Our example personal statements above will help you with this, by showing you how students have constructed successful statements in the past. Instead, try to put together an eye opening sentence or two that will grab their attention and make them want to read on. If you want the reader to go to sleep or immediately put your UCAS form in the rejection pile, then this is a sure way to go about it. These include: 'ever since I was young/a child', 'I have always wanted to be.' and 'for as long as I can remember'. The first rule with opening your personal statement is to avoid using any cliches or over-used phrases or sentences that the admissions tutors have seen a million times before. Try to ask for several rounds of feedback to make sure it's as good as it can be before sending it off.įor more advice, please see our in-depth personal statement writing guide. Look through their comments and amend your statement accordingly (if you feel they improve it). Once you’ve written your personal statement, ask family, friends and tutors to read it and give you some feedback. Remember that the language you use and the way it is laid out will be judged too, so it’s important to get all aspects of your statement right. Our personal statement template can help you structure your statement correctly.

The final paragraph should round off your statement succinctly and talk about your future plans after university, and how a degree can help you achieve these. The next few paragraphs need to cover your relevant work experience and activities outside of school, as well as your interests or hobbies, and anything else you’ve done related to your subject that isn’t already on your UCAS form. This should give you an idea of how to put your own statement together, starting with an attention-grabbing opening that explains what aspects of your subject you enjoy and why.

We then suggest reading some example personal statements for inspiration, and to see how previous students have successfully applied for courses at university.

We recommend you start by making some notes about what you want to study at university and why, as well as a list of skills and interests, and your gap year plans (if you have any). This includes your strengths, achievements, interests and ambitions, and you need to convey why the university should choose you over other candidates. It is where students should sell themselves in order to try and secure a place at their chosen universities. The UCAS personal statement is an important piece of writing you need to put together for your UCAS application.

Free to choose a personal statement