A well-positioned personal statement will lead you to a successful offer! It’s important you take the time to plan what you want to include. Think it through, make notes, allow enough time! Be enthusiastic; but be honest!
Your personal statement is your chance to show you have what it takes to study your chosen subject, this can often mean applying for 5 different universities and degree courses, so it’s important to include the correct information. If you are applying for different courses, ensure you write about the common themes between each of these.
This is your chance to explain why you are the best / most suitable choice of candidate.
4,000 characters can seem quite daunting, honestly though, any number of characters or words is always too much or too little!
Let’s break it down:
Opening your statement
- Get straight to the point, you don’t have characters available for fluffy language and superfluous statements – From an early age, I have wanted to study ……..(your subject / subjects), because …….. (explain why this course and what interests you most about it)
The body of your statement
You need to introduce yourself, discuss your experiences, abilities, interests and achievements:
- Why are your suited to the course
- What have you done so far to prepare yourself for your future studies:
- What are you studying now
- What are the expected outcomes of your upcoming exams
- What clubs do you attend, do they relate to the course (e.g. Maths club)
- Have you completed any challenges (e.g. a Science competition)
- What books have you read that encouraged you to apply for a Business Degree (e.g. …..) What have you gained from this?
- Do you have any relevant work experience you’ve undertaken to prepare you for your studies / future career plans?
- What do you have to offer / have you achieved that makes you different to each other applicant for your chosen course?
- For mature students, discuss your career experience so far and your transferable skills
Closing your statement
Focus on your future, what are your career aspirations post university and how will the course help you achieve them
Always!
- Use accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Proofread your statement
- If you are invited for an interview, reread your statement to familiarise yourself with the information you provided
Things to avoid!
Use of AI
- Generic Statements
- Famous Quotes
What changes in 2025?
If you are applying for 2026 entry to university, UCAS are changing the format of your personal statement with the introduction of 3 questions, which you have 4,000 characters to use flexibly across your answers
If you’d like professional help with your UCAS statement, our experienced writers know exactly what is required of a solid statement and would love to assist you with this. Find out more here