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Economics personal statement examples

On this page is a collection of economics personal statements, all written by real students. Among them are some that have helped students make successful applications to universities such as Cambridge, LSE and Manchester.

Some also feature review comments from The Student Room personal statement review team.

By reading through a few of these samples, you can gain inspiration for your own economics personal statement. 

Economics personal statement examples - top rated by students

We have lots of economics personal statement examples that you can read through. To help you find the best ones, we asked students to vote for which they found the most useful. 

The following personal statements are those that were the most highly rated.

Economics degree personal statement example (1c) LSE offer Submitted by: Anonymous "For me, the uniqueness of economics lies in its ability to combine both Arts and Science disciplines. Such a synergy creates a diverse subject which..."

Economics degree personal statement example (2h) Cambridge offer Submitted by: Anonymous " Observing the world around me, it is clear Economics can clarify so much. Take the stock market: an intricate web of transactions, demand and..."

Economics and finance degree personal statement example (1g) with review Submitted by: Anonymous " In today's world, economics associated disciplines are of fundamental significance..."

Economics and management personal statement example (1c) Oxford offer Submitted by: Anonymous " Economics in the current climate is inescapable; it dominates the media and is at the forefront of..."

Economics degree personal statement example (1h) Submitted by: Anonymous " Logic, fresh ideas, and a strong applicability to real life: the fundamentals of economics are based on..."

Economics degree personal statement example (1q) Cambridge offer Submitted by: Anonymous " Everyday, we are faced with choices. Whatever their magnitude, economics encourages a logical approach to..."

Business and economics personal statement example (1a) Submitted by: Anonymous "Economics was the first subject which caught my attention, and got me thinking about its relevance outside..."

Economics degree personal statement example (1s) Cambridge offer Submitted by: Anonymous " Ever since my Year 9 history teacher told me of the "circle of prosperity", a phenomenon we now know better as..."

Economics degree personal statement example (1e) UCL offer Submitted by: Anonymous "Travelling around the world, and having visited places including America and Iran, has allowed me to personally witness..."

Economics degree personal statement example (2d) with review Submitted by: Anonymous " I am applying to study a degree in economics principally because of the diversity of both the subject and..."

Full list of economics personal statement examples

Studying economics at university.

Study for an economics degree and you will be exploring how people, businesses and governments produce and allocate resources.

Economics degrees cover a wide range of topics, including microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, international economics and business economics.

Economics degrees can also be combined with other subjects, such as history, politics, or philosophy. Economics graduates might go into careers in various sectors; such as banking, consulting, education, or public policy.

Explore economics degrees at UK universities on The Uni Guide .

Advice on writing your economics personal statement

On The Uni Guide, we've got advice from universities on what they want to see in an economics personal statement . 

Among the tips shared by these admissions experts:

• Show that you've read around the subject
• Find ways to demonstrate your passion for economics
• Do your research into the course and show that you understand what to expect from it
• Write about more than just an interest in finance

More help with your personal statement

You can find personal statement examples for other courses by using this subject list, or by returning to our personal statements by subject page.

Other useful links

• Applying to university

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How to Write your Economics Personal Statement

Are you applying to economics courses at university this year? If so, this guide might come in handy. Based on my experience helping students with personal statements, as well as discussions with other Cambridge students and fellows, I have built up an understanding of what makes a very good economics personal statement. Below I present a series of steps for how to write the personal statement.

Decide on your course

It sounds obvious, but make sure you have decided on the courses which you would like to apply to. If you are unsure, you can consider your A-levels, particular interests, or whether you have a particular job in mind for after university.

From this point onwards, I will assume you are interested in applying for some kind of economics degree. However, the advice below generally applies to joint degrees and other courses however.

Supercurricular activities for economics

Given you have decided on the course for which you are applying, the next step I recommend is to write a list of all your supercurricular activities .

This is not the same as an extracurricular activity. You can think of the difference like this:

• A supercurricular activity is an activity that takes place outside of school lessons, that is directly related to your university course of choice. An example is reading an economics book.
• An extracurricular activity is, again, an activity that takes place outside of school, but that is not directly related to the course you are applying to study at university. An example of this is being part of a sports team.

Supercurricular activities should form the bulk of your personal statement. Some universities post recommendations such as 75 to 80% of the personal statement should be about supercurricular activities exclusively. Other universities will state that they are only interested in your academic pursuits (in other words, supercurriculars).

Complete Guide

For the complete economics personal statement guide, click the link here (paid resource):

Types of Supercurriculars

Supercurricular activities can include, but are not limited to:

• Online or in-person lectures.
• Magazines or journals.
• Online courses.
• Essay competitions.
• Reading blogs.

In a future blogpost, I will outline some examples for various areas of economics.

How should you choose your supercurriculars?

I recommend choosing activities based on your particular interests within the subject of economics. For example suppose you are interested in labour economics (in other words, what decides the wage and employment level in an economy or labour market). Then I would recommend finding activities relating to these topics. This could include entering an essay competition by writing on a labour economics topic such as migration, minimum wages or inequality, or searching in YouTube for lectures relating to migration (such as Alan Manning’s LSE lectures, for example here ). You may be able to find podcast episodes covering these particular topics.

Another example is let’s say you had an interest in environmental economics. Then you could look into a podcast episode on carbon taxes (for example here ). You could then look into books, blogs or online courses on the topic and so on.

One possible way to structure your personal statement is to have one paragraph for each topic area. You could have a paragraph discussing labour economics, then another discussing the economics of crime, and a third paragraph discussing macroeconomic policy as an example. However supercurricular activities may not naturally group into topics. So you can choose to link them together in other ways, such as the type of activity or a common skill the activities show.

Several economics courses are looking for you to be proficient in mathematics. Hence it may be worth devoting some part of the statement to discussing economics supercurriculars that relate to mathematics, covering areas such as the use of calculus in economics, statistics, econometrics, game theory and so on. Alternatively you could simply includes pure mathematics supercurricular activities such as maths challenges or reading.

