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Personal Statement Top Tips

12 January 2021

Hi, my name’s Elle and I’m a final year student at Loughborough studying Sport Science with Management.

When you start your higher education journey you will need to write a p ersonal statement as   part  of your UCAS application when applying to universities. This is very important as it’s one of the few chances you get to let institutions know who you are besides your grades, so here are some top tips to help you writ e the perfect personal statement!  

Research the subject you want to study  

It can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to  your  personal statement.  I would recommend using university prospectuses and online resources to research the subject you want to study. From this  think about  what skills admissions tutors might  look fo r  in relation to the course  and think about how you can demonstrate that you have those skills . It might be useful  to  creat e  a mind map or a plan to help  keep track and formulate ideas.   

Make sure you demonstrate PASSION for the subject throughout  

Your personal statement gives you the perfect opportunity to demonstrate to admissions that you have  drive  and enthusiasm for that subject.  It is likely that the admissions tutor that is reading your personal statement   teach es   in  that subject  area , therefore you must show to them that you have  passion and motivation to study and achieve in that subject. A good way to demonstrate this is to explain your reasoning for wanting to study that subject.   

DO NOT just list the skills you have  

Whilst it is important to include  the  skills  you have in your personal statement  such as leadership or communication .   W hat is more important is that you explain how you have acquired these skills. For example,  it may be that through your role as head girl or head boy,  you developed your verbal communication  skills as  you  had  to deliver speeches to the  whole  school in assemblies.   

Provide lots of examples to support the points you are making   

Think about how your current studies have given you skills to support you through university.  Part time employment and voluntary work can  also  highlight additional skills . If you have any related work experience, this is something you definitely want to be including. Additionally, if you have undertaken any further reading in that subject area this is something you can include   as it can demonstrate your commitment to the subject. However,  make sure  the literature is from a reliable source/ author and relevant to what you want to study.     

Detail extracurricular activities   

If you take part in  in any extra-curricular activities, for instance playing a musical instrument or  in a  sports team this is something you can include to highlight to admissions tutors the type of person you are. HOWEVER, do  not  put too much emphasis on this part of the statement. This should be a very small element of your  personal  statement. Areas such as why you want to study that subject, the skills you  have  and  any  work experience/voluntary work should be your main focal point and weighted more heavily.   

Don’t copy sentences or paragraphs from other personal statements you may have read  

Personal statements are checked by UCAS for plagiarism , therefore if you are found to have copied sentences from other personal statements or from websites, this could put your application to universities at jeopardy.   

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes   

You want to make a good impression  on the admissions tutors, therefore read through your work to ensure it is free from any spelling and grammar errors. Perhaps, as k  a parent,  friend,  or teacher to also read it through to double check it.  

I n addition to this, m ake sure you use language you are familiar with  so   do not  use a thesaurus  to  change every other word .  You have a limited word count, so it  is  better to cut the  extravagant  language and keep things simple. Make every word count!  

Last piece of advice…   

Remember  you only have 47 lines to write your personal statement, so make sure it is direct and to the point . You are not going to write the perfect personal statement first time round; it will take a few drafts until you are completely happy with it, so stick at it!  Use the opportunity to showcase all the hard work you have been putting in and trust the process .  

What’s next? .. GET STARTED!   

Good Luck!  

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UCAS Personal Statement Length Checker

Please note: The line count may differ than the number of lines in the textbox above but when copy and pasted will match the line count on the UCAS application.

UCAS Personal Statement Requirements

• No longer than 4000 characters.
• No longer than 47 lines.
• Each line can be no longer than 94 characters. (Our character counter above already has a max line length of 94 characters unless otherwise noted.)
• Characters include spaces, carriage returns, and punctuation.

To see additional features including word count, paragraph count, space count and more use the character counter on our home page.

How to write your UCAS personal statement

The UCAS personal statement scares most high school students. Writing a perfect personal statement is a strenuous and unavoidable process. With roughly about 6 million university applications each year, officials need a method for filtering stronger applicants from everyone else.

As challenging as this task may appear, it is also your only chance to share your personality and eligibility for the degree program you have chosen. Follow our practices given, and you can absolutely make your personal statement up to the mark.

Start with a plan

Each year thousands of applications are received for the best degrees in the world and are best focused on the goal of making their application stand out from the rest.

Thus, planning out what you want to say prior to writing your UCAS statement makes it easy to write a convincing personal statement. Start off by making a rough draft, answering some questions like

• What subjects do you want to study?
• Why have you particularly chosen this path for yourself?
• What makes you think that you are best suited to study this degree program at the college?

Some of these points will form the backbone of your personal statement, so write them in a manner that makes sense to you.

Sometimes you want to create simple bullet points or use mind maps. No matter what you decide; your goal is the same. You want to clarify why the university should provide you with a spot.

Bigger Picture of the Degree

Talk about the course that you have applied to. How did you learn about it in the first place? What means did you use to deepen your interest and knowledge in this area?

It would be a huge plus to list the books you read and the meetings you have attended regarding the subject.

Please elaborate on your academic attitude towards the degree. What are your goals after graduating? What role will it play in helping you achieve your greatest ambitions? What sort of vocation plans do you have after graduation?

Write about your work experience and achievements

Your previous achievements are an essential part of your personal statement. Think about all the accolades you have received and the contests you have participated in. These can be in-school, national or international. Both academic and sports awards can greatly help emphasize your commitment.

Write about the important skills and experiences acquired elsewhere (such as hobbies) that can be chained to the degree of your choice.

Remember, you are searching for experience that shows why you need to study the subject that you have chosen. You are not just writing an essay about what you are doing in your high school syllabus.

Extracurricular Activities

Your extracurriculars ought to likewise be included in the personal statement. Whether it be a MUN or a cross country race, they pass on the message that you love participating in different events.

Likewise, it is really smart to discuss any expertise you have acquired through extracurriculars.

Discuss any leadership roles you could have held, as they improve your capacity to appreciate people on a profound level and put you across as a pioneer.

Community service is a plus in the UCAS statement as it shows a promise to a reason bigger than oneself.

You can link all these activities to your selected course in the best case. Be careful not to elaborate too much on extracurricular activities.

UCAS Character Count

There are some specific instructions for your personal statement that you can never ignore.

First, it must not exceed 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text (including blank lines), whichever comes first. If you do exceed this, the university will not get your entire statement.

So make sure your personal statement has a solid and decisive ending. It will look bad if you cut it off in the middle of a sentence after realizing that you have exceeded the text limit.

Instead, give each section proper attention, time, and character to plan your essay thoroughly.

However, while you are getting everything rolling, you ought to overlook these restrictions.

Tips for reducing the character count

From the get-go, you simply need to jot down all that you feel is significant. You will probably wind up with something very lengthy, but that is okay.

This is where you get to do some polishing and trimming. Maintain the focal point of your piece on the course you are applying for, why you want to do it and for what reason you are impeccably fit for it.

Glance through what you have composed until now - do you have the right balance? Cut off whatever continues a little to far, as you want to keep each point crisp and concise.

It is a difficult process to try to keep as much content as possible while keeping the character count low, so here are some simple ways to make it easier for you.

Avoid quotes

Read your personal statement and eliminate platitudes if there are any - for instance, 'I've wanted to study psychology since I was young'…The same goes for the quotations: except if they increase the value of your statement (which they don't most of the time!), it is really the best practice to remove them.

Make sure everything is concise

For each sentence in your piece, use the "so what?" rule. Does this sentence appear to be more reasonable for the course? If not, cutting it is best. This frequently happens when individuals write too much about their extracurriculars in a frantic endeavour to fit everything in. For extra analysis, feel free to use our sentence counter to calculate the average length of your sentences.

Colleges, notwithstanding, need to see a reflection and what you have extracted from your encounters; this implies it is normally better to simply discuss a few extracurriculars than to list many things that the reader is likely to skim.

Also, note that you don't have to use hospital or volunteer location names. This further allows you to remove the last few characters from the count.

Use colour coding

An easy way to see where you are losing most of your characters is to highlight the sections of your statement with different colours.

Check your language

We frequently invest a great deal of energy looking up big words with the expectation that it will make our work impressive. However, this isn't generally the best practice. It is, in many cases, best to cut these words for fundamental and engaging sentences.

I hope the process will now be transparent, and it will be more exciting for you as you embark on your writing.

How to use our UCAS personal statement checker

To use our tool simply copy and paste your personal statement into the text-box above.

At the top, you will see two metrics displayed. The first metric on the left is the total characters you've typed out of the limit of 4,000 characters.

The second metric on the right is the number of lines your text contains out of the max of 47 lines. The UCAS allows a maximum of 94 characters per line, which our line count feature already takes into consideration.

