that’s vital for private statements varies in response to the assertion.
Extra common ones, just like the Queen’s PSE mainly simply ask the applicant for a listing of their actions and to debate their biggest studying expertise exterior of lecturers.
However for private statements in supplemental purposes for extremely aggressive packages, comparable to Queen’s QuARMS or UBC Commerce, the applicant should reveal extra particularly their abilities and private qualities, and the way they align with that individual program.
Usually talking, although, what most private statements have in frequent is they’re in search of college students to reveal self-knowledge, and to align their pursuits, abilities, and private qualities to this system or college indirectly. They typically ask college students about what they’ve discovered by means of their educational and non-academic experiences. It’s very important that college students have carried out some self-reflection earlier than they write the assertion to allow them to talk their greatest studying experiences (that is a part of what I assist college students with).
Private statements are additionally used to gauge the scholar’s neighborhood involvement and talent to handle time. If the scholar has been fairly concerned with their neighborhood, for instance by means of volunteer actions, they usually have nonetheless maintained a 90% common, it demonstrates they’ll steadiness lecturers and extra-curricular actions. Additionally, a historical past of involvement in highschool will increase the probability of continued involvement in college. That’s precisely what the college is in search of – a strong pupil who will turn out to be part of the campus neighborhood and make a contribution to it. They aren’t as concerned about college students who solely depart their dorm room to go to class.
Extra info
UBC supplies the most effective description of what the private profile is, and suggestions for the right way to full it. Watch the video on the UBC Private Profile web page. Though the data is restricted for UBC’s private profile, it’s common sufficient to explain the right way to full most private profiles.
Along with serving to grade 12 college students with scholarship purposes, I additionally assist them to finish private statements. Please contact me or try my companies web page for extra info.
Finest needs!
Concerning the creator
Janet MacDonald is a Scholarship Coach with mycampusGPS Schooling Consulting. She is a former Canadian college admissions officer. For seven years, she was the coordinator of a scholarship program at a serious Canadian college. Janet has helped her pupil purchasers win tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in scholarships.
You could find her on-line at mycampusGPS.ca, and on LinkedIn.