Personal statement examples

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There are no ‘right’ ways to writing your personal statement, but there are many ‘wrong’ ways of doing it.

On this page you will not only find everything you need to know about putting together a professional personal statement, but will also have access to dozens of expertly written ones. These samples are a great way to see how other people put together their personal statements, and to visualise the sort of structure and language they use. Reading through these will allow you to judge which ones you think are good or bad, which in turn will greatly help you in putting together your own winning statement. YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED NOT TO COPY THESE EXAMPLES WORD FOR WORD, BUT INSTEAD USE THEM AS USE THEM AS GUIDES AND AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.

Many students struggle to put together an effective personal statement, primarily because they find it difficult to write about themselves. They may also fall for other common essay writing mistakes such as straying from the core subject and message they should be trying to get across. To help students overcome these potential pitfalls we have developed this resource page as a guide to giving them useful tips, strategies and techniques on writing a professional profile that is of the highest quality and one that will maximise their chances of enrolling at their first choice university. By following our advice, preparing properly and with a bit of practise, putting together your personal statement should become a lot easier.

WHAT IS A PERSONAL STATEMENT
A personal statement is a self marketing statement and a vital part of not only the UCAS application form, but also the overall university admissions process. It is essentially a personally written whole page document of no more than 4000 characters (this includes spaces) or 47 lines of text that gives students a chance to say something about themselves and to make a positive impression on the admissions tutors. Over the years the space that UCAS allocate to the personal statement has grown from just a few lines to a whole page, emphasising how important admissions tutors think it is. Students in turn should give it similar attention.

As they are used in the assessment of your application they can be crucial in helping you to be accepted on to your chosen course. The person reading your application form will want to know in what ways you ‘connect’ with the course, and they will be looking for students who can articulate their aims and have the potential to succeed. For these reasons your statement should be informative, interesting and written to the highest standards possible.

A personal statement may often be the deciding factor in your application, especially when applying for competitive courses.
It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate the use of English language and grammar at a standard suitable for entry to higher education.
Students should view them as a opportunity to show the university admissions team their suitability for a degree course by demonstrating their communication skills, interest of the subject matter and previous knowledge of the course modules.

You should also remember that as many universities do not interview applicants, a personal statement may be the first and only information about you that the university will get to see about you. They may very well judge your commitment to the course and suitability for enrolment on how well it is written. Another reason for its importance is that it may be the only way of standing out from other applicants, particularly if the course you are applying for is popular and oversubscribed.

PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLES

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STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO WRITING YOUR UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT

You should start off by listing reasons why you would be a good candidate for the course, then focus on demonstrating how these reasons along with your previous study and experiences have given you a keen interest in the subject for which you are applying. Concentrate on illustrating any relevant skills, qualities, or other positive sides of your character, and be prepared to rewrite your drafts repeatedly until you get your statement absolutely right. Also remember once you have gathered together all of the information your are going to use then you'll need to organise it in such a way that it builds a strong argument for why you should be offered a place on the course. Listed below are a series of stages you can follow which will help you to do exactly this and put together a winning professional personal statement.

Remember that a personal statement will not only be judged by the facts in it but also by the language and style you use in it and also by the way its laid out.

Stage 1
Start of by thinking about your personal traits and the things you have done that can illustrate your good qualities. List everything from your education and academic studies which you feel might be relevant to the course and university.

List all of your reasons for choosing the course.

List everything from your personal and work history which you think is relevant to the course you are applying for. This could be anything from any work duties or responsibilities, voluntary work, hobbies or awards etc.

Stage 2
Now you need to go through all of the lists you have created and choose those points from then that you feel are the strongest.

Stage 3
Make a outline of what you want to say by designing the layout of your personal statement. At the start describe your reasons for choosing to the course, then move onto your strengths and any supporting evidence. Finish off by concluding why you feel you should be accepted onto the course.

Stage 4
Start writing your first draft, then once you have completed it leave it for a few hours or a day, come back to it read it and rewrite it again. Very few people get their personal statement right the first time, keep rewriting it until you are satisfied with the results.

Stage 5
Once you are happy with your final draft then give it to a friend or colleague for proof reading. Also check it for spelling mistakes and diversity of vocabulary to create the right impression.

Do not

Criticise other universities.
Use slang or abbreviations.
Repeat information you have included on the rest of the UCAS application form (exam results etc).
Tell lies or exaggerate.
Mention your age, culture and ethnic background, or your religious and political inclinations.
Use repetitive language, for instance repeatedly using phases such as ‘I like...' or 'I have...’ etc.
Simply write a list of things you do or have achieved.
Have a string of sentences that start with phases such as 'I do...', etc.
Use clichés.
Try to be funny or tell jokes.
Give political viewpoints.
Sound arrogant or pretentious.
Ramble.
Write about trivial matters.
Make any mistakes in grammar and spelling.
Write it in the form of a letter, starting with 'Dear Sir / Madam' and ending with 'Thank you for reading my statement, your sincerely'.
Tips when writing your personal statement

Plan your statement carefully.
Make a list of points you feel will be of interest to the Admissions Tutor.
When creating the structure always ask yourself if each stage is relevant.
When planning your statement make a list of the key topics and points that you want to mention.
State as clearly as possible your strongest points.
Make sure that every paragraph relates directly to your application.
The first paragraph
The first paragraph is probably the most important part of your statement. It should be an attention grabbing piece that gets the reader interest in what you are about to say. One of the best ways to grab a audience’s attention is to have a quotation or set of statistics in your first sentence, the main advantage of having a good ‘hook’ is that your reader is more likely to be susceptible to what you write later on.

