UCL Maths personal statement advice, achievements or passion?

I am going to apply for a mathematics at UCL however one thing I've been slightly concerned about is how I should deliver my personal statement.
One thing I've noticed among successful applicants is that they have all mentioned their successes within UKMT challenges like earning gold certificates and qualifying for the BMO. I've only ever sat the SMC once and achieved a silver however I am practicing towards getting a gold this year. I know that the UCL admissions team are typically looking for a gold in the SMC and I am not sure if i should include participation in the challenges as part of my personal statement.
I know that universities emphasise "passion for the subject" however I'm starting to believe otherwise.
I was mainly wondering if there was anyone here who has been successful in their UCL application (Imperial/Oxbridge) without including any of their achievements in challenges? Is there anything I can do to compensate for my UKMT score/ or something that I can include which will make my application stand out?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you :smile:

Reply 1

Skiwi

You don't need results in any competitions to make a competitive application, by far the most important thing for maths is your predicted grades and how you perform in any entrance exams/interviews.

Other ways you could show interest is a particular book you've read( please pick something slightly original though) or maybe if you've done some project Euler stuff. Basically anything that shows you've interacted with the subject outside of what you're required to for a-levels.

University College London

London

Reply 2

tweetybiiiiird20

Original post by Skiwi

I'm only saying this because interestingly, there aren't any interviews or entrance examinations which have to be taken prior to receiving an offer for mathematics at UCL.
I've attended COMPOS, which largely focuses on the school syllabus but discusses the topics with much more detail, such as deriving the different rules used in differentiation, would this qualify?
Thank you for recommending project Euler, I will look into that right away, If you know any other interesting mathematical programs that I can apply for before the UCAS deadline which you don't mind sharing I would be extremely grateful, thank you! :smile: