College Essays/Personal Statement 

The personal statement is a part of the UCAS application for schools in the U.K.  

It can include up to 4000 characters (approximately 630-650 words - 3-5 paragraphs)and fits in 47 lines of text - including blank lines. 

The focus of this statement is to:

• Demonstrate to universities why they should choose you.  

• Answer the question “Why do you want to study this course?” 

• Show how your experience and skills prepare you for the course. 

• Demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to the course of study. 

Additional information:

• You have one personal statement seen by all 5 UK uni’s - this makes it difficult to apply to a diverse range of courses; students should not mention any university by name.  

• For joint degrees, you must address both aspects of the course.

• Personal statements are more important to highly selective universities and programs.

• The personal statement typically forms the basis for interview questions.

• They are rechecked if students miss the conditions for their offer.

• They are often read by experts in the field, looking for students as enthusiastic about their subject as they are.

Use the 80/20 rule:

80% should:  

• tell why the subject interests you

• show you understand what’s required to study the course

• demonstrate you have the skills and experience needed (links to academic subjects, IB EE/outside reading, super-curricular activities, trips/lectures relevant to course/work experience/job shadowing)             

20% should: 

• tell what else will you bring to the university

• give evidence of your engagement, motivation (sport, music, drama, art, achievements/awards, service, volunteering, community contribution

THIS INFORMATION IS BEST IF IT CONNECTS TO THE PROGRAM YOU’RE APPLYING TO

PERSONAL STATEMENT WRITING TEMPLATE

• 4000 characters (not one character over) – approximate 630-650 words - 3-5 paragraphs.

• ‘WHY’ do you want to study the program? The UK essay is all about show me don’t tell me – evidence, specifics, examples!!! At some points, it wont feel natural to throw in so much evidence without opening/closing sentences but its ok to jump in and go from one example to the next without proper essay writing structure. Give details but good writing of course.

• Start to brainstorm ideas on a paper. What have you done to prepare yourself for this program/school? Extra online courses, literature, volunteer work, your EE topic – write it all down.

•Demonstrate interest and enthusiasm for the chosen course matter; why this one? What skills and experience do you have already? Which aspects of the course do you think you will enjoy? How do you know? What aspects of the program would you want to explore further? If you need help, look at your university and the program course outline/syllabus.

•Don’t repeat, don’t use quotes, describe the importance of the subject.

A GENERAL OUTLINE TEMPLATE TO REFER TO:

Paragraph One: Super Curriculars (what have you done outside of school that is related to your program choice)?! What have you done to show interest?..., how have you demonstrated interest in your chosen Major/program? Extra courses, online courses (Classcentral.com and coursera.org), literature outside of the classroom, volunteer work.

Writing: WHAT DID YOU DO? Start right away with your examples in pp1; ‘when I volunteered at the vet, hospital, my aunt’s restaurant, my dads band), I did blank blank and blank. Specifics, details, no need to waste characters with filler. Why do you want to study this particular course? Underpin with relevant examples – this section is 40% of your essay.

Paragraph Two: Academics/School-extra curriculars (what have you done at school that is related to your program choice)? Your subjects, EE, IA’s, Personal Project, assignments, Sports, MUN, Play/Performances, International Day, Student Counsel, Diversity Club, Environmental Club.

Writing: HOW DID YOU DO IT? What was done in school/community? How did this work equip you with skills for this course/program/university? How is your EE/volunteer work (for example) connected to your chosen course/program? write about it with details that connect to the program

– this section is 40% of your essay.

Paragraph Three: What did I learn and why does it matter? (transferrable skills). How have your experiences developed personal skills that will help prove you a good fit for this program/university?

Writing: WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS? How do you know you are ready? Show don’t tell. You can collaborate more, leadership skills, more confidence, listening skills, critical thinking skills, solution focused, mentoring ability, skill development in certain areas, diplomacy – reflect. Why do you want to study this area and how will you be a benefit to the university and program? – this section is 20% of your essay.

Be creative, descriptive, organised with your writing. And have fun!

UCAS website - How to Write Your Personal Statement

The University Guys - Guide to Writing your UCAS Personal Statement

Overview

For most colleges/universities in the U.S., students need to submit a personal statement or college essay as a part of the application process. 

This personal statement can range anywhere from 500 - 650 words and is an opportunity for students to show who they are and who they want to be within a college campus community. 

What are colleges/universities looking for as they read these essays with my application? 

They want to know who you are, how you might contribute to their campus, and do you have the writing skills necessary to succeed in a college environment. 

Who you are...

What are your values? 

What character qualities do you possess? 

What are you passionate about? 

Contribute to their campus...

What have you learned from your life and high school experiences and how has that prepared you to engage in a college community? 

How do your values drive the way you impact your community? 

Writing skills...

Does your writing make sense? Does it flow? 

Where do I begin? 

You may be tempted to open up the prompts, choose one and start to respond to it. But we encourage you to wait for just a moment and visit the College Essay Guy website and complete the BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITIES located there:

How to Write a College Essay  - by The College Essay Guy 

Then what? 

After completing the brainstorming exercises, then you should have generated a pretty good list of what you want the college/university to know about you as they consider your whole application. 

Next, you can look at that list and find what is not revealed in all the other parts of your application. The kind of student you are will come across with your grades and your teacher recommendation letters, your commitment to activities and causes outside the classroom will likely come through in your extracurricular list and potentially in the counselor recommendation letter. 

So what other information about you was revealed in your brainstorming exercises? 

That can be a great place to start when you consider the essay prompts. 

Essay prompts

When using an application portal, the main essay will be sent to any/all schools that are applied to through that portal. There are typically writing prompts given and students must choose a prompt(s) to respond to. 

2023 - 2024 Common App Essay Prompts

Coalition Application Essay Prompts

University of California Personal Insight Questions 

Individual schools may have supplemental or additional essays or written responses to submit. 

College Essay Guy - School-Specific Supplemental Guides

Additional Tips

● Share voice (express who you truly are)

● Show not tell (Give specific examples)

● Keep your focus narrow and personal

● Provide a hook

● Be reflective rather than descriptive

● Highlight quality of experience rather than quantity of experiences

Additional Resources:

Writing the Personal Statement - Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar