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What to include in a Personal Statement

Personal Statement Tips

Nail your uni application with our personal statement examples.

Discover personal statements by subject, from A to Z. Find inspiration for your own application with these successful personal statement examples from real students.

A-Z of Personal Statements

Learn from previous student personal statements here. We have collated over 700 personal statement examples to help you on your university journey and to help you with how to write a personal statement.

These personal statement examples will show you the kind of thing that universities are looking for from their applicants. See how to structure your personal statement, what kind of format your personal statement should be in, what to write in a personal statement and the key areas to touch on in your statement.

A personal statement is a chance to tell your university all about you - a good personal statement is one that showcases your passion for the subject, what inspired you to apply for the course you’re applying for and why you think you would be an asset to the university.

Our collection includes personal statement examples in Mathematics, Anthropology, Accounting, Computer Science, Zoology and more.

Writing a personal statement has never been easier with our vast collection of personal statement examples.

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Personal Statement Help

What is a personal statement.

A personal statement is an essay written by a student applying to either a college or university. A personal statement is written and then uploaded to UCAS and is then attached to any university applications that the student may then make.

If you need more information check out our personal statement advice articles .

How to write a personal statement

There isn't a clearly defined personal statement template for you to use as each person's statement is different.

When it comes to writing a personal statement for universities, your personal statement should touch on your passions, your interest in the course, why you're applying for the course and why you would be an asset to the university you're applying to.

Talk about the clubs and societies that you belong to, any work experience you may have and any awards you might have won.

If you're still looking for information check out our article on how to write a personal statement .

How to start a personal statement

When it comes to starting your personal statement, the best thing to do is to be succinct and to have enough tantalising information to keep the reader informed and eager for more.

Your introduction should touch on your personal qualities and why you are applying for the subject you're applying for. Keeping things short and sweet means that it also allows you to break your personal statement up, which makes it easier for the reader.

We have plenty of advice for students that are wondering about what to include in a personal statement .

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How to start a personal statement

The process of writing your personal statement can be simple if you know how to start. this is our guide on where to begin..

Make a plan

Prepare how you’re going to write your personal statement before you begin any of the actual writing. Note down how you want to structure it and what you want to say in each paragraph. By summarising what you’re going to write in a plan, you can assess whether your personal statement will flow and if you have all the things you need to include.

• What to include in a personal statement

Have a structure

Part of planning your personal statement is deciding how to lay it out. Keep in mind that you’re telling admissions tutors the story of you. All stories have a structure – there’s a beginning, a middle and an end. You can use a similar method to convey your motivation for choosing the subject you’re applying for.

There’s more than one way to structure a personal statement, but you should at least have a:

• Clear introduction
• Strong body of five–six paragraphs that link your experience and achievements to why you've chosen the subject
• Conclusion to summarise it all

A structured statement also shows admissions tutors that you can communicate effectively.

Begin with you

Tackling the introduction first? This is your chance to talk about you, your background, and your excitement for the course. It should then flow naturally into the middle paragraphs, where you can expand on why you’re interested in the subject you’ve chosen.

Tina, Lead Admissions Tutor for Adult Nursing at the University of Brighton , shared with us what she looks for in the first few paragraphs of a student's personal statement:

They should start their application with the reason why they are applying and if they have any personal insight into a role such as being cared for when they were younger, attending hospital to visit a relative or any other experience as part of a course, volunteering, or work. Tina, Lead Admissions Tutor for Adult Nursing at University of Brighton

Be to the point from the beginning

Your introduction shouldn’t be long-winded, so two or three sentences are usually enough. You only have 4,000 characters and about 47 lines to play with for the entire statement.

Don’t be afraid to go straight into talking about what excites you most about your subject and the motivation behind choosing to apply. Use language that’s punchy, concise, and relevant too. This will help you to show your ambition and enthusiasm to admissions tutors.

Avoid cliché opening sentences

Clichés are clichés because they’re overused. Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions tutor – they’ll be reading lots of personal statements, so the ones that stand out will be those that aren’t like the others.

Make a note of any clichéd sentences you can think of or have seen online, and check you don’t include them when writing your personal statement. Some examples to avoid include:

• ‘I have always wanted to study...’
• ‘I feel I’ve always had a passion for...’
• ‘From a young age...’
• ‘Since I can remember...’

Don’t feel pressured to write the intro first

The introduction seems like the obvious place to start. But you may find it easier to leave the introduction until the end. Start at whichever point suits you best, provided you have a plan and structure in place.

Fortunately, the intro is only a few sentences, and given that the most important content will come in the body paragraphs, it may make sense to start with these paragraphs.

Just start writing! Don’t feel that you necessarily need to write your personal statement in the order in which it will be read. This is only for the author to know. Dr Ceri Davies, Economics Director of Admissions and Recruitment at University of Birmingham

• Tips for writing your personal statement

Just get words down

The most important part of writing is to get words on paper. If you’re struggling to plan, try writing down the first words that come to your head about why you want to study the subject. If you do have a plan and structure, but don’t know where to begin, try taking the same approach. You can remove or edit any bits that you don’t like later.

