uk admissions essay

UCAS Personal Statement and Examples

What is the ucas personal statement .

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) Personal Statement is the main essay for your application to colleges and universities in Great Britain. UCAS gives a nice explanation here , but in short, this is your chance to stand out against the crowd and show your knowledge and enthusiasm for your chosen area of study.

You’ve got 4,000 characters and 47 line limit to show colleges what (ideally) gets you out of bed in the morning. How long is that, really? Use your “word count” tool in Google or Word docs to check as you go along, but 4,000 characters is roughly 500 words or one page.

HOW IS THE UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT DIFFERENT FROM THE US PERSONAL STATEMENT?

Think they’re the same? Think again. Here are some key differences between the UCAS and the US Personal Statement:

When you apply to UK schools, you’re applying to one particular degree program, which you’ll study for all, or almost all, your time at university. Your UCAS personal statement should focus less on cool/fun/quirky aspects of yourself and more on how you’ve prepared for your particular area of study.

The UCAS Personal Statement will be read by someone looking for proof that you are academically capable of studying that subject for your entire degree. In some cases, it might be an actual professor reading your essay.

You’ll only write one personal statement, which will be sent to all the universities you’re applying to, and it’s unlikely you’ll be sending any additional (supplemental) essays. Your essay needs to explain why you enjoy and are good at this subject, without reference to any particular university or type of university.

Any extracurricular activities that are NOT connected to the subject you’re applying for are mostly irrelevant, unless they illustrate relevant points about your study skills or attributes: for example, having a job outside of school shows time-management and people skills, or leading a sports team shows leadership and responsibility.

Your personal statement will mostly focus on what you’ve done at high school, in class, and often in preparation for external exams. 80-90% of the content will be academic in nature.

A QUICK STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO WRITING THE UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT

This may be obvious, but the first step to a great UCAS Personal Statement is to choose the subject you’re applying for. This choice will be consistent across the (up to) five course choices you have. Often, when students struggle with a UCAS personal statement, it’s because they are trying to make the statement work for a couple of different subjects. With a clear focus on one subject, the essay can do the job it is supposed to do. Keep in mind you’re limited to 47 lines or 4000 characters, so this has to be concise and make efficient use of words.

To work out what information to include, my favourite brainstorming activity is the ‘Courtroom Exercise’. Here’s how it works:

The Courtroom Exercise

Imagine you’re prosecuting a case in court, and the case is that should be admitted to a university to study the subject you’ve chosen. You have to present your case to the judge, in a 47 line or 4,000 character statement. The judge won’t accept platitudes or points made without evidence–she needs to see evidence. What examples will you present in your statement?

In a good statement, you’ll make an opening and a closing point.

To open your argument, can you sum up in one sentence why you wish to study this subject? Can you remember where your interest in that subject began? Do you have a story to tell that will engage the reader about your interest in that subject?

Next, you’ll present a number of pieces of evidence, laying out in detail why you’re a good match for this subject. What activities have you done that prove you can study this subject at university?

Most likely, you’ll start with a class you took, a project you worked on, an internship you had, or a relevant extra-curricular activity you enjoyed. For each activity you discuss, structure a paragraph on each using the ABC approach:

A: What is the A ctivity?

B: How did it B enefit you as a potential student for this degree course?

C: Link the benefit to the skills needed to be successful on this C ourse.

With three or four paragraphs like these, each of about 9 or 10 lines, and you should have the bulk of your statement done. Typically two of these will be about classes you have taken at school, and two about relevant activities outside of school.

In the last paragraph, you need to demonstrate wider skills that you have, which you can probably do from your extracurricular activities. How could you demonstrate your time management, your ability to collaborate, or your creativity? Briefly list a few extracurricular activities you’ve taken part in and identify the relevant skills that are transferable to university study.

Finally, close your argument in a way that doesn’t repeat what you’ve already shared. Case closed!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What if I’m not sure what I want to study? Should I still apply? 

There are a number of broader programs available at UK universities (sometimes called Liberal Arts or Flexible Combined Honours). However,  you should still showcase two or three academic areas of interest. If you are looking for a broader range of subjects to study and can’t choose one, then the UK might not be the best fit for you.

What if I haven’t done much, academically or via extracurriculars, to demonstrate that I’ll be able to complete the coursework for my degree? Should I still apply?

You certainly can, but you will need to be realistic about the strength of your application as a result. The most selective universities will want to see this evidence, but less selective ones will be more willing to account for your potential to grow in addition to what you’ve already achieved. You could also consider applying for a Foundation course or a ‘Year 0’ course, where you have an additional year pre-university to enable you to develop this range of evidence.

If I’m not accepted into a particular major, can I be accepted into a different major?

It’s important to understand that we are not talking about a ‘major,’ as what you are accepted into is one entire course of study. Some universities may make you an ‘alternative offer’ for a similar but perhaps less popular course (for example you applied for Business but instead they offer you a place for Business with a Language).At others, you can indicate post-application that you would like to be considered for related courses. However, it’s not going to be possible to switch between two completely unrelated academic areas.

What other information is included in my application? Will they see my extracurricular activities, for example? Is there an Additional Information section where I can include more context on what I’ve done in high school?

The application is very brief: the personal statement is where you put all the information. UCAS does not include an activities section or space for any other writing. The 47 lines are all you have. Some universities might accept information if there are particularly important extenuating circumstances that must be conveyed. This can be done via email, but typically, they don’t want to see more than the UCAS statement and your school’s reference provides.

Now, let’s take a look at some of my favourite UCAS personal statement examples with some analysis of why I think these are great.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR CHEMISTRY

When I was ten, I saw a documentary on Chemistry that really fascinated me. Narrated by British theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili, it explained how the first elements were discovered and how Chemistry was born out of alchemy. I became fascinated with Chemistry and have remained so ever since. I love the subject because it has very theoretical components, for example quantum Chemistry, while also having huge practical applications.

In this introduction, the student shows where his interest in Chemistry comes from. Adding some additional academic detail (in this case, the name of the scientist) helps guide the reader into more specific information on why this subject is interesting to him.

This aspect of Chemistry is important to me. I have, for example, used machine learning to differentiate between approved and experimental drugs. On the first run, using drug molecules from the website Drug Bank, I calculated some molecular descriptors for them. I started with a simple logistic regression model and was shocked to find that it had apparently classified almost all molecules correctly. This result couldn’t be right; it took me nearly a month to find the error. I accidentally normalized the molecular-descriptor data individually, rather than as a combined data set, thereby encoding the label into the input. On a second run, after fixing the error, I used real machine learning libraries. Here I actually got some performance with my new algorithm, which I could compare to professional researchers’ papers. The highest accuracy I ever saw on my screen was 86 percent. The researchers’ result was 85 percent; thanks to more modern machine learning methods, I narrowly beat them. I have also studied Mathematics and Physics at A Level and have been able to dive into areas beyond the A Level syllabus such as complex integration in math and the Schrödinger equation in Physics.

This paragraph outlines a clear case for this student’s aptitude for and interest in Chemistry. He explains in detail how he has explored his intended major, using academic terminology to show us he has studied the subject deeply. Knowing an admissions reader is looking for evidence that this student has a talent for Chemistry, this paragraph gives them the evidence they need to admit him.

Additionally, I have worked on an undergraduate computer science course on MIT Opencourseware, but found that the content followed fixed rules and did not require creativity. At the time I was interested in neural networks and listened to lectures by professor Geoffrey Hinton who serendipitously mentioned his students testing his techniques on ‘Kaggle Competitions’. I quickly got interested and decided to compete on this platform. Kaggle allowed me to measure my machine learning skills against competitors with PhDs or who are professional data scientists at large corporations. With this kind of competition naturally I did not win any prizes, but I worked with the same tools and saw how others gradually perfected a script, something which has helped my A Level studies immensely.

Introducing a new topic, the student again uses academic terminology to show how he has gone beyond the confines of his curriculum to explore the subject at a higher level. In this paragraph, he demonstrates that he has studied university-level Chemistry. Again, this helps the reader to see that this student is capable of studying for a Chemistry degree.

I have been keen to engage in activities beyond the classroom. For example, I have taken part in a range of extracurricular activities, including ballroom dancing, public speaking, trumpet, spoken Mandarin, and tennis, achieving a LAMDA distinction at level four for my public speaking. I have also participated in Kaggle competitions, as I’m extremely interested in machine learning. For example, I have used neural networks to determine the causes of Amazon deforestation from satellite pictures in the ‘Planet: Understanding the Amazon from Space’ competition. I believe that having worked on projects spanning several weeks or even months has allowed me to build a stamina that will be extremely useful when studying at university.

This penultimate paragraph introduces the student’s extracurricular interests, summing them up in a sentence. Those activities that can demonstrate skills that are transferable to the study of Chemistry are given a bit more explanation. The student’s descriptions in each paragraph are very detailed, with lots of specific information about awards, classes and teachers.

