Personal statement guide

What is a personal statement?

Your personal statement is an important part of your
application. It’s your chance to tell us why you want to study
a particular course and why you would make a great student.
You need to make a positive impression as admissions tutors
will be looking to see how committed and enthusiastic you are.
You should include your skills, knowledge and experience that
are relevant to the course you are applying for, as well as any
academic achievements and personal interests.
• Your personal statement is submitted as part of your online
application.
• It can be a maximum of 47 lines or 4000 character long
(whiche
What should I include?
Your personal statement is your chance to stand
out from the crowd. It should be unique and
individual to you but some things you should talk
about are:

• Career aspirations – you may not have

finalised
your career plans yet but you can show
evidence that you have given your future career
some thought and show how your chosen
degree could help you achieve this.

• Non-academic interests – this could be

something like sports, baking or reading.
You will have some non-academic interests
that make you unique, and perhaps show skills
not displayed elsewhere in your statement.
• Relevant work experience/voluntary activities
– this should show skills that would be useful
during your university studies. It’s not just
a statement of having undertaken a period
of employment. You should ask yourself
“what did I gain from this experience?”
• Enthusiasm and motivation – passion for
The course should shine through in your personal
statement. You could write a little about how you
became interested in your subject, but it must
be relevant to you and your own experiences.

• Understanding and interest in the subject –

you should be able to display some knowledge
and understanding of the subject area even if
you have not studied the subject at high school
or college. Perhaps you have done some reading
around the subject outside of school and could
reference this.
• What you will bring to the university community – we are looking for enthusiasm
about the subject and an indication of what you want to get out of university, but we would also
like to know what you can bring to University.
• Academic prizes or scholarships – this will help you stand out and show evidence of
your potential.

Who will read it?

Your personal statement will be read by admissions
staff at the University who will look at your application
and decide whether to make you an offer.

Why is it important?
Remember that some courses receive many
more applications than they have places so it is a
competitive process. There may be many students
with good grades applying for the same course as
you and your personal statement may be the deciding
factor whether or not you are offered a place.
Things to avoid
While what you put in your personal statement will be personal to you there are few things
that you should avoid when writing it:

• Plagiarism – all statements will be checked for

plagiarism. Your statement must be your own
work so be careful not to use templates. If you
have applied before, don’t use the same personal
statement more than once.

• Stating skills without examples – evidence

is important and you need to show how you have
developed skills, rather than simply listing skills
you think you will need at university.

• Listing subject knowledge – your statement needs to show evidence of how your
knowledge has helped you build career aspirations, choose your degree, or prepare you for
coming to university.

• Repetition of qualifications stated elsewhere

on the application – there are specific sections
of the application for qualifications already
completed and currently being undertaken.
You are given a limited number of characters
to write your personal statement so use them
sensibly and avoid unnecessary repetition.

• Short personal statement – a short statement

suggests a lack of passion or commitment to the
course you are applying for, so be sure to use the
space wisely.
Top tips

• Although your application will be done online

you should still write your personal statement in
something like Microsoft Word so you can check
your spelling and grammar.
• Get someone else like your tutor, family and
friends to proof read your statement to check
for any errors and make suggestions before you
submit it. You may need a few drafts before you
are happy with the final version.
• If English is not your first language you could
mention any opportunities you have had to use
English (such as an English-speaking school or
work with a company that uses English).
• Use plain English, even though you want to stand out, be careful with humour, quotes or
anything unusual. The admissions tutor might not have the same sense of humour as you.
• Don’t exaggerate. You never know if you’ll get an interview where you will be quizzed on your
statement.
• You should check the faculty/school website of your chosen course for guidance on your
personal statement.