To make it easier you can click the green "copy text" button to copy the text in the text box. You can also click the red "clear text" button to delete all the text in the text-box.

Why use an online UCAS personal statement checker?

Reason number one: The character count feature in Microsoft Word will not give you an accurate reading. The reason is that Word does not count the carriage return (also known as the enter key) as a character while UCAS does count it as a character.

The problem is that this will cause Word to underestimate the character count. This could cause your essay not to be able to submit when you try to upload it. If anything it would be better to overestimate the word count on Word that way it will fit.

Our personal statement checker however will give you the same character count as UCAS unlike the Microsoft Word character count.

It can be helpful to see the character count in real-time as you are typing your personal statement. This way you are constantly reminded of how long your essay is.

If you are not paying attention it can be easy to lose track of how long your essay is and go over the limit.

Our tool makes it easier to be aware of the length and easy to cut back if necessary.

How many characters in a personal statement?

UCAS requires 4,000 characters in their personal statement. Use our personal statement checker above to see if your essay meets the requirements.

How many words in a UCAS personal statement

UCAS has a character limit of 4,000 characters. This equates to about 615 to 800 words.

How many words is 4000 characters?

4,000 characters is about 615 to 800 words. For more Characters to Words conversions, check out our Characters To Words Converter .

Does the personal statement character limit include spaces?

Yes, it does include spaces as well as carriage returns. Check your statement with our personal statement checker above.

Thanks for using our UCAS personal statement checker!

We appreciate you taking the time to check your personal statement using our webpage. As you know, this is a very important college application essay to get into British universities. UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and is what the UK uses for the college application process. Good luck on your personal statement!

17 Things to Include in a Personal Statement for University

In University by Think Student Editor March 7, 2022 Leave a Comment

Writing a personal statement for university is extremely important. It is a students first contact with the university, so making a good first impression is key to try secure a place. For students applying to university from sixth form college, your teachers at college should help guide you through the process, however this article will provide you with many ideas you may want to include in your personal statement. Lets jump into it!

1. Your Interest in the Course

It is important to make your interest in the course you are applying for clear , so that the universities are able to understand that you actually want to study under them. Because studying at uni is so independent, universities want to ensure that all of their students enjoy their courses. Enjoying the course will help their motivation to learn and so are able to work hard in order to graduate.

The first section of your personal statement should be dedicated to the course with an explanation as to why you are excited to study it. This will of course need to be backed up with evidence to prove that you are passionate about the subject and are interested in the content of the course. In doing so, you will convince them that you deserve a place at the university.

2. What Led You To This Course

The people looking at your statement will be able to see your interest in the course by learning why you want to study it. They want to know about you, not about the course.

Have a think and take your mind back to where it all started–was it a trip, an event, or a person who inspired the path you want to take? Be reflective and ensure you give an explanation as to how that led you to apply. Tell the universities your story and allow them to see who you are through your words.

You need to have convincing reasons as to why you want to study the course , it can’t just be a simple explanation of “I enjoy the subject”—anyone can say that, so you need to make them really believe in you.

3. Joint Honours Course

If you are applying for a joint honours course, then you should explain why you want to study the subjects together. You could also give reasons as to how the pair complement each other. Do not forget to mention how the combination of these subjects fit in your long-term plans.

For similar subjects, the connection will be more obvious due to the similarities in the courses. In which case you will find it more straightforward to discuss both subjects throughout your personal statement and also as to why you have chosen to study both. Other subjects will have a weaker connection which may make it harder for you to talk about your interests in both.

I recommend that you focus on one first, then the other, before adding a couple of sentences as to why it is beneficial for you to study them alongside one another. Otherwise, as you discuss the second subject, you could link it back to the first one throughout.

If you are applying for different combinations of subjects or have an application to study only one of the two at some universities, with one in common throughout, it may make more sense for you to focus on that subject .

4. Prove That You’re Passionate

To back up your excitement about the course, you need to provide some proof that you’re passionate about studying it. This can be done by talking about any work experience that has improved relevant skills and affected your opinions on the course in some way.

Another very important thing to mention are key examples of your super-curriculars. This refers to anything you have done outside of school which relates to the course, such as reading books, listening to podcasts and anything else related to the course. Always mention how they helped you to consider something you had not thought of before.

For work experience ideas, check out this article , as you probably still have time to start at a placement so that you can include it in your personal statement.

Never lie about any super-curriculars as they are something that universities will want to talk about if they offer you an interview . This could be done by discussing a certain book which they’ll ask your opinions on so they can understand your thought processes and see your mind work (so to speak).

Universities want candidates who have self-motivation and good critical thinking skills . As I mentioned earlier, university focuses on independent studying, so students need to be able to form their own opinions.

5. Schemes Related to the Course

Although they are linked to super-curriculars, mentioning any higher education taster courses, summer schools or other courses are also vital evidence of your intention to do well at uni .

UniTasterDays is a website which you can use to find courses run by universities in preparation. Simply select the subject area you want to explore, add in your age and let it find you available courses! You can also search by university if there’s a specific one you would like to look at.

Springpod groups different degree taster courses in one place so that you can see whether or not a subject is right for you. You can also search on university websites to directly find out if they are running anything that might be useful for you.

6. Why You’re the Perfect Student for This Course

The next thing that should be included in your personal statement is why you are the perfect candidate that the uni should accept.

If you look through the prospectuses of the universities that you are applying to, you will find that they will outline the values of the students they want . The majority of universities will want students to have attributes like a strong work ethic, enthusiasm to learn and to be able to cope well under pressure.

Each university will have their own priorities about the characteristics they want their students to have, but they all want ideal students. This is something you should bear in mind when writing your personal statement.

7. Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are important as although you need to be independent, you must also be able to work well with others. By learning how to work alongside people with different personalities, you will build confidence in yourself and know how to deal with people.

To learn more about how to develop your interpersonal skills further, Skills You Need offers advice which is tailored to prospective uni students.

As seen in this study , there are many ‘soft’ skills that are looked for by employers, and this can also be applied to uni students. I recommend you have a look at some of the listed examples that the employers decided were the most important to them.

You can mention these skills when outlining experiences like taking part with the National Citizen Service (NCS) and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) . You could also link them into any work-experience, volunteering, or part-time jobs that you have held.

If you are struggling to brainstorm your skills, then feel free to ask your friends and family! But do not get carried away and quote them (i.e., “My grandmother has told me that I am good at communicating with others.”) as this is wordy, makes you come across as unsure of yourself and seem reliant on others.

8. Academic Skills

Academic success is founded on having the right skills, hence why universities want to ensure that their students have such skills. Some academic skills overlap with interpersonal skills.

Critical thinking is one of the most important skills that you will need when in uni , as it involves your ability to interpret sources of information, irrespective of the subject. The University of Leeds explores this skill in more detail on this page . Although it is something that you will be able to show off in interviews, you may wish to mention or display it in regard to your super-curriculars .

Time management and organisational skills are also very important, especially due to the increase of independence that you will face in the transition to uni. You should give examples of these skills if you have acquired them through specific activities such as running a club or tutoring someone. These skills require planning and demonstrate you are able to handle your time well, which is great to include on your personal statement.

9. Employment Experience

If you have had a job that relates to the course in some way, then you should talk about your experience . You could link it if they are of the same field or perhaps it confirmed your desire to study the course.

Your job might seem unrelated, but if it developed your skills, then it could be a valuable example. Have a good think and list all of the benefits that your job has given you. Go through and decide which of those things will help you to study at university or can be linked to the specific subject in any way.

If you are a mature student who has been working for a number of years, it is also a good idea to address what changed in your life that made you decide to either go part-time or give it up so that you could study at uni. For some people, their decision might be because their employment was not fulfilling for them, but for others they wanted to focus on what they truly love despite having had a good career.

10. Volunteer Experience

Given that you are not paid for volunteering, it is proof that you have gone out of your way to gain some relevant experience . This in turn displays your passion.

Your volunteering could have been organised by you or through your place of education, but are valuable experiences, nonetheless. Some organisations through which you may have volunteered include Project Trust and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) .

If you are writing your personal statement early and have not yet volunteered anywhere, then do not fret as you still have time to find a placement. You could look at volunteering in a local charity shop to develop communication and organisation skills. You could even help out in a primary school, or with a scout troop if you are interested in working with children or in education. Check out The Prince’s Trust for links to various organisations that you can volunteer with.

11. Personal Circumstances Affecting Educational Performance

You should not dwell too long on any personal circumstances that you have had to face in order to avoid looking like you are fishing for a ‘sympathy vote’. However, you must mention any extenuating circumstances which have affected your educational performance . This could include any physical or mental health illness, bereavement, or having to care for a family member.