What I hope to gain from an undergraduate (and perhaps post-graduate) education in Chemistry is to deepen my knowledge of the subject and potentially have the ability to successfully launch a startup after university. I’m particularly interested in areas such as computational Chemistry and cheminformatics. However, I’m  open to studying other areas in Chemistry, as it is a subject that truly captivates me.

In the conclusion, the student touches on his future plans, using specific terminology that shows his knowledge of Chemistry. This also reveals that he aims to have a career in this field, which many admission readers find appealing as it demonstrates a level of commitment to the subject.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR VETERINARY MEDICINE

This next statement has to accomplish a number of tasks, given the subject the student is applying for. As a vocational degree, applicants for veterinary medicine are committing to a career as well as a subject to study, so they need to give information demonstrating they understand the reality of a career in this area. It also needs to explain their motivation for this interest, which quite often is demonstrated through work experience (something which is often a condition for entry into these programs). Finally, as this is a highly academic subject to study at university, the author should include a good level of academic terminology and experiences in the statement.

There is nothing more fascinating to me than experiencing animals in the wild, in their natural habitat where their behaviour is about the survival of their species. I was lucky enough to experience this when in Tanzania. While observing animals hunting, I became intrigued by their musculature and inspired to work alongside these animals to help them when they are sick, as a veterinarian.

In an efficient way, the applicant explains her motivation to become a vet, then squeezes in a bit of information about her experience with animals.

As a horse rider and owner for nearly ten years, I have sought opportunities to learn as much as I can about caring for the animal. I helped around the yard with grooming and exercise, bringing horses in and out from the fields, putting on rugs, and mucking out. I have also been working at a small animal vet clinic every other Saturday for over 2.5 years. There, my responsibilities include restocking and sterilising equipment, watching procedures, and helping in consultations. Exposure to different cases has expanded my knowledge of various aspects, such as assisting with an emergency caesarean procedure. Due to a lack of staff on a Saturday, I was put in charge of anaesthesia while the puppies were being revived. I took on this task without hesitation and recorded heart and respiration rate, capillary refill time, and gum colour every five minutes. Other placements following an equine vet, working on a polo farm, and volunteering at a swan sanctuary have also broadened my experience with different species and how each possesses various requirements. During pre-vet summer courses, I was also introduced to farm animals such as pigs, cows, sheep and chicken. I spend some time milking dairy cows and removing clustered dust from chicken feet, as well as tipping sheep in order to inspect their teats.

In this paragraph, she synthesizes personal experience with an academic understanding of vet medicine. She demonstrates that she is committed to animals (helping in the yard, regular Saturday work, assistance with procedures), that she has gained a variety of experiences, and that she understands some of the conditions (caesareans, clustered dust) that vets have to deal with. Note that she also briefly discusses ‘pre-vet summer courses,’ adding credibility to her level of experience.

I have focused on HL Biology and HL Chemistry for my IB Diploma. I was particularly excited to study cell biology and body systems because these subjects allowed me to comprehend how the body works and are applicable to animal body functions. Topics like DNA replication as well as cell transcription and translation have helped me form a fundamental understanding of genetics and protein synthesis, both important topics when looking into hereditary diseases in animals. Learning about chemical reactions made me consider the importance of pharmaceutical aspects of veterinary medicine, such as the production of effective medicine. Vaccines are essential and by learning about the chemical reactions, I f developed a more nuanced understanding about how they are made and work.

Now, the statement turns to academic matters, linking her IB subjects to the university studies she aspires to. She draws out one particular example that makes a clear link between school and university-level study.

I have also written my Extended Essay discussing the consequences of breeding laws in the UK and South Australia in relation to the development of genetic abnormalities in pugs and German shepherds. This topic is important, as the growing brachycephalic aesthetic of pugs is causing them to suffer throughout their lifetime. Pedigree dogs, such as the German shepherd, have a very small gene pool and as a result, hereditary diseases can develop. This becomes an ethical discussion, because allowing German shepherds to suffer is not moral; however, as a breed, they aid the police and thus serve society.

The IB Extended Essay (like an A Level EPQ or a Capstone project) is a great topic to discuss in a personal statement, as these activities are designed to allow students to explore subjects in greater detail.

The first sentence here is a great example of what getting more specific looks like because it engages more directly with what the student is actually writing about in this particular paragraph then it extrapolates a more general point of advice from those specificities.

By choosing to write her Extended Essay on a topic of relevance to veterinary medicine, she has given herself the opportunity to show the varied aspects of veterinary science. This paragraph proves to the reader that this student is capable and motivated to study veterinary medicine.

I have learned that being a veterinarian requires diagnostic skills as well as excellent communication and leadership skills. I understand the importance and ethics of euthanasia decisions, and the sensitivity around discussing it withanimal owners. I have developed teamwork and leadership skills when playing varsity football and basketball for four years. My communication skills have expanded through being a Model U.N. and Global Issues Network member.

This small paragraph on her extracurricular activities links them clearly to her intended area of study, both in terms of related content and necessary skills. From this, the reader gains the impression that this student has a wide range of relevant interests.

When I attend university, I not only hope to become a veterinarian, but also a leader in the field. I would like to research different aspects of veterinary medicine, such as diseases. As a vet, I would like to help work towards the One Health goal; allowing the maintenance of public health security. This affects vets because we are the ones working closely with animals every day.

In the conclusion, she ties things together and looks ahead to her career. By introducing the concept of ‘One Health’, she also shows once again her knowledge of the field she is applying to.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Standing inside a wind tunnel is not something every 17 year old aspires to, but for me the opportunity to do so last year confirmed my long-held desire to become a mechanical engineer.

This introduction is efficient and provides a clear direction for the personal statement. Though it might seem that it should be more detailed, for a student applying to study a course that requires limited extended writing, being this matter-of-fact works fine.

I enjoy the challenge of using the laws of Physics, complemented with Mathematical backing, in the context of everyday life, which helps me to visualise and understand where different topics can be applied. I explored the field of aeronautics, specifically in my work experience with Emirates Aviation University. I explored how engineers apply basic concepts of air resistance and drag when I had the opportunity to experiment with the wind tunnel, which allowed me to identify how different wing shapes behave at diverse air pressures. My interest with robotics has led me to take up a year-long internship with MakersBuilders, where I had the chance to explore physics and maths on a different plane. During my internship I educated young teenagers on a more fundamental stage of building and programming, in particular when we worked on building a small robot and programmed the infra-red sensor in order to create self-sufficient movement. This exposure allowed me to improve my communication and interpersonal skills.

In this paragraph, the student adds evidence to the initial assertion that he enjoys seeing how Physics relates to everyday life. The descriptions of the work experiences he has had not only show his commitment to the subject, but also enable him to bring in some academic content to demonstrate his understanding of engineering and aeronautics.

I’m interested in the mechanics side of Maths such as circular motion and projectiles; even Pure Maths has allowed me to easily see patterns when working and solving problems in Computer Science. During my A Level Maths and Further Maths, I have particularly enjoyed working with partial fractions as they show how reverse methodology can be used to solve addition of fractions, which ranges from simple addition to complex kinematics. ­­­Pure Maths has also enabled me to better understand how 3D modelling works with ­­­the use of volumes of revolution, especially when I learned how to apply the calculations to basic objects like calculating the amount of water in a bottle or the volume of a pencil.

This paragraph brings in the academic content at school, which is important when applying for a subject such as engineering. This is because the admissions reader needs to be reassured that the student has covered the necessary foundational content to be able to cope with Year 1 of this course.

In my Drone Club I have been able to apply several methods of wing formation, such as the number of blades used during a UAS flight. Drones can be used for purposes such as in Air-sea Rescue or transporting food to low income countries. I have taken on the responsibility of leading and sharing my skills with others, particularly in the Drone Club where I gained the certification to fly drones. In coding club, I participated in the global Google Code competition related to complex, real-life coding, such as a program that allows phones to send commands to another device using Bluetooth. My Cambridge summer course on math and engineering included the origins of a few of the most important equations and ideologies from many mathematicians such as, E=mc2 from Einstein, I also got a head start at understanding matrices and their importance in kinematics. Last summer, I completed a course at UT Dallas on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The course was intuitive and allowed me to understand a different perspective of how robots and AI will replace humans to do complex and labour-intensive activities, customer service, driverless cars and technical support.

In this section, he demonstrates his commitment to the subject through a detailed list of extracurricular activities, all linked to engineering and aeronautics. The detail he gives about each one links to the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in these subjects at university.

I have represented Model UN as a delegate and enjoyed working with others to solve problems. For my Duke of Edinburgh Award, I partook in several activities such as trekking and playing the drums. I enjoy music and I have reached grade 3 for percussion. I have also participated in a range of charitable activities, which include assisting during Ramadan and undertaking fun-runs to raise money for cancer research.

As with the introduction, this is an efficient use of language, sharing a range of activities, each of which has taught him useful skills. The conclusion that follows is similarly efficient and to the point.

I believe that engineering is a discipline that will offer me a chance to make a tangible difference in the world, and I am certain I will enjoy the process of integrating technology with our everyday life.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL POLICY

Applying for a joint honours course presents a particular challenge of making the case that you are interested in the first subject, the second subject and (often overlooked) the combination of the two. In this example, the applicant uses her own academic studies and personal experiences to make her case.