Activities to avoid mentioning

Ideally you should avoid mentioning books where economics and popular culture overlap. This includes books like Freakonomics and the Armchair Economist for example. While these are very enjoyable books to read in their own right, these books are too frequently mentioned and are often seen as too basic by some universities.

If you are applying to a very competitive university that does not interview, for example LSE, then it would be preferable to find books that are less frequently mentioned.

Work experience is not necessary for an application to an economics course. This is because work experience is often acquired through connections rather than ability, so it would be a poor indicator for admissions staff to use in assessing students’ abilities. Also work experience is often not directly relevant to the economics course. However work experience can be mentioned if you work on something that is relevant to the economics course, such as working as a research assistant or an economics journalist.

Generally you should not be mentioning your A-levels. Almost everybody applying is doing A-levels and so speaking about what you have covered in your A-levels will not help you to stand out. In any case your teachers will be mentioning your A-levels in your teacher reference anyway, so it is better to devote the personal statement to activities beyond your A-levels. If there are one or two relevant ideas from A-level that you really want to mention, as they are very relevant, then you can do so. But I would not recommend devoting a whole paragraph to your A-levels for example.

I have my supercurriculars. What next?

Suppose now you have your list of supercurricular activities. You can use these to form the main body of your personal statement.

For these activities, as above, group them into particular paragraphs. This grouping could be based on the topic of the supercurricular activities. You could aim for 2-4 activities per paragraph.

To discuss each activity I recommend three steps:

• Name the activity. For example name the book you read or name the essay competition title.
• Discuss what you specifically did. For example what did you write about specifically in your essay competition, or what was involved in your online course?
• Explain your personal takeaway. Did you agree with the book? Or did you find something particularly fascinating about the essay competition?

Note this is just one possible way of doing things. Depending on the activity you are discussing, you may find a different structure appropriate.

Between activities and paragraphs, it is often a good idea to try to create linking clauses. For example if you discussed your mathematical ability in one paragraph, then you could easily transition into discussing the use of statistics in economics in your next activity or paragraph.

I plan to expand more on how to write about your activities in a future article.

Other Paragraphs

I will now pay particular attention to other paragraphs you may need to write.

Introductions

Often students spend too much time trying to write a good introduction at the very start of the writing process. I recommend leaving the introduction until you have been writing about your supercurricular activities.

One mistake when writing introductions is to start with “from a young age” or “since I was five….”. This way of starting your statement is far too common.

Instead you could jump into discussion of a particular supercurricular activity. This could be an activity that summarises well why you want to study economics for example. You might also have supercurricular activities that do not fit well into a particular paragraph. The introduction could provide a good place to put those kinds of activities too.

Extracurricular Activities

It is possible to put a small paragraph in the statement discussing your extracurriculars (in other words activities not related to economics), for example sports teams, societies, positions of responsibilities, other hobbies etc. Some universities will want to see you are well rounded candidate while others will only care about your academics. I recommend inspecting the applications pages of the universities you are applying to, in order to verify the importance of extracurricular activities to the universities you are applying to.

You may wish to round off your personal statement with a few concluding sentences. I have seen this done in a few ways:

• A short sentence summarising why you think you would be a good candidate for the course.
• A couple of sentences discussing the most important part of your application or something you want to emphasise. This could be a research interest in a particular area, or a particular strength within the field.
• Alternatively, if you think there is a common idea linking most or all of your personal statement activities, you could mention it here too.

See if you think any of these ways are appropriate for your statement. Alternatively you could find your own way to conclude.

Checking and Revising

Get your statement checked by multiple people. Also different teachers will give different advice, so do not feel like you have to accept one’s person entire advice (including my own advice). After all, this is your personal statement and nobody else’s.

In revising the statement, one process most students go through is cutting down characters to fit the UCAS character and line count limits. If you are exceeding these limits, see if you can make points more succinctly. Often a second pair of eyes is very helpful in this instance. Beyond that, you may have to choose one or two of your activities to leave out, based on which you think offers least value to your personal statement.

Best of luck in writing your statement. More will follow on specific ideas for economics supercurricular activities.

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By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 21 September 2023 | 8 min read

Writing an economics personal statement: expert advice from universities

Get your economics personal statement in top shape with these insider tips

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Read around the subject 

• Read more:  how to write an excellent personal statement in ten steps

Let your passion for economics shine through in your personal statement

• Read more:  teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

Make sure you really understand what economics is all about

Do your research into the course.

• Read more:  personal statement FAQs

Keep your personal statement personal

Talk about how you engage with the world around you.

• Read more:  the ten biggest mistakes to avoid when writing your personal statement

Show your interest in collecting and analysing data

• Read more:  universities reveal all about personal statements

Don’t only focus on finance

• Read more:  universities explain how to end your personal statement with a bang

Include extracurricular activities with relevant skills

• Read more:  how to write your personal statement when you have nothing interesting to say

You could talk about your plans for your future, but don’t worry if you don’t have a definite career trajectory all mapped out

• Read more:  how long does it take for universities to reply to your application? 

It shouldn’t matter if you haven’t studied economics before

Proofread your personal statement before you send it out, you may want to look at these..., personal statement secrets – universities reveal all.

Want to know how to craft an amazing personal statement? Take some advice from the experts...

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

Help and advice on putting your application together

Personal statement FAQs

We've gone through some of the most commonly asked personal statement questions and put all the answers in one place

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• FindAMasters
• Economics Masters Personal Statement Sample

Written by Hannah Slack

This is an example personal statement for a Masters degree application in Economics. See our guide for advice on writing your own postgraduate personal statement .

The notion of financial risk has always fascinated me. Risk is involved all parts of our life, and learning economic theory and statistics can help mitigate some of the larger financial risks that can massively impact our economy. Since my undergraduate course I have been intrigued by the theoretical side of economics and statistics. I particularly enjoy learning how to project potential outcomes, as this is a vital skill desired by many corporations to strengthen their decision-making processes.