If you managed to do some studying despite the circumstances, it will also display your determination to succeed.

You do not need to give details about what happened, especially if you do not feel comfortable in doing so, instead be more general and focus on how it affected you and your ability to study.

You can mention any extenuating circumstances in passing to explain grades which have been affected as a result. Your teachers should also mention them in your references to back up what you have said . If you are concerned about how your grades look, have a conversion with your teachers to remind them of the circumstances so that they remember to include it in their references.

12. Your Achievements

Universities want to learn about your achievements, especially any ones which relate to the subject. Regardless of whether it is a personal or academic achievement, ensure that you include it in your personal statement.

Some examples of personal achievements may include: winning a Jack Petchey (Achievement) Award , an award for the Speak Out Challenge , any awards you have gained from ASDAN , charity work and volunteering.

Academic achievements include winning competitions such as the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge , an art competition and the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition. Further academic achievements could include organising an event and being a prefect or a head student.

However, when going through your achievements, you should ensure that it does not come across as showing off, instead it should have a humble tone as universities are not looking for arrogant students.

13. Hobbies and Extracurriculars

Only talk about relevant hobbies, otherwise they do not add too much to your statement. U niversities do want to know about you as a person, they are far more interested in how well you are suited to the course , even through your hobbies.

You could mention any clubs or societies that you take part in, both inside and outside of your level 3 qualifications (this refers to A-Levels, BTECs and the like).

Try to link your hobbies and extracurricular activities to your course. If an extracurricular activity has added to your skills, then by all means go ahead and mention it! This way you will be able to talk about your characteristics without simply listing them.

Prioritise the extracurricular activities in which you had some sort of official role or responsibility , as they will demonstrate your leadership and communication skills.

14. What Makes You Interesting and Unique

You need to show the universities how you stand out amongst the crowd. You can do this by giving them something to remember you by. Think about what makes you unique. Think outside the box! Remember that admissions tutors read thousands of applications, so you need to stand out from the others.

Quotes can be a powerful tool when used correctly to support something you have said but remember that it is you who they want to hear from, not someone famous. Be careful if using a famous quote as many will be reused by multiple applicants.

When writing your personal statement do not read others as they will influence you and what you produce. Instead find your own voice and let the content flow from your mind alone.

15. General Ability to Fit into Uni Life

Overall, your personal statement should showcase why you will be able to fit into university. This is mainly done by talking about your different skills and of course, your passion for the course you are applying for. You could also mention that you have visited a friend or relative at uni, where you have been able to see what it is really like to study there (but only if this is true).

You can also talk about any societies that you would like to join if you are struggling to find anything to say. Make sure the ones you choose are shared by all of the universities that you are applying to though.

16. Your Ambitions

Your plans for where this course is going to lead you is a key feature that you can include. Do you want to continue on from the course by doing a masters? Or perhaps a PhD? Or maybe you have a job in mind that you want to apply for? Whatever it is, only focus on the more immediate goals and not too far into the future.

Telling them of what you intend to do with the degree will show the universities that you have goals which you want to achieve and that you aim to continue progressing with this subject, even after the course is completed. This way you can convince them of your eagerness to succeed with the course!

I do not recommend that you spend too long dwelling on your ambitions as the universities are most interested in what you will bring to them, not so much what you will do after them. A brief mention of your ambitions will suffice in showing them that you do not just want to do the degree for the sake of doing one.

17. A summary of Everything You’ve Mentioned

One way to conclude your personal statement is to summarise your key points . When doing this, do not repeat things as it will be a waste of time, but find a different way to say what you want to.

Kirsty Wilkinson ( Loughborough University school and college liaison manager) recommends that you “summarise what you are most looking forward to about studying at university [and] why you feel that this is the right course choice for you”. Click here to read more of Kirsty’s comments.

Keep an eye on the word counter when summarising, as you do not want to use up too much of your precious word limit on a summary. If you struggle to work out how to finish your personal statement, check out UCAS’ advice .

A bit of Extra Advice

Although this article aims to guide prospective sixth formers on their personal statements, it does include some points which you should also think about when drafting your personal statement for uni—so check it out!

If you need some more specific help due to your situation in life, look at UCAS’ ‘Need more help?’ section on this page .

Now go and get writing!

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Personal statement FAQs

We've gone through some of the most commonly asked personal statement questions and put all the answers in one place

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Your personal statement is a big part of your uni application. It's where you can show universities why they should give you a place on your chosen course. Read on for quick tips on writing your personal statement. We'll cover what sort of things to include, along with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions that crop up over on our sister site The Student Room .  If you can't find an answer to your question here, try posting it to the personal statements forum on The Student Room .

When should I start writing my personal statement?

It’s never too early to start thinking about it! However, you'll need a good idea of what course you’re going to apply for before you launch into writing it. On the other hand, don’t leave it too late as it's quite a long process and you're likely to have a few drafts before reaching your finished product.

Remember:  your referee will need to see your personal statement before they can write your reference. If you get yourself organised over the summer, you can start by jotting down a few ideas over those few weeks - ready to start writing it when you arrive back to school or college in September.

The Ucas application deadline for most undergraduate uni courses starting in September/October 2025 is 29 January 2025. If you're applying to Oxbridge or for medicine, dentistry or veterinary science courses to start in 2025 there's an earlier deadline – 15 October 2024. You can find all the key Ucas deadlines and application dates for 2025 entry in this article . 

• Read more: universities reveal all about personal statements

How long can the personal statement be?

Statements are limited to whichever is shorter of either:

• 4,000 characters (including spaces)  OR

Be aware that software such as Microsoft Word may not give a character or line count that completely matches what the Ucas form says. The character count should be reasonably accurate, but the line limit is more difficult because lines may wrap at different points depending on the software you're using.

The only way to be 100% sure what the character and line counts are is to copy your draft statement into your online Ucas form (but be careful not to submit it unless you're sure it's the final version). You can edit and save your personal statement without submitting it as many times as you like, and you'll only be able to mark the section as complete when you're on the preview screen. 

If testing out your personal statement draft on your Ucas form still feels too risky, you can get a good indication of where you're at by using the Courier New font, size 10, with the default margins, to get a reasonable estimate how many lines your personal statement will be. If you've left a line between paragraphs, then you will probably reach the line limit before the character limit.

• Read more: how to write an excellent personal statement in ten steps

Where do I start?

Most people won’t be able to just start writing the statement off the top of their head – so it’s a good idea to jot down a few notes first. The main things to think about are:

• What do I want to study? (if you can't answer this, you should probably concentrate on working it out before writing your personal statement).
• Why do I want to study it?
• What personal qualities, interests and experience do I have which show I am suited to this subject, and to study at university?

Many people have trouble writing about themselves and their personal qualities. If you’re struggling with this step, it can be helpful to look up some information on writing a CV - there are a lot of parallels in how to put yourself forward effectively.

• Read more: five practical tips to help with your personal statement

What sort of structure should I use?

Most people write their personal statement in an essay style, starting off with the course, and why they want to do it, then talking about their relevant work experience and skills and finishing off with extracurricular activities.

As a guide, spend around two thirds of the space talking about your course and how you’re suited to it, and one third on your work experience and other activities. Exactly how you write your statement depends on your subject – generally people write more about work experience for vocational subjects like medicine and law than they would for subjects like maths or English where work experience is less important.

• Read more: avoid these ten biggest personal statement mistakes

No formatting of any type is allowed in your personal statement (except using capital letters), so any bold, italic, or underlined words will disappear in the preview.

Tabs and multiple spaces will be condensed to a single space, so it is not possible to indent lines. Single spaces at the beginning of lines will also be removed.

You have a very limited set of special characters. Common symbols that aren't allowed are € and the special quote characters “ ‘ ’ ” which will simply be removed from your statement, so remember to replace quotes with " and '.

Backslashes (\) are also not allowed, but will be replaced with forward slashes (/) and curly brackets will be replaced with normal ones.

Accented characters such as é, à, è, ù, etc. are not accepted and are removed by the Ucas form.  

What’s the most important part of the personal statement?

Write about your aspirations in a meaningful way. The crucial bit about a personal statement is where you talk about the subject you are applying for and why you want to do this at uni. Admissions tutors will always focus on this bit – so make this interesting and not just a list of books. Your personality should emerge here – they should be able to understand what is driving you to apply for this course, as well as getting a sense of your energy and enthusiasm.

• Read more: how to write your university application

Should I talk about what I want to do after university?

You could, but only if you have a good idea of what you want to do. If you sound sure about what you want to do after uni it gives the impression that you’ve thought carefully about your course and what you want to do with it. It's also a nice way to round off your statement, rather than finishing on less important stuff like extra curricular activities. If you don’t have any future plans, then leave this bit out – you don’t want to be asked about them at interviews.