Once you start writing you should hopefully enter a state of flow. You’ll piece sentences together and gradually craft an impressive personal statement.

Start by writing down all the reasons why you want to study the subject you are applying for and then, when all your enthusiasm is flowing, you can decide the order you want to put it in. Katherine Pagett, Student Recruitment Manager at University of Birmingham

• How to make your personal statement stand out

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How to Write A Good Personal Statement

• October 4, 2021

• Why are personal statements so important?
• What should a personal statement include?

How do you start a personal statement? 

• What are the most common mistakes people make while writing personal statements?

Writing about yourself can be an exceptionally difficult task. It requires a great degree of confidence and clarity - that can feel difficult to come by when you find yourself falling at the first hurdle and struggling to know where to start.

This process of doubt and uncertainty is what makes personal statements such a nightmare for most students. These statements require you to present yourself in a confident , formal and self-assured way, all in the space of 500-600 words. 

Why are personal statements so important? 

University applications can sometimes seem monotonous. Sure, they showcase things like accomplishments, hobbies, skills, etc., but what do they say about you as an individual? What makes you such a perfect fit for the course? Personal statements allow universities to understand everyone's unique perspective better.

It allows them to understand why and how you stand out from the crowd . Personal statements are the university's way of finding out why each student would be an asset to the course and how they’d contribute to the cohort. 

Personal statements are especially important for students looking to make scholarship applications. They give you the chance to explain why you deserve the scholarship and how your skills and personality align with the scholarship providers’ goals.🥇This is a rare chance to boast without seeming arrogant! 

What should a personal statement include? 

Ideally, a personal statement should include:

• Career aspirations relevant to the course(s). 
• The reason/origin of your interest in the subject. Don’t be afraid of mentioning a brief anecdote here if it fits. 
• Any professional/ internship experience relevant to the course(s). 
• Your experience with education so far. It’s good to stick with the positives here. Any criticism that is mentioned would need to be strictly constructive. 
• Why you are interested in this particular university. 🤔
• Relevant extracurricular interests or work experience that demonstrate your best qualities. 💼

Simply put, go for the kill, right from the very beginning. Far too many people waste words meandering around the topic, only to find themselves going way over the prescribed word limit.

The opening paragraph should show that you are applying for the course because you have a genuine passion for it, not just because you found it ‘interesting’. 

It’s important to show enthusiasm for the subject from the very beginning. As for the opening line, it should ideally be the best line of the statement. Now, this can be hard to do. This is why it’s generally a good idea to write a few rough drafts before putting pen to paper for the final time. Some people even choose to write their opening lines after they’re done with the rest. A bit like waiting to write the introduction to an essay until the end.

What are the most common mistakes people make while writing opening statements? 

Some of the most common mistakes students make while writing these statements are: 

👉 Not paying attention to the word count

The universities take their word count limits quite seriously. It is always better to be a couple of words short than a couple of words over. 

👉 The opening sentence is too long

Nothing can be worse than losing the reader midway through the first sentence. While it is the most important sentence, it does not necessarily need to convey the most information. The goal is to pack the most punch in an extremely short space. 

👉 Focusing too much on the negative

Remember, the personal statement is expected to be aspirational, not critical. Far too many students end up sounding cynical and overly critical, trying to be unique in their views. You should speak about the things you love the most and why you love them. Nothing can be more unique!

👉 Sounding too mechanical 

Make sure accomplishments and professional experience don’t end up taking centre stage in the statement. These are the details that simply fluff up the centrepiece, i.e., your unique perspective. University applications already have a section for applicants to showcase their achievements. It’s better to only mention them briefly in the personal statement. 

Personal statements are more than just novelty pieces that decorate university applications. They are an important part of it. They offer the university a unique, first-hand look at things like life experiences, worldviews and passion for the subject each student has opted for.

It is important to take time to draft a statement that aptly represents the person instead of just relevant work or achievements.

The best personal statements are the most personal and passionate ones. If you want one of our world-class tutors to read through your personal statements or help you where you are struggling, register with GoStudent and get a free trial session today!

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Writing a personal statement takes practice. You’re putting yourself out there in a way that you’ve probably not had to do before. It’s both an art and a science, and the topic is YOU. With a bit of planning, it’s not just doable but a really good experience in learning about yourself.

So, how do you begin to sell yourself to someone you’ve never even met?

The short answer: With confidence and a bit of structure.

The longer answer: An admissions officer or hiring manager is looking to see what kind of person you are and why you want to do something. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it, why you think it’s important, and what you’ve done to show it. Don’t be afraid to share those ambitions and interests. Let them out!

My advice is to always think carefully about the course you want to study and if it’s something you find interesting.

Start with who you are as a person, your skills and interests, and why a subject or apprenticeship matches you. End it with how you hope this will influence the future, small or big, it’s the beginning step of something great.

Be authentic

No one knows you better than you know yourself, so show your interests, achievements, goals and personality.

Don’t get stuck in cliches like “I’ve always wanted to…” It’s not about the goal — your ambition is real and important. Tell them the why and why it matters to you.

Talk about your experiences and what they’ve meant to you. No two people have lived the same life and that makes your perspective unique.

