The Personal Statement That Got Me Rejected 11 Times vs The One That Got Me Into Cambridge | Masters and PhD episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 25, 2026 · 33 MIN

The Personal Statement That Got Me Rejected 11 Times vs The One That Got Me Into Cambridge | Masters and PhD

from The Open Secret Podcast: How People Really Get Into Oxford, Cambridge, and the UK's Top Universities for Postgraduate Study · host Dr Claire Bergstrom Johnson

In today's episode, I read out my rejected personal statement - the one from the round where I applied 11 times and got 11 rejections - and then I read the application that got me in to a Cambridge PhD with full funding. I go through the rejected one paragraph by paragraph and point out what I'd flag if I were the person assessing it. There's quite a lot to flag. It's not the writing quality, which surprises most people!Then I read the Cambridge boxes (which are a bit different than a traditional personal statement) and talk through what I did differently. There's one sentence in there I got in despite rather than because of, and another that was a big part of why I won funding. I'll tell you which is which. Enjoy! ☺️🗺️ The Oxbridge Postgraduate Roadmap: Start here to find out how competitive you really are for a UK Master's/PhD compared to previously accepted applicants → http://oxbridgeadmissionsclub.thrivecart.com/roadmap/?el=podcastMY OTHER COURSES & GUIDES🛠️ Oxbridge Application Accelerator Toolkit: Comprehensive, all-discipline application guide for top UK Master’s & PhD programmes (54.4% accepted) → https://oxbridgeadmissionsclub.com/application-accelerator/?el=podcast🎙️ Oxbridge Interview Mastery Programme: Comprehensive interview prep guide for Master’s & PhD admissions → https://oxbridgeadmissionsclub.thrivecart.com/interview/?el=podcast💰 Oxbridge Scholarship Success Course: How to fund your postgraduate offer (£2M+ secured so far) → https://oxbridgeadmissionsclub.com/ossc-eg/interview/...

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In today's episode, I read out my rejected personal statement - the one from the round where I applied 11 times and got 11 rejections - and then I read the application that got me in to a Cambridge PhD with full funding. I go through the rejected one paragraph by paragraph and point out what I'd flag if I were the person assessing it. There's quite a lot to flag. It's not the writing quality, which surprises most people! Then I read the Cambridge boxes (which are a bit different than a tradit...

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The Personal Statement That Got Me Rejected 11 Times vs The One That Got Me Into Cambridge | Masters and PhD

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