UCAS: How to write
your Personal Statement

An undergraduate personal statement for your UCAS application is your chance to get noticed for the unique talents and experiences you have. It’s an important part of the UCAS application process as it’s an opportunity to talk about yourself and your passions, outside of your grades.

It can only be 4,000 characters, which is about two sides of A4. So, you’ll need to use your words wisely to fit everything in. Here you'll find everything you need to know about how to write a personal statement that stands out from the crowd.

• What to include in your personal statement

  1. Strong introduction

  2. Writing about the course

  You should include things you have done outside of your college course, to show your interest and passion for the subject that you are applying to. It is also important to pick out a few elements that you have learnt on your course, to show your knowledge of the subject.

  3. Skills and achievements

  You should include some skills that you have learnt from either your part-time job, or maybe any volunteering you have taken part in.

  4. Work experience and future plans

  Share details of jobs, placements, work experience, or voluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to your course. Also include how the course will help your career plan.

  5. Strong conclusion

• Preparing to write your personal statement

  Preparation is key, when getting started with your personal statement. There are two things to think about when you’re planning. The practical and factual information you need to get across, and the more emotional, human parts of you that make you different to everyone else.

  Before you start writing, take some time to think about the key things you’d want an admissions tutor to know about you, and get them down on paper. Don’t worry too much about making your notes perfect – this is more about making sure you know why you should be offered a place.

  You can also look at the course description as this’ll help you with what to include and give you a good idea of what each college or university is looking for.

  Here are a few questions you can answer to help you get started:

  1. Why have you chosen this course?
  2. What excites you about the subject?
  3. Is my previous or current study relevant to the course?
  4. Have you got any work experience that might help you?
  5. What life experiences have you had that you could talk about?
  6. What achievements are you proud of?
  7. What skills do you have that make you perfect for the course?
  8. What plans and ambitions do you have for your future career?

• How to start your personal statement

  The best statements tend to be genuine and specific from the very start. You'll be on the right track if you show your enthusiasm for the subject or course, your understanding of it, and what you want to achieve.

  Admissions tutors – the people who read and score your personal statement – say don’t get stressed about trying to think of a ‘killer opening’. Discover the advice below and take your time to think about how best to introduce yourself.

  • Don’t begin with the overkill opening. Try not to overthink the opening sentence. You need to engage the reader with your relevant thoughts and ideas, but not go overboard.
  • Write about why you want to study that course. Start with a short sentence that captures the reason why you’re interested in studying the area you’re applying for and that communicates your enthusiasm for it.
  • Avoid cliches and quotes! Try to avoid cliches and the most obvious opening sentences so you stand out from the very first line.
  • Maybe don’t begin at the start? It may be easier to get on with writing the main content of your statement and coming back to the introduction afterwards –that way you will also know what you’re introducing.

• Your personal skills and achievements

  Next, you’ll need to write about your personal skills and achievements. Colleges and universities like to know the abilities you have that’ll help you on the course, or generally with life at college or university.

  Don’t forget to include evidence to back up why you’re so excited about the course(s) you’ve chosen.

  • Be bold and talk about the achievements you’re proud of.
  • Include positions of responsibility you hold, or have held, both in and out of school.
  • What are the things that make you interesting, special, or unique?

• Work experience and future plans

  Your work experience and future plans are important to include. You should share details of jobs, placements, work experience, or voluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to your course. 

  • Try to link any experience to skills or qualities that’ll make you successful.
  • If you know what you’d like to do after as a career, explain how you plan to use the knowledge and experience that you’ll gain to launch your career.

• How to end your personal statement

  You want to leave the admissions tutor reading your personal statement with a strong lasting impression – one that will leave them no choice but to make you an offer. There are a few ways you can do this.

  • Tie it back to what you’ve written earlier. Revisit the key points you’ve already spoken about in the main body of your personal statement and emphasise them again in your conclusion. 
  • Talk about the future. Looking to the future is an optimistic way to finish. It shows your goal-oriented, and you’ve carefully thought about how this course fits into your plans.
  • Think about your higher education experience. You could conclude by talking more generally about what you want to get from your overall higher education and how you will be an asset to the college or univeristy
  • Answer why you should be offered a place?