You’ve 4,000 characters, which seems like a lot until it’s not enough. Before you start, set out the points you want to make, and work out what you need to say in order to land your point.

There’s no way like just starting, and once you get into it, the less awkward it is.

Your first draft won’t be your final draft, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t immediately come together.

“You are you.

Now, isn’t that pleasant?”

If you’re stuck, talk to someone. Friends, parents, teachers — they all see you in a different light.

Speaking to them can help you get an idea of some of your best qualities and how much you’ve grown.

It’s easier to write about yourself when you’re talking about things you’re passionate about.

If you love reading, building things, understanding why things are — then let it show.

Give yourself time

Explain the why

Don’t be shy

Talk about the future

Walk away from your computer for a day or two. Come back and ask yourself, “Can I say this in a more direct way?” If you can, then change it.

Do you love reading? Interested in sustainability? Ask yourself why you’re drawn to something and share it.

In or out of school. Climbed mountains? Part of a local climate change group? Chief recycler in the house? Think about including these — they say a lot about who you are.

Even if you’re still figuring things out, how you want to be contributing to the world or what you want from it is great to share.

Oh, and remember: you won’t be able to submit your personal statement if it’s over the word limit — the system literally won’t let you. Happy writing.

How to Write a Personal Statement

In this post

You know what university degree you want to study; you’ve picked the right A-levels and have worked hard to achieve good grades. You’re ready to submit your university application, right? Well, not without a personal statement! Every prospective university student must complete a personal statement form as part of their UCAS university application process . But what is a personal statement? What should it include, and what should you leave out? Here’s everything you need to know about how to write a personal statement and how to really make yours stand out from the crowd:

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a brief personal summary written to help you stand out from the crowd. There are two main occasions where you will use a personal statement; when you are writing your university admissions form and when you are applying for a job. You should note that the personal statement that you use for university admissions is much more detailed and in-depth than the shorter, single-paragraph personal statement that appears at the top of your CV. The focus of this piece will be on the university admissions personal statement.

In university terms, your personal statement forms a core part of your university application. If you have the same grades in the same subjects as another applicant (which isn’t uncommon) then it is your personal statement that will determine which of you is assigned the available place. Your personal statement provides you with a unique opportunity that you should work hard to take advantage of: it is here that you can share your skills, your experiences, your passions and your unique talents. You can take the opportunity to show the admissions officers who you are outside of your grades. Of course, that means there’s a lot of pressure on one small statement: you want your personal statement to attract attention for all the right reasons.

Within your personal statement, you should outline why you have applied for a particular course, your career goals if you already have these in mind, and why you think you’ll be a good fit for the course you’ve chosen.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

In short, you need a personal statement because you cannot submit a university application form without one. But your personal statement is so much more than just another box you have to tick. Your personal statement is the only part of the university application process that you have any control over, and you should see it as the only chance you will have to really impress those making the decision about whether you get the place you want or not.

Your personal statement is an opportunity for you to demonstrate why you think you would be a good student for the programme you are applying to and why the university should select your application over those of other candidates. The personal statement is an incredibly important part of the university application process and is something you should view as an opportunity rather than as a chore. The right personal statement can attract the attention of university admissions officers, and could even help you get into a university that your grades might not otherwise allow access to.

If you are applying for a course that will require an interview before a place can be offered then the personal statement you write is likely to form the basis of this interview. Therefore creating a personal statement that shows you in the best possible light will increase your chances of interview success.

Planning Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement can be either up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever of these is shorter. Whilst you may look at an empty page wondering how you’re going to write so much; you’ll be amazed at how much you’re going to have to say about yourself! The best way to plan your personal statement at this early stage is to simply write down everything you’d like to say: you can then edit this information heavily. Personal statements are generally easier to write when you have lots of information to work with than when they are a daunting white page.

Knowing what you want to cover in your personal statement will also help during the writing process. Some questions you should answer include:

• What do you want to study, and why do you want to study it?
• What makes you a good fit for studying this subject at university? This can include reasons you’re passionate about the subject, future career goals, and any information about your experience around the subject
• What are your other interests and skills? Outline your hobbies and any sports you play. Showcase your personality and encourage the admissions officer to connect with you on a personal level.

Some students prefer to plan their personal statement with a bulleted list at the early initial stage, whilst others will use a mind map. It is also common to just sit down and start writing in a stream-of-consciousness style: don’t worry about how you start getting words on the page, just do whatever works best for you. Take your time and give the process the thought it deserves: Rome wasn’t built in a day and personal statements aren’t written in an afternoon. You might wish to consider sharing your thoughts and ideas with those closest to you: they will be able to provide additional insights and let you know whether the words you are using reflect who you are as a person.

