Writing your personal statement

The personal statement is an excellent opportunity to really sell yourself and stand out from the crowd. It gives you the chance to tell the universities about your suitability for the course(s) that you hope to study and why they should make you an offer.

When writing your personal statement you should consider:

Why you want to study the course
What you enjoy most about the subject(s)
Why this chosen subject interests you
Why you want to go to university
Whether you have done any related/relevant work experience
What interests and hobbies you have and how they relate to your chosen course
How your current studies relate to the course you have chosen to study
Skills you have that are suitable for the course

If you are not in full-time education, your personal statement should provide details of any relevant work experience and information about your current or previous employment, and how this relates to your chosen course.

If you are an International student you should also consider the following:

Why you want to study in the UK
What evidence you have to show that you can successfully complete a higher education course that is taught in English

Do's and Don’ts

Do take your time
Do expect to produce several draft versions
Do be enthusiastic – it will demonstrate your interest in the course
Do ask people your trust to read over it and give you feedback
Do refer to university prospectuses to see what skills they are after
Don’t let spelling or grammatical errors spoil your statement
Don’t lie or exaggerate the truth
Don’t leave it until the last minute
Don’t waffle on about irrelevant things
Don’t rely on spell checker to pick up every error

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Writing your personal statement