I usually spend my summer breaks in Uttar Pradesh, India working at my grandparents’ NGO which produces bio-fertilizers for the poor. While working, I speak to many of the villagers in the nearby villages like Barokhar and Dharampur and have found out about the various initiatives the Government has taken to improve the production of wheat and rice. I understand the hardships they undergo and speaking to them has shown me the importance of Social Policy and the role the government plays in improving the lives of people and inspired me to pursue my university studies in this field.

In the introduction, this applicant explains where her interlinking experiences come from: she has personal experiences demonstrating how economics impacts the most vulnerable in society. In doing so, she shows the admissions reader that she has a deep interest in this combination and can move on to discussing each subject in turn.

My interest in these areas has been driven by the experiences I had at high school and beyond. I started attending Model United Nations in the 9th grade and have been to many conferences, discussing problems like the water crisis and a lack of sustainability in underdeveloped countries. These topics overlapped with my study of economics and exciting classroom discussions on what was going on how different events would impact economies, for instance how fluctuations in oil prices will affect standards of living. Studying Economics has expanded  my knowledge about how countries are run and how macroeconomic policies shape the everyday experiences of individuals.

Unusually, this applicant does not go straight into her classroom experiences but instead uses one of her extracurricular activities (Model United Nations) in her first paragraph. For students applying for subjects that are not often taught at school (Social Policy in this example), this can be a good idea, as it allows you to bring in material that you have self-studied to explain why you are capable of studying each subject at university. Here, she uses MUN discussions to show she understands some topics in social policy that are impacting the world.

By taking up history as a subject in Grade 11 and 12, I have seen the challenges that people went through in the past, and how different ideas gained momentum in different parts of the world such as the growth of communism in Russia and China and how it spread to different countries during the Cold War. I learned about the different roles that governments played in times of hardships such as that which President Roosevelt’s New Deal played during the Great Depression. From this, I gained analytical skills by scrutinizing how different social, political and economic forces have moulded societies in the past.

In this paragraph, she then takes the nearest possible class to her interest in Social Policy and draws elements from it to add to her case for Social Policy. Taking some elements from her history classes enables her to add some content to this statement, before linking to the topic of economics.

To explore my interest in Economics, I interned at Emirates National Bank of Dubai, one of the largest banks in the Middle East, and also at IBM. At Emirates NBD, I undertook a research project on Cash Management methods in competitor banks and had to present my findings at the end of the internship. I also interned at IBM where I had to analyze market trends and fluctuations in market opportunity in countries in the Middle East and Africa. I had to find relations between GDP and market opportunity and had to analyze how market opportunity could change over the next 5 years with changing geo-political situations. I have also attended Harvard University’s Youth Lead the Change leadership conference where I was taught how to apply leadership skills to solve global problems such as gender inequality and poverty.

Economics is explored again through extracurriculars, with some detail added to the general statement about the activities undertaken during this work experience. Though the level of academics here is a little thin because this student’s high school did not offer any classes in Economics, she does as well as she can to bring in academic content.

I have partaken in many extra-curricular activities which have helped me develop the skills necessary for this course. Being a part of the Press Club at school gave me an opportunity to hone my talent for the written word and gave me a platform to talk about global issues. Volunteering at a local library taught me how to be organized. I developed research and analytical skills by undertaking various research projects at school such as the sector-wide contribution of the Indian economy to the GDP in the previous year. As a member of the Business and Economic Awareness Council at school, I was instrumental in organizing many economics-based events such as the Business Fair and Innovation Mela. Being part of various Face to Faith conferences has provided me with an opportunity to interact with students in Sierra Leone, India and Korea and understand global perspectives on issues like malaria and human trafficking.

The extracurricular activities are revisited here, with the first half of this paragraph showing how the applicant has some transferable skills from her activities that will help her with this course. She then revisits her interest in the course studies, before following up with a closing section that touches on her career goals:

The prospect of pursuing these two subjects is one that I eagerly anticipate and I look forward to meeting the challenge of university. In the future, I wish to become an economist and work at a think tank where I will be able to apply what I have learnt in studying such an exciting course.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR HISTORY OF ART & PHILOSOPHY

This applicant is also a joint-honours applicant, and again is applying for a subject that she has not been able to study at school. Thus, bringing in her own interest and knowledge of both subjects is crucial here.

At the age of four, I remember an argument with my mother: I wanted to wear a pink ballerina dress with heels, made for eight-year-olds, which despite my difficulty in staying upright I was determined to wear. My mother persistently engaged in debate with me about why it was not ok to wear this ensemble in winter. After two hours of patiently explaining to me and listening to my responses she convinced me that I should wear something different, the first time I remember listening to reason. It has always been a natural instinct for me to discuss everything, since in the course of my upbringing I was never given a simple yes or no answer. Thus, when I began studying philosophy, I understood fully my passion for argument and dialogue.

This is an unusual approach to start a UCAS Personal Statement, but it does serve to show how this student approaches the world and why this combination of subjects might work for her. Though it could perhaps be drawn out more explicitly, here she is combining an artistic issue (her clothes) with a philosophical concern (her debate with her mother) to lead the reader into the case she is making for admission into this program.

This was first sparked academically when I was introduced to religious ethics; having a fairly Christian background my view on religion was immature. I never thought too much of the subject as I believed it was just something my grandparents did. However, when opened up to the arguments about god and religion, I was inclined to argue every side. After research and discussion, I was able to form my own view on religion without having to pick a distinctive side to which theory I would support. This is what makes me want to study philosophy: it gives an individual personal revelation towards matters into which they may not have given too much thought to.

There is some good content here that discusses the applicant’s interest in philosophy and her own motivation for this subject, though there is a lack of academic content here.

Alongside this, taking IB Visual Arts HL has opened my artistic views through pushing me out of my comfort zone. Art being a very subjective course, I was forced to choose an opinion which only mattered to me, it had no analytical nor empirical rights or wrongs, it was just my taste in art. From studying the two subjects alongside each other, I found great value, acquiring a certain form of freedom in each individual with their dual focus on personalized opinion and taste in many areas, leading to self- improvement.

In this section, she uses her IB Visual Arts class to explore how her interest in philosophy bleeds into her appreciation of art. Again, we are still awaiting the academic content, but the reader will by now be convinced that the student has a deep level of motivation for this subject. When we consider how rare this combination is, with very few courses for this combination available, the approach to take slightly longer to establish can work.

For this reason, I find the work of Henry Moore fascinating. I am intrigued by his pieces, especially the essence of the ‘Reclining Nude’ model, as the empty holes inflicted on the abstract human body encouraged my enthusiasm for artistic interpretation. This has led me to contemplate the subtlety, complexity and merit of the role of an artist. Developing an art piece is just as complex and refined as writing a novel or developing a theory in Philosophy. For this reason, History of Art conjoins with Philosophy, as the philosophical approach towards an art piece is what adds context to the history as well as purpose behind it.

Finally, we’re given the academic content. Cleverly, the content links both the History of Art and Philosophy together through a discussion of the work of Henry Moore. Finding examples that conjoin the subjects that make up a joint-honours application is a great idea and works well here.

Studying Philosophy has allowed me to apply real life abstractions to my art, as well as to glean a deeper critical analysis of art in its various mediums. My IB Extended Essay examined the 1900s Fauve movement, which made a huge breakthrough in France and Hungary simultaneously. This was the first artistic movement which was truly daring and outgoing with its vivid colours and bold brush strokes. My interest expanded to learning about the Hungarian artists in this movement led by Henri Matisse. Bela Czobel was one of the few who travelled to France to study but returned to Hungary, more specifically Nagybanya, to bestow what he had learned.

Again in this paragraph, the author connects the subjects. Students who are able to undertake a research project in their high school studies (such as the IB Extended Essay here, or the A Level Extended Project or AP Capstone) can describe these in their UCAS personal statements, as this level of research in an area of academic study can enliven and add depth to the writing, as is the case here.

As an international student with a multicultural background, I believe I can adapt to challenging or unfamiliar surroundings with ease. I spent two summers working at a nursery in Hungary as a junior Assistant Teacher, where I demonstrated leadership and teamwork skills that I had previously developed through commitment to sports teams. I was a competitive swimmer for six years and have represented my school internationally as well as holding the school record for 100m backstroke. I was elected Deputy Head of my House, which further reflects my dedication, leadership, teamwork and diligence.

As in the previous examples, this statement gives a good overview of the applicant’s extracurricular activities, with a mention of skills that will be beneficial to her studies at university. She then concludes with a brief final sentence:

I hope to carry these skills with me into my university studies, allowing me to enrich my knowledge and combine my artistic and philosophical interests.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR LIBERAL ARTS

A good range of UK universities now offer courses called ‘Liberal Arts’ (or similar titles such as ‘Flexible Combined Honours’), which allows students to study a broader topic of study–perhaps combining three or four subjects–than is typically available in the UK system.