Make sure that you leave enough time to plan your personal statement: very few people do their best work hours before a deadline! The personal statement deadlines for 2023 university admissions depend on which course you want to study and which university you want to attend. These deadlines are:

• 15 October 2022 for students who wish to attend an Oxbridge university (either Oxford or Cambridge) as well as students applying for medicine, veterinary and dentistry courses
• 25 January 2023 for all remaining universities and undergraduate courses. It is after this date that universities will begin to read applications and allocate places on courses, so if you have a specific university or university course in mind this is a hard deadline for your application
• 30 June 2023 if you don’t want to apply for university until after you have received your exam results and wish instead to apply for university through the clearing process . It’s important to note that if you do apply through the clearing process then some courses or universities may not be available to you, as they may already be full of earlier applicants

Explain Your Experience

Not everything you have ever said or done needs to be included in your personal statement: your parents may be proud of your 100-metre swimming badge, but this experience isn’t relevant to your course and doesn’t need to be mentioned! Equally, your GCSE grades will already be detailed elsewhere in your application, so there’s no need to waste valuable space in your personal statement outlining these. Instead you should think outside the box and share relevant experience that will make you stand out from the crowd: have you completed any direct work experience in your chosen career field? Work experience in a care home or hospital will show your commitment if you’re applying for a medicine or nursing course, whilst work experience at your local newspaper will demonstrate you have what it takes to complete a journalism course, for example.

If you’re interested in a less vocational course then work experience might be harder to come by, but there are other ways you can demonstrate your commitment to your chosen course. Joining your school or college debating society may be beneficial if you want to be an English major, whilst playing on the football team would be relevant to a sports science degree. The key is to demonstrate that you really love the subject that you are applying for and that this passion extends into your social life or your life outside of academia.

The key when outlining your experience is to include more than just a summary of why you picked your A-levels. Other aspects of your experience that you should consider include:

• What experience do you have outside of school or college that demonstrates your commitment to your chosen course or career path? If you don’t have any relevant extra-curricular activities, perhaps you have attended public lectures or been to exhibits at your local gallery/event space on the subject
• Have you completed any work experience? Valuable work experience places are hard to find, but they have a huge amount of value on your personal statement
• What experience have you gained from your current studies? What areas of the subject have you enjoyed most? What aspect of the subject made you want to continue and study it at degree level?
• What other hobbies do you enjoy, and how have these shaped you as a person? Will you continue these at university level and why? Be selective though: be careful not to outline every hobby you have, cherry-picking only the most relevant ones

Show off Your Achievements

Your personal statement is not the place to be coy about what you have achieved: sell yourself! You should avoid false modesty, however, you should also avoid hyperbole. Be clear and honest about your achievements, writing in a professional and straightforward manner. Selling yourself isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone: in fact, false modesty is often considered to be a stereotypically British trait. But it’s time to put your bashfulness aside.

If you’re really struggling to assess what your greatest qualities and achievements are then you should round up a few friends, family members, or even your teachers and ask for their objective support. They will be able to give you a unique and informed perspective that you can go on to use as the basis of your personal statement.

As well as outlining your achievements, you should also use your personal statement as a place to reflect on those achievements: how have they helped you grow? How have they impacted your life, your attitude, and your goals? Many students make the mistake of using their personal statement as a laundry list of accomplishments, but what you have learnt from your experience and your achievements is just as important. Let this level of self-awareness shine from your piece.

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be?

As we’ve already mentioned above, the maximum length that your personal statement should be is either up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever of these is shorter. The line count is likely to be your biggest concern, as when you add line breaks between your paragraphs (and you should, to make your personal statement easy to read) this will limit your word usage further. But should you be planning to fill all of this space, or do university admissions officers like personal statements that are short and to the point?

When you’re putting your personal statement together, common advice is not to think about the word count at all, at least initially. Just write what you feel is important, and then you can edit and polish your piece with the word count in mind at a later stage. The most important thing is that your personal statement clearly reflects why you’ve applied for your chosen course, why you’re the perfect applicant for the course, and what makes you so unique. Cut any sentences that aren’t adding value or aren’t contributing to answering these vital questions.

A good rule of thumb is to dedicate 60% of your content to focus on your suitability for your chosen course, 30% of your content to outline any relevant work experience or hobbies that may add value, and the final 10% to share your career aspirations. If you think you can fit this into a relatively short word count then there’s no need to use every available word of the limit, although if you are applying to study an essay subject you should aim to present a longer personal statement in order to showcase your essay writing skills.

The length of your personal statement is less important than ensuring that it addresses the important questions about your suitability for the course, is free from errors or spelling mistakes, and is written in a way that will engage and attract attention for all the right reasons. Writing a personal statement isn’t easy, but it is the final hurdle that stands between you and your chosen university course. Give it the time, attention and respect that it deserves.

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How to Write a Personal Statement for Admission into UK Universities

The university admission process can be stressful, especially for non-native English speakers. The personal statement is one of the most important parts of the admission process. You need to write a statement about yourself and your life experiences. It seems easy because it is the topic you know the most about: You. However, it is not as easy as you think. It is quite difficult to pick the most relevant elements of your life in order to fit with the universities’ criteria. Below you will find useful tips to write a personal statement.  

Before you Start

Before starting to write your statement, you need to be prepared. Although you are applying to many universities and courses, you can only write one personal statement so avoid mentioning any universities by name. Be sure the deadline is not coming up soon; you need time – at least two weeks – to write a good personal statement. Then, check the course descriptions to see what skills and qualities the universities are looking for. At the end of this article, you will find a list of skills and qualities that are valued most by universities.