Should I talk about my qualifications?

No. There’s already a section on the Ucas form for this, so don’t waste the space on your personal statement. If you have something important which doesn’t go in the qualifications section, ask your referee to put it down in your reference – it will sound better if it comes from them than from you. This goes for module marks as well. Some people are told they should try to link each A-level to the course they are applying for. It can be far more effective to focus your time and space on talking about the subject you are applying for – that is what matters.

How do I write it for two different courses?

There’s no easy way to write a personal statement for two totally unrelated courses. If the courses are similar you may find you can write a statement relevant to both, without mentioning either subject by name. If the courses are completely unrelated, it may be impossible to write for both subjects without your personal statement sounding vague and unfocused. Instead you will need to concentrate on just one subject and just ignore the other – it sometimes works!

What are admissions tutors looking for?

Different admissions tutors are looking for different things, but in general they will be thinking things like:  “Do we want this student on this course?” , and  “Do we want this student at this university?”  And most will be looking for an interest in the subject you are applying for that goes beyond simply your A-level syllabus/reading list. 

Remember, most universities and departments now publish information on applications and writing personal statements, so reading the subject section of their website might list more specific information on exactly what they’re looking for. If in doubt, google the name of the university along with the subject/course and admissions statement.

• Read more: 6 steps you need to take to apply to university

Is it worth doing loads of extracurricular stuff to make it sound good?

There’s no point doing extra things just to try and make yourself look good to universities – you won’t enjoy it and it probably won’t help much either. An interest and aptitude for the course is likely to be more important to admissions tutors than lots of extracurricular activities. If you do want to do something to boost your application, read relevant books or do work experience related to the subject instead. 

What happens if I lie on the personal statement?

If you aren't confident that the universities will accept you based on your predicted grades or something else, you might reconsider applying. 

It's best not to write anything which you can't back up in interview if necessary. Interviewers can and do bring up nearly anything in a personal statement as a basis for questions. 

Any last tips?

What have you done that's relevant to your subject, that is unique, and that it's likely no one else is going to write about in their personal statement? Many people have similar interests and work experience, so you need something to separate you from the crowd. For example, everyone who applies for economics seems to read The Economist, The Financial Times, and The Guardian. So if you put down those, don't expect them to be amazed by your reading around the subject. Have a deeper think – what makes you special? 

• Read more: how to write your personal statement in an evening

And the most important thing?

Finally, remember that it’s your personal statement, and you can write  whatever you want  on it. If everything in this guide conflicts with what you’ve got already, but you think you still have a killer personal statement, then use that. A personal statement is about  you , and you shouldn’t let anyone tell you what to put – sticking blindly to a formula will just stop your true personality showing through.

Tricks to squeeze more in

• Remember it's a personal statement, and leave out anything unnecessary.
• Don't repeat yourself.
• Cut out the waffle – be concise!
• Get rid of pointless words, such as very specific details or unecessary adjectives
• Ask your referee to mention some stuff that you cannot
• Get some structure to your statement
• If you can't get it under the line/character limit, you may just have to chop whole sentences

What should I do once I’ve written it?

Get people's opinions on it! Show it to your friends, parents, teachers, career advisors and so on and note down their comments. The most useful comments are likely to come from your teachers in the subject and the people at your school or college who handle Ucas applications. If you have enough time, leave your personal statement for a couple of weeks to a month and come back to it – if you’re not still happy with what you wrote, it’s time to start redrafting.

Definitely do not post it on an internet forum or discussion board. If your personal statement is published online before your application is complete, it may get picked up by Ucas' plagiarism detection .

You may want to look at these...

The ucas personal statement is changing in 2025.

A question-based personal statement will be required as part of university applications from autumn 2025 onwards

Teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

Writing a personal statement is one of the most important things you will do when applying to university. Here is some useful advice and insider knowledge from Mrs Kinetta, who has more than 25 years of experience as a sixth form tutor.

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

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How to write the best personal statement

A great personal statement will help your university application stand out and get those offers rolling in. We cover everything you need to know about writing your personal statement. 

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A personal statement is meant to show off YOU. You’ll need to think about why you want to study the course you’re applying for, what you’ve done to work towards that already, what transferable skills you have and what you want to do after university. It’s a lot to think about and squish into the strict UCAS character and line limit, but don’t worry, we’ve got all the tips and advice you could want.

Personal statement all finished? Read more about applying to university.

CONTENTS: 

• When’s the deadline to finish my personal statement?   
• How to get started on your personal statement  
• Tailoring your personal statement to your subject choice
• How to structure your personal statement  
• What to include in your personal statement

Can you use AI when writing your personal statement?  

Things to avoid in your personal statement  , how long should your personal statement be  .

• How to edit your personal statement

Are you ready to submit your personal statement?  

Ucas proposed reform  , when’s the deadline to finish my personal statement .

The UCAS deadline for 2024 entry is 31 January 2024 at 6pm UK time. You can submit applications after this, but you won’t be covered by the Equal Consideration Policy and some courses may be full. Any applications received after 6pm on 30 June 2024 will be entered into Clearing.  

It’s best to have your personal statement drafted a couple of weeks before the deadline so you have time to get feedback on it and edit it. 

How to get started on your personal statement 

Before you even think about writing, you’ll have to research the courses you’re applying for. This can give you some inspiration on what to write about, and if you see you’ve already covered some of the first-year material, even better. 

After research comes planning. You’ll want to plan out paragraph by paragraph what you’re going to include to make sure you don’t repeat yourself or miss anything out. 

If you have your research and plan completed, it’s time to start writing!

How to start writing your personal statement.

Tailoring your personal statement to your subject choice   

Admissions tutors want to see why you’d be a good fit for the course you’ve applied for on your personal statement, so you’ll want to make sure the things you’re mentioning link back to the course you’ve applied to. For example, if you’re applying to study psychology, there’s not much point going on about how much you love watching Great British Bake Off. However, if you’re a huge fan of Milton’s Paradise Lost and you’re applying to study English literature, that’s a great thing to mention. 

 Not everything you mention has to be directly linked to your chosen course, but it should either link or demonstrate transferable skills useful to university study such as time management, leadership, balancing responsibilities or independent research.  

Tailoring your university personal statement to your subject  

How to structure your personal statement  

There’s no set way you have to structure your personal statement, but if you read a few examples online, you’ll probably notice a bit of a pattern occurring. The main thing to do is to open your personal statement by introducing yourself and why you want to study the course you’re applying to. You might then want to talk about: 

• Your academic qualifications 
• Any work experience or volunteering  
• Extracurricular activities  
• Any reading you’ve done around your subject (and what you learned from that reading!). 

 A good way to close your personal statement is to talk about what you’d like to do after university, and how the subject you’re applying for will help you get there.

Ashley Harrison-Barker, Home Admissions Manager at  University of Hertfordshire , says "We want you to give us a summary of you as an individual and your journey up until this point... Think of it as a timeline that explains your journey to-date and how you would use this course as a springboard to achieve your desired career aspirations."

How to structure your personal statement.

What to include in your personal statement  

Your personal statement should be just that – personal! Exactly what you should include depends on what you’ve done. However, some areas that you might want to cover in your personal statement include: 

• Work experience 
• Part-time work or volunteering 
• What you’re studying now 
• What topics within the subject particularly interest you 
• Your future career goals 
• Extracurricular activities or reading you’ve done relevant to your course 

Simone Wilson, Careers Manager at Wirral Grammar School for Boys, says it's important to, "explain what interests you about particular topics and how you have gone above and beyond to learn more about it."

Essential topics to include in your personal statement.

ChatGPT and AI is a hot topic right now, so you might be wondering whether it can help you write your personal statement. In short, you have to be careful if you’re using AI to help you with your personal statement.  

Your personal statement must be original work, which means you can’t copy and paste chunks from an AI. UCAS checks personal statements and can detect AI-written content, so using AI-generated paragraphs could harm your application. As Harrison-Barker says, "AI won’t know all your personal experiences so there is no substitute for the real thing."

However, AI can be helpful for the planning stage as it can generate personal statement examples that you can use for inspiration on what to cover and how to structure your own personal statement. It can also help you to brainstorm topics related to your subject that you could relate to your experience when it comes to writing your personal statement. 

Using AI and ChatGPT when writing your personal statement.

It probably goes without saying that you shouldn’t use any inappropriate language such as swear words in your personal statement. You should also avoid slang, or language that comes across as too informal (the admissions tutor is not your ‘mate’).   

Be wary of using cliches or buzzwords if you don’t have the experience and evidence to back them up, and of course you should avoid lying about anything. It’s also wise to avoid discussing anything that you can’t link to either the subject you’re applying to study, or a transferable skill you learned that’ll be useful at university.  