Currently I am in my final year of an Economics undergraduate degree and I am projected to graduate with a first. Modules in Behavioural Economics, Finance and Investment have been a strong interest of mine since the beginning of my degree. I have also enjoyed learning more about economic policies across the globe. In order to keep up to date with the latest economic policies I make sure to follow governmental and news outlets, such as the Financial Times.

In my second year I completed a four-month placement with a national bank. This allowed me to learn more about the practical implications of economic theory in a financially focused setting. I grew very interested in the work of the Risk Manager, who further enlightened me on the many different factors that must be considered before making a major financial decision. The main thing that I enjoyed about financial risk was the tangibility of it. As history has demonstrated, financial decisions can have a major impact on society, both positive and negative. Learning how to restrain negative impacts, and how to manage risks appropriately, intrigues me as an essential part of our modern world.

My third year I spend abroad studying Economics in Australia. I found it particularly interesting to learn the differences between the Australian economic system and the UK’s, which will become increasingly important with the advent of post-Brexit trade deals between the countries. This experience only contributed to my enthusiasm with economic theory as I was able to learn more about its role within other countries.

I have decided to apply for this course because it is one of the finest in the country, with excellent links to industry. To contribute to financial risk management in the way I aspire to, I believe that I need the best education possible. This course not only has a compelling combination of modules and specialisms, but its reputation and research quality will help propel me as a competitive graduate on the job market. I truly believe that with my passion and intrigue in the subject, and this course’s quality resources, this university will be the best place for my studies.

What are some of my options for studying a Masters in Economics?

Economics - msc, university of cologne faculty of management, economics and social sciences, behavioural economics (msc), erasmus school of economics masters programmes, business economics/international business economics msc, city, university of london school of policy and global affairs, health economics for health professionals msc, pgdip, pgcert, aberdeen university medicine, medical sciences and nutrition, health economics and policy msc, our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice, find a masters in economics.

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Economics Personal Statement Guide

Your personal statement is a significant part of your university application. It gives you the opportunity to show universities your enthusiasm for studying Economics and demonstrate your skills and motivations.

Many students struggle with writing personal statements. It can be difficult to balance academic interests with personal achievements, keep everything relevant to the economics courses you're applying for, and fit it all into just over one A4 page.

To help you get on the right track, our Personal Statement Guide takes you through everything you need to know to create an excellent Economics personal statement:

• Why are Personal Statements Important?
• What Should I Include in an Economics Personal Statement?  
• What Should I Avoid in an Economics Personal Statement?  

Advice on How to Start an Economics Personal Statement  

Advice on how to finish an economics personal statement  .

What Should I Avoid in an Economics Personal Statement ?  

You must avoid waffle and cliches. A common cliche that we recommend you avoid is "I have wanted to study Economics since I was a child" or "I want to study Economics because I want to make money". While these statements may be true, you need to focus on demonstrating your interests in economics, not just stating them.

Instead, talk about a documentary you came across and how it interested you and how, in light of this interest you read a book related to the topic. Connecting your academic interests in this way instead of using cliche statements helps keep you under the word count, but also makes your personal statement interesting and personal to your academic journey.

You should also definitely not mention anything in your personal statement that you have not read, watched, listen to, or done yourself. In other words, absolutely do not lie! Admissions tutors will sniff dishonest statements out very keenly, especially if you attend an interview with them further along the line.

Register to access our complimentary e-book "So You Want To Go To Oxbridge? Tell me about a banana…"

Economic ,at undergraduate study contains many elements and topics; use this to your advantage and research widely to find various areas of personal interest. Before starting to write your Economics Personal Statement, consider making a mind map or list of the reasons you are interested in the subject, and any areas in which you are particularly interested. Which podcasts have you listened to, books have you read, or videos have you watched?

Remember to focus on what you have done, what inspired and benefited you, and what you would like to learn next. For instance, in studying elasticity of demand, what questions did it raise for you, and how have you explored the topic further?

If you are struggling to get your wider research off the ground, or need something new to get out of a research rut, check out some of our recommendations below:

Poor Economics by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo

The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs

Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus

Freakonomics  by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

IMF Podcast

Planet Money

Journals/Publications:

The Economist

American Economic Review

The Econometrics Journal

Journal of Political Economy

This is not an exhaustive list, and we strongly encourage you to research your areas of interest.

Writing the ending of an Economics Personal statement can often be just as hard as beginning. The most important task for the final section is not to overcomplicate things; focus on using clear and concise language to round up the main theme(s) of the preceding content.

Your final sentence or two should summarise your academic interest in Economics and your excitement about studying the course . If you wish, you may also briefly mention your hopes for the future (be it working in further research, a financial institution, or government policy) and tie an Economics degree into your plans going forward (although this is not necessary).

Think about what you want the admissions tutors to remember about you once they have finished reading. This is the information to foreground in your conclusion.

Lastly, always proofread your personal statement several times . We recommend giving a final version to a parent, guardian, teacher, friend, or anyone else you can find, really! Getting a second opinion, be it from someone with Economics expertise or someone completely new to the subject, can help weed out mistakes and ensure your writing is clear and your intentions can be understood.

• What are some Tips for Writing a Strong Economics Personal Statement?
• How Long Should my Economics Personal Statement Be?
• What Kind of Extracurricular Activities Should I Include in my Economics Personal Statement?
• How Can I Tailor my Economics Personal Statement to the Oxford/Cambridge Course?

A strong Economics personal statement will include relevant academic interests and the motivations behind pursuing Economics at a higher level, and not a lot else.

As Economics is a subject that links to other social sciences such as sociology or politics, the temptation can often be to discuss topics that are potentially not covered in an Economics course. To ensure against this, it's always good to check back over the course syllabus and double check that everything you mention is linked either by content or by the skills needed to study it.

If you are applying for different courses, such as PPE at a few universities and Economics at others, carefully think about which topics you write about to demonstrate that you are a passionate Economics student.

We recommend that you use the majority of the limit UCAS gives you. It is your first chance to make a lasting impression on the admission tutors, so you should take advantage of the opportunity to show them why you would be an exceptional Economics student.