On a draft sheet, make a list of relevant points you want to include in your statement. It is going to be really helpful when you start to write it. You can also complete a UCAS personal statement worksheet to help you think about the information to include.

Finally, here are few tips you should not forget when you are writing your statement:

• Be enthusiastic and positive when you are writing it. Your statement will reflect what you think of yourself, it must not be negative.
• Try to stand out but be careful using complex language, humour or quotes.
• Tell the truth, it is not necessary to lie about yourself.
• Be neutral. You can only write one personal statement so don’t mention any university or course names.

Now you are ready to draft.

Let’s start with the structure. Your statement needs to be composed of three parts: Opening paragraph – Middle paragraph – End paragraph. You are allowed to write 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text maximum (including spaces and blank lines which are equivalent to about 600 words), that means you cannot write more than 3,400 words. Please remember the admissions tutors will read many personal statements and they will be tired. In order to make their reading easier, use paragraphs or subheadings to make it clearer and easier to read.  

The Opening Paragraph – The “Why” Paragraph

This is the most important paragraph; it is your first impression. You need to start with an opening sentence that encourages the admissions tutors to read on. Avoid unimaginative sentences like “From a young age I have been interested in/fascinated by…”, “For as long as I can remember I have…” or “I am applying for this course because…” You have to find an original sentence which makes you stand out.

This paragraph focusses on your enthusiasm. In other words: how excited are you about the courses you are applying for? You can also include your ambitions and why going into higher education is important to you.

This paragraph is the foundation of your statement. It needs to express your desire to study your chosen subject.  

The Middle Paragraph

Now that you have shown that you are eager, you have to prove your enthusiasm. If you have chosen similar courses to apply to, you can start by talking about the subject in general. Demonstrate your interest in the study area chosen and how it is going to help you in your future career. Let the readers know your choices are well thought through. Show your understanding of the subject by explaining with your own words what it means and why you think you are suitable for the courses. You can also mention how you could be an asset to the university through your subject.

Next you can write about your skills, knowledge and experiences and what makes you suitable. If you are not sure which information is most appropriate, make a list of all your skills, relevant experience and achievements you have gained from education, work and other activities and ask yourself which ones are relevant. “Is my experience as cat sitter relevant for my science studies?” Probably not! However, my knowledge in science software is definitively relevant. Sometimes is not as clear as you expect but think what each experience brought you and see if it could be an important fact.

If you have had the opportunity to hold a position of responsibility, mention it. Also include any clubs or societies you belong to, as well as work experience, volunteering, summer schools, Duke of Edinburgh award etc. Thanks to this information, admissions tutors are going to determine who you are and if you are a good applicant.

This paragraph is very important to show what you have accomplished in life and how it has made you into the person you are today.  

The End Paragraph

This paragraph is “your” paragraph. You have to write about you and what make you unique. You need to make yourself stand out without being arrogant. Talk about the different sides of your personality. Mention your hobbies and activities that show your interest in your chosen subject. Mention any non-accredited training or achievements that show your skills and any qualities you have that set you apart from other applicants.

You need to make your statement as unique as you are. The readers must remember you thanks to this passage. It is your personal touch which helps the admissions tutors to decide if you are more suitable than another applicant. It is similar to the middle paragraph but it is more personal, it is about what you like and who you are.

This paragraph is essential to set your statement apart from other candidates.  

Extra Points to Add

If you’re an international student: Say why you want to study in the United Kingdom. What makes the UK stand out over other countries? Describe what you like about the UK. Then, give evidence of how you can successfully complete a higher education course taught in the English language. Usually, you can prove it thanks to your English level or because your previous studies have been assessed in English. You can give examples of using your English communication skills. For example, if you have already had a job where you had to speak English or if you have English-speaker friends with whom you often talk.

If you’re a mature student: Say what you’ve done since leaving school and why you have decided to return to studies at this time. If you have had a variety of relevant jobs and experiences, you can also send a CV (direct to the universities, not to UCAS). Evaluate your experiences and match them to the course requirements. Demonstrate how you will cope with the academic work. Usually, it is difficult to return to school after many years. Therefore, you need to show the admission tutors that you are determined and it is not an obstacle to your desire to study.  

What to avoid:

• Don’t talk about something useless – be relevant to the courses you are applying for.
• Don’t be arrogant – try to find balance between arrogance and standing out.
• Don’t exaggerate or make things up – you might be caught out during an interview.
• Don’t use complicated words or jargon.
• Don’t copy from anyone or the internet – software can detect any similarities and could jeopardise your application.
• Don’t rely on a spellchecker as it will not pick up everything. Proofread as many times as possible and ask someone to proofread it for you.
• Don’t make a list – expand your points and give examples.

Do not forget:

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation. You can read it aloud to hear what it sounds like. It is very important; do not spoil your statement because of small details.
• Get plenty of feedback from advisers and family members. When you write something, it is difficult to look at it objectively and you often do not notice what it is wrong with it.
• Finally, be prepared to redraft it a few times until you are happy with it. You should not send work you are not happy with; the readers will feel that your statement is not completely achieved.