This presents a challenge in the personal statement, as within the 47 line / 4000 character limit, the applicant will have to show academic interest and knowledge in a range of subjects while also making the case to be admitted for this combined programme of study.

As a child I disliked reading; however, when I was 8, there was one particular book that caught my attention: The Little Prince. From that moment onwards, my love for literature was ignited and I had entered into a whirlwind of fictional worlds. While studying and analysing the classics from The Great Gatsby to Candide, this has exposed me to a variety of novels. My French bilingualism allowed me to study, in great depth, different texts in their original language. This sparked a new passion of mine for poetry, and introduced me to the works of Arthur Rimbaud, who has greatly influenced me. Through both reading and analysing poetry I was able to decipher its meaning. Liberal Arts gives me the opportunity to continue to study a range of texts and authors from different periods in history, as well as related aspects of culture, economy and society.

Here we have a slightly longer than usual opening paragraph, but given the nature of the course being applied for this works well. A personal story segueing from literature to modern languages to history and cultural studies shows that this student has a broad range of interests within the humanities and thus is well-suited to this course of study.

Liberal Arts is a clear choice for me. Coming from the IB International Baccalaureate Diploma programme I have studied a wide range of subjects which has provided me with a breadth of knowledge. In Theatre, I have adapted classics such as Othello by Shakespeare, and playing the role of moreover acting as Desdemona forced me to compartmentalise her complex emotions behind the early-modern English text. Studying History has taught me a number of skills; understanding the reasons behind changes in society, evaluating sources, and considering conflicting interpretations. From my interdisciplinary education I am able to critically analyse the world around me. Through studying Theory of Knowledge, I have developed high quality analysis using key questions and a critical mindset by questioning how and why we think and why. By going beyond the common use of reason, I have been able to deepen greaten my understanding and apply my ways of knowing in all subjects; for example in science I was creative in constructing my experiment (imagination) and used qualitative data (sense perception).

Students who are taking the IB Diploma, with its strictures to retain a broad curriculum, are well-suited to the UK’s Liberal Arts courses, as they have had practice seeing the links between subjects. In this paragraph, the applicant shows how she has done this, linking content from one subject to skills developed in another, and touching on the experience of IB Theory of Knowledge (an interdisciplinary class compulsory for all IB Diploma students) to show how she is able to see how different academic subjects overlap and share some common themes.

Languages have always played an important role in my life. I was immersed into a French nursery even though my parents are not French speakers. I have always cherished the ability to speak another language; it is something I have never taken for granted, and it is how I individualise myself. Being bilingual has allowed me to engage with a different culture. As a result, I am more open minded and have a global outlook. This has fuelled my desire to travel, learn new languages and experience new cultures. This course would provide me with the opportunity to fulfil these desires. Having written my Extended Essay in French on the use of manipulative language used by a particular character from the French classic Dangerous Liaisons I have had to apply my skills of close contextual reading and analysing to sculpt this essay. These skills are perfectly applicable to the critical thinking that is demanded for the course.

Within the humanities, this student has a particular background that makes her stand out, having become fluent in French while having no French background nor living in a French-speaking country. This is worth her exploring to develop her motivation for a broad course of study at university, which she does well here.

Studying the Liberal Arts will allow me to further my knowledge in a variety of fields whilst living independently and meeting people from different backgrounds. The flexible skills I would achieve from obtaining a liberal arts degree I believe would make me more desirable for future employment. I would thrive in this environment due to my self discipline and determination. During my school holidays I have undertaken working in a hotel as a chambermaid and this has made me appreciate the service sector in society and has taught me to work cohesively with others in an unfamiliar environment. I also took part in a creative writing course held at Keats House, where I learnt about romanticism. My commitment to extracurricular activities such as varsity football and basketball has shown me the importance of sportsmanship and camaraderie, while GIN (Global Issue Networking) has informed me of the values of community and the importance for charitable organisations.

The extracurricular paragraph here draws out a range of skills the student will apply to this course. Knowing that taking a broader range of subjects at a UK university requires excellent organizational skills, the student takes time to explain how she can meet these, perhaps going into slightly more detail than would be necessary for a single-honours application to spell out that she is capable of managing her time well. She then broadens this at the end by touching on some activities that have relevance for her studies.

My academic and personal preferences have always led me to the Liberal Arts; I feel as though the International Baccalaureate, my passion and self-discipline have prepared me for higher education. From the academics, extracurriculars and social aspects, I intend to embrace the entire experience of university.

In the final section, the candidate restates how she matches this course.

Overall, you can see how the key factor in a UCAS statement is the academic evidence, with students linking their engagement with a subject to the course of study that they are applying to. Using the courtroom exercise analogy, the judge here should be completely convinced that the case has been made, and will, therefore issue an offer of admittance to that university.

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How to Write a UCAS Personal Statement [With Examples]

James is senior content marketing manager at BridgeU. He writes and directs content for BridgeU's university partners and our community of international schools

What are the big challenges students should be aware of before writing their UCAS Personal Statement?

• The essential ingredients for writing a great Personal Statement
• How to write the UCAS Personal Statement [with examples]

Final hints & tips to help your students

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The UCAS Personal Statement can sometimes be a student’s only chance to impress a UK university. Read our in-depth guide to helping your students plan & write a winning application.

There are hundreds of articles out there on how to write a UCAS Personal Statement that will grab the attention of a UK university admissions officer.  

But if you’re working with students to help them perfect their Personal Statement in time for the  relevant UCAS deadlines , we can sum up the secret to success in three words.

Planning, structure and story. 

The UCAS Personal Statement is a student’s chance to talk about why they want to study for a particular degree, course or subject discipline at a UK university. 

As they set about writing a personal statement, students need to demonstrate the drive, ambition, relevant skills and notable achievements that make them a  suitable candidate for the universities they have chosen to apply to . 

But the UCAS Personal Statement requires students to write a lot about themselves in a relatively short space of time. That’s why lots of planning, a tight structure and a compelling story are essential if a student’s Personal Statement is to truly excel. 

As important deadlines for UK university applications grow closer, we at BridgeU have put together a guide, outlining some of the strategies and techniques to help your students to write a personal statement which is both engaging and truly individual.

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Discover the simple steps that will boost the confidence of your native English speaking & ESL students alike in  University Application Essays: The 5 Secrets of Successful Writing .

As they begin to plan their Personal Statement, students may feel intimidated. It’s not easy to summarise your academic interests and personal ambitions, especially when you’re competing for a place on a course which is popular or has demanding entry requirements. In particular, students will likely come up against the following challenges.

Time pressure

Unfortunately, the Personal Statement (and other aspects of university preparation) comes during the busiest year of the student’s academic life so far.

Students, and indeed teachers and counsellors, must undertake the planning and writing of the personal statement whilst juggling other commitments, classes and deadlines, not to mention revision and open day visits!

Because there is already a lot of academic pressure on students in their final year of secondary school, finding the time and headspace for the personal statement can be hard, and can mean it gets pushed to the last minute. The risks of leaving it to the last minute are fairly obvious – the application will seem rushed and the necessary thought and planning won’t go into  making the personal statement the best it can be . 

Sticking closely to the Personal Statement format

The character limit which UCAS sets for the personal statement is very strict – up to 4,000 characters of text. This means that students have to express themselves in a clear and concise way; it’s also important that they don’t feel the need to fill the available space needlessly.  Planning and redrafting of a personal statement is essential .

Making it stand out

This is arguably the greatest challenge facing students – making sure that their statement sets them apart from everyone else who is competing for a place on any given course; in 2024 alone, UCAS received applications from 594,940 applicants. In addition, UCAS uses its own dedicated team and purpose built software to check every application for plagiarism, so it’s crucial that students craft a truly  original personal statement which is entirely their own work .

The essential ingredients for writing a great UCAS Personal Statement 

We’ve already mentioned our three watch words for writing a high quality Personal Statement.

Planning. Structure. Story. 

Let’s dig deeper into these three essential components in more detail.

Watch: How to Write a UCAS Personal Statement with University of Essex

Planning a ucas personal statement.

It might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s vital that students plan their Personal Statement before they start writing it. Specifically, the planning phase could include: 

• Students thoroughly researching the UK university courses they plan on applying to. 
• Deciding on what relevant material to include in their Personal Statement (we’ll cover this in more detail later on). 
• Writing an unedited first draft where they just get their thoughts and ideas down on paper. 

Structuring a UCAS Personal Statement

As we’ve discussed, the UCAS Personal Statement requires students to be extremely disciplined – they will be required to condense a lot of information into a relatively short written statement. This means that, after they’ve written a rough first draft, they need to think carefully about how they structure the final statement. 

A stand out Personal Statement will need a tight structure, with an introduction and a conclusion that make an impact and really help to tell a story about who your student is, and why they are drawn to studying this particular degree. 

This brings us nicely to our third and final ingredient…

Telling a story with a Personal Statement

The UCAS Personal Statement is a student’s opportunity to show a university who they are and how their life experiences have shaped their academic interests and goals. 