Words you should never use in your university application.  

The limit for your UCAS personal statement is 4,000 characters (not words!) including spaces or 47 lines, whichever comes first. To check the length of your personal statement, copy and paste it into the UCAS application form as character count may vary a little bit between your word processing program and UCAS, and the only way to check your line count is to put it into the application form. 

Read more about the length requirements for personal statements .

How to edit your personal statement 

Once you’ve got a first draft of your personal statement, it’s time to get feedback and redraft. One of the first things you’ll want to do is check how it compares to the UCAS character and line limit. You can’t go over the limit, but you want to get as much in as possible.  

You’ll also want to show it to a few people and get some feedback. You could ask your parents, friends or a teacher at school to read it over for you – the more eyes you can get on it the better. It’s good to show your personal statement to whoever is writing your UCAS reference so they can mention some of the things you’ve put into your personal statement.  

You’ll need to proofread it to make sure it all makes sense and there aren’t any spelling or grammar errors before you send off your final draft. 

How to tell if your university application is good.  

Have you drafted, redrafted and drafted your personal statement again? Have you checked for any spelling and grammar mistakes? Have you got a few people to look it over and give you feedback? If you answered yes to all of these questions and your personal statement fits within the UCAS character and line limit, all that’s left to do is go through our application checklist and send it off… 

University application checklist.  

For 2026 entry onwards, UCAS are changing the way the university application process works. For those applying for entry in 2024 or 2025, the personal statement will not be changing. We’ll bring you more information about the application reform when UCAS release the details of the updated process.

Read more about applying to university.

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• UCAS Personal Statements Are Changing in 2025

Last Updated: 16th January 2023

Author: Matthew Amalfitano-Stroud

Table of Contents

It was announced by UCAS in January of 2023 that traditional Personal Statements will be removed from the university application process in the UK. 

Since 1993, UCAS has required university applicants in the UK to submit a 4,000-character Personal Statement during the application process, which would then be accessed by university admissions teams to assist in the shortlisting process. 

However, it has been confirmed by UCAS that this process will be changing as soon as 2025. Here, we dissect the announcement, discuss what we currently know about this change and explain how this could affect your university application. Let’s begin:  

In short, this is what you need to know:

• UCAS Personal Statements are being replaced by a three-question survey that gives applicants the chance to explain various aspects of their application.
• This change will be implemented for the 2025 admissions cycle for 2026 Entry in the UK.
• This will affect all applicants, both home and international, looking to attend any UK university in 2026 and beyond.
• Students will need to learn how to take on these new questions rather than traditional Personal Statement writing.
• Teachers will need to be prepared to do research on this new system and provide support for students in order to maximise their chances of success.
• We at UniAdmissions are keeping a very close eye on the situation and will update this guide as new information surfaces. We will also ensure that our support systems are up-to-date and effective at helping students through these changes.

What are Personal Statements Being Replaced with?

With the announcement that the current system for UCAS Personal Statements will be getting replaced, it is only natural to be asking what will be replacing it. Thankfully, we have already been given some idea of what to expect. 

Unlike the other major shake-up to the 2024 admission process, the removal of various admissions tests including the BMAT , the official announcement has provided us with an explanation of what UCAS is seeking to implement instead of traditional Personal Statements. 

Put simply, the current format of providing a 4,000-character piece of writing will be replaced with a new “scaffolded structure” of three specific questions which applicants must answer. These questions will still allow you to write your answers out, but you will be answering set questions instead of having to plan and structure a full statement from scratch. 

For each question, applicants will need to write a minimum of 350 characters. The overall character limit for the Personal Statement across the three questions (including spaces) will be 4,000 – this is the same as the current limit. 

Responses will need to be submitted via the online UCAS system, which will now feature three text boxes instead of one (one for each question). Each box will include an exact character counter and tips for each question. 

The three questions you’ll have to answer are as follows: 

• Why do you want to study this course or subject?
• How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
• What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

These questions cover the important topics that would typically be included in a standard Personal Statement, so the content of your writing should mostly stay the same. The key difference is that your writing will no longer need to flow as a singular piece of work, meaning introductions and conclusions will be de-emphasised. 

In 2023, UCAS initially announced a selection of six questions that were being considered for a new Personal Statement system. These were as follows:

• Motivation for Course – Why do you want to study these courses?
• Preparedness for Course – How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses?
• Preparation through other experiences – What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful?
• Extenuating circumstances – Is there anything that the universities and colleges need to know about, to help them put your achievements and experiences so far into context?
• Preparedness for study – What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
• Preferred Learning Styles – Which learning and assessment styles best suit you – how do your courses choices match that?

UCAS stated that these were subject to change based on feedback from schools and students, with the new three-question system being the result of this work (removing the last three questions in the process). 

Of the questions originally planned for the Personal Statement, one aspect that will no longer be covered is Extenuating Circumstances. This was previously going to be a section that allows applicants to discuss any issues that may have impacted their application negatively (illness, family circumstances, etc).

UCAS states that this section was removed from the Personal Statement due to its inclusion as one of the three questions in the Academic Reference (also a part of the UCAS process). If you have anything that you want to discuss in this section, you will need to speak with your referee to explain what you would like to include in the reference. 

At UniAdmissions, we ensure all of our students receive the most up-to-date support.

At UniAdmissions, we’re working tirelessly to ensure that our tutors, curriculum and resources are ready to get our students through these changes. You can join them today and ensure you get the support you need to make it through the 2024 admissions cycle . 

Discover our Oxbridge Premium Programmes below and find out how you can enrol and triple your chances of success .

When Are UCAS Personal Statements Being Changed?

The most recent announcement from UCAS regarding Personal Statements confirms that this new system will be implemented in August of 2025, meaning applicants for 2026 Entry will be the first to face the changes. Applicants in 2024 for 2025 Entry will have to complete the single, free-form document like previous years, 

It’s worth mentioning that these plans have been in place for a fair amount of time, with discussions of reforming the application process starting in April 2021. However, this change has finally received a confirmed date for implementation after previously being planned for 2023. 

Why Are UCAS Personal Statements Being Changed?

The announcement of these reforms was initially made on January 12th 2023 via a blog post on the official HEPI website. This post highlights the amendments being made to the Personal Statement process and the research that was conducted to influence this change.  

Interestingly, the data quoted in this post states that the majority of applicants surveyed were happy with the current Personal Statement process, with 72% feeling positive about it. However, the same survey indicated that 83% of applicants found the process stressful and 79% felt unable to complete theirs without support. This is the data that most likely influenced the changes. 

The post’s writer, Kim Eccleston, states that they are aiming to provide better support for both applicants and universities, creating “a more supportive framework” that allows applicants to write about what the universities need to know in a less restrictive way. It is also stated in a more detailed outline of the announcement that both students and teachers preferred the use of specific questions instead of free-form writing. 

However, a previous post released in November 2022 provides even more insight into the reasoning behind this decision. Based on data featured in HEPI Debate Paper 31 , various industry professionals had commented on the challenges facing applicants of certain background when it comes to the current style of Personal Statement. 

Within the quotes featured here, the traditional UCAS Personal Statement was described as “ambiguous” , “unfair” and “barometers of middle-class privilege” . These comments may potentially be in reference to the current importance of work experience, which can be difficult to obtain without connections in certain industries, as well as additional experiences which may not be available to all applicants.  

Therefore, this new system should presumably reduce the barriers for disadvantaged applicants by shifting focus to each individual’s own interest and abilities within their chosen subjects. 

Other Changes being Made by UCAS

Personal Statements are only one of five key areas being altered by UCAS, as highlighted in the blog post. This is certainly the most significant action taking place, but other changes that were previously made to the application process include: 

• Academic references are being reformed, moving from a free-text approach to a set of three questions, similar to the Personal Statement reforms.
• The 'Entry Grade Report' will be created, which allows applicants to see grade profiles that have been accepted for courses over a five year period.
• A 'Course Recommendation Tool' is being created to provide applicants with personalised suggestions for courses based on their current grades and preferences.
• A 'Fair Access Programme' is being created to encourage widening access and participation.

Overall, it seems these changes all have the same intent; to level the playing field and make university applications more achievable for everyone. 

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How will this affect my university application?

As previously stated, if you are applying to university this year for 2025 Entry (and deferred Entry for 2026), you will not be affected by these reforms and will need to submit a traditional Personal Statement to UCAS like previous years. 

For applicants applying for 2026 Entry and beyond, your application will follow this new process, meaning you won’t have to submit a full Personal Statement but will instead need to answer a series of questions relating to your application and abilities for your chosen course. 

