Your UCAS Personal Statement
What is a Personal Statement?
A personal statement is an important part of your UCAS application, which will need to be submitted to study in the UK. It will support your application to study at university or college, and is a great way to showcase your personal qualities, skills and passions. Crucially, it gives you a platform to demonstrate to admissions tutors and lecturers how you are the perfect candidate for your chosen course or subject.
How long should a personal statement be?
Your personal statement will be structured by three questions that will help guide you through providing the information relevant to universities and colleges. Each of your answers will have a minimum count of 350 characters, and this will be clearly labelled on each answer box with a character counter to help you keep track.
There is an overall limit of 4000 characters (including spaces) for all three of the answers you provide.
How to write your personal statement for University
Tips on what makes a good personal statement
• Think about what gets you excited about the course you are applying for and just start writing - you will be amazed at how effective it is to get all your thoughts on paper.
• Be positive when you describe how you get motivated about the course you want to study, and what inspired your decision.
• Talk about your transferable skills and knowledge - e.g. leadership, teamwork, problem solving, communication, organisation, that will help you on the course.
• Talk about you and what makes you unique, exciting, interesting. What makes you stand out?
• Back it up with evidence - use evidence from relevant work experience, extracurricular activities, outside reading, and all the other things you do.
• Don’t overcomplicate things, and stick to plain English.
In summary, strive to make your personal statement authentic, a good combination of head and heart that captures your enthusiasm. Take your time and you’ll produce something special that sums up what you are all about.
How to write your personal statement
Writing a personal statement for your university application can be daunting, but it shouldn’t be.
We would suggest that you complete this section once you have selected your university course choices, as this will allow you to tailor your personal statement to your chosen subject or course(s).
Your personal statement will be structured by three questions:
- Why do you want to study this course or subject?
- How have your qualifications or studies helped to prepare for this course or subject?
- What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
You should use these questions to explain your motivation for applying to University. It is important to showcase your drive and passion for the subject area, and any skills or experience you may have which will help you become a successful student.
The UCAS website has some great examples and guidance on how to structure your answers.
Suggested plan:
Question 1 - Start off with a great opening sentence that conveys how excited you are about the course and shows that you really understand what you’re getting into.
Question 2 - Emphasise your skills and knowledge and; provide evidence that proves your interest in the course and your personal qualities.
Question 3 – this bit is about what makes you unique, what will make you fit into the course you are interested in.
DOs & DON’Ts
DO
• Be authentic
• Be positive
• Be enthusiastic
• Be clear and concise
• Plan your statement like an essay
• Make sure your statement is appropriate for all of your course choices
• List your skills and qualities but avoid sounding big-headed
• Draft, redraft and seek feedback
• Be careful when using quotes – only use those which are relevant, and well thought out
• Back it up with evidence
• Allow plenty of time
DON'T
• Copy someone else’s statement – there is software that will catch you out on this!
• Waffle – it is better to be short and relevant
• Use clichés
• Rely on spell check – proofread
• Rush or underestimate the time it takes to write an excellent statement