So a good Personal Statement needs to offer a compelling narrative, and that means making sure that a student’s writing is well-structured, and that every sentence and paragraph is serving the statement’s ultimate purpose –  to convince a university that your student deserves a place on their subject of choice. 

How to help your students start their UCAS Personal Statement

In order to ensure that a personal statement is delivered on time and to an appropriate standard, it’s essential to plan thoroughly before writing it. Here are some questions you can ask your students before they start writing:

How can you demonstrate a formative interest in your subject?

It may sound obvious but, in order for any UCAS personal statement to have the necessary structure and clarity, students need to think hard about why they want to study their chosen subject. Ask them to think about their responses to the following questions:

What inspired you to study your chosen subject?

Example answer:  My desire to understand the nature of reality has inspired me to apply for Physics and Philosophy

Was there a formative moment when your perspective on this subject changed, or when you decided you wanted to study this subject in more detail?

Example answer:  My interest in philosophy was awakened when I questioned my childhood religious beliefs; reading Blackburn’s “Think”, convinced me to scrutinise my assumptions about the world, and to ensure I could justify my beliefs.

Can you point to any role models, leading thinkers, or notable literature which has in turn affected your thinking and/or inspired you?

Example answer :  The search for a theory of everything currently being conducted by physicists is of particular interest to me and in “The Grand Design” Hawking proposes a collection of string theories, dubbed M-theory, as the explanation of why the universe is the way it is.

Asking your students to think about the “why” behind their chosen subject discipline is a useful first step in helping them to organise their overall statement. Next, they need to be able to demonstrate evidence of their suitability for a course or degree. 

How have you demonstrated the skills and aptitudes necessary for your chosen course?

Encourage students to think about times where they have demonstrated the necessary skills to really stand out. It’s helpful to think about times when they have utilised these skills both inside and outside the classroom. Ask students to consider their responses to the following questions. 

Can you demonstrate critical and independent thinking around your chosen subject discipline?

Example answer :  Currently I am studying Maths and Economics in addition to Geography. Economics has been a valuable tool, providing the nuts and bolts to economic processes, and my geography has provided a spatial and temporal element.

Are you able to demonstrate skills and competencies which will be necessary for university study?

These include qualities such as teamwork, time management and the ability to organise workload responsibly.

Example answer:  This year I was selected to be captain of the 1st XV rugby team and Captain of Swimming which will allow me to further develop my leadership, teamwork and organisational skills.

How have your extracurricular activities helped prepare you for university?

Students may believe that their interests outside the classroom aren’t relevant to their university application. So encourage them to think about how their other interests can demonstrate the subject-related skills that universities are looking for in an application. Ask students to think about any of the following activities, and how they might be related back to the subject they are applying for.

• Clubs/societies, or volunteering work which they can use to illustrate attributes such as teamwork, an interest in community service and the ability to manage their time proactively.
• Have they been elected/nominated as a team captain, or the head of a particular club or society, which highlights leadership skills and an ability to project manage?
• Can they point to any awards or prizes they may have won, whether it’s taking up a musical instrument, playing a sport, or participating in theatre/performing arts?
• Have they achieved grades or qualifications as part of their extracurricular activities? These can only help to demonstrate aptitude and hard work. 

How to write the UCAS Personal Statement [with examples] 

If sufficient planning has gone into the personal statement, then your students should be ready to go!

In this next section, we’ll break down the individual components of the UCAS Personal Statement and share some useful examples.

These examples come from a Personal Statement in support of an application to study Environmental Science at a UK university. 

Watch: King’s College London explain what they’re looking for in a UCAS Personal Statement

Introduction.

This is the chance for an applying student to really grab an admission tutor’s attention. Students need to demonstrate both a personal passion for their subject, and explain why they have an aptitude for it .  This section is where students should begin to discuss any major influences or inspirations that have led them to this subject choice. 

Example :  My passion for the environment has perhaps come from the fact that I have lived in five different countries: France, England, Spain, Sweden and Costa Rica. Moving at the age of 15 from Sweden, a calm and organized country, to Costa Rica, a more diverse and slightly chaotic country, was a shock for me at first and took me out of my comfort zone […] Also, living in Costa Rica, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, definitely helped me realize how vulnerable the world is and how we need to take care of it in a sustainable manner. 

This opening paragraph immediately grabs the reader’s attention by giving the reader an insight into this student’s background and links their academic interests with something specific from the student’s personal backstory. 

Discussing Academic Achievements 

The next paragraph in this Personal Statement discusses the student’s academic achievements. Because this student has had an international education, they frame their academic achievements in the context of their personal background. They also cite useful examples of other curricula they have studied and the grades they have achieved. 

Example : 

Throughout my academic life I have shown myself to be a responsible student as well as a hard working one, despite the fact that I have had to move around a lot. I have achieved several other accomplishments such as a high A (286/300) in AS Spanish at age 15, and also completed a Spanish course of secondary studies for ‘MEP’(Ministerio de Educacion Publica), which is a system from Costa Rica.   

You’ll notice that this student doesn’t just list their achievements – their strong academic performance is always linked back to a wider discussion of their personal experiences. 

Showcasing Extracurricular Activities

As well as discussing academic achievements, a good Personal Statement should also discuss the student’s extracurricular activities, and how they relate back to the student’s overall university aspirations. 

By the third/fourth paragraph of the Personal Statement, students should think about incorporating their extracurricular experiences, 

Another valuable experience was when my class spent a week at a beach called ‘Pacuare’ in order to help prevent the eggs of the endangered leatherback turtle from being stolen by poachers who go on to sell them like chicken eggs. We all gained teamwork experience, which was needed in order to hide the eggs silently without scaring the mother turtles, as well as making it more difficult for the poachers to find them. 

When the poachers set fire to one of the sustainable huts where we were staying, not only did I gain self-awareness about the critical situation of the world and its ecosystems, I also matured and became even more motivated to study environmental sciences at university.

This is a particularly striking example of using extracurricular activities to showcase a student’s wider passion for the degree subject they want to study. 

Not only does this Personal Statement have a story about volunteering to save an endangered species, it also illustrates this applicants’ wider worldview, and helps to explain their motivation for wanting to study Environmental Science. 

Concluding the UCAS Personal Statement

The conclusion to a UCAS Personal Statement will have to be concise, and will need to tie all of a student’s academic and extracurricular achievements. After all, a compelling story will need a great ending. 

Remember that students need to be mindful of the character limit of a Personal Statement, so a conclusion need only be the length of a small paragraph, or even a couple of sentences. 

“ After having many varied experiences, I truly think I can contribute to university in a positive way, and would love to study in England where I believe I would gain more skills and education doing a first degree than in any other country.  “

A good Personal Statement conclusion will end with an affirmation of how the student thinks they can contribute to university life, and why they believe the institution in question should accept them. Because the student in this example has a such a rich and varied international background, they also discuss the appeal of studying at university in England. 

It’s worth taking a quick look at a few other examples of how other students have chosen to conclude their Personal Statement. 

Medicine (Imperial College, London) 

Interest in Medicine aside, other enthusiasms of mine include languages, philosophy, and mythology. It is curiously fitting that in ancient Greek lore, healing was but one of the many arts Apollo presided over, alongside archery and music.   I firmly believe that a doctor should explore the world outside the field of  Medicine, and it is with such experiences that I hope to better empathise and connect with the patients I will care for in my medical career. 

You’ll notice that this example very specifically ties the students’ academic and extracurricular activities together, and ties the Personal Statement back to their values and beliefs. 

Economic History with Economics (London School of Economics)

The highlight of my extra-curricular activities has been my visit to Shanghai with the Lord Mayor’s trade delegation in September 2012. I was selected to give a speech at this world trade conference due to my interest in economic and social history. […] I particularly enjoyed the seminar format, and look forward to experiencing more of this at university. My keen interest and desire to further my knowledge of history and economics, I believe, would make the course ideal for me.

By contrast, this conclusion ties a memorable experience back to the specifics of how the student will be taught at the London School of Economics – specifically, the appeal of learning in seminar format! 

There’s no magic formula for concluding a Personal Statement. But you’ll see that what all of these examples have in common is that they tie a student’s personal and academic experiences together – and tell a university something about their aspirations for the future.

Watch: Bournemouth University explain how to structure a UCAS Personal Statement

Know the audience

It can be easy for students to forget that the person reading a personal statement is invariably an expert in their field. This is why an ability to convey passion and think critically about their chosen subject is essential for a personal statement to stand out. Admissions tutors will also look for students who can structure their writing (more on this below). 

Students should be themselves

Remember that many students are competing for places on a university degree against fierce competition. And don’t forget that UCAS has the means to spot plagiarism. So students need to create a truly honest and individual account of who they are, what they have achieved and, perhaps most importantly, why they are driven to study this particular subject.

Proof-read (then proof-read again!)

Time pressures mean that students can easily make mistakes with their Personal Statements. As the deadline grows closer, it’s vital that they are constantly checking and rechecking their writing and to ensure that shows them in the best possible light. 

Meanwhile, when it comes to giving feedback to students writing their Personal Statements, make sure you’re as honest and positive as possible in the days and weeks leading up to submission day. 