When hearing that the whole process will be changing, this typically instils a feeling of dread as you’ll be treading new ground that no one else has experienced before. However, it’s important to understand that UCAS states these changes are being made for the benefit of both the applicants and the universities. 

As we’ve already discussed, a key part of the reason this change is being implemented is that a high percentage of applicants found writing a traditional Personal Statement stressful, which is counterintuitive to what UCAS is trying to achieve. By providing applicants with a strong framework, in the form of specific questions, this new process should allow more applicants to provide better quality statements for universities. 

This change is also set to be particularly beneficial to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, as the process will allow them to better express their ability regardless of any areas that may be lacking due to factors out of their control. Essentially, the new process should allow more people to stand a better chance of making a good impression despite limitations. 

How Can I Start Preparing?

If you’re starting your preparations early, the main barrier you’ll face at this stage of preparation is not knowing what the questions will be, as they have yet to be announced. There are no resources available currently that cover this system, so you’re going to have to be independent with your preparation here.

Since we have a rough outline of what the questions to focus on, you should still be able to practice your responses. Although they won’t be as relevant any more, it would still be helpful to check out Personal Statement guides and examples as these can help you pin down the language and writing style you use. 

With all this information now available to us, you should be able to get a sense of what to do for your application in the coming years. The initial introduction of this system in 2025 will act as a test of its effectiveness, so elements could be changed in the years following. However, the important thing is that you understand how things are changing from the current system and how you can make the most of the new system. 

If you are applying for university in 2024 for 2025 Entry, you will need to make sure you’re ready to write your Personal Statement. Thankfully, UniAdmissions have plenty of resources to help you through it, including our Ultimate UCAS Personal Statement Guide and our collection of successful Oxbridge Personal Statements . 

If you’re looking for more in-depth support that covers the whole application process for Medicine, Law and Oxbridge courses, them find out how you can enrol in one of our Premium Programmes .  

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How to write a UCAS personal statement

Writing a great personal statement

Read our guide on what it is, what to include, how to start, length and what makes a good personal statement 

Once you've decided which universities and courses to apply for, completing your application is pretty simple – until it comes to how to write your UCAS personal statement.

This guide covers everything you need to know about how to write a personal statement for university. We look at what it is and how you can start your personal statement. We've also got questions to guide you and a suggested personal statement structure you can use so you know what to put in it.

If you'd like even more resources, support and UCAS personal statement examples, you can sign up to access our personal statement hub .

What is the UCAS personal statement?

How universities use your ucas personal statement, how to start a ucas personal statement.

• Get feedback on your UCAS personal statement

The personal statement is part of your UCAS application. It's how you show your chosen universities why you'll make a great student and why they should make you an offer.

Your personal statement also helps you think about your choice of course and your reasons for applying, so you know you’ve made the right decision.

Get feedback on your personal statement

Sign up to our personal statement hub to get feedback on your draft. You'll also get access to videos, help sheets and more tips.

Sign up now

UCAS personal statement word limit

Your personal statement length can be up to 4,000 characters long. 

This may sound a lot, but it's a word limit of around 550–1000 words with spaces and only about 1 side of typed A4 paper.

You need to keep it concise and make sure it's clear and easy to read.

Applying for multiple courses

Although you can apply for up to 5 courses on your UCAS application, you can only submit 1 personal statement. So it needs to cover all your course choices.

If you really want to show your commitment to applying for different courses, we will accept a second personal statement from you to reflect your application e.g. if you are applying for Law elsewhere, but Criminology and Criminal Justice with us.

Lots of students who apply to university have achieved the basic entry requirements and many more students apply than there are places available. Admissions teams can use your UCAS personal statement to get to know you and decide why you're more suitable than other applicants.

Some universities read every personal statement and score them. Then they use them alongside your qualifications and grades to decide whether to offer you a place or interview. Other universities put less emphasis on the personal statement and use it with students who have borderline entry requirements.

Universities might refer to your personal statement again on results day if you don't get the grades you need. So a good personal statement could clinch you a uni place even if your grades aren't what you hoped for.

Starting your personal statement can seem scary when you're staring at a blank screen. But, things will seem less daunting once you start.

• Set aside some time in a place where you're comfortable and won't be disturbed. Grab a notepad or computer.
• Write down anything and everything that's influenced your decision to go to university and study your chosen subject. Jot down your skills and experience too.
• Use the questions below to guide you. Don't worry about the personal statement length at this point – you can cut things out later.

When to start your UCAS personal statement

Ideally, you want to leave yourself plenty of time – a few weeks or even months – to plan and write your personal statement.

Try not to leave it to the last minute, as tempting as this may seem when you've got so many other things to think about.

Questions to guide you

Your motivation.

• Why do you want to study at university?
• Why do you want to study this subject?
• How did you become interested in this subject?
• What career do you have in mind after university?

Academic ability and potential

• How have your current studies affected your choice?
• What do you enjoy about your current studies?
• What skills have you gained from your current studies?
• How can you demonstrate you have the skills and qualities needed for the course?
• What qualities and attributes would you bring to the course and university?

Your experience

• What work experience (including part-time, charity and volunteer work) do you have and what have you learnt from it?
• What positions of responsibility have you held? (For example, prefect, captain of a team or member of a committee)
• What relevant hobbies or interests do you have and what skills have they helped you develop?
• What transferable skills do you have, such as self motivation, team working, public speaking, problem solving and analytical thinking?

Research and reading

• How do you keep up with current affairs or news in your chosen subject?
• What journals or publications relevant to your chosen subject do you read?
• Which people have influenced you, such as artists, authors, philosophers or scientists?

Now it's time to write your personal statement using your notes. It's best to draft it on a computer, and remember to save it regularly.

You can copy and paste it into your UCAS application when you're happy with it.

Personal statement structure

While there's no set template for a personal statement, you may find it useful to follow this personal statement structure when you decide what to put in your statement.

What to include in a personal statement

• Reasons for choosing this subject(s)
• Current studies and how these relate to your chosen subject(s)
• Experiences and how these relate to your chosen subject(s)
• Interests and responsibilities and how these relate to your chosen subject(s)
• Your future after university
• Summary including why you'll make a great student

Further tips for a good UCAS personal statement

• Use information on university websites and the UCAS website. This often includes the skills and qualities universities are looking for in applicants
• Ask friends, family and teachers to remind you of activities you've participated in. They might remember your successes better than you do
• Don’t include lists in your application, like a list of all your hobbies. Focus on 1 or 2 points and talk about them in depth to show their relevance to your application
• Explain and evidence everything. It’s easy to say you have a skill, but it's better to demonstrate it with an example of when and how you’ve used it
• Avoid clichéd lines such as ‘I've always wanted to be a teacher’ as it says nothing about your motivations or experiences
• If you’re applying for a joint degree or different subjects, give equal time to each area and try to find common aspects that show their similarities
• Never lie or plagiarise another statement – you'll be caught and it could result in your application being automatically rejected
• Proofread your personal statement by reading it out loud and ask friends, family or a teacher to check it for you

Sign up to our personal statement hub

Watch videos, get top tips and download our help sheets – that's what our personal statement hub is for. It's for you to write your story, so you can show your strengths, ideas and passion to your chosen universities.

You'll also be able send us your draft, so you can get feedback and feel confident about what you've written.

We are aware that this form may not be fully accessible. Please read our Website Accessibility Statement which lists known accessibility issues. If you are experiencing technical issues which mean you cannot read the form, please contact  [email protected]  and we’ll provide a copy within 10 working days.

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What is changing with personal statements?

Personal statements are changing from one longer piece of text to three separate sections, each with a different question to help shape the focus for students' answers. Each section will have a minimum character count of 350 characters, which is clearly labelled on the question boxes, along with an overall character counter, to ensure students know if they're on track. The new web page for submitting the personal statement will also feature helpful on-page guidance for each question.

The new questions are as follows:

• Why do you want to study this course or subject?
• How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
• What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

What isn't changing?

• The personal statement will still be 4000 characters in total; this includes spaces.
• The content of the personal statement will remain broadly the same - it will just be split across three sections rather than one longer piece of text. The expectation for what students need to cover within the personal statement is mostly unchanged from current guidance. 

Personal statement announcement

The new personal statement

Sam Sykes, Customer Success Manager at UCAS, explains the changes to the new personal statement for 2026 entry.

You can also hear from students and an admissions professional on their thoughts and insight into the new structure, which aims to support students and advisers through the application process with a new scaffolded approach. 

Supporting equal opportunities for all students

In our commitment to equity and inclusion, we believe that every student deserves a fair chance to articulate their unique journey, aspirations, and potential. Scaffolding questions level the playing field, providing clear guidance and structure for all applicants, regardless of their background or prior experience with essay writing.

