‘Tell us your story so far’ Guidance

Some useful hints and tips about how to complete this section of our full-time application.

Included in our online and paper application for full-time courses is a section called ‘Tell us your story so far’. You can choose not to fill out this part of the application but it provides an opportunity for you, the applicant, to tell us more about yourself. Providing further information about yourself and why you want to study on your chosen course will help to speed up the progress of your application.

This is your opportunity to tell us why you want to study the course you are applying for and why you think you are suitable for the course. It’s particularly important for courses that are popular and attract more applicants than places available. It’s your chance to show what makes you unique and to convince the course selection panel that you should be offered one of the places.

For online applications we recommend that you prepare something in advance, then simply paste it into the section. This will allow you to use a spell–checker and avoid the page timing out if it takes more than 20 minutes to enter your information.

Our top tips

There are a few different questions you should try and answer when completing this section of the application. These are listed below with our top tips on what to include within your answers.

Think about why you are applying for your chosen course – why does this subject interest you?

Why do you think you’re suitable for the course – do your current or previous studies relate to the course that you have chosen, or have you taken part in any other activities that demonstrate your interest in the area?

Include details of jobs, placements, work experience or voluntary work, particularly if it’s relevant to your chosen course. Try to link any experience to skills or qualities related to the course.

Include any achievements you’re proud of, positions of responsibility that you hold or have held either in school, in employment or in the community.

Think about any additional skills you might have that could relate to the course and attributes that make you interesting, special or unique. For example:

  • Are you creative? Do you play a musical instrument, take part in sports, enjoy musical theatre, act, sing, draw or paint, enjoy writing, or take photographs in your spare time?
  • Are you a practical person? Do you enjoy making things? Fixing computers or machinery? Cooking or baking perhaps?
  • Do you have management skills? Do you organise or look after any groups, control a budget or look after staff or finances?
  • Are you compassionate? Are you a carer for someone? Have you raised money for a charity?
  • Are you multi-lingual? If you speak more than one language this should definitely be included!
  • Are you inquisitive? Do you enjoy finding out about things? Discovering how things work through experiments or testing, enjoy doing research through books or online?

What are your longer term goals for further study or work?

What would you like to do after completing this course? Do you want to progress to the next level at NESCol, do you want to continue to degree level study at university, find employment or set up your own business?

Tell us any other information that you think might be relevant for us to know when processing your application.

Get in touch

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Contact our team directly by calling or dropping into your local Student Advice Centre, or by emailing studentadvice@nescol.ac.uk.

If you are still in school, your guidance teacher or careers adviser will also be able to provide you with some help and advice.