And make sure they remember the three key ingredients of writing a successful Personal Statement. 

Planning, structure and story! 

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The Ultimate UCAS Personal Statement Guide 

Proven strategies to improve your chances of uk university admission.

Creating your UCAS personal statement is about more than cataloging your achievements; it's about weaving a compelling story that brings to life your passion for your chosen field. We know it can feel overwhelming trying to distill your academic and personal experiences into roughly 600 words. Questions like "Where do I start?", "What should I include?", and "How can I make my statement stand out?" are common and perfectly normal.

Many students face these challenges, especially those aiming for prestigious UK universities. Whether you're applying to a highly competitive program or simply want to showcase your best self, the pressure to craft a perfect personal statement is significant.

But don't worry, the right approach can transform this daunting task into a highlight of your application. Here at Think Smart, our team, including Oxbridge graduates, has deep expertise in what top universities are looking for. We're here to guide you through selecting the appropriate subjects, structuring your statement effectively, and preserving the unique voice that distinguishes you from others. Let us help you turn this stressful task into a golden opportunity for higher education.

Need help writing your personal statement?

Our tutors not only wrote successful personal statements for themselves, but they also helped hundreds of other students do the same.

Mastering the UCAS Personal Statement

When applying through UCAS, your personal statement is your singular opportunity to impress multiple universities. It's more than just an essay—it's a strategic tool to make a memorable impact. With a strict limit of 4,000 characters, or about 600 words, every sentence must count.

This isn't the time for generic essays. Your submission should sharply focus on your academic interests, covering roughly 80% of your statement. The remaining 20% should highlight extracurricular activities that bolster your academic narrative, showing a well-rounded application.

Your personal statement is essentially a persuasive text, not just a summary of your achievements. It should weave a narrative that demonstrates your deep passion for your chosen field, outlines how your past experiences have uniquely prepared you for this step, and articulates your eagerness to delve deeper into your studies at university. Think of this as crafting a compelling "love letter" to your chosen subject, one that shows not just your readiness but your enthusiasm to contribute meaningfully in the future.

Remember, you can apply to a maximum of five universities in the UK, so each word and sentence in your statement must be meticulously planned. This document isn't just part of your application—it's often what can tip the scales in your favor, making a strategic and heartfelt approach essential.

Structuring Your Personal Statement: Stand Out from Thousands

Creating a standout UCAS personal statement means strategically presenting your academic interests alongside your personal strengths. Here’s how to effectively structure your content to capture attention and showcase your potential:

Begin with Your Motivation: Start by sharing what specifically sparked your interest in your chosen field. Whether it was an inspiring book, a mentor, or a pivotal personal experience, detail this moment and its impact on your academic direction.

Demonstrate Academic Preparedness: Move on to illustrate how your educational background and experiences have prepared you for this field. Highlight any relevant coursework, projects, or independent research. If your chosen subject is new to you academically, discuss related skills you've acquired that will help you excel in this major.

Incorporate Relevant Extracurricular Activities: Connect your extracurricular involvement directly to your academic ambitions. Explain how these activities have developed skills that are critical to your field of study. This demonstrates a well-rounded profile and shows you’re engaged beyond the classroom.

Ensure Logical Flow: Your personal statement should start with an engaging introduction that grabs attention. This should be followed by body paragraphs that concisely present your academic readiness and extracurricular engagements. Conclude strongly by tying all your experiences back to your academic goals, highlighting your enthusiasm and readiness for university.

By adhering to this structure, you ensure that your personal statement not only stands out among thousands but also clearly communicates your qualifications and passion for your future studies

Effectively Integrating Extracurriculars into Your UCAS Personal Statement

Extracurricular activities enrich your UCAS personal statement by highlighting personal qualities and skills that academic grades don't capture. Here’s how to effectively integrate these activities into your statement:

Select Meaningful Activities: Choose extracurriculars that directly relate to your intended field of study or that demonstrate applicable skills. For example, if you're applying for a science program, emphasize your active participation in the science club or your notable contributions to a science fair, showcasing your commitment and practical experience.

Detail Your Roles and Impact: Instead of just listing your extracurriculars, describe your specific roles and what you achieved. For instance, if you led a team or spearheaded a project, explain how these experiences honed your leadership and collaborative skills.

Connect Activities to Your Academic Ambitions: Make a clear link between your extracurricular engagements and your chosen field of study. If you participated in debate, for instance, discuss how it improved your analytical thinking and communication skills, which are vital for your academic success.

Prioritize Depth Over Quantity: Focus on a few extracurriculars that have significantly contributed to your personal and academic development. Expanding on how these activities have shaped you is more compelling than a long list of less impactful involvements.

Concluding Your UCAS Personal Statement: Leaving a Lasting Impression

The conclusion of your UCAS personal statement is your final opportunity to leave a memorable impression on the admissions tutors. Here’s how to craft a compelling ending that reinforces your application:

Summarize Key Themes: Begin your conclusion by succinctly revisiting the main themes of your statement. Highlight your deep passion for the field, the key experiences that have shaped your academic path, and your future aspirations. This summary reinforces the coherence of your narrative and underscores your dedication.

Reaffirm Your Fit: Articulate why you are an ideal candidate for the program. Mention how the university’s resources, environment, or approach to education aligns with your academic goals. Aim for a balance that remains applicable to all your potential universities while clearly demonstrating thoughtful consideration of their offerings.

Highlight Future Goals: Briefly outline how the program is integral to your career and personal development. Show how you plan to use the knowledge and skills gained to make a significant contribution to your field.

End with Confidence: Close your statement with a strong, optimistic remark about your future, reflecting your enthusiasm and readiness for university challenges. This could be a pledge to enhance the academic community or an aspirational view of your potential influence in your field.

Want to leave a lasting impression with your statement?

Hundreds of successful students used the help of our tutors to write their winning personal statements.

Effective Timeline for Your UCAS Personal Statement

Writing your UK personal statement requires inspiration and strategy, but also discipline.  It's best to get an early start and not wait until right before the deadline.  Here’s a timeline that works well for many of our students:

Two Months Before Deadline: Start by mapping out your experiences and qualifications that are most relevant to your chosen course. Begin drafting your statement to seamlessly integrate these elements.

Six Weeks Before Deadline: Finish your first draft, focusing on why you chose your course and your eagerness to study in the UK. This is where your passion should shine through.

One Month Before Deadline: Revise your draft for clarity and coherence. Make sure it authentically reflects your academic ambitions and personal qualities.

Three Weeks Before Deadline: Obtain feedback from teachers or mentors who are knowledgeable about the UCAS process. Their insights will be invaluable in refining your narrative and strengthening your presentation.

Two Weeks Before Deadline: Conduct final edits with a focus on grammatical accuracy, adherence to the word count, and ensuring a smooth flow throughout your statement.

One Week Before Deadline: Perform a thorough review of your statement. Make any necessary last-minute adjustments to ensure everything is perfect. Submit your application ahead of the deadline to avoid any last-minute stress.

FAQs: Clear Guidance for Your UCAS Personal Statement

How long should I spend on my personal statement?  

Begin one to two months before your deadline. This schedule allows ample time to draft, receive feedback, and refine your statement, ensuring it's as polished and impactful as possible.

Can I combine two majors in my personal statement?  

Combining majors is feasible if they're closely related, like philosophy and psychology. Ensure your statement demonstrates a clear connection between the majors, articulating the synergy and your motivation for both, which enhances the coherence of your academic and career aspirations.

What are the key elements of a successful personal statement?  

Focus primarily on your academic trajectory—its initiation, development, and future direction. Incorporate extracurriculars that reinforce your academic narrative. Authenticity is key; your genuine voice should resonate throughout the statement to truly engage admissions tutors.

Do I need to mention specific universities?  

Avoid mentioning specific universities since the same statement is sent to all your choices. Instead, emphasize why the courses you're applying for are well-suited to you and how they align with your long-term goals.

What if I lack direct experience in my intended field of study?  

Highlight transferable skills or related experiences that show your potential and enthusiasm for the field. Discuss any relevant projects, research, or hobbies that demonstrate your foundational knowledge and eagerness to delve deeper into the subject.

Personalized Assistance for Your UCAS Personal Statement

Still struggling with your UCAS personal statement? We understand the challenge and are here to help. Whether you’re just starting or need a detailed review, our team is equipped to provide the support you need.

Personal Guidance: Sit down with us, and let’s refine your personal statement together. We’ll help you craft a narrative that not only reflects who you are but also resonates deeply with admissions tutors. It’s all about expressing yourself in a way that stands out.

Expert Reviews: Our experts will meticulously review your statement to ensure clarity and impact. We focus on enhancing your natural voice while polishing your words, ensuring your application genuinely represents you.

Strategic Sessions: We ensure your personal statement seamlessly integrates with your overall application. Our approach is to create a coherent and persuasive representation of your academic and personal achievements.

Why Choose Us? We have a track record of successfully helping students navigate their university applications. Our tailored advice is designed to meet your unique needs because we believe in a personalized approach to success.