Scaffolding questions offer students a roadmap, breaking them down into manageable parts. By providing specific prompts, students gain clarity on what to address, fostering focus and coherence in their writing. This ensures that each aspect of their experiences and goals is thoughtfully explored and articulated.

Who did we consult?

We engaged with a diverse spectrum of voices, including over 1,200 UK and international students, alongside input from 170 teachers and advisers, and representatives from over 100 universities and colleges. Additionally, we collaborated closely with governmental bodies, regulatory agencies, and charitable organisations across the UK.

To ensure the highest quality, we partnered with an external research agency to rigorously test the new template, guidance, and wording.

The results spoke volumes:

• When surveyed during the research phases of the proposed personal statement changes, over half the students UCAS spoke to found completing the three questions "very easy" or "easy".
• Admissions teams said it made it easier for them to assess applications and more confident that they will receive the information they need to make decisions.  
• Applicants who don't have school support - for instance, mature students - will find it easier to complete their personal statement successfully. This will even the playing field for widening participation, ensuring consistency across all personal statements no matter what level of support students have access to.
• Most advisers preferred the new format and said it would enable students to provide more complete and detailed statements, with the majority of advisers surveyed as part of the research stating they were "very confident" or "extremely confident" that the questions clearly convey what is needed for each answer.

Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Executive, UCAS

What are students expected to include in their answers.

The three new questions will enable students to talk about why they're interested in the course they're applying to, linking their academic and extra-curricular experience to their chosen course. The personal statement is an opportunity for students to show admissions staff evidence that they're passionate, curious and knowledgeable about the subject area they're looking to study further and have the relevant skills and potential to be a great student who has a genuine interest in the subject and a desire to learn more. Students may feel an example could fit into more than one section — there's no right or wrong section to include something in, the important thing is to explain why they're including it and what they've learned from it.

It's important to note that any examples given by UCAS are merely guidance, and not everything suggested needs to be included in every personal statement. Requirements may differ for each university or college, as well as depending heavily on the course.

Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?

This is the opportunity for students to showcase their passion, curiosity, interest, and knowledge of their chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities and colleges why it’s a good fit for them and their future ambitions.

Examples of what they might talk about here are:

• Their motivations for studying this course(s): Have they been inspired by a key role model or moment in their life? Maybe it’s a subject they love and want to pursue further. We’re all driven by something and it’s important for students to talk about how their path has led them to this course or subject area.
• Their knowledge of this subject area and interests: Perhaps there’s a particular subject area they've researched and can’t wait to learn more about, or a book or subject expert doing great things that have sparked their interest? Universities and colleges want to see students have done their research so they can be confident this is something they will enjoy and excel in. This is a great place to highlight super-curricular activities as evidence of curiosity and interest in the subject outside of the classroom. 
• Future plans and why this course/subject is a good fit: If they already have a particular profession in mind, they could talk about how they'll use their studies to launch their career. If they don’t, think about what’s important to them and their future, and how the knowledge gained from their chosen course(s) will help them to achieve this.

Here are some more examples for this section:

• Personal life experiences e.g. being a carer, the environment where you grew up or lived, an inspirational friend, colleague or family member, a book you read, a news article or blog/vlog, a YouTube video, a podcast, a show you saw, subject tasters
• Understanding of the area and the qualities you might need to succeed in it – research into the course/area

Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

This is the chance for students to show evidence of the relevant or transferable skills they've gained from their formal education and highlight their understanding of how this will help them succeed in this subject area.

• How their studies or training relate to their chosen course(s) or subject area: This could be current or previous studies within a school, college, training provider, or even a short online university course – any form of formal education. The main thing here is to focus on what’s most recent and relevant to their chosen course(s).
• What relevant or transferable skills they have that make them a great candidate: Maybe there are a couple of subjects that have helped them develop a core set of skills required for their chosen course(s). Or, a particular module that helped them understand where their interests and strengths lie.
• Any relevant educational achievements: Universities and colleges will see students' grades elsewhere on their application, so don’t waste time talking about these. Consider accomplishments like winning a school or national competition, serving as a student ambassador or team captain, or landing the lead role in a play.
• Specific modules or topics
• Essays or projects that explore a particular view point or technique
• EPQ – Extended Project Qualification
• School, local, or national competitions e.g. UKMT
• Private lessons and qualifications e.g. music, stage school or sports if relevant to the course
• Tutoring or mentoring
• Online courses leading to a qualification

Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

This is students' chance to talk about any other activities they have undertaken outside of their formal education or personal experiences which further demonstrate their suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to them and anything they do include should reflect on why they're including it.

• Work experience, employment, or volunteering: Whether it’s in-person work experience at their local school or virtual work experience through Springpod , or volunteering at a dog shelter, the key thing here is for them to reflect on their experiences and the skills gained relevant to their chosen course(s).
• Personal life experiences or responsibilities: Is there a situation they've personally overcome that has influenced their decision? Are there responsibilities such as caring for a family member that has helped them develop essential qualities for the course like resilience and empathy?
• Hobbies and any extracurricular or outreach activities: Think sports, reading, community work, summer schools – any activities outside of their studies that help further showcase why they'd make a great student.
• Achievements outside of school or college: This could be a position of responsibility such as captain for their local club, a music, competition they won, or a qualification they've attained outside of the classroom.

Extra and super-curriculars

Volunteering

Personal life experiences e.g. caring for a family member, overcoming a challenge

Young enterprise

Work experience

Job/employment – part-time or full-time

Work-based learning/CPD

Online learning activities e.g. Springpod, MOOCs etc.

Trips and visits (online or in person) e.g. Museums, exhibitions, galleries, sites of historic interest, relevant sites connected to your course e.g. magistrate courts for law etc.

Podcasts, TED talks, documentaries etc.

Duke of Edinburgh/Duke of York awards

New personal statement: What you need to know

New personal statements: What you need to know

Helen reed, the head of admissions and data services, university of cambridge, adviser-updates-cta.jpg, resources and training for the new personal statement.

Classroom resources for personal statements

Supporting students with their personal statements for 2025 entry?

Looking for advice and resources for students applying for 2025 entry? Take a look at our adviser and student guidance.

Adviser resources for 2025

Student advice for 2025

FAQs for 2026 personal statements

Will the new three personal statement questions be assessed separately by admissions staff, are any of the questions more important or weighted more highly, what are the new three questions, does each answer have to be the same length, will the questions be included in the character count, when are personal statements changing, is the personal statement format changing for conservatoire applications.

Yes, conservatoire personal statements will also follow the new format for 2026 entry applications, with all students answering the same three questions.

Peter Dunscome, Director of Higher Education, RGS Guildford

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Loughborough University Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to Loughborough University. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

Maths and Economics Personal Statement Example 1 By skimming through a daily broadsheet or examining journals such as ‘The Economist’ it is clear to see that economic issues affect everyone both locally as well as on a global scale. However, I have been interested by Mathematics for many years and have found my enjoyment for it has increased as the depth of my understanding has grown...

Sociology/Social Policy Personal Statement Example Since starting my A-Level in sociology, I've realised it is a subject I can easily grasp and immerse myself in, and that by pursuing courses based around society, social changes and policies at university, I can further understand and appreciate the inner workings of society and how it can be adapted to meet the ever-increasing diversity of the country we live in...

Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 14 Civil engineers shape and manage the world around us for the benefit of others and being able to use my skills in mathematics, physics and design to do such tasks would be a very exciting and rewarding experience...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 51 Building my first computer was an experience I will never forget. Looking over what seemed to be a city of silicone, I marveled at how elegantly the components were arranged on the motherboard. Yet I did not feel fully satisfied, as I knew there was a whole other world of computing, which could only be explored by completing a degree in computer science...

English Personal Statement Example 30 English is not simply the study of humanity, or society, or history or the written word; it is all of those together and it is this versatility that makes it so appealing to me. The link between literary criticism and psychoanalysis is a great interest of mine...

Physics Personal Statement Example 14 Physics is fascinating. It’s exciting, it’s thrilling, it’s relevant, it’s really interesting, and that’s just the start. I’ve always asked lots of questions and tried to figure out how and why everything works as it does...

Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 19 These days, we are surrounded by engineering marvels. From radios to space shuttles, everything involves a vital feat of engineering. That is what I find most attractive about this field as its application is everywhere...

Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 20 Having spent most of my early childhood abroad and the rest in an international school, English has become my primary language. Despite being fluent in my native language, Vietnamese, I prefer using English most of the time, especially when it comes to studying...

Mathematics & Physics Personal Statement Example 2 My enthusiasm for Mathematics and Physics comes from the fact that they are both used to further our understanding of the universe and have applications in all other areas of science. My main area of interest in Physics is particle physics as this tells us how fundamental parts of our universe interact with each other...

