What qualities are prospective college/universities looking for in individuals, and how do I demonstrate these in my personal statement?

If you are thinking about applying to college or university there are a number of things to consider when determining what qualities the university are looking for you to demonstrate in your personal statement. I would suggest taking the following approach. First, research your course thoroughly before applying. Make use of online resources such as the university or college course guide and information pages. Make notes on whatever medium you are comfortable with (pen and paper, laptop, post it notes etc) on all the important elements of the course. Is it a practical course, or more theoretical? Does it consist of a single subject, or is it multidisciplinary? What qualifications or experience does the course require you to have? Also make use of online forums such as The Student Room to research what others have said about the course to get anecodotal information. Make sure to make a note of important considerations such as the duration and intensity of the course, is it part time or full time, and how will this fit in with your existing commitments.Perhaps most importantly, it is also essential to think about why you want to do the course. What is your motivation? What are your goals? Whatever qualities you demonstrate in your personal statement, a real passion for the subject, and awareness of your own ambition will undoubtably shine through and help support your statement. When you are satisfied you have a good overall grasp of what the course entails, what pre-requisites are required, and most importantly, if you feel that the course would be beneficial and enjoyable to you, it is then important to return to our original question about how to demonstrate what qualities the course provider is looking for. Hopefully, through researching the course you would have garnered a good general idea about what will be expected of you on the course. For example, if you choose an A-Level course in chemistry, you would hopefully have ascertained that the provider would want to see some prior knowledge of chemistry (unless otherwise stated). It is now important to whittle your information down to the important things, and take the next step, which is determining if the important aspects of the course align with your own personal qualities. To begin, I would suggest making a list of all your good qualities, and evidencing this. For example, if you feel you have good time management, demonstrate this through an example relevant to yourself. If you have a part time job, you can demonstate good time management by elaborating on how you manage to balance working with your existing studies. This demonstrates to prospective course providers that you are able to micro-manage your time and balance your commitments - an asset to yourself when considering further study. Hopefully, you will be able to draw conparisons between what the course provider wants, and the qualities, skills or experience you already have. It is important to be honest at this stage, however. If you apply for a course with a strong theoretical underpinning, but in reality you are a more practical person, you might want to reconsider your choice. If however you are keen to pursue this line of study, but want to build you knowledge in a theoretical sense, this can also prove to be a valuable quality. Think about areas of life, such as study or gaining skills, where the style of learning is not your preferred style (for example if you are a theoretical person who prefers learning from books, but has had to learn a method or technique through practical means). You can draw upon this an example, to demonstrate that you recognise what your preffered learning style is and are aware of it, but also that you are receptive to other methods of learning. This demonstrates to your prospective course provider that you not only are aware and are taking a responsible role in your own education, but that you are willing to be flexible and open to accquiring new skills.