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Contact us today, and let’s ensure your personal statement is compelling and effective. We’re here to support you every step of the way, helping you approach your application with confidence.

Final Note: Your Journey Beyond the Application

As you prepare to submit your UCAS application, remember that your personal statement is just one component of a larger journey. Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind:

Embrace Flexibility: The path to your ideal university may not always be direct. Different institutions and programs offer diverse opportunities that can be crucial for your growth. Be open to exploring various paths—sometimes the unexpected choices provide the most enriching experiences.

More Than Just an Application: University is more than just an academic endeavor; it's a place for personal and intellectual challenges and discoveries. Whether you end up at your first-choice university or somewhere unexpected, it’s your engagement and actions there that will define your experience. Dive deep into your interests, embrace challenges, and seize every opportunity to grow.

Ongoing Support: At Think Smart, our commitment to your success extends beyond your application. We're here to assist you throughout your university journey, from course selection to career planning. We're excited to support you every step of the way.

You're Part of a Community: Remember, you're not alone in this process. Like you, thousands of students are navigating their paths to university. Our community at Think Smart is here to support you. If you ever feel overwhelmed or have questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

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Tips On How To Write A Great UCAS Personal Statement

The UCAS Personal Statement is a core part of your application to UK universities. Unlike the US university's application process, where there are specific essays to write for each university, the UCAS Personal Statement is the main essay that will be sent to all 5 UK universities to which you are applying. Hence, writing a good UCAS Personal Statement is crucial to your admission chances to your reach, target, and safety schools in the UK. Given that the admissions officer already has information about your grades, the UCAS Personal Statement is an excellent chance to impress the officer and show who you are. This blog aims to help you write a perfect UCAS Personal Statement.

What is the UCAS Personal Statement?

According to the UCAS website , the UCAS Personal Statement is “a chance for you to articulate why you’d like to study a particular course or subject, and what skills and experience you possess that show your passion for your chosen field.”

The Personal Statement allows you to showcase your knowledge and enthusiasm for your degree of choice and convince the admissions officer as to why you would be an excellent fit for this university degree.

The Personal Statement is meant to be degree-specific instead of university-specific , given that the same essay will be sent to all 5 universities. In terms of length, UCAS limits the Personal Statement to 4000 characters or 47 lines. That will roughly be around 500 words in total.

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Overview of UCAS Personal statement

To write a good UCAS Personal Statement, you have to include three main pieces of information – you can structure your Personal Statement based on these three things:

• Interests/Motivations to study this particular degree/course

Previous preparation

Other soft skills, interests/motivations to study this particular degree/course .

To convince the admission officer that you will be a good fit for the degree/ course, you must explain why and how you decided to study this course .

For example, if you are applying for a law degree , which is largely vocational, you should be prepared to explain why you like the legal profession and why you think this career is right for you.

If you are applying for an academic degree (e.g., sciences or humanities), you should explain what you have enjoyed about the subject and why you would like to dedicate three years to studying this subject, mainly when it entails a lot of readings and hard work.

Many people can articulate their interests or motivations for choosing a particular course. Admissions officers differentiate those who are more genuine by looking at what the applicant has done over the previous years to prepare themselves for life as a university student studying that particular degree/ course. 

• What Do Colleges Look For In Students & How To Stand Out

This part of the Personal Statement is where you choose and elaborate on relevant extra-curricular activities you have done during high school to support your application. The admissions officers want students who go above and beyond their school curriculum to explore a particular subject.

For example, if you are applying for a law degree, you may want to write about your law internship experience here and how that sparked your interest in particular areas of the law which you wish to study at university.

If you are applying for a science degree, you may want to write about a research project that you have embarked on outside the school curriculum and what you have learned from that particular project.

If you have any relevant achievements, such as academic competition prizes, please include them here as it would show the admissions officer that you have an aptitude in a particular subject. This part of your Personal Statement should take up the bulk of your essay.

Understandably, not all your extra-curriculars may be related to your degree/course of choice.

For example, students may be engaged in basketball, piano, leadership positions in student council, etc. You may include these activities in your personal statement. However, unlike US application essays, the UCAS Personal Statement is more geared towards demonstrating how you would be an excellent academic student for a particular course in the next few years.

Hence, even as you elaborate on these non-academic activities, you have to link them to specific soft skills (e.g., time management, juggling responsibilities, etc.) that would demonstrate that you will be able to be an excellent university student.

Oxford Strategist on UK Personal Statement Advice | College Tips Podcast

Tips on writing a Good Personal Statement & Things to Avoid

Prepare early.

You will only have the chance to write one Personal Statement in an application cycle for five universities. Hence, it is essential to prepare early and go through several drafts to ensure your work’s quality. You should seek feedback from your school’s career counsellor, teachers, and friends to ensure that your personal statement is clear, coherent, and convincing.

Appropriate scope

When you apply to UK universities, you are applying for a particular degree/ course. Hence, it is essential to pick and choose the information you include in your Personal Statement carefully. Be sure to phrase most information to your chosen degree/ course and leave out fun and quirky aspects of yourself. The Personal Statement is meant to convince the admissions officer of your potential academic ability instead of showcasing your personality.

Additionally, it is essential to ensure that the Personal Statement is phrased broadly enough to be applicable to all five universities. You do not want to be caught in a position where admissions officers can tell your preference for one university over the other.

It is essential to use simple English when writing the Personal Statement. For international students, the Personal Statement is also an avenue for admissions officers to assess your English language ability, given that most, if not all, UK university degrees are offered in English. Even for native English speakers, it is important to avoid complicated, verbose language that requires one to re-read your sentences to get your point. Ideally, you want admissions officers to get your point as easily as possible, given that they must read thousands of Personal Statements during the application process.

There are many examples of good UCAS Personal Statements online. However, it is important to note that you can only draw inspiration from these examples but cannot copy wholesale. Copying any parts of anyone’s Personal Statement will constitute as plagiarism, which is a severe academic offense in tertiary education. If you are caught for plagiarism, university offers will likely be revoked. It is important that your Personal Statement is genuine and is your piece of work.

Especially for the university admission process with an interview element, it is important not to lie in your interview. Applying to Oxbridge requires an interview, and your interviewer may ask you for details in your personal statement. There have been instances where interviewers quiz applicants over what they have written (e.g., they have read XXX book,) and it is easy to tell whether students were truthful or not in their Personal Statement. You don’t want to be caught lying in your Personal Statement, which will risk your chances of admission.

Example of a Personal Statement from an Accepted Student

Check out Crimson student Bluebelle’s personal statement for Philosophy which was accepted by Oxford University

Being torn between the arts and sciences has made me a person who uses mathematical equations to paint pictures and sees my physics lessons as an excuse to discuss the music of the spheres. It is no real surprise, then, that my first serious approach to philosophy was that of a mathematician. After attending the ESU Debate Academy’s Logic course, I saw logic as the linguistic iteration of mathematics and so decided to study it further, becoming an avid logical positivist after reading Halbach’s ‘The Logic Manual’, Wittgenstein’s ‘Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus’ and Ayer’s ‘Language, Truth and Logic’. I was drawn to the promise of bringing the chaos of the ‘real’ world closer to the certainty I felt that maths provided, but despite this I could never resist the allure of a passionate metaphysical debate about morality or the nature of time whenever such topics arose. This conflict was resolved, somewhat ironically, by a paradox. The podcast Radiolab informed me of Godel’s incompleteness theorems, which state that any consistent set of axioms contains necessarily unprovable statements. With my view of absolute truths shaken, I began to carefully consider arguments opposing logical positivism and found ontological relativism more in keeping with how we relate to the complexity of everyday life. My new viewpoint still considers logic, but I now know how many alternative methods there are to explore and want to work to consider them all. For example, when writing on ‘what is disappointment?’ for the Edgar Jones Philosophy Essay Competition, I presented both possible evolutionary perspectives and the more subjective origins of the emotion. Resolving the false dichotomy between my scientific and artistic approaches was also vital in progressing my understanding of linguistics. Bloom’s ‘Open Yale’ series and Pinker’s ‘The Language Instinct’ taught me that to be worthy of debate a language must be restricted to a structured human system capable of expressing abstract thought. While my scientific leanings told me the universality of maths made it superior to other languages, I also saw how close this came to Orwellian Newspeak and had to accept the value of the multivalent nature of poetic language. I worked to resolve this when writing on bilingualism for the Trinity College Cambridge Linguistics competition. I initially argued that speaking multiple languages aids a person in understanding the logic of all linguistic systems, but then went on to explore how each language’s inconsistencies gives it cultural merit. As a keen reader and aspiring author, the first place I looked to understand language subjectivity was literature. In preparation for my school’s Poetry By Heart Competition, I analysed many translations of Baudelaire and saw just how crucial an authors’ lexical choice is on the overall impact of a piece. Language subjectivity is just as prevalent in science, as I saw when assisting UCL Professor David Lagnado as he searched for a reliable way to convey DNA or drug results in criminal trials. Even in such a seemingly concrete area as star-spectrum analysis, preparing to present my schools ‘Star Seekers’ project at the National Astronomy Meeting showed me just how many questions a single word can raise. If I didn’t understand the impact of my words, I doubt I would have been successful in the Camden Youth Council, competing or running debating competitions or founding the refugee pen-pal charity ‘Words not Wars’. I have, in turn, committed myself to being an artist, mathematician, author, physicist, podcaster, psychologist, philosopher, linguist and much more besides. My future goals range from founding a grass-roots radio network supporting free speech to reforming state education, but I also know that each passing year gives me more ambitions and plans. This course promises to teach me how, rather than simply what, to think, thus enabling me to go on to fulfil every ambition I have and have yet to find.

