Top Tips for an Oxford E&M Personal Statement

Oxford Economics & Management Personal Statement – Top 10 Tips: Do’s and Don’ts

The Oxford E&M Personal Statement is a crucial component of your university application. It presents a unique opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from other applicants. You would be able to articulate your story and explain your interests beyond that of numbers on an admissions test. Furthermore, it gives the interviewer a chance to understand who you are. It also provides a platform to bounce off questions during your interview. 

They can tailor questions to your personality, interests, and commitment to who you are as a person and your amalgamation of experiences before you. To guide you through the arduous university application process, our Oxbridge application experts have compiled a list of top 10 Oxford Economics & Management Personal Statement tips. This includes dos and don’ts– for your Oxford Economics & Management Personal Statement for the 2024/25 application cycle.

General Advice for Oxford E&M Personal Statement

The Economics and Management degree at Oxford is grossly concerned with how organisations and the economy operates. It also involves how the world’s scarce resources are allocated to achieve organisational objectives. The economics branch examines how this allocation is influenced and determined by governments, consumers, and firms. It goes further into how they influence each other and are intrinsically linked to one another. Management, on the other hand, examines how to coordinate and use labour and resources effectively within a firm, such that its desired objectives are met. 

The knowledge from both economics and management are complementary, with the understanding of each intended to support and strengthen the other. Hence, when writing your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement, incorporate your interest and understanding of both fields. Furthermore, when planning out your Oxford personal statement, make sure you research Oxford’s achievements in their relevant fields. Use it as a guide to illustrate your interest in Economics and Management.

Top 5 Tips for Oxford Economics & Management Personal Statement

1. Explain why you are a good fit for economics & management.

Economics and management students would have vastly different personalities and interest profiles from that of students from other courses. For example, economics and management students should be particularly able to have flexibility. They should also demonstrate their ability in constructing and assessing arguments. 

You should be able to demonstrate that you display these desirable qualities in your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement. You can do so by referencing experiences that you have gone through that have caused you to be equipped with such traits. For example, you can show that you are flexible in constructing arguments through past debate competitions, or essay competitions that you have participated in or won. An experience might not be directly related to economics and management. However, the skills and qualities that you could have picked up from going through that experience are transferable. They could also be useful to you as an economics and management student.

2. Having a strong understanding of what the economics and management course entails.

Usually students’ understanding of a particular course of study is shaped by what they have witnessed in films or from their high school experience in related subjects. Some students may have taken economics in high school, which would definitely lay a good foundation for the course. However, definitely do not expect your university experience to be one and the same! Some students may consider the course to be too math-heavy as per their expectations, or they did not be expecting to write as many essays.

Do ensure that you thoroughly research the course syllabus and have a realistic understanding of what the course entails. Demonstrating a pragmatic and sensible understanding of the course in your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement would also be favourable in your application. You can illustrate that you are a good fit for the course. Furthermore, it can display to Oxford tutors that you have a thought-through and reasonable motivation for wanting to study Economics and Management. For example, you can explain that you enjoy being able to study both essay-based and mathematics elements.

3. Being well-read in economics and management.

It is always recommended that you display that you are well-read in your Oxford personal statement. This is because it is a great way to display that you are interested and passionate about the subject. It also shows that you are a wide reader and are comfortable with perusing large volumes of text. This is a handy skill in any humanities or academically vigorous course. 

Some books that are relevant to the economics and management course include End this Depression Now by Paul Krugman. You can also read The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier. Do keep in mind that reading is not only restricted to books! This could also include news articles, magazine columns, or even podcasts, documentaries, or Youtube videos! Finding a medium or format that is more accessible or tailored to your style of learning would be a great way for you to incorporate more content into your everyday lifestyle. For example, you could listen to a podcast when you are travelling to school instead of listening to your usual playlist.

4. Allowing yourself sufficient time to write your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement.

Many people mistakenly think that they can leave their Oxford Economics & Management personal statement to the last minute as it is only a 4000-character count essay. However, remember that you need time to redraft your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement multiple times. You also need to buffer enough time for seniors, friends, or career guidance counsellors to take time out of their schedule to read your Oxford personal statement. They can provide feedback on your work, and you can refine it based on their comments!

5. Having a good structure.

Structure matters a lot when writing your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement. It enhances readability. It also allows you to communicate exactly what you intended to your admissions tutor without anything being lost in translation! A good structure would include a short introduction paragraph briefly introducing why you want to study economics and management. Next, your body paragraphs could highlight desirable qualities and traits. These could include those that an economics and management student should have. It could also include aspects of the course that aligns well with your interest or type of personality. You could lastly conclude by summarising key points that you would like your Oxford tutors to take away.