4000 characters of 47 lines (whichever comes first) may seem ample, but once you have spoken about your interests in detail, you will find that it really is not. Often students go over the limit in their first draft of their personal statement; do not worry about this, as continual redrafting and reviewing (which you really should do) will help you shorten it down.

You want to ensure that you only include extracurricular activities that demonstrate relevant skills, interests, and qualities in your statement.

Whether the activity or resource you want to mention is directly related to economics or not (and it doesn't necessarily have to be), you should not just mention it, but also explicitly discuss why or how you believe that it either motivates you or equips you with the skills to perform well on the degree course to which you are applying.

There is no secret formula when writing a personal statement for Oxford or Cambridge, and you need to make sure not to mention the Oxbridge course directly since your personal statement goes to all your universities. In our experience, however, the key to an Oxbridge Economics personal statement lies within the amount of academic content you have in your statement. Oxbridge tutors are keen to hear as much as possible about your academic interests, therefore we recommend aiming to focus 80-90% of your statement on academic content, whilst the remaining 10-20% talks about your extracurricular activities.

To demonstrate your academic ability and potential, you must talk about how you have engaged with your subject beyond the school syllabus. This can include presenting your views on economists such as Milton Friedman or analysing the implications of theories such as economies of scale. You need to avoid waffle, be concise, and demonstrate your love for Economics at every stage.

It is important to note that if you do reach the interview stage of the Oxbridge application process, you can be asked questions about your personal statement, so do carefully select topics that you are passionate about. We offer a fantastic interview preparation course if you need support preparing for the interview stage of the process.

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Top Tips for a Cambridge Economics Personal Statement

Table of Contents

Cambridge Economics Personal Statement – Top 10 Tips: Dos and Don’ts

The Cambridge Personal Statement is a crucial component of your university application. It presents a unique opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from other applicants. You would be able to articulate your story and explain your interests beyond that of numbers on an admissions test. Furthermore, it gives the interviewer a chance to understand who you are. It also provides a platform to bounce off questions during your interview. 

They can tailor questions to your personality, interests, and commitment to who you are as a person and your amalgamation of experiences before you. To guide you through the arduous university application process, our Oxbridge application experts have compiled a list of top 10 Economics Personal Statement Cambridge tips. This includes dos and don’ts– for your Cambridge Economics Personal Statement for the 2024/25 application cycle.

General Advice for Cambridge Personal Statement

The economics course at Cambridge is a comprehensive course that covers all types of economics: core, pure, and applied. Furthermore, the course at Cambridge is also engineered in a manner that allows students to use techniques and schools of thought from other related fields This includes sociology, statistics, mathematics, politics, and history.

Hence, your Cambridge personal statement should clearly demonstrate that you understand that the course is not only theoretical but also includes a significant portion of mathematical reasoning and knowledge. Furthermore, when planning out your Economics personal statement Cambridge admissions tutors will be looking for you to research Cambridge’s achievements in economics and include it in your writing to illustrate your interest in economics. 

Additionally, when you are crafting your Economics personal statement, you would most likely also be applying to four other university courses. This may result in your statement being vaguer. The University of Cambridge is aware of such and will require you to fill out an ‘Online Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ)’. This is shortly after submitting the UCAS application. So make sure you’ve created another condensed version of your Economics personal statement that you can directly submit to Cambridge.

Top 5 Tips for your Cambridge Economics Personal Statement

1. demonstrate that you are well-read in economics ..

Cambridge does not presume prior knowledge of Economics (after all, you are going to Cambridge to study it!). However, being familiar with Economics terminology as well as its basic principles would give you an edge over other applicants. Furthermore, being well-read in the field also signals to the examiner that you are interested and passionate about the subject. You would take the initiative and seek out knowledge on your own if you are truly passionate about the subject! If you don’t know where to start, you can access Cambridge’s recommended preparatory reading list on their website, or through this link here: Prelim Reading . Furthermore, remember that you are not restricted to books! This could also be in the form of news articles – The Economist, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Vox, The New York Times, etc. are all great places to start. You can also read magazine columns. Or it could even be in other forms of medium such as podcasts, documentaries (available on accessible platforms such as Netflix!), or even Youtube videos. Watching an economics documentary instead of your usual prime-time TV show would be a great way to incorporate learning into your everyday lifestyle.

2. Demonstrating that you are proficient or interested in Mathematics .

Although it is not immediately obvious for an Economics course, the Economics course at Cambridge assumes and requires students to be proficient in Mathematics. Fret not, they only require you to have fully mastered your course syllabus and material at the A-level Mathematics level before commencing your studies. However, showing that you are proficient and interested in Mathematics would help you both in your application and if you end up pursuing the course as there are definitely mathematics components in the course. For example, if you take further mathematics, you would benefit from knowledge in Further Pure Mathematics as well as Statistics. Participating in mathematics competitions or having done work in statistics would be useful in your application as well as course.

3. Focusing your application on your interest in Economics .

Remember that in your Economics personal statement Cambridge admissions tutors are looking out for students who are interested and are a good fit for the course. Hence, it is always important to remember that in your personal statement Cambridge Economics should feature highly! Elaborate on your interest in Economics! You can do so by answering the following trigger questions: Why are you interested in Economics? Are there specific aspects of the course that interests you and why? Do you have any personal qualities or traits that would make you a good Economics student? Focusing your body paragraphs on certain aspects of Economics that interest you and why, or qualities that make you a good Economics student could be used as an overall structure when crafting your Economics Cambridge personal statement. Referencing relevant experiences and reflecting on them would also be useful when writing your personal statement.

4. Having a good structure for your Cambridge personal statement .

Using a good structure when writing your Economics Cambridge personal statement would be good to not only enhance readability but also allow you to not miss out on or forget certain points when crafting your personal statement. You can have a look at a Cambridge economics personal statement examples. But remember when looking at economics personal statement examples Cambridge admissions tutors are adept at spotting plagiarism so looking at it to gain an understanding of structure rather than content is a good option.

