Personal Statement word limit

Hey guys,
Does the personal statement have to be BOTH under 4000 characters (w/ spaces) AND 47 lines? or just 1 of this criteria?

Cheers

Reply 1

oldrafiki

Whichever comes first. So if it's under 4000 characters but still takes up 48 lines, it's too long.

Reply 2

GoodbyeTSR

aznsenso

Hey guys,
Does the personal statement have to be BOTH under 4000 characters (w/ spaces) AND 47 lines? or just 1 of this criteria?

Cheers

yeah, both. (how many characters is yours btw?)

Reply 3

aznsenso

its over atm == i needa cut it down

Reply 4

* Catrin *

tip: get a teacher who knows you well to cut it down :smile:

Reply 5

jhomie

On another note, is it bad if your personal statement is short?

Not too short, but mine is about 35 lines, 2500 characters w/ spaces and i have no idea what else to put in

Reply 6

musicbloke

jhomie

On another note, is it bad if your personal statement is short?

Not too short, but mine is about 35 lines, 2500 characters w/ spaces and i have no idea what else to put in

That sounds a bit short. I mean it's not a problem in yourself, but really if you're going to be spending 3 years doing a subject you really should be able to fill 600-700 words on it. This is your one chance to sell yourself, and an extra 1500 characters may make the difference to unis, so it may be a good idea to use them.

MB

Reply 7

mollymustard

jhomie

On another note, is it bad if your personal statement is short?

Not too short, but mine is about 35 lines, 2500 characters w/ spaces and i have no idea what else to put in

I would say that was noticably too short.
I was told last year that a good personal statment should never be under 40 lines in length.
If it is under, it may not convey aenough intrest in the subject or go into enough depth. If its noticably shorter than other applicants admissions tutors may think you have not put in enough effort into writing about your enthusiasm for the subject etc.

If you need help I'd suggest submitting your PS draft to a PS Helper on here, and see if they can give you any advice on what you have already written.