How to write your personal statement
It can be hard to know where to begin when writing your UCAS personal statement. We've put together some top tips and advice to help you make the most of your personal statement.
As part of the UCAS application process, you'll need to complete a personal statement. Your personal statement might be the only chance you have to ‘speak’ directly to an Admissions Tutor so it’s important to get it right. Many people find it difficult to write about themselves, so don’t worry if you’re struggling for ideas. You can use this guide to help you write a great personal statement.
Personal statements are changing. This will affect students applying to start university in September 2026. Read our guide on personal statement changes.
Guide to writing your personal statement
Discover how to write a great personal statement with our handy guide. It covers everything you need to know from structuring to tips on what to include.
Download your copy nowYour personal statement questions answered
A personal statement is a short written account used to support your university application. It is your opportunity to ‘sell’ yourself to universities. And to show how and why you are a good candidate for your chosen course. A well-written application may convince a university to make you an offer or invite you to an interview.
It’s never too early to start work on your personal statement. In fact, we’d recommend you give yourself as much time as possible.
Before you begin it’s important you have an idea of the course or subject area you want to study. Your personal statement needs to be specific so knowing what course you’re interested in will make it easier to start writing. It’s a good idea to check out the course descriptions in university prospectuses or on their website. This way you can find out the skills and experience that you’ll need. You can then reflect on how these relate to your own interests and qualities.
Where to begin?
- Start with an engaging and positive introductory sentence which makes the admissions Tutor want to read on.
- Make it different. The most overused opening phrases are: “From a young age I have always been interested in…” and “For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with…”
- State your reasons for applying to your chosen course and what it is that motivates you.
The great thing about a personal statement is that it’s exactly that - personal. This is your chance to stand out from the crowd and explain why you’re the right choice for your chosen course.
It’s important that the statement reflects you, so you need to write in your own individual style. However, there are certain facts Admissions Tutors will be expecting to see. So it's important that you include these to ensure you give the best account of yourself, your skills and your experience.
Everything that you write should be relevant and linked to the course(s) you are applying for. Whilst you will only submit one personal statement it will be seen multiple times by all the universities and courses you have applied for.
Here are some questions to think about to ensure your statement stands out:
- Why do you want to study the course?
You need to show that you have a genuine interest in the subject area and the motivation to immerse yourself in it. - What makes you suitable?
This is your chance to show how your experiences have prepared you to meet the demands of the course. - What makes you stand out?
Think about what you can offer outside of the lecture theatre and how you will contribute to the university community as a whole.
Download our guide to writing your personal statement for more top tips.
Your personal statement needs to stay within the 4000 character limit set by UCAS. This includes spaces and blank lines. This might seem like a lot, but it's only around 1 side of typed A4 paper. So you need to keep it clear and concise. Use the UCAS personal statement tool to help you keep within the limit as well as tips on how to structure your statement.
There is no set layout for your personal statement. But here are some style and structure tips to help you along the way:
- Make sure you sound interested in the course. Admissions Tutors will recognise applicants who aren’t totally committed.
- Don’t use bullet points. A personal statement is a chance to show how you can make a reasoned argument in continuous writing.
- Avoid repetition.
- You need to show rather than tell the Admissions Tutor that you are a good candidate. So don’t just list all your skills and achievements. Pick the most relevant, explain them carefully and provide examples.
- Check your statement for spelling and grammar. And then check again.
- Ask your parents, friends and/or teachers to read through your finished statement. They can help to make sure it flows and that you’ve not forgotten anything.
Personal statements are changing. This will affect students applying to start university in September 2026.
New personal statements will include 3 questions:
- Why do you want to study this course or topic?
- How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course?
- What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful?
Find out more about personal statement changes, including our tips for answering these questions.
The personal statement changes will affect students applying to start university in September 2026. Students applying for September 2025 entry will not be affected.
Personal statement dos and don'ts
Read it out loud.
This will help you spot sentences which aren’t worded correctly.Check it’s all there.
UCAS has a limit of 4000 characters or 47 lines of text, including spaces and blank lines.Do some practice.
You should be prepared to write several drafts- the average is six.Be well prepared.
Be ready to talk at length about everything written in your personal statement.
Don't be negative.
Focus on what you have done, not what you haven’t.Don't complicate it.
Keep your statement concise and write in your natural style.Don't copy or paraphrase.
UCAS use sophisticated software and check every personal statement for plagiarism.Don't include irrelevant facts.
Apply the ‘so what’ rule. If you can’t explain how a point relates to your course, leave it out.
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University application dates
When to apply for university courses, including UCAS deadline dates and enrolment.Start your UCAS application
You will need to start your UCAS application around September in the year before you want to apply to university. For example, if you want to start in September 2025, start your application in September 2024.
You can start you application as early as May, but you won't be able to submit until September.
References
You'll need to submit your form to college so they can add your reference.
Apply by the deadline
Make sure you submit your UCAS application online by the deadline. Deadlines vary each year and are different depending on the course you want to study.
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UCAS deadlines September 2024 entry - 16 October 2023: Deadline for applications to medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses and to Oxford and Cambridge
- 31 January 2024: Main application deadline. Some art and design courses have a March deadline, please check UCAS for details.
September 2025 entry - 15 October 2024: Deadline for applications to medicine, dentistry and Veterinary courses and to Oxford and Cambridge
- 29 January 2025: Main application deadline. Some art and design courses have a March deadline, please check UCAS for details.
After you apply
Once you submit your application through UCAS, they will send you an acknowledgement. They will then forward your application to your chosen institutions.
Once you've submitted your application, you may have several stages before you find out if you have an offer.
Institutions will look at a number of things to make their decision. This includes your personal statement, reference and predicted grades.
Interviews and auditions
You might be invited to interview or audition to see if you're right for the course. This is also your chance to see if it's the right place for you.
Receiving an offer
If you submitted your application by the January deadline, you should receive all of your offers by March. Some courses and late applications may not receive responses until later in the cycle.
You can receive a conditional or unconditional offer, depending on whether you already have your grades or not.
Offer holder days
Some universities might invite you to an offer holder or applicant day. This is a great opportunity to get a taste for your course and meet your tutors.
Accepting your offer
Usually, you'll need to reply to any offers you have received by May. This depends on when you submit your UCAS application.
If you have conditional offers, you'll be able to choose one university as your firm choice, and one as insurance.
UCAS Extra
If you've used all five choices on your application, and you're not holding any offers, then you can add extra choices to your application - free of charge.
If you're waiting for your results, you should receive these in either July or August. This depends on what qualification you have taken.
Your offer will either be confirmed or rejected based on your results.
Clearing
If you don't receive the results you expected, or you apply after July, you will be entered into UCAS Clearing. This helps match you to university places that haven't yet been filled.
Enrolment
Once you've confirmed your offer at your chosen university, you will receive information about how to enrol.