Skills and qualities that are valued the most by universities:

• Good numeracy and literacy
• Enthusiasm – go beyond the norm
• Reflective / critical thinking skills
• Problem solving
• Time management skills
• Research skills
• Motivation and commitment
• Self-awareness
• Independent study skills

UKG Can Help

If you are struggling to write your personal statement, please contact us . Our qualified and experienced consultants know exactly what university admission tutors are looking for. We can help you to plan, write, edit and proofread your statement and ensure you stand out amongst all the other candidates.

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How to Write a Personal Statement

The key word in ‘personal statement’ is, well, ‘personal’.

It’s the only part of a university admissions form that gives the applicant an opportunity to talk about themselves, their passions and interests, and really give a sense of who they are as a person. It is crucial to get this part of the application right to ensure your child has the best chance of getting into their chosen university.

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is like a 4,000 character showcase for a student: a cover page that allows university applicants to demonstrate why they should be given a place at their chosen college. It forms part of the wider submission that students make through UCAS, the UK university admissions service.

Planning a Personal Statement

The biggest mistake a student could make is to sit down and write their personal statement without preparation: this is unlikely to result in a polished, concise piece. Instead, we’d recommend that parents sit down with their children and spend time pulling together the key information.

Points to consider:

• Why do they want to study this subject? Demonstrate passion through evidence: examples of things they’ve read, lectures they’ve been to, or pieces of work they’ve crafted that have ignited their interest.
• Why this particular course? Make sure to read up on the course criteria for each university and note down general themes (nothing too specific, unless your child is applying for only one).
• What extracurricular activities have they done that make them stand out? Work experience, theatre volunteering, DoFE, etc.
• What skills do they have?
• What are their hobbies? Music, sport, etc.
• Have they won any awards?
• What are they like as a person – what is their work ethic like?

How to Structure a Personal Statement

Now that you’ve gathered all the necessary information, it’s time to start putting together a first draft. The ‘ABC rule’ is one that is favoured by many tutors and educators: Action, Benefit and Course. What this means is following a structure that demonstrates – at every point – how the applicant has taken action to further their interest in the subject (or their general learning capabilities), what has been taken away from that experience, and how this relates back to their desired course and future plans.  It is worth keeping a reminder of the ‘ABC rule’ at your fingertips to ensure that this model is followed throughout.

We recommend adhering to the following loose structure when writing a personal statement:

• Introduction: why do I want to study this course at university? Don’t get too bogged down with the idea of a perfect opening line, here: the important thing is to be concise, avoid clichés, and get straight to the point. Remember, too, that a personal statement is seen by all UCAS choices so it’s not a good idea to mention anything too specific regarding an individual course.
• Part two: academic background. Some careers tutors say that this section should take up 75% of the statement: however it’s weighted, it’s certainly the most important bit. However, this doesn’t necessarily need to be limited to subjects taken at school – it could also extend to work experience that is relevant to the course (particularly important for competitive subject like law and medicine, where most applicants will have high grades).
• Part three: your subject beyond the classroom. In this section, it’s good to talk about how the subject has been engaged with outside of school, and any extra-curricular events that have sparked the student’s interest: articles or books that have been read, places that have been visited, etc. 
• Part four: work experience, hobbies and interests. This section could include work experience (if this experience didn’t relate specifically to the applicant’s chosen subject), as well as special skills and interests (musical examinations, awards that have been won, etc.).
• Section five: conclusion. A summation of all the key points, relating back to the applicant’s chosen subject and course. If your son or daughter has a keen sense of what they’d like to do after university – becoming a teacher, for instance – they should outline how studying their chosen course will help them achieve future goals.

Polishing a Personal Statement

What not to do in your personal statement:.

Exams may be coming up for many students, so it may come as a shock to find that there’s something else to start thinking about: your personal statement! If you’re considering applying to Oxbridge, your personal statement needs to be submitted by October – which means the summer months are vital for whipping it into shape.

When working on your personal statement, it’s easy to focus on crafting the perfect opening line – a process that can take a lot of time, and cause a lot of stress! Whilst it’s a good idea to make your introduction memorable, resist the urge to overthink: you have plenty more words with which to make an impression on the reader.

Sometimes it’s best to think about what not to do, rather than what you should be doing. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of things to avoid when composing the introduction to your personal statement.

1. Steer clear of overused openings.

2018 marked UCAS’ first year of utilising new software to assess personal statements. Their review of the data concluded that not only were a whopping 4,000 personal statements plagiarised, a big no-no, obviously!).

Ten common opening statements you should avoid:

• ‘From a young age, I have (always) been [interested in/fascinated by]…’
• ‘For as long as I can remember, I have…’
• ‘I am applying for this course because…’
• ‘I have always been interested in…’
• ‘Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed…’
• ‘Reflecting on my educational experiences…’
• ‘[Subject] is a very challenging and demanding [career/course]’
• ‘Academically, I have always been…’
• ‘I have always wanted to pursue a career in…’
• ‘I have always been passionate about…’

Admission tutors read thousands of personal statements each year, so the likelihood is that no statement is going to be a complete surprise to them. However, you can make things a little easier by avoiding sentences that are completely overused, like the ones mentioned above.