A good structure could look something like this: Introduction– A short 3-4 lines briefly mentioning the main reasons why you are interested in Economics, or how you started becoming interested in the course. Next, your body paragraphs can focus on traits that you have that would make you a good economics student, or specific details or aspects of the course that interests you. Each point could be one body paragraph, and you can support and elaborate on each point with examples (such as competitions that you have participated in, books surrounding those concepts that you have read, societies that you have been a part of, etc.) You can then conclude by summarising the important points you want your Cambridge admissions tutor to remember and take away.

5. Giving yourself sufficient time to write your Cambridge Economics personal statement .

It might seem impossible to start crafting your Economics Cambridge personal statement, especially when you are staring at a blank word document and you have no idea where to start. If you are experiencing writer’s block, you can start by listing down all your achievements and experiences. You can then list down details or aspects of the course (you can easily research this!) that interests you, as well as a separate list of qualities that an economics student should have. You can then match your experiences to any points from the two lists, and use each match as a backbone when fleshing out your body paragraphs!

Top 5 things to AVOID for your Cambridge Economics Personal Statement

1. having a poor or incorrect understanding of the course.

Many students who apply for a course at university have a misguided or misinformed idea of the course that they would be studying. This is because their impression of the course is from hearsay or what they see in films, or they assume that it would be the same as the subject they studied in high school. For example, especially for economics, students would not expect the amount of mathematics or statistics that are part of the course.

Having a good understanding of what you are in for can also benefit you when writing your personal statement. For example, you can explain how parts of your interest or personality align well with specific or general aspects of the course. This signals to the Oxford admissions tutor that you understand what you are applying for and that you are interested and are a good fit for it.

2. Making your Economics personal statement an economics essay instead of elaborating on your interest or story

Although it is helpful to mention economic theories in your personal statement when you are trying to explain your motivation to study economics, or when elaborating on the books that you have read, ensure that you do not turn your whole Economics personal statement into an economics essay. Keep in mind that what the Cambridge admission tutors are looking out for when they are reading your personal statement is to understand why you want to study economics, and what makes you the perfect fit for the course. Even if you found a really difficult or obscure economics theory, talking at breadth about it rather than focusing on your story would put you at a disadvantage– these tutors would be experts in their field, and if they wanted to learn more about a particular theory, they would pick up a textbook instead of your Economics personal statement!

3. Using too much jargon or using vocabulary that you are not familiar with

You might think that using unconventional vocabulary or fancy terminology would make you sound or appear intelligent. However, especially if you are unfamiliar with the terms, this would actually work against you instead of helping your application. This is because your personal statement could end up sounding unnatural, wordy, and hard to read. Think about it this way– explaining a difficult concept in simple words is more impressive than using a difficult word incorrectly! Furthermore, Cambridge admissions tutors would be reading hundreds of Economics personal statements a day– If your Cambridge personal statement is full of jargon and tough words, it would be difficult for them to understand what you are trying to convey to them. You would not way your ideas to be lost in translation, so make sure you communicate in a simple and effective manner! Always value clarity over vocabulary.

4. Not reflecting on any experience that you mentioned in your Cambridge Economics personal statement

Your experience is only as valuable as what you have taken away or learnt from it. Especially when you are mentioning experiences that are not directly related to that of Economics, you should always mention how it is relevant to your application to Economics– whether it be your interest in it or certain personal qualities that you have. If you want to mention a particular experience that you have, however, you are unable to link it to Economics, you can think about how it has led you to develop certain transferable skills. For example, if you have done a lot of community service or volunteered at a charity, you can talk about how this has led you to be interested in learning more about Economics policies or theories that could help with inequality or poverty.

5. Only give yourself enough time to write a singular Cambridge Economics personal statement

Never expect to only write one Cambridge personal statement, and that being the final draft that you would be submitting. Your first personal statement that you craft would not be your best one, and you should always give yourself enough time to constantly improve and write multiple drafts to further improve it. After writing a draft that you are proud of, it would also be good for you to leave it aside and not think about it. After a week, you can return to it with a fresh mind, and you would be able to note out errors or aspects of it that you would like to further refine. You can also let seniors, friends, or your school’s career guidance counsellor proofread your Economics personal statement for them to give a more objective view and perspective on your personal statement. Their feedback could be immensely helpful, as sometimes we might not be the most objective person when telling our own stories. However, do remember to not share your Economics personal statement with anyone, as this could lead to unnecessary plagiarism problems!

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Ensure your enthusiasm for economics stands out

It's key to explain in your personal statement why you’re interested in economics and why you want to study it.

Think about the following:

• Show an appreciation of mathematical concepts.
• Reflect on something that has given you an insight into local, national, European or global economic issues, and explain what interests you about it.
• If you have already been studying economics at A level (or equivalent), talk about an area of the course you’ve found especially interesting.
• If you haven’t studied economics before, explain what has inspired your interest in it.
• What especially appeals to you about the subject or the courses you’ve chosen? You can look up specific course details using our course search .
• Demonstrate that you have a real interest in economic principles and concepts.
• Show some understanding of economic theory.

What to include in your economics personal statement

• Your long-term goals: explain how your degree choice fits with your future ambitions and career aspirations.
• Wider reading: do pick out one or two specific issues that had an impact on you – just saying you subscribe to ‘The Economist’ or ‘The FT’ or that you’ve read ‘Freakonomics’ or ‘The Undercover Economist’ won't have an impact unless you elaborate. Better still, think outside the box and write about something you’ve read that’s slightly more obscure. As one admissions tutor said: 'If I read about ‘Freakonomics’ one more time, I’ll scream.'
• Economics-related experience: reflect on any work experience, responsibilities, or non-academic interests or achievements that are relevant to economics or demonstrate appropriate skills or qualities.
• Other relevant insights: if you’ve undertaken an economics-related project, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or summer school, reflect on any insights this has given you.
• Demonstrate your skills: give examples of skills you possess that will serve you well as an economics student and mean you're able to proactively contribute to the course. These could include self-motivation, teamwork, the ability to think logically, effective time management, good communication, or problem-solving skills.

What not to include in your economics statement

We've also picked up some tips on what to avoid:

• Don’t skim the surface – be specific.
• Don’t give a shopping list of things you’ve read or done.
• Don’t exaggerate.
• Don’t waste space trying to impress with things you’ve done that aren’t relevant – relate everything to the courses you’re applying for.
• Don’t make sweeping claims about your 'passion for economics', how you’ve 'loved it from an early age' and 'what an honour it would be to get accepted at your university'.
• Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes.

As the University of Bristol's ' Why Study Economics? ' website says, 'a straightforward personal statement that gets all the core points across in a coherent way serves the purpose best'. So do say something that will stand you out from the crowd, but avoid being too off-the-wall.

Don't be too bland and generic, either. London School of Economics says 'your statement should be as original as possible to differentiate you from other applicants' while the University of Nottingham looks for 'students with a wide variety of interests and enthusiasms from a wide variety of backgrounds'. Strike the right balance by demonstrating your enthusiasm, your intellectual curiosity, and the quality of your insights.

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Successful Personal Statement For Land Economy At Cambridge

Last Updated: 12th April 2022

Author: Chloe Hewitt

• Land Economy

Table of Contents

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it. 

Today, we are looking through a Land Economy applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Cambridge University. The Land Economy Course at Cambridge is intellectually challenging, emcompassing Law and Economics, with aspects of the environment, business finance and resource management.

Read on to see how this candidate wrote a Personal Statement that helped secure their place on a reputable degree. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

Enrolling on our Cambridge Land Economy comprehensive Programme will give you access to Personal Statement redrafts. 

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Land Economy Personal Statement

My interest in economics has grown out of two diverse sources. On the one hand, an international perspective and a critical attitude to global issues is my lucky inheritance, given my mother’s engagement in international media and my father’s interest in Latin American culture. As I grew up my mother was employed by the International Herald Tribune and euronews while my father worked as a Spanish translator. This background has given me a particular openness to the world around me, a fondness for understanding different cultures and a critical sensitivity towards social issues. On the other hand, from an early age I enjoyed the benefits of having an aptitude for mathematics and the pleasure of abstract problem solving. After long speculation I have come to the idea that I should combine these two diverse interests, in the social world and that of abstract rational thought, through the discipline of economics.

 The fact that my initial interest in mathematics grew with time is due to the excellent education I received at Berzsenyi Daniel, one of the top grammar schools in Hungary. I benefited from the advanced math classes (8 hours a week) and summer math camps with knot and game theory being this years theme. These intense learning experiences were valuable not only due to the content taught, but also as teaching was structured around improving presentation skills, developing source analysis and the rules of academic writing. The warm and encouraging atmosphere of these camps as well as the inspirational, if competitive attitude taught at Berzsenyi has set me onto a trajectory of exploring mathematical and economic issues during my own time. As such, I ended up reading some works by John Harsanyi and audited lectures at ELTE’s first year applied economics course, with units that included microeconomics and basic function analysis. An additional dimension where Berzsenyi provided a privileged educational focus was the area of languages. Emphasis was placed not only on the idea that students should become adapt speakers (of English and German in my case), but also that they become open to the cultural background and history of the nations where these languages originate. It is from these classes that my interest in English and German literature springs, with Oscar Wild and Thomas Mann taking top spot.

 There has been additional influence that remained a persistent factor in my personal development. This has been the importance of community based team work. I grew to understand the significance of this, partly by getting elected co-chairman of the Student Council and partly by having played water polo. The first experience taught me the importance of political representation and responsibility, while the second the significance of discipline as well as creativity when treading collectively towards a common goal. Extracurricular activities also played an important role at my school. I took part in a UNESCO competition which focused on climate change and scarce natural resources. While the team achieved third place, the competition was an invaluable experience that further propelled me towards wanting to understand the relationship between national economies and environmental issues.

 I feel that exploring the discipline of economics would be the most ideal way to combine my interests as well as develop the skills I have gained during my education so far. While the diverse multicultural environment of the UK has remained an important factor in my choices, it is the historic tradition of higher education that has attracted me the most. I strongly believe that it is this tradition; with its central focus on the individual student, with high expectations, excellent resources and internationally renowned scholars and teachers, which would be the best place for me to develop my natural abilities and ambitions.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

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Successful Personal Statement For Law At Cambridge

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The statement portrays the student as capable and well-educated, with a clear and developed interest in Economics. They seem to have a good grasp of what studying Economics at degree level will involve, and are confident they will be able to handle the work (in particular the mathematical aspects of it), a claim that is supported by their academic accomplishments. They address the particular environment of university study, which is unusual, but beneficial to the image of a mature, competent student who has made a clear-headed decision to study Economics, on the basis of interest and ability.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The student emphasises their excellent education. While it is perfectly fine to admit the advantages a good education has given you, this does little to stress your own accomplishments as a student, or to demonstrate that you’ll be a good candidate for further education in Economics (it might even have the opposite effect, since a much larger portion of learning at university is done through independent study). This time would be better spent discussing their own efforts, and the way their interests have developed and how they’ve pursued them, rather than discussing the structure of courses they’ve been lucky enough to attend. Where they do discuss their own interests (their favourite authors, for instance), they do so in little depth.

The writing is clunky and forced, and reads as trying to be impressive by inserting superfluous adjectives and connectives, e.g.: “There has been additional influence that remained a persistent factor in my personal development. This has been the importance of community based team work.” Sentences like this are clearly not written in the student’s natural writing style (but, rather, the style they’ve developed for A level essays, which require formulaic structures involving making a point, giving an example, and expanding on it). More naturally, it would read something like “The importance of community has been a persistent factor in my personal development”.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

The student ought to take a more personal approach to their statement, by focusing on their interests and achievements they’ve secured through their own efforts, as well as relying on their natural writing to convey their personality, rather than couching the statement in an attempt at academic speech. Despite this, the essay is strong; they elaborate well on how their education has benefitted them, and why they want to study Economics further.

This Personal Statement for Land Economy is a great example of demonstrating academic interest and initiative. The candidate’s interest and passion are clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Cambridge, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years, so you need to appeal directly to them.

Check out our other successful personal statements and our expert guides on our Free Personal Statement Resources page.