Top 5 things to AVOID for your Oxford Economics and Management Personal Statement

1. Mentioning and listing every experience and achievement that you have done.

Even though you would have done a variety of activities and experiences in high school, not all of them would be relevant in your application to be an economics and management student. Many students misunderstand the application process, thinking that Oxford is looking for the most decorated, well-rounded student. However, they are instead looking out for the student who is a good fit for the economics and management programme instead. You could be the perfect student, but that does not mean you are the perfect economics and management student.

There may be a specific experience that you definitely want to include in your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement but it is not relevant to the course. You can include it by talking about relevant qualities or skills that you have picked up from the experience. For example, volunteering and mission trips might not seem directly relevant to economics and management. However, you could explain it by stating that they initiated your desire to study economics as you hope to seek a deeper understanding of economic policies that can help reduce inequality or poverty.

2. Focusing your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement on economics or management and not both.

Do not forget that the course that you are applying for includes both economics and management, and the course syllabus is roughly split equally between the two! If you only focus on economics or management and leave out the other, this could signal to your admissions tutor that you are not clear on the course you are applying to. However, understandably, you would be applying to five different schools and courses in your university admissions. If you are applying to four other economics courses and Oxford’s economics and management programme is the only choice you are applying to, you can still mention both by leaving a section of your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement on management to acknowledge and show it.

3. Turning your Oxford personal statement into an economics essay instead of explaining your interest in the course.

Many applicants choose to mention an economic theory that got them first interested in economics, to use it as an opening to their Oxford Economics & Management personal statement or when they are explaining about a book or an article that they have read. However, do keep in mind that the focus of the Oxford Economics & Management personal statement should always be why you want to study economics and management and why the course would be a good fit for you. Do remember that Oxford tutors would already be extremely knowledgeable in their field. This means that regardless of how obscure or unconventional the theory that you are explaining is, you would not impress your Oxford tutors with it. They want to learn about you, and if they wanted to learn about a theory, they would read a textbook!

4. Not reflecting whenever you bring up a personal experience.

Whenever you mention an experience that you went through, always elaborate on it by linking it back to economics and management. For example, you could mention how the experience has caused you to pick up desirable traits that an admissions tutor would want in an economics and management student. You could also elaborate on how participating in such activities was due to your interest in economics and management, or how it grew your passion for it.

5. Exaggerating or lying about experiences in your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement.

If you are invited for an interview, the Oxford admissions tutors would be basing some of their interview questions on your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement. This means that they are likely to ask you to elaborate on some experiences or theories that you mentioned in your Oxford Economics & Management personal statement. If you exaggerated or lied about any experience that you have mentioned, it is likely that the Oxford tutor would catch you in the lie or realise that you were exaggerating. It is better for you to come off as authentic than deceitful, so be truthful when explaining your story!

FAQs

→What is the Oxford E&M program?

The Oxford Economics and Management (E&M) program is an undergraduate degree program offered by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. The program combines economics and management to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of business, finance, and economics.

→What are some tips for writing a strong Oxford E&M personal statement?

Some tips for writing a strong Oxford E&M personal statement include researching the program and demonstrating an understanding of the subject, highlighting relevant academic achievements and extracurricular activities, showcasing leadership and teamwork skills, and demonstrating a genuine passion for economics and management.

→What should be included in an Oxford E&M personal statement?

An Oxford E&M personal statement should include information about the candidate’s academic achievements, extracurricular activities, work experience, and personal qualities that are relevant to the program. It should also include specific examples of how the candidate has demonstrated leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

→How long should an Oxford E&M personal statement be?

The Oxford E&M personal statement should be no more than 4,000 characters or 47 lines, whichever comes first. Candidates should use this space wisely to showcase their strengths and demonstrate their suitability for the program.

→Is it important to tailor the personal statement to the Oxford E&M program specifically?

Yes, it is important to tailor the personal statement to the Oxford E&M program specifically. This includes researching the program and understanding its unique features and requirements, as well as demonstrating a genuine interest in the subject and a strong motivation to study at the University of Oxford.

→How important is the personal statement for the Oxford E&M program?

The personal statement is a crucial part of the Oxford E&M application process as it allows candidates to showcase their passion for the subject and their potential to succeed in the program. The personal statement also provides the admissions team with insight into a candidate’s motivation, academic background, and personal qualities.