2. Don’t quote – use your own voice.

If you’ve come across a turn of phrase that you find particularly inspiring, or if you want to demonstrate how much you’ve read, you might be tempted to start your personal statement with a quote. Don’t. Chances are someone else will have already used that quote; and, more importantly, the admissions tutor wants to learn about you. They’re probably already familiar with what Chaucer has to say about women, but they’re not familiar with you: your background, your voice, what you’ve got to say about your subject and experiences.

If you really want to use a quote, steer clear of the big hitters. Choose a lesser-known expert in your chosen field and find an epigraph that you’ve found truly inspiring, or which really captures your enthusiasm for the subject.

3. Don’t be long-winded.

Sticking to the personal statement word count can be the most difficult task of all – there’s so much you wish to get across, but relatively few words in which to say it all! As such, you really don’t want to pad out your introduction: this is the place to be both clear and concise.

Resist the urge to use hyperbolic language or academic jargon in your opening sentence, and play around with it until you’ve communicated what you wish to say in as few words as possible. Successful opening sentences tend to be succinct. Being verbose will not be helpful: less is more!

4. Avoid joking around.

What’s more memorable than humour, you might think? Perhaps you have the perfect pun or joke to start your statement with. However, humour is a very particular thing – and there’s no guarantee that the person reading your statement will share yours. In addition, the most important thing to convey in your personal statement is your enthusiasm for and dedication to the course you have chosen: starting with a joke could undermine your commitment to academic study.

5. Don’t start with your opening sentence at all…

If you’re not sure how to start your personal statement, don’t spend ages agonising over it. Instead, leave it until later on – or even last of all – and revisit once your statement has started to take shape. You may find that a fantastic opening line comes to mind as you’re writing other sections: it’s amazing how the human brain works! In addition, as the rest of the piece comes together, it might be easier to decide what you would like to focus on in your introduction.

How to Polish a Personal Statement

The first draft is unlikely to be perfect so it’s a good idea to encourage your child to get the first draft written well ahead of the deadline. Make it clear that you will need to go through a few drafts before it’s finished and that they shouldn’t lose heart – it’s quite a long process, but a good experience for the future (they may well have to write dissertations or work on long projects at university which will necessitate lots of rounds of editing, too!).

You can help by being on hand to proofread and check the draft(s) through. Here are few things to keep in mind whilst you’re assessing their writing:

• Is it concise: A personal statement offers only a limited amount of characters to get across a great deal of information, so it pays to adopt an economical writing style. When reading through the statement, consider every sentence and ask yourself: does each word in this sentence add something? If it doesn’t, strike it out. It sounds brutal, but with so few words to make an impression with, every single word counts (so say good bye to the ‘howevers’ and ‘furthermores’!).
• Be truthful: Students are desperate to impress with their personal statement, and as such it’s tempting to elaborate. You must encourage your son or daughter to be 100% genuine – even if it means quizzing them on certain parts of the statement to ensure they are being honest. At an interview, students can easily be caught out if their statement isn’t truthful, so this must be avoided at all costs.
• Avoid clichés: It’s difficult to convey passion without descending into hyperbole or relying or clichés, but it’s important that the statement strikes the right balance. Cohesive, crisp writing will serve your child best when it’s time for the statement to be reviewed. Remember that admissions tutors have thousands of personal statements to read: they will be more easily won over by a statement that is easy to read than one that is full of emotive waffle.
• Proof for punctuation and grammar errors: This sounds obvious, but even a stray comma can have an impact on how the statement is viewed as a whole, so do check carefully. Mistakes are easy to miss when re-reading the same passages over and over again, as your son or daughter will have – a fresh pair of eyes can work wonders!

A personal statement is a crucial part of university admissions, allowing applicants to showcase their passions and interests. It serves as a 4,000-character showcase to demonstrate why they should be accepted. 

To write an effective Personal Statement, plan ahead, consider motivations, extracurricular activities, skills, and hobbies. Structure the statement following the ‘ABC rule’ – Action, Benefit, and Course. Avoid common pitfalls such as overused openings, extensive quoting, being long-winded, using humor, or focusing too much on the opening sentence. Polish the Personal Statement by ensuring conciseness, honesty, avoiding clichés, and proofreading for errors.

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How To Start A Personal Satement

Wondering how to start your personal statement for university.

Don't worry, you're not alone!

Every year, many students ponder how to write the best opening for their personal statement that will grab the reader's attention and make them want to read on.

While you may think this is the hardest part, remember that you don't always have to start at the beginning. Just try to get down a few ideas of how you might open your statement, and then move on to writing the rest.

You can then come back once you have drafted up more of the rest of your statement.

How might I begin my personal statement?

If you're struggling to think of ways to start your statement, follow these simple tips to help you get moving:

• Think about why you have chosen this course - this is a common way for applicants to begin their statement, and you can see some examples to inspire you, and/or take a look at our personal statement writing guide where we discuss in-depth about why you have chosen your course.
• Don't try to be too clever by thinking of something catchy.
• Get to the point sooner rather than later (remember, you only have 4,000 characters to use)
• Dive straight in with why you are passionate about your subject and are excited to be applying for a degree in it
• Avoid generic words or phrases such as "I find it interesting" or "it's really great". Be more creative with your wording and make sure you talk about WHY your subject is interesting and why you want to study it.
• Don't spend too long on it - you have the other three quarters or so of your statement to write too!

