14th March 2023

So, you’ve done all your university research and have got up to five courses that you would like to apply for....

Personal statements are the crucial element to help you stand out from the crowd; admissions officers sift through an enormous number of applications - approximately 1 million for 600,000 places, so you need to give them good reasons to offer you one, particularly if you are applying for the more competitive subjects e.g. Economics, Veterinary Science, Medicine and Law.
You now need to prepare your UCAS personal statement to showcase your strengths, skills and experiences to convince the admissions department in each university that they should offer you a place. Although you will not be applying until the Autumn, it’s a good idea to start planning the content now as you will need plenty of time to research without feeling rushed.
You will find the UCAS guidelines here, but here is some advice from our advisers:

Take some time to brainstorm ideas: Make an outline of what you want to include. Think about your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, work experience, and any other relevant experiences that could make you stand out.

Explain your interest in the subject and what you hope to gain from it: Reference one or two areas of particular interest as this shows you have the curiosity to research beyond the obvious and evidence your research: podcasts, journals, documentaries and lectures. Admissions Officers want to see what makes you curious and what issues or topics inspire you. Think you may find this process a chore? Then you may need to question your motivation to do this course in the first place and need to look for something else that will enthuse you instead.
Arrange work experience: WE is essential for courses such as Medicine and Veterinary Science, but is also recommended generally. Not only does it demonstrate motivation but also that you’re still committed having had a taste of related careers. See our WE section for more information on how to secure it.

Showcase your skills for successful university study: A part-time job, volunteering and other extracurricular activities are useful ways of demonstrating that you have these. Refer to our section on Transferable Skills to see how many you have or where your gaps are; how could they be developed? Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, Leadership and Organisational skills are all crucial for succeeding at university, but don’t just write a list, provide examples of a time when you have demonstrated these qualities and make it relevant to the subject you are applying for.

For examples of personal statements across a variety of subjects: Click here

Top Tips

Give yourself enough time: Start working on your personal statement early to avoid feeling rushed or overwhelmed. This will give you enough time to review and make revisions as needed.

Be clear and concise: Start by writing everything you would ideally like to say and then you edit, edit, edit to 4000 characters - until you are saying as much as you can in as few words as possible.

Begin with an original first sentence: But do not try to be clever or funny.

Ask family or school to check it for errors: It’s amazing what you can miss.

Avoid plagiarism like the plague!: Admissions departments use software to check this, so you may be rejected instantly before anyone’s even read your statement.
If you will also have an interview as part of the process, use your personal statement to present top-line information on which you an then expand.

Stop Press: The personal statement will be be replaced in 2024 (for 2025 entry) with a series of questions. The content you need to prepare will be broadly the same however. To learn more click here