Geography Personal Statement Example 20 Geography is an all-encompassing subject where the geography of the past helps us to understand the present and forecast the future. I am particularly interested in the inter-relationships between physical and human Geography...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 58 I could tell you why am interested in computer science until the cows come home, but to give you the fundamentals I would so passionately tell you that this course is one of the few disciplines which truly embodies the days of tomorrow...

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The application process

Applying for one of our undergraduate courses? Here’s some important information…

Interested in applying for 2026 entry?

The way you’ll write your personal statement is changing. You can find out more information about this on UCAS” link: Personal statements for 2026 entry onwards | Undergraduate | UCAS

Writing a personal statement

The personal statement is an integral part of any UCAS application and provides an opportunity to share more about yourself. We are looking for individuals with a real passion for Art and Design and you should work to reflect this in your statement as best you can.

What are your reasons for wanting to study on the course? What are your long-term goals? We want to know that you understand what you will be studying, and that it will be fully suited to your aspirations. How can you demonstrate contextual understanding of Art and Design – where does your subject fit in the wider world, and what part of this broad spectrum of opportunity appeals to you the most? Tell us about your personal interests in Art and Design and what helped to shape these. Got any hobbies or extra-curricular interests and achievements? Tell us about those too.

Use the personal statement as a chance to demonstrate independent thinking, engagement with the world in which you live and an individual perspective, with the initiative to do well at University.

Application

Applications for our undergraduate courses are made via UCAS. For entry requirements, UCAS codes and other key course information, please visit the relevant course page in our online prospectus . Remember to ensure that you are familiar with key UCAS dates and deadlines .

Portfolio and interviews

All applicants to Design and Creative Arts courses at Loughborough University will be required to produce a portfolio to evidence their practical work. Once you have submitted your application, if you are successfully shortlisted (or invited for interview) you will be contacted by email with information about where, when, and how to submit a portfolio.

Students applying for Fine Art BA, will be invited to join us for an interview if shortlisted.

Students applying for the following courses will not be invited to an interview, however, will be required to complete a design task, you will receive more information on this if your application is shortlisted:

• Industrial Design BA
• Product Design and Technology BSc
• Fashion Design and Technology BA
• Graphic Design BA
• Textile Design BA

Design process

Design ba, product design and technology bsc, industrial design ba..

Creative Arts process

Fine art ba, textile design ba, fashion design and technology ba, graphic design ba..

If your application is successful following the above stages, you will be made an offer to study on our course. At this point you will receive an invitation to attend a visit day, where you will be able to find out more details about the course, speak to academics and current students, tour department facilities and meet other offer holders.

You'll also have the opportunity to find out more about the wider Loughborough University student experience, including accommodation, the Students' Union, student services and more.   

Got questions?

Get in touch with our friendly admissions team if you have any questions about submitting an application or replying to an offer.

Creative Arts admissions

• +44(0)1509 228922

Design admissions

• +44 (0)1509 226900

General enquiries

• +44 (0)1509 222651

How long should your Personal Statement be? Top 50 Law Schools PS Length and Optional Essay Instructions

The following are the instructions for the Personal Statement length and Optional Essay instructions that are contained within each application.

PS: No stated page limit

Other essays: Required 250 word statement on any topic

PS: Maximum 2 pages with 11pt font, 1” margins, double spaced

Other essays: Optional diversity statement

PS: About two pages

Other essays: Optional diversity statement (“brief”)

PS: 2-4 pages suggested

Other essays: N/A; include diversity information in PS

PS: 2 pages double spaced

Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional “Penn Core Values,” optional essay about experience on a team — all 1 page maximum double spaced

Other essays: Optional addenda (open-ended, multiple addenda accepted)

UC Berkeley

PS: Maximum 4 pages double spaced

PS: No page limit

Other essays: Optional “Why Duke,” optional diversity statement

Other essays: Supplemental essays — 8 options, choose 1 or 2 (or none). Should be about one page, 11pt font, double spaced, but no more than 2 pages. Topics: (1) Say more about your interest in the University of Michigan Law School. What do you believe Michigan has to offer to you and you to Michigan? (2) Describe your current hopes for your career after completing law school. How will your education, experience, and development so far support those plans? (3) If you do not think that your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why. (4) Describe a failure or setback in your life. How did you overcome it? What, if anything, would you do differently if confronted with this situation again? (5) Describe an experience that speaks to the problems and possibilities of diversity in an educational or work setting. (6) What do you think are the skills and values of a good lawyer? Which do you already possess? Which do you hope to develop? (7) How might your perspectives and experiences enrich the quality and breadth of the intellectual life of our community or enhance the legal profession? (8) Describe your educational experiences so far. What kinds of learning environments, teaching methods, student cultures, and/or evaluation processes lead you to thrive, or contrariwise, thwart your success?

Northwestern

PS: Recommended 1-3 pages double spaced

Other essays: Optional “Why Northwestern,” optional diversity statement — choose neither, one, or both. Length should be one or two paragraphs.

PS: Maximum 2 pages 11pt font double spaced

Other essays: Optional diversity statement. Short answer (2-3 sentences) “Why Cornell” in app

Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional 250 word response from four prompts: (1) One of the core values of Georgetown Law is that students and faculty learn from each other. As you imagine yourself as a member of the Georgetown Law community, what is one lesson that you have learned in your life that you will want to share with others? (2) What do you regret not doing? (3) What is the biggest ethical challenge you have ever faced and how did you handle it? (4) Fill a 5 1/2″ long by 2 1/2″ wide box in any way you’d like. (See online paper form for an example.) (5) Prepare a one-minute video that says something about you. Upload it to an easily accessible website and provide us the URL. (If you are using YouTube, we strongly suggest that you make your video unlisted so it will not appear in any of YouTube’s public spaces.) What you do or say is entirely up to you. Please note that we are unable to watch videos that come in any form other than a URL link.

Other essays: Optional diversity statement, maximum 3 pages 11pt font double spaced

PS: Maximum 2 pages 12pt font

Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional “programmatic contribution” essay about specializations/joint degrees, optional public interest essay

PS: Maximum 2 pages

PS: Approximately 1-3 pages

Other essays: N/A

PS: Maximum 2 pages double spaced

Other essays: Optional diversity statement (maximum 300 words)

PS: 2-5 pages double spaced

PS: 2-4 pages 12pt font double spaced

PS: Approximately 2 pages

William & Mary

PS: No stated page limit (“brief”)

Other essays: Optional essays for applicants that have a special interest in the Institute of Bill of Rights Law, Center for Legal and Court Technology, Election Law Program, Law Library, Public Service Admission Ambassador, Special Education Advocacy, Veterans Benefits, and Virginia Coastal Policy Fellowships

U Washington

PS: 700 word maximum

Other essays: 500 words maximum on one of three prompts: (1) If you were asked to create a non-profit organization, what would be the organization, its mission, and its purpose; (2) How would you define “global common good”? Provide an example of how you have contributed to the “global common good”; or (3) What life events or experiences have had the greatest influence in shaping your character and why?

Other essays: Optional “Why Notre Dame” essay, optional diversity essay

PS: Approximately 2 pages double spaced

PS: 2-3 pages

Indiana U Bloomington

PS: Suggested length of 500 words

Arizona State

PS: Generally 2-3 pages

Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional essay on leadership, optional essay on public interest dedication

PS: Maximum 4 pages 10pt font double spaced. MUST include why you want to enter the legal profession and why you want to attend UNC specifically

U Wisconsin Madison

PS: 2-3 pages 12pt font double spaced 1” margins

Wake Forest

Boston College

PS: 2-3 pages double spaced

PS: Maximum 2 pages 12pt font double spaced

PS: 2-4 pages double spaced

PS: Approximately 2-3 pages double spaced

Other essays: Required “Why SMU” (1 page double spaced), diversity statement (2-3 pages double spaced) optional but required for scholarship consideration

U Colorado Boulder

PS: Maximum 1,000 words

Other essays: Optional diversity statement (maximum 500 words)

Washington & Lee

PS: Maximum 3 pages 12pt font double spaced

Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional ethical dilemma essay (500 words maximum)

PS: Maximum 500 words

Other essays: Optional diversity statement (maximum two pages 12pt font double spaced)

George Mason

Other essays: Required “Why George Mason” (maximum 250 words), optional diversity statement

PS: Suggested 2-3 pages double spaced

Other essays: Required “Why Tulane,” optional diversity statement

PS: Maximum 750 words

Other essays: Optional diversity statement – approximately 250 words

PS: NO personal statement — “Academic Admissions Statement” that focuses on academic interests and experiences. Maximum 4 pages 12pt font double spaced

Other essays: Optional diversity statement, maximum 2 pages 12pt font double spaced