Personal Statements

A personal statement is the chance to show the university or college who you are and why you should be given a place on the course. It is your chance to describe your ambitions, skills, and experience to university and college admissions staff. It is the most time consuming and important part of the application process. Personal statements are up to 4000 characters in length, which is roughly 500 words or one page of A4.

Tips for writing a personal statement

Look at course descriptions and pick out the qualities, skills, and experience it requires – you can use these to help you decide what to write
Tell them why you’re applying, include your ambitions, as well as what interests you about the subject and higher education
Write about what makes you suitable; consider relevant work experience, skills, or achievements you’ve gained from education, work, or other activities
Include a paragraph of independent research - show your knowledge and passion for the subject
Include any clubs or societies you belong to - they are looking for students who are well-rounded as well as academic
Mention any relevant employment experience or volunteering you’ve done which might be relevant
If you took part in a higher education taster course, placement, or summer school, or something similar, include it
Make sure you write in your own words, this is your personal statement and Universities can check if you have copied.