Our expert tutors are on hand to help you craft the perfect Personal Statement for your Cambridge Land Economy application.

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Environmental Economics and Sustainability

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This is a module about the economics of sustainability and the links between the environment and the economy. We will apply economic principles to answer questions about 1) how to allocate scarce resources across individuals and through time, 2) what sustainability means, and 3) how to assess our progress toward sustainable development. Exposure to economics or public policy will allow us to focus on tackling environmental and resource management problems in the real world.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to equip you with the economic skillset to assess policies through the lens of sustainability. By the end of the module, you should be able to differentiate between normative and positive criteria, apply the fundamentals of welfare and growth economics (including the notion of inclusive wealth) to the theory of sustainable development, understand what macroeconomic indicators like GDP do and do not capture, and interrogate the use of the term “sustainable” in business and policy contexts. Finally, you will engage with primary data to assess the sustainability of a region and be able to make policy recommendations based on their assessment.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

Ilo: module-specific skills.

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Interrogate whether headline economic indicators comport with notions of sustainability and propose solutions from the forefront of scholarship to fill gaps
• 2. Analyse economic growth through a detailed understanding of current scholarship in inclusive/comprehensive wealth theory
• 3. Apply economic principles to identify resource allocation problems and critically evaluate potential solutions for efficiency and equity.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 4. Apply normative and positive analysis to contemporary global issues.
• 5. Discuss intertemporal and interpersonal comparisons implicit in the full range of decision-making contexts
• 6. Draw on the primary literature to relate the fundamentals of economic growth and welfare in detail to the challenges of sustainability

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 7. Marshal appropriate data across disciplinary boundaries to make evidence-based recommendations to tackle sustainability goals.
• 8. Critically evaluate and challenge economic arguments related to resource allocation and sustainability

Syllabus plan

• Normative and positive analysis
• Welfare economics (Welfare theorems, Coase Theorem)
• Defining sustainability (Weak vs Strong)
• Comprehensive and Inclusive wealth; the productive asset base
• National accounts, Sustainability in Practice, Informing Action

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Matson, P., Clark, W. C., & Andersson, K. (2016). Pursuing Sustainability . Princeton University Press.
• Coyle, D. (2015). GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History . Princeton University Press.
• Stiglitz, J., Sen, A., Fitoussi, J., (2010). Mis-measuring our lives: Why GDP doesn’t add up . The New Press.

Selected readings from the primary literature

• Banzhaf, S., Ma, L., Timmins, C. (2019). “Environmental justice: The economics of race, place, and pollution”. Journal of Economic Perspectives. 33, 185-208
• Coase, R. (1960) “The Problem of Social Cost.” The Journal of Law and Economics.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• OECD Better Life Index http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#/11111111111

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Economics & politics personal statement example 1.

My perception of the world changed on September the 11th 2001, when I returned home from school to find that a terrorist organisation had attacked the World Trade Centre.

The attack destroyed my feeling of security, provoking me to probe and question the world around me in a way I hadn't before and sparking my interest in current affairs.

The importance of political decisions and economics soon became apparent, how can the two disciplines be overlooked, when almost every issue or headline from the food on our table to the death of thousands in a terrorist attack, is related to one or both of the subjects?

My favourite area of economics is macro; I particularly enjoy comparing and evaluating the different tools and management strategies that the government can use in controlling the economy.

It is interesting to assess not only how different ideas affect the economic climate, but also the political reasons and repercussions of such decisions.

I keep up to date with developments within the subject by regularly reading The Economist and David Smith in The Times.

For me, one of the most interesting features of Economics is the way in which the theory can be applied to the very simple situations, for example the way that Steven Levitt is able to compare the Klu Klux Klan to Estate agents in his book Freakonomics. However, I look forward to using the skills that I have gained in Mathematics for the more complex, like game theory, at degree level.

Reading books like 'The Wealth and Poverty of Nations' by David Landes has opened my eyes to the global inequality of wealth, and the negative effect that groups like the WTO have on 3rd world countries.

I have campaigned to 'Make Poverty History', improving my presentation skills while gaining greater insight into Wyn Grant's ideas on pressure groups by presenting assemblies to the lower school and volunteering in Oxfam. My team work and organisational skills were developed while working as a group of Charity Committee representatives who were asked to organise a human 'Make Poverty History' band around Salisbury Cathedral.

Learning about the reforming agenda that Tony Blair introduced to his party in 1997 motivated me to get involved with the Labour party on the less glamorous local level, and so I have gained insight into local and regional meetings.

I enjoyed outlining ideologies like the 3rd Way and conservatism in my AS course, it was interesting to study the core ideas and beliefs behind policy, so developed my understanding by reading 'Political Ideologies: an introduction' by Andrew Heywood.

I was lucky enough to be invited to represent my school at the 2005 Dicey Conference at Trinity College Oxford. The two day conference allowed me to explore one of my favourite topics, 'Who rules the UK?', with significant figures and aware students from all over the country. It strengthened my opinion that power and influence has moved from directly accountable institutions like Parliament and the Cabinet to less democratic bodies like the city and the media.

This opportunity to discuss with a spectrum of different opinions is mirrored in my school life, where I am an active member of the Debating Society and get the chance to talk to and grill guest speakers at Politics Society.

I have been involved in a unique Student Research programme, where I have led a team of yr 7's towards a presentation to the staff on what we think makes the perfect lesson. In investigating lesson structure, I have gained essential research and presentation skills as well as growing a lot more active in my own learning.

I have proved how committed and responsible I am, while perfecting my teamwork and leadership skills by taking on the roles of Head of the Sixth Form Council, a Head of House and a Senior Prefect.

I feel that my passion for both Politics and Economics makes me worthy of a place on a joint course, and I look forward to getting involved in both academic and social aspects of university life.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by Shane_Garvin for application in 2006.

Shane_Garvin's university choices London School of Economics The University of Durham University of Bristol University of Bath The University of Manchester Cardiff University

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

Shane_Garvin's Comments

As you can see from my UCAS choices, I got offfers to study economics and politics at Durham, Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester and Bath. I've accepted an offer from LSE to study Government and Economics. Not really sure if this is an economics or politics statement - it's pretty equal in both!

