How to write a personal statement for UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway
Applying to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway? Read on to learn how to write a strong personal statement.
As part of your application to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway, you must submit a personal statement answering three questions about yourself. It’s your opportunity to share your goals, interests and future ambitions with us. Keep reading to learn more about how to write your personal statement for the Gateway Admission Pathway.
What is a personal statement?
A personal statement is a short essay that tells us who you are, your interests and what motivates you to study. It’s your chance to share what makes you unique and how your experiences have shaped your goals. Your personal statement is another way for us to learn more about you and your strengths outside of the classroom.
How is the personal statement assessed?
Your personal statement helps us understand your interests, experiences and potential. When reviewing it, we look for:
- a clear statement of the degree you’ve listed as your first preference in your Gateway Admission Pathway application and the specific passion or goal it relates to
- answers that address all parts of the questions
- clear and organised writing that communicates your ideas and experiences
- examples that show your learning strengths and how you’ve used them for a specific challenge
- thoughtful reflection on the challenges you may face at university and how you plan to overcome them.
What you need to do before writing your personal statement
- 1. Check eligibility
- 2. Find two degrees
1. Check eligiblity
Before you write your personal statement, ensure you have checked your eligibility.
To be eligible for the Gateway Admission Pathway, you must intend to complete an Australian Year 12 qualification or have completed one in the last five years and meet the equity criteria. Click here to read the full eligibility criteria.
2. Find two degrees
Once you've confirmed you're eligible, the next step is exploring the degrees you’re interested in.
If you’re not sure what to study yet, check out InsideOut. Our app can help you identify what your strengths, values and interests are, then match you with degrees that might be a good fit for you. Alternatively, you can explore our degree finder to see what degrees we offer.
How to write a personal statement
Now that you’ve found the degrees you’re most interested in, you’ll need to start writing your personal statement.
What are the UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway personal statement questions?
There are three personal statement questions you must answer in your application:
- Which UNSW degree are you interested in applying for and how does it relate to your passions and goals?
- What are your learning strengths and how have you applied them to overcome challenges in school or other aspects of your life?
- Thinking about your future self at university, what do you identify as the key challenges for you and how do you plan to manage these?
If you have chosen two degrees to be considered in your application, you only need to address the degree you have listed as your first preference.
How to structure a personal statement
If you’re unsure on how to structure your personal statement, or don't know where to start, our Nail It! app can help you. Nail It! is designed to help you create your personal statement.
You’ll be guided through the process, completing four tasks to draft your responses to each personal statement question.
Each task will cover how to use the app, your future ambitions, strengths and motivations, and how you see yourself in the future.
Set aside about an hour to complete the tasks. Your answers are saved, so you can always come back and continue drafting your personal statement. After you’ve completed all four tasks, you can download your personal statement or email it to yourself or a friend.
Be authentic
Focus on sharing your genuine experiences and perspectives to give yourself the best chance to succeed.
Show your strengths
Show us how your interests and strengths relate to your chosen degree.
Answer thoroughly
Answer every question in full and support your points with examples.
Finalising your personal statement
Now that you have your personal statement, make sure you have completed the following:
- answered every question fully and not repeated examples across different questions
- checked your spelling and grammar
- clearly stated which UNSW degree you have put as your first preference in your application
- re-read your personal statement aloud
- asked a teacher, friend or family member to review it and provide feedback
- done a final proofread of your personal statement.
You can resubmit your personal statement if necessary. However, we strongly encourage you to finalise it before submitting it.
If you would like to make changes to your personal statement once your application has been submitted, you can upload a new version. You can upload up to five versions and will be assessed only on the most recent version. This can only be done while the application round is open, see our key dates for more information.
Once you’re happy with your personal statement, all you need to do is upload it as part of your application.
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