UCAS
P.16
IT’S TIME TO GET PERSONAL
The personal statement is perhaps the most
cri cal factor in your UCAS applica on. Universi‐
es are looking for students with a wide variety
of interests and enthusiasms from a wide variety
of backgrounds.
Your UCAS personal statement should be at least
80% about a genuine commitment to a chosen
subject and must demonstrate evidence of hav‐
ing gone well beyond the syllabus, with a track
record of independent study.
Paragraph Three ‐ Related interest in your sub‐
ject(s)
The work experience or voluntary work that you have
completed
Any academic compe
ons you've entered or EPQ, what
did you write about? What did you learn?
What extra courses, lectures, summer schools, and semi‐
nars have you a ended? What did you take from them?
Some areas of your life that show you can work under
Paragraph Four ‐ Extra Curricular
pressure, to deadlines
First paragraph
What sparked your interest? ‐ talk about how
you reached your decision to study this subject
How has it been sustained? ‐ Has taking it to A2
level confirmed you want to take it even fur‐
ther?
Be specific ‐ give an example of something in
the course that's really fired your interest
Paragraph Two ‐ Intellectual Curiosity
The sports you do and the level
Your orchestras, choirs, bands, socie es and say why
you like them
Your posi ons of responsibility or occasions when
you've led teams. What did you learn from it?
What takes up your free me, and why do you give it so
much space in your life?
Why you think these quali es will make you a good
undergraduate?
What not to write
Books that you have read. Try to think about
your independent reading. Give the tle, the
author, a brief synopsis and explain what it
was about that book that you liked/seemed
relevant to you and your course. If you can,
try to get to the heart of what the book was
about, or take issue with it
The journals or magazines or blogs you've
read or follow. Why do you like that par cular
journal, and which ar cles in par cular have
interested you? How have you carried this
interest forward?
If you refer to something you have read, say
what you think of it, a chance to show cri cal
thought
The recent developments in your subject that
has caught your eye.
Corny statements e.g. “I have always loved
Economics” (most didn’t know what it was until 16)
Too much about things that many applicants
do e.g. “I’m deputy marketing director at
Young Enterprise”
Don’t write about books that haven’t been at
least largely read
“I set up and ran an economics society” if it
was just a couple of meetings
I want to be a banker – if there’s an “I’m only
in it for the money” implication