Common personal statement openings to avoid

Admission tutors have to read through hundreds, if not thousands of personal statements during each UCAS application cycle. Therefore, it's best not to open your statement with something that most other applicants probably have.

Every year, UCAS publish the top most commonly used openings for personal statements.

Some typical examples of openings to avoid include:

• "From a young age..."
• "For as long as I can remember…"
• "I am applying for this course because…"
• "I have always been interested in…"
• "Throughout my life I have always enjoyed…"
• "Reflecting on my educational experiences..."
• "Academically, I have always been..."
• "I have always wanted to pursue a career in..."
• "Nursing is a very challenging and demanding career".

If you can be more creative and come up with something better than these obvious openings, then you're halfway there already!

Don't open with a quote

Many admission tutors are also not particularly keen on quotes being used as an opening to a personal statement, especially if it's just shoe-horned in with no explanation.

So avoid getting on the wrong side of them straight away, and put in something that YOU think, or have an opinion on (rather than what someone else has said).

Link your beginning and end

Some applicants choose to bring their statement full circle by linking their ending with something they wrote in their opening.

This is always something worth considering, but if you don't think you can make it work, then no worries. Just let your statement flow naturally, and round off your statement with a paragraph that you think fits well with the rest of it.

Where else can I read more about writing my personal statement?

If you're still struggling with writing your opening or other parts of your personal statement, take a look at our Writing A Personal Statement Guide , Personal Statement FAQs , Writing Tips and our 10 Personal Statement Don'ts .

When should you write a UCAS personal statement?

Timing when you write and submit your UCAS personal statement well can make a huge difference to the levels of stress and success you experience in year 13. In this article, I'm going to explain when you should write your UCAS personal statement and why.

My very strong suggestion is that you should write your UCAS personal statement through the summer of year 12. Ideally, you will start writing before you break-up for the summer holidays. By the time you get back to school in September, you should have a very high-quality draft that is very close to the character limit to show you your teachers.

You can then spend a couple of weeks refining your personal statement before sending it off in September.

Why should you aim to submit your personal statement in September?

I've worked with countless year 13 students as an academic coach, supporting them through the challenges of their final year at school.

When I tell you that year 13 is the hardest year you'll experience in your school life, I'm not exaggerating.

It's tough for several reasons:

• The level at which you're expected to work is higher than anything you've ever experienced before. The work is going to challenge your brain cells in very profound ways.
• The quantity of work you're expected to do. Let's just say, if you thought you'd worked hard before, you ain't seen nothing yet.
• Balancing university entrance tests and interviews with the work. This is concentrated in the autumn term of year 13 making this term the hardest term of your school life. You're desperately trying to keep up with the level and quantity of the work, but you might also be preparing for and taking university entrance tests and attending interviews.

The students who struggle the most in year 13 have usually left choosing their university courses until the autumn and just let writing their personal statement drag on and on. This nearly always compromises their grades because they're:

• Not entirely sure what they're aiming for and therefore aren't as motivated in their studies
• Their attention is divided between deciding about their future and actually getting the grades

How to make sure you're ready to write your personal statement in the summer of year 12

In this post I wrote about when to start a UCAS application.

You'll see that I advise people to start thinking about this as early as year 10 or 11. Some students are really sure about what they want to do from a really young age so it's not a problem for them to get relevant work experience and other super-curricular experiences over a period of two or three years.

However, for most students the most realistic thing to do is to start researching their courses, organising super-curricular activities and doing reading from the summer after their GCSEs in year 11. This means that by the time they come to write their personal statement in the summer of year 12 it's a fairly easy task.

The students who I've worked with who've managed their year 13 stress levels most effectively are the ones who've been working towards their personal statements since year 11 so that it was relatively straight-forward to write it down in the summer of year 12.

Do you need help with your personal statement?

If you've read this and you're in a sudden panic because you haven't really started your personal statement yet, let along finalised your university choices, don't worry – I can help.

My Personal Statement Masterclass guides you through the process of:

• Choosing the right subject, courses and universities for you;
• Preparing to write your personal statement through researching your courses, boosting your experiences and gathering everything you've done that's relevant to your personal statement together
• Writing your personal statement, including how to structure it, how to write a compelling opening sentence and closing paragraph and the writing style you should use to convey your passion and intellectual ability without sounding like a show-off

One parent said this about the materials inside the Personal Statement Masterclass :

“The personal statement masterclass was a triumph! It helped lead to immediate offers from all the universities my daughter applied to. We are lucky enough to have a friend who works on the admissions team for a university, so once Esme had worked through the masterclass, had edited and re-edited until she had her final statement and then we cheekily asked him if he could read it to see what he thought (I hasten to add, she wasn't applying to the university where he works). He said it was fantastic and that he wouldn't change a thing. Lucy, without you she wouldn't have known where to start, so a belated thank you.”

Click here to find out more about it and sign-up.

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Lucy Parsons

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