Examples of 'hook's or attention grabbing first sentences;

’Eighty five percent of geography graduates are in employment within six months of completing their degree course’.
Keep it relevant
Constantly ask yourself how relevant your words, sentences and paragraphs are to the course and university you are applying to. One way to do this is to read a universities ‘Entry Profile’ for the course you want to join. A ‘Entry Profile’ (normally listed on a universities website or prospectus) will explain what the university is looking for in a student, what qualifications that should have and also the type of experience they need. Read it thoroughly and make a list of all the key requirements in there and then keep referring to it whilst writing out your personal profile. This is an effective way to ensure that your personal statement remains relevant, on track and does not wander off course.

Your conclusion
Try to finish off your statement with something that the reader can take away with them. The conclusion should not be a repeat or summary of what you have written elsewhere in your personal statement, instead it should be different, interesting and memorable so that the reader remembers what you wrote.

Listed below are examples that will help you to visualise a strong conclusion and finish your statement off in a way that concludes everything. Examples of how to start and write a conclusion;

'After completion of my degree I hope to gain relevant work experience in order to make my dream of becoming an engineer a reality.'

‘Overall, I consider myself to be a hardworking, determined student who is motivated by challenges and can gain personal benefit from new experiences. I strongly feel that a university degree in (..........) will be a great foundation from which to launch a successful career in the future, in whatever field that may be.

‘I sincerely hope that this statement has helped you see me as someone who gives everything my best effort, and who always pushes harder.’

‘ My past has inspired me to try to be the best that I can, and to not settle for anything less’.

‘My main priority now is to...(explain your ambitions)’.

‘Enrolling on a degree course is just the beginning for me, I aspire to achieve much more in the next few years starting with...(list your goals)’.

‘In conclusion I would like to say that I am really looking forward to the personal and academic challenges that studying at your university will bring’.

The structure
Have this laid out before you start to put pen to paper. Remember that once you know what you’re going to say, and in what order you’re going to say it, it’s much easier to stay on track when you actually start writing.

Planning a structure is also a very good way of ensuring that you stay within the word limits imposed by UCAS.

Give yourself plenty of time
Creating a effective personal statement can be time consuming, so it’s important that you do not leave it till the last minute. Remember it’ never too early to start thinking about it.

Key points to note when writing your personal statement

Admissions tutors look for people who are enthusiastic and passionate about the subject they want to study, so try to convey these in your writing.
It is a opportunity for you to sell yourself to the admission tutors.
View it as a chance to emphasise your strongest points that you feel will help your application.
If the course is in an area that you have not studied before then you need to show you already know a fair amount about the subject matter.
Make every sentence count as you only have limited space and need to convey as much information as you can.
The statement can form the basis of an interview discussion, so make sure you only include information on there that you can back up.
Do not use bullet points or lists, continuous prose is much better.
Focus on the persuasiveness of your language by using keywords and phrases that will optimise the strength of your message.
Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar are of paramount importance.
Keep re-reading and re-writing your personal statement! However many drafts it takes, make it perfect.
Include interesting and engaging information that will encourage them to read the rest of your application.
WHEN WRITING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT FOCUS ON EXPLAINING

Why you want to study the subject at degree level.
Your reasons for choosing their university.
What attracts you to the subject.
Why you are suitable for the course.
What you enjoy most about the subject matter.
What you feel are your strongest skills.
Any relevant work or academic experience that you have.
Any academic achievements.
What your long term future career aspirations are, and how studying this course can help you to achieve them.
The strategic value you can add to the course and university.
Why you'd make a successful student.
Your potential to succeed.
Why you want to study the subject at degree level
This is an important point to explain to the selectors, particularly if you have never studied the subject before. You need to give logical reasons, and the best way to do this is to start of by clearly explaining what you are looking for from the degree and why. After this move onto finding common ground between the core modules and your academic and career ambitions.

If possible you should try to include ‘evidence’ (in the form of examples or experiences) to back up any claims you make and to prove that you have prior knowledge of the topic.

Examples of possible answers

‘There are particular areas of the subject, such as (..........) and (..........) which have really grabbed my attention and have made me want to study field in more depth’.

‘I feel that I am a good match for the course requirements. With my skills, temperament, previous qualifications, interests and goals all matching the requirements’.

‘Because it is a challenging and diverse course that I feel I can pass’.

‘My previous experience makes me well suited for the course'.

‘Your degree program will allow me to enrol for a PhD later on'.

‘I need this degree to pursue a chosen career in (.......).’

‘I really enjoyed studying this subject at college / A level’.

'This course will allow me to expand my existing knowledge of the subject matter’.

‘In my previous academic studies I found that I was most interested in the (........) field, and so I decided to shift my studies to this particular field and subject’.

‘To me the subject is very interesting and challenging’.

‘In the future I would like to be employed in this field, and this subject is a ideal starting point for me’.