As you prepare your application for Cass Business School, we are sure that you are keen to sell yourself and demonstrate your suitability for your chosen course. One of the best ways to demonstrate your enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, a course or industry sector is through your personal statement and CV. A well-written personal statement and CV can help the admissions panel understand your motivation, which might not be conveyed through your degree transcript alone. In this post we give you some hints and tips for writing your personal statement and CV. Please remember that these two documents form part of your whole application file, and a successful application will also require a solid academic background that meets our requirements.

Personal Statement

• Be concise – We are often asked how long the personal statement should be. Ideally it should be 500-600 words, although there is no particular limit. It is better to be concise so the admissions panel can easily pick out the key points.

• Look to the future – The admissions panel use the personal statement to determine whether the course you have applied for is right for you. You should therefore address why you want to take the course, and what your future careers aspirations are. If you can, demonstrate how particular modules will help you in the field you wish to enter after graduating.

• Do your research – Find out about the School and the course before writing your personal statement. Is there anything that particularly catches your eye or interests you? Mentioning something that is specific to Cass Business School or the course, and explaining how it will benefit you, will show the admissions panel that you have taken the time to read and learn about the School or course.

• Tailor your statement – We expect that you are submitting applications to other Business Schools. However, do not make the mistake of sending the same statement to every School. It is often obvious when an applicant has not tailored their statement for their application to Cass Business School. Following from the above point, ensure that you are writing your statement specifically for the course that you wish to apply for at Cass.

• Sell yourself! – The personal statement is the only document where you can really sell yourself to the admissions panel. Other supporting documents such as the degree transcript are the hard evidence of your achievements, but they cannot convey a passion for a subject. Use this opportunity to tell us about yourself – what makes you stand out? How do you think the course will help you in your future career? If there are any discrepancies in your academic background you can provide an explanation here. Above all, your career ambitions should comprise the greatest part of your statement.

CV

The Curriculum Vitae (or resumé) serves as a snap-shot of your profile. In one place it shows your academic, professional and extra-curricular background. It is therefore important to ensure that it is well-formatted and easy to understand.

Whilst in some countries there is a set format for a CV, in the UK there is some degree of flexibility in how to lay it out and what information to include. As a rule, CVs should be no longer than two sides of A4. It is better to be concise and write bullet points rather than large paragraphs of text. The tips below are merely suggestions and are intended as guidance for the School application process only. The CV you submit for job applications may need to contain different information.

• Personal and contact details – The CV should include at least your full name and an email address. Please ensure the email address is typed correctly. It is often better to put a personal email address here, in case your academic email account expires.

• Academic background – You should provide at least your higher education here. Ensure you put the start and end dates of the degree, and if you have done any exchange programmes be sure to input these along with the dates. If you have completed your degree, ideally you should state your final grade, and specify the grading scheme (such as out of GPA 4). You do not need to list modules or grades achieved as these will be listed on your transcript. If there is anything unusual about your degree (for example, if you transferred university half-way through your degree) make sure it is clearly stated. You should also use the Personal Statement to clarify any situations like this. Including this information will make it much easier for the Admissions Team to understand your academic background, and will reduce the chances of a delay in the progress of your application. Details of secondary education, including the results of ‘A’ levels (or their international equivalent) can be useful if they are in subjects relevant to your chosen Masters degree.

• Professional background – Please include details of any relevant work experience or internships. These should include the name of the employer, your job title, the country in which you were working, and the dates of employment. If you were working part-time, please mention this.

• Other qualifications and skills – If you hold any other relevant qualifications, such as ACCA, GMAT or an English proficiency score, please include these along with the date taken. It is likely that you will also need to upload the documents with your online application. If you are a candidate for a professional exam, provide your intended test date. You may also wish to briefly add details of your interests and key skills.

Before submitting your application, check your personal statement and CV for spelling mistakes or inconsistencies, and make sure there are no gaps in the information. If you already have a CV that you intend to upload, ensure that it is up-to-date.

We hope that these tips are useful when it comes to preparing your application documents. Please contact us if you have any questions!

Coming up – more advice on application documents, including the GMAT, English and references.