For more great examples download out free eBook below!

Final Thoughts

The UCAS Personal Statement is a crucial part of your application. With over 600,000 applicants each year, admissions officers use the Personal Statement as a way to differentiate between stronger and weaker candidates. Hence, the Personal Statement can “make or break” your application. Hopefully, this blog has given you some insights into how to write an excellent Personal Statement. Good luck!

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• A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding UK University Admission Notification Dates
• Word or character limits for personal statement: Finding Success in UK University Admissions

Options for Improving Language Skills for UK University Admissions

• Understanding UK University Admissions and Standardized Test Scores
• Personal information
• How to explain gaps in education or work history
• How to fill out personal information section
• What to include in personal essay
• Academic achievements
• Highlighting relevant coursework
• Explaining lower grades or test scores
• Listing honors and awards
• Extracurricular activities
• Choosing which activities to include
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• Describing impact and leadership roles
• Deadlines and timelines
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• Notification dates
• Application fees and waivers
• Refund policies
• Application fee payment options
• Fee waivers for low-income students
• Application requirements
• Transcripts
• Standardized test scores
• Letters of recommendation
• Choosing a topic
• Telling a unique story
• Discussing career goals and passions
• Reflecting on personal experiences
• Formatting and length
• Word or character limits for personal statement
• Choosing a font and spacing
• Including a title or heading
• Writing tips
• Using specific examples and anecdotes
• Editing for clarity and conciseness
• Crafting a compelling opening statement
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• Options for completing missing prerequisites
• Commonly required high school courses
• Importance of taking challenging courses
• GPA and test scores
• Average GPA and test scores for admitted students
• Impact of test-optional policies
• Minimum requirements for consideration
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• Interviews and their role in admissions process
• Writing samples for certain majors or programs
• Portfolio or audition requirements for arts programs
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• Application process for visas
• Types of student visas
• Maintaining visa status while studying
• English language proficiency
• TOEFL or IELTS requirements
• Exemptions for non-native English speakers
• Options for improving language skills
• Cultural adjustments
• Support services for international students
• Dealing with homesickness
• Adapting to a new academic and social environment
• Overall rankings
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• Top universities in the UK
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• Factors that contribute to regional rankings
• Top universities in different regions of the UK
• Subject-specific rankings
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• University requirements

Writing samples are an essential part of the university admissions process, especially for those looking to study in the UK. These writing samples can be a deciding factor in whether or not a student is accepted into their desired major or program. But what exactly are writing samples and how do they differ for certain majors or programs? In this article, we will delve into the world of writing samples for UK university admissions and provide valuable insight on how to craft a strong and impressive sample that will help you stand out among other applicants. Whether you're applying to a competitive program or just want to ensure your writing sample meets the requirements of your chosen university, this article will provide you with all the necessary information.

So let's dive in and explore the importance of writing samples for university admissions. Welcome to our in-depth guide on writing samples for UK university admissions. If you're a student applying to universities in the UK, you may have come across the term 'writing samples' in your research. But what exactly are writing samples, and how important are they in the admissions process? In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of writing samples for certain majors or programs and how they play a role in your university application. Whether you're a prospective student or a parent helping your child navigate the admissions process, this article will give you all the information you need to know about writing samples for UK university admissions.

So let's dive in and learn more about this crucial aspect of university requirements and supplemental materials. Are you preparing to apply to a UK university? One important aspect of the admissions process is providing writing samples. These samples can include personal statements , essays, or other written materials that showcase your skills and qualifications. In this article, we will cover all you need to know about writing samples for UK university admissions. Firstly, let's discuss the different types of writing samples that may be required for your chosen major or program. For some majors, such as English or journalism, a strong writing sample is crucial.

This may be in the form of an essay or a creative writing piece. For other majors, such as science or engineering, a technical writing sample may be more important. This could be a research paper or a lab report. Next, it's important to understand the university requirements for writing samples. Some universities may have specific prompts or guidelines for the type of writing sample they are looking for.

Make sure to carefully read and follow these instructions to ensure your writing sample meets their expectations. When crafting your writing sample, it's important to showcase your unique perspective and voice. This will help you stand out from other applicants and make a strong impression on admissions officers. Be sure to proofread and edit your writing sample multiple times to ensure it is free of any errors or typos. Now let's discuss the UCAS application system . This is the central application portal for all UK universities and is used by both domestic and international students .

In addition to providing your personal information and academic background, you will also have the opportunity to upload your writing samples through this system. Make sure to carefully follow the instructions and guidelines provided by UCAS to ensure your samples are submitted correctly. For international students, it's important to understand the specific admissions process for UK universities. This may include additional requirements such as English language proficiency tests or a portfolio of creative work. It's important to research the specific requirements for your desired university and program to ensure you are adequately prepared. Finally, let's touch on the importance of UK university rankings for international students.

Many international students are looking to attend a top-ranked university in the UK, and it's important to understand how these rankings are determined. Factors such as research output, student satisfaction, and graduate employability are all taken into consideration when ranking universities. Make sure to research and consider the rankings when selecting your desired university. In conclusion, writing samples play a crucial role in the UK university admissions process. Make sure to carefully research and follow the guidelines for your chosen major or program, showcase your unique voice and perspective, and pay attention to university rankings when making your decision.

University Requirements

Importance of university rankings, showcasing your voice, the ucas application system, types of writing samples.

Keep in mind that these writing samples should be well-written, error-free, and tailored to the specific university and program you are applying to. Your writing samples should also demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for the subject matter, as well as your ability to effectively communicate your ideas. It is also important to note that some universities may have specific guidelines or prompts for their writing samples. Make sure to carefully follow these guidelines and answer the prompts thoroughly in order to make a strong impression on the admissions committee.

Admissions for International Students

This means that you should take the time to research and understand what each university is looking for in terms of writing samples. Some universities may require a certain word count, specific topics, or even a specific format for your writing samples. It's crucial to follow these guidelines closely to ensure that your writing samples meet the expectations of the university. Failure to do so could result in your application being rejected.

As part of this process, you will also need to upload your writing samples. It is crucial to carefully read and follow the instructions provided by UCAS for submitting writing samples. Make sure you understand which types of written materials are required for each program or university, as well as any specific guidelines or word limits. Additionally, pay attention to the deadlines for submitting your writing samples through UCAS.

One important aspect that should not be overlooked is the university's ranking. University rankings can provide valuable information about the reputation and quality of education offered by a particular institution. For UK university admissions, considering rankings is especially important because the competition for admission can be fierce. Highly ranked universities often have more stringent admissions criteria, so it is essential to choose your desired university carefully. A higher ranking can also give your application an edge and increase your chances of being accepted.

The admissions process for international students may differ from that of domestic students, so it is crucial to understand what is expected of you. Some UK universities may require international students to submit additional writing samples or materials, such as language proficiency tests or translated versions of their documents. It is important to thoroughly research each university's requirements and make sure you are meeting them. Additionally, as an international student, your writing samples may be evaluated differently than those of domestic students. Universities may take into consideration cultural and language differences when reviewing your writing, so it is important to put your best foot forward and showcase your abilities in the best way possible. Overall, it is important for international students to thoroughly research and understand the specific requirements for writing samples when applying to UK universities. By doing so, you can ensure that you are providing the necessary materials and presenting yourself in the best light to increase your chances of admission. Writing samples are an important aspect of the UK university admissions process.

By carefully following guidelines and showcasing your unique perspective, you can increase your chances of successfully applying to your desired university.

Dr. Leo Evans

Dr Leo Evans is a distinguished EdTech Founder and Group CEO, currently steering the helm at Spires Online Tutors & The Profs, both renowned educational platforms. With a profound background in financial economics, Leo has transitioned from a successful tenure as a Vice President at J.P. Morgan to becoming a pivotal figure in the e-learning industry. His academic journey, crowned with a PhD from the Imperial College Business School, laid a solid foundation for his ventures in the educational sector. Leo's passion for education is mirrored in his role as a co-founder at Spires Online Tutoring, where he has been instrumental in leveraging machine learning algorithms to facilitate seamless tutor-student interactions across the globe. His innovative spirit also led to the creation of BitPaper, a collaborative online whiteboard that has revolutionised online teaching and learning. Leo's commitment to excellence is reflected in the numerous accolades and recognitions his initiatives have garnered over the years, including making it to the Forbes 30 under 30 in 2019. As a former lecturer at the Imperial College Business School, Leo has a rich history of imparting knowledge in various financial domains.

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