Writing a personal statement is a key part of making a University application to the UK. This is the only opportunity a student has to communicate who they are as a person, why they are excited about studying a particular course, and what makes them a stand-out student — and all of this in just 4,000 characters, including spaces!

Head of Education at Carfax Education, Fiona McKenzie, has advised hundreds of students on how to write a competitive personal statement, and here she shares her top ten tips.

1. Start with a big brainstorm to help you generate all the ideas you might want to include. This will provide plenty of material to pick and choose from and help you work out the ‘story’ you want to tell the admissions team.

2. Focus on your passion for the subject. This is your only chance to communicate with the admissions tutor about why you are so passionate about studying this subject further. Focus 80% of your statement on your academics and experiences relevant to the course. Use the remaining 20% to highlight relevant extra-curricular activities.

3. Reflect on your experiences. It is far more valuable to explain what you have learnt than list all the things you have done. Played a team sport? Highlight the practice and dedication it required, as well as the verbal and non-verbal communication skills you developed. Participated in MUN? How has this prepared you to think on your feet, to form an argument and to listen to another person’s point of view?  

4. Make every sentence count. Each sentence should make clear, valuable points. Remember PEE — Point, Example, Explanation. All three should feature in each sentence.  

5. Avoid unnecessary ‘waffling.’ The character count is tight, so get straight to the point. Be careful about working your way through the Thesaurus and using every simile you can find for ‘passionate about’.  

6. Be honest. Do not claim to have read books, speak languages, or participated in competitions if you haven’t. If called for an interview, you will certainly get caught out if you cannot provide contextual information to support these claims.

7. Keep the tone formal but authentic. Use words that are familiar and that you would use every day. This is your personal statement and needs to have your voice.

8. Avoid plagiarism. Resist the temptation to use phrases from online statements. Every application is checked for plagiarism, and if detected, your application may be withdrawn.

9. Prepare to write multiple drafts. A well-written personal statement often takes several iterations. Start early! Don’t worry about the character count in the first draft; rather, focus on getting all your ideas down. It is easier to start with a huge character count and then edit it down.  

10. Work offline and check, check, and check again before pasting it into the UCAS application. Make sure there are no grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors, as these will not create a favourable impression.  

If you would like to know more about applying to UK universities, read our article ‘Applying to a UK University: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started’

If you would like one to one help with your personal statement, please get in touch with us here.