Hello there,

I have just finished a life sciences MSc and am now preparing my first PhD applications. The MSc research project went amazingly well and left me knowing exactly what I wanted to do next, so drawing up a list of supervisors has been no problem. The real problem is knowing what to write in a personal statement...

My department's careers advisor suggested a three-part structure: "Why I'm interested", "Why you should be interested in me" and "How this PhD would fit in with my career plans". This makes sense to me but some sample personal statements would help, and I'm having difficulty finding them. I'm also concerned about the tone such a statement should take- some I've found seem a bit *too* personal and border on sounding cheesy, with quotes from novels, sections about the applicant's childhood interest in science and upbringing etc which seem irrelevant.

In short I'm totally clueless- could anyone please recommend a resource for help and advice, or post their own advice here?

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18 months ago I was in your position, applying for an MSc in Neuroscience and thinking that with the 2:2 which I gained back in 2003 I didn't have a hope in hell. Two weeks ago I got a Pass with Merit... The six years out of academia made more of a difference than the grade, and all that meant was that I had to attend an interview when most applicants didn't. This was for being from "an unusual background", and in my case this was because the admissions staff wanted to know why I was quitting a high-paying career in PR to return to a low-paying career in academia. I think this just counted as proof of my commitment and showed that I was serious about making a career change. On starting the course I realised I wasn't the only one making a career change after years away from the lab, and far from the only one who'd worried about "only" having a 2:2...

I learned that a 2:2 is not a barrier at all so go for it, and good luck!

Thanks clv101. Unfortunately my CV isn't too great either: I've done PR for lots of high-profile clients but often on short contracts, and I never really found a PR firm that felt right for me. I realise now this is because I was in the wrong career...

It looks like a couple of the OU's course may be suitable for me, thanks for the tip. Is it possible to study individual modules of an MSc?

I'll keep working on the blogging and try to stay optimistic, cheers!

After deciding on a complete career change, I recently applied for a number of Masters courses, with the aim of preparing myself for a PhD.

A bit of background: I finished my Biology BSc in 2003. I decided I needed a break from education and wanted a career involving writing, so I worked in marketing and PR for five years before realising I had made a dreadful mistake. I left PR, took an admin job instead and began applying for courses while saving up.

Just had my first rejection letter and it's really knocked my confidence. I'm concerned that six years away may be too much, and it may be too late for me to return to a scientific research career. I also only got a 2:2 for my BSc which isn't helping matters. I've been writing a science blog and have regularly attended public debates and lectures but I'm worried this won't be enough to prove my commitment, and I won't be able to convince admissions staff that the career change wasn't a decision I took lightly.

Is there *any* way back into science for me? I can't see myself being happy with any other career and wish I'd realised this earlier.