Personal Statements

[robhall3192]

Hi all

I am writing my personal statement to try and get on a stage management course...

 

has anyone recently written one specific to the course ??

all staff at the 6th form dont relaly know what to write for this area of study.

 

also any other people care to suggest what they would look for if they had to decided between 300 applicants for 20 places on a stage management course ?

[Chris Adam]

also any other people care to suggest what they would look for if they had to decided between 300 applicants for 20 places on a stage management course ?

 

 

Experience. Volunteer to assist with everything, ask to get shifts in your local theatres and don't be afraid to pick up a brush without being asked (told) to. If there is only 20 places, you are going to need experience. And if you don't get one of the places, at least your foot is already in the door and your name known.

 

Good luck.

[DrummerJonny]

the key is PERSONAL statement. write about you, your positive points, your experiences, things about yourself you're looking to improve (the last one is VERY important! self criticism is something they look for!)

 

you want to get on this course, so you should be able to write a statement detailing why :) look at what stage management involves, and link that back to things you've done, an example could be that you like cooking complicated meals, which means you can concentrate on multiple things at once, a good quality for an SM position... :)

[hadyn.williams]

If there is only 20 places, you are going to need experience.

 

Hmm, I'm inclined to disagree with that. You're there to learn, so as long as you are enthusiastic, keen and willing to learn it doesn't matter that you don't have any experience. One of my best friends is an excellent stage manager, when he went to drama school to study stage management he had only done one school show, yet he put so much effort and enthusiasm into learning that he picked things up easily and quickly developed his skills.

 

the key is PERSONAL statement. write about you, your positive points, your experiences, things about yourself you're looking to improve (the last one is VERY important! self criticism is something they look for!)

 

Very true. A personal statement isn't all about everything you have done/know about stage management, it's about you. You have to tell people that you can communicate well or have good personal skills. Work your interest and hobbies in.

 

I'm not sure about 'self criticism' though - I would probably call it being 'reflective' about your practice or something

[robhall3192]

I have much experience in and out of school on productions, but none in professional theatres...due to the lack of them in the area.

Well, Bristol is 10 miles away from your school, and looking on the map - although you don't live in the city or surrounding bigger towns, there are plenty of places in the Gloucester/Swindon/Bristol triangle.

 

Re: the personal statement - make sure you don't use cliches. "From a very young age ......" being my pet hate. Don't forget it's a personal statement about just a few short years. It's probably the last three years that are important. They want to know if you are somebody who gives up and tries loads of things, moving from one to one with no sticking power, or if you are stubborn and don't give up. They have limited places and need to give them to dead certs. What can you tell them about you that makes them want to take the risk. make every sentence count. Don't blag, and always use the Blue Room way of working. Think about the younger people who post on here who have a bad time. then think about the ones who we don't even notice are students. What is the difference? Find it and use this to guide your statement. Let an old fogey read it and give you their opinion.

[Jivemaster]

Well MY personal statement would have to be all I I I .......

 

I want to do ... in 1, 2, 5 and 10 years

I have prepared for this by....

I would like to join your course because it fits my plan.

 

Your statement will be different.

 

Basically it has to say that you have thought about the situation and are enthusiastic about it.

[Big Jay]

'reflective' about your practice or something

 

Oh... were did I hear that? magic words by our tutor.

 

Just reiteraiting what everyone has said.

 

One good feedback tip I got from the uni was. Dont be affraid to admit something that you have failed at, like everyone else has said, there not looking for a Grade "A" stage manager who could walk into the West End otherwise what would be the point?

 

Showing you are willing, and that you know what and why you want it, colleges may take people on who have never done stage management but these are speciliast colleges/uni's, they want dedicated and people who understand what their getting into.

[Just Some Bloke]

link back to things you've done, an example could be that you like cooking complicated meals, which means you can concentrate on multiple things at once,

 

Whilst I can see the logic in what you're saying, I have to say that when I was running a Stage Management and Technical Theatre course at a college I wouldn't have been at all interested in your abilities as a chef. I would want to know why you want to do the course and why you think you'd be good at it. People who bear that thought in mind won't go far wrong.

 

I'd also like to see some capital letters at the beginnings of sentences! :)

[Jivemaster]

Rule number ONE for ALL applications is "Correct spelling and grammar" Remember that the admissions staff will be older than you and may not like txtspk, missing capitals and missing punctuation.

 

Personal statement is I want to do your course at your establishment because.... I can back up my aspiration to the course by specific experiences in the paid or voluntary sector.

 

It must also say that you are a balanced and interesting person with a few real life interests as well as career aspirations

[DrummerJonny]

Whilst I can see ...SNIP... go far wrong.

 

I'd also like to see some capital letters at the beginnings of sentences! :)

 

cooking was just an example, and a bad one at that :) but I'm sure you see what I mean, transferable skills and all that...

 

and yes SpAG is VERY important. 5 mins to proofread on your part, working on sentence structure, spelling and punctuation, can make a huge amount of diffference.

[Just Some Bloke]

I'd also like to see some capital letters at the beginnings of sentences! :)

 

cooking was just an example, and a bad one at that :) but I'm sure you see what I mean, transferable skills and all that...

 

and yes SpAG is VERY important. 5 mins to proofread on your part, working on sentence structure, spelling and punctuation, can make a huge amount of diffference.

 

But not important to you on the Blue Room though? Despite the fact that in a poll of members well over 90% (nearly 95% in fact) thought capital letters should be used here, you chose not to do so when saying that "SpAG is VERY important". Oh the irony! :)

[Andrew C]

OK folks, enough of the :) SPaG talk. Back to the personal statements please. There may be some pruning later this morning.

 

Moderation: After a few mods having a look at the content, Andrew's pruning has taken place - for those who have lost a few posts, sorry about that - but it was clogging up the topic. Paul - mods