So when I first told my family that I
wanted to go to Cambridge
they were all really shocked
none of them had really gone
to Russell Group universities
or known anyone that
had been to Oxbridge
so it was a huge shock to
hear that just like me
who'd gone to a local
secondary school
wanted to try and
apply for Cambridge
but it also meant they were really,
really supportive from the start
they were super encouraging
they offered help
wherever they could
and they really just
pushed me to go for it
once they knew that it
was what I really wanted
So I was told by a personal
statement 'expert'
that I should have around
20 to 30 traditional books
in my personal statement
and I thought if this is university that
really values your own academic pursuit
then there's no
need for that
I put about 6 or 7 books
in my personal statement
I put Korean music in there,
Desperate Housewives
and I thought these are my interests
and if the University really
values that and they'll take that
I think a lot of the silent pressure
comes from the fact that
because Cambridge
is so mythologised
and put on such
a raised platform
when you're applying
to universities
there's a real tendency
to think
that Cambridge steers your
application process
not that you can apply to
Manchester as your authentic-self
to King's London as
your authentic-self
but when you come here you need
to make some dramatic alteration
to how you speak
I mean I was told
that I had to
do my eyebrows and
change my accent
which I did not do
well maybe the eyebrows
that was personal
choice though
but I think the way that you
deal with a silent pressure
particularly in the gaps between
deciding if you want to apply
and between submission
of your personal statement
between your interview
in all of the chats you have
with everyone you meet
in terms of what it's
like to actually apply
is realising that
it's you applying
no one else is
doing it for you
and the University is definitely
not forcing you to do anything
when you click 'Submit'
you're doing it because
you're showing them
what you're interested in
when you're doing the
personal statement
it's your chance to
show this University
why you deserve to be here
and why you should be here
there's places here for a reason
and you should take them.