Related Personal Statements

Tue, 29/08/2006 - 00:00

This is excellent. It is very detailed, and not at all cliched or waffley. Has a catching intro. I liked the way he didnt talk about boring extra currics for ages- but just mentioned them to show hes an all rounder.

I agree that it is good, but

Fri, 01/09/2006 - 00:00

I agree that it is good, but I would disagree with the previous comment that it isnt cliched... using 9/11 as an opening seems to me the ultimate cliche.

Some very strong points

Fri, 08/09/2006 - 00:00

Some very strong points indeed

Excellent personal statement.

Tue, 24/10/2006 - 12:36

Excellent personal statement.. very detailed and clear..

Sun, 29/10/2006 - 21:06

Very good opening. After scanning the introductions of the statements under Politics, this was the only one that really caught my attention.

returned home to find a terrorist group attacked..

Tue, 13/03/2007 - 20:30

oh boy! he is in for a big shock when he realises it was the government who carried out the attacks on the world trade center and that his own country have been involved in government sponsored terrorism for the past 40 years, the same government who murdered dr david kelly and is sturring up the violence in iraq, you have it all to learn. Great personal statement but are you sure you are ready for all of this?

wow london school of

Mon, 19/03/2007 - 12:32

wow london school of economics is one of the best in the world! awesome, hope it goes well for ya

Didn't like the opening, but

Sun, 20/05/2007 - 23:34

Didn't like the opening, but loved the rest. 9/11 is so tired.

Sun, 03/06/2007 - 17:54

Very useful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! best of luck in future!!!!!!!!!

i was under the impression

Wed, 13/06/2007 - 20:41

i was under the impression that personal statements were only supposed to be 1500 characters, in which case this is rather long...am i right?

yes you are right.. about

Wed, 20/06/2007 - 13:40

yes you are right.. about 1400 characters with spaces

Tue, 10/07/2007 - 13:40

i think that a ucas statement

Mon, 20/08/2007 - 16:35

i think that a ucas statement is allowed 4000 characters, that's what i've been told

Actually he only got 12 GCSEs

Tue, 21/08/2007 - 12:51

Actually he only got 12 GCSEs, they are just all repeated, and the grades aren't really that good either, having just two A*s. Very good personal statement though and I assume it was backed by some good AS results.

Sun, 02/09/2007 - 18:38

i liked the personal staemnet but the writer overused "I" which is not advised. about 9/11 different introduction than the ones published over here but it got old!

one thing that i liked is the refrence to freakonomics my favourite economics's book adn my favourite section about the ku klux klan!

Amazing personal statement!!

Wed, 05/09/2007 - 10:18

Amazing personal statement!! may i know what A-levels u did?

Sat, 08/09/2007 - 16:10

i agree with "came back from school..." before accusing anyone, you need to know who organized the attack on world trade center. u need to more learn, or maybe do researches...great PS>> GL in politics life. and PS should be about 1000 characters i reckon

thtas just emotional

Tue, 18/09/2007 - 09:09

thtas just emotional blackmail

what did u get for ur 'A'

Fri, 12/10/2007 - 15:18

what did u get for ur 'A' levels?

Sun, 14/10/2007 - 20:57

It's an okish statement.. Need to improve, I wouldn't copy any of it lol

it's convincing...

Sun, 28/10/2007 - 15:19

Just shows you don't need amazing GCSE's to get in LSE. His really were not the usual standard LSE accept.

Thu, 15/11/2007 - 05:52

i like a ps where the emphasis is on the subject-what interests you about, and where you see yourself going with it. Sure, extra curricular stuff is great but your subject has to be dominant.

I'd suggest that this is

Fri, 07/12/2007 - 12:24

I'd suggest that this is actually a very good statement. His GCSE's are not the best but are still a good set of results. The fact the he isn't 'up to LSE's normal standards' would lead me to think his personal statement must be very effective to score him a place at both LSE and five other good universities.

PS: With respect to '9/11'

Fri, 07/12/2007 - 12:27

PS: With respect to '9/11' being very tired, writing personal statements should be focused on being very honest about why you're passionate about the course you want to do. If that's why you want to study a subject, why not include it?

Let the admissions officers decide if it is 'tired' or 'cliched'.

awesome baby!!!

Thu, 10/07/2008 - 09:47

not 24 gcses

Thu, 17/07/2008 - 21:48

not 24 gcses hes accidentally pasted them twice- lol

You have an amazing PS.

Fri, 22/08/2008 - 01:55

Not to take away your thunder or whatever but can everyone comment on my PS. No one has commented on it and it's my first draft and I would like some opinions. It's the last one in the Politics category titled, First Draft..Politics/International Relations/SP.

is good wonder if 911 was

Tue, 02/09/2008 - 21:25

is good wonder if 911 was necessary? better talk about self no?

it's soo long

Fri, 12/09/2008 - 17:27

I am a canadian student.. and apparently UCAS will now only allow 4000 characters. so although this is a very good personal statement.. how did you fit it in.. or have the rules changed>????

didn't like the 9/11 into.

Sun, 14/09/2008 - 15:56

didn't like the 9/11 into. Rest was clear and concise. Overall pretty good.

this is brilliant

Tue, 23/09/2008 - 09:48

to be honest this ps really scared me, dont think mine is that good, and im applying to LSE!!! I'd like to your AS/AL grades though.

Wed, 16/09/2009 - 12:27

YOU GUY YOUR TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WACK

DID YOU GO TO UNIVERSITY OF WACKBRIDGE?

Party Politics

Wed, 15/09/2010 - 14:25

Glad to see you mention your work in the party; some people had warned me to keep away from my partisan support for Labour - but considering it is a clear display of ones passion for politics I will be sure to mention it.

Mon, 15/11/2010 - 20:41

Incredible opening!!!!

Tue, 23/07/2013 - 19:48

Appreciate you sharing, great blog post. Will read on...

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