UCAS Personal Statement Writing

A personal statement is part of your application to study at a UK university. In a personal statement, the student writes about what they hope to achieve on a UK university course, what they hope to do after it, and why they are applying to this particular university. It is your first chance to show a demonstrable passion and understanding of your chosen subject away from exam results.

What do I include in my personal statement?

• Your career aspirations
• How did you become interested in studying the subject
• What, if any, relevant work experience have you undertaken that is related to the course or subject
• What aspects of your previous education have you found the most interesting
• What attracted you to the particular university
• Other relevant academic interests and passions which display positive character and personality

Genuine experiences in extracurricular clubs, work experience, or knowledge of a subject are much more likely to make your personal statement stand out. Admissions officers are also looking for positive evidence of your character that will make you a productive member of the university.

How long should my personal statement be?

The length of a personal statement varies depending on the university, but generally, the average length for an undergraduate application is between 400 and 600 words, around one side of A4 paper or a maximum of 47 lines. Certain postgraduate programmes may require a 1000-word personal statement, but this will be specified.

Try not to exceed the given character limit, as admissions officers have many personal statements to review, and a written and concise personal statement is more likely to stand out.

Common personal statement errors

• The personal statement is too short/long
• The personal statement does not include important information/includes negative information
• The personal statement has a confusing structure

It is also important not to lie about any aspect of your personal life and educational history or even exaggerate. Admissions officers will question you about almost all aspects of your application and are more than adept at determining any non-truths.

Personal statement tips

• Express a passion for your subject
• Start the statement strongly to grab an admission officer’s attention
• Link outside interests and passions to your course
• Be honest, but don’t include negative information
• Don’t attempt to sound too clever
• Don’t leave it to the last minute; prepare ahead of the deadline
• Have friends and family proofread it
• Don’t duplicate material from your CV/resume

In terms of presentation, attempt to create five clear paragraphs of text in a clear font such as Arial or Times New  Roman, with a maximum size of 12.

Personal Statement Support

Once you have completed your personal statement, visit StudyIn for a free consultation. We can edit your personal statement and ensure the English is clear and grammatically correct. Once this process is complete, we will return your personal statement within 1-3 working days.

FAQs

What should you avoid in a UCAS personal statement?

Applicants should avoid misspellings and grammar errors and discuss topics unrelated to their application and character.

Do universities read personal statements?

Yes, universities read UCAS personal statements, and they play a major role when shortlisting candidates.

What happens if you lie in your personal statement?

If you lie on your UCAS personal statement, your application will be rejected, and any offers will be revoked.

What happens if UCAS detects similarities in your personal statement?

If UCAS detects similarities in your personal statement, it will be flagged for review, and your university choices will be notified while it is under review.

Does UCAS tell you if you’ve been rejected?

UCAS will notify you if your UCAS application has been rejected. You may also receive an email from the university stating why your application has been rejected.

What happens if you make a mistake on your UCAS application?

Once your UCAS application has been submitted, it cannot be changed. So, before submitting, make sure you proofread your application or get it proofread by someone else to make it error-free.

Personal Statement Example

Please see below for an example of a personal statement for a Development Studies course.