Drama school personal statements are often terrible. Applicants often get little or no help from schools that don’t know how to write a personal statement. They become clunky biographies with the words “Pick me, pick me, pick me!” Throw it in.
You never know how much of an impact a personal statement will have on the jury. I’ve heard auditioners say it’s not important, it’s your performance that matters. Yes, it may not be as important as your performance, but if you put this piece of paper in front of someone who is making a decision for the rest of your life, then I think you want this to be a killer personal statement.
you have a chance to make one personal statement It has to speak for you, and you have to think about what you want it to say to you. The first thing you should ask yourself is “What do I want people reading this statement to know, think, feel, and do after reading this statement?” I want them to know this, think this, feel this and do this. You want the reader to know something specific, feel something specific, and at the end do something specific. This very simple know/think/feel/do is a great way to approach what you want to write about.
For example, if you want them think Are you mature and ready to handle the pressures of drama school, what do you want them to do Know About what you would make them think? Playing a role in a school pantomime at age 7 might be something you think they should know about, but when you run it through the filter of “know/think/feel/do” does it seem relevant to include now? ? Does this show that you have what it takes to meet the requirements of drama school and that you are available for training? When you answer these knowing/feeling/thinking/doing questions, you’ll get better answers.
Other questions you can answer in your statement include:
Why you should apply for this specific acting program at this specific acting school – If you can be specific (UCAS applications do not allow this), research the course you are applying for in detail online and provide evidence for that answer. “It’s a practical course” is not a strong answer – every drama school has a practical course!
Why are you so interested in acting and your future as an actor? I know you’ve always wanted to do this, but what do you want to do? Why? Show that you understand what you are doing in this course and that you understand what it actually means to be a professional actor.
Why do you think you are suitable for this course? Which of your past experiences/skills/background/personality make you the best fit for this course. It’s not what you did in that musical in high school, but what qualities you possess that make you such a good fit for this class.
How does your current or past education relate to studying acting? This is to prove that you didn’t come up with this idea 5 minutes ago. Show them your progress in pursuing an acting career, and then talk about your past—but make sure it doesn’t involve a biography.
What have you done to demonstrate your interest and commitment to a future in acting? Discuss what you did to demonstrate that you are looking for steps into the course. Show them your passion/love for performing. Do you go to theater for fun, go to the theatre, read performance books, watch shows/plays/movie documentaries etc?
Look within yourself and think about specific elements of your own personality that you think would be appropriate for this course. Maturity/creativity/imagination/tenacity, whatever your ideas are, and show them.
Remember, you are selling yourself here and only you have the right answers. Don’t just write what you think people want to hear, because it’s usually just empty crap rather than direct or true. So, answer these questions and go back to the first question – what you want them to know/think/feel/do.
If you need assistance with your personal statement or would like guidance during the audition process, please contact us via email hello@actingcoachscotland.co.uk.
