Personal statement paragraphs in UCAS

It's far better to include blank lines- it makes it easier to read. There's very little that can't be reduced or removed to allow this to happen

Im adding my statement to UCAS, and it fits perfectly if i keep the paragraphs but remove the blank lines between each one. Its ok to do this or is it better to just cut characters from elsewhere?

I thought that but my statement is already quite succinct, it said to remove 5 characters so i did, then it said i was 7 lines over the 47, which is exactly the amount of empty lines there are so im not sure about cutting it down further

I have yet to see a PS that could not be improved by cutting out text to allow it to be properly formatted with blank lines between the paragraphs.

Ignore the blandishments of people who say it does not matter and spare a thought for the most important person in the admissions process (from the point of view of the applicant) - the admissions tutor who makes the decision.

He or she reads hundreds of the damn things, many without paragraphs. so make sure yours stands out for the right reasons by being easily readable and not conducive to a headache and isn't dragged into the mire like the other tosh that has to be ploughed through..

Ignore the character count; the important limit is the 47 lines limit. Clear, readable statements are typically about 3,200-3800 characters and 47 lines long.

Thanks, if i knew how to cut it out i would, but since the PS assistant is down and im a mature student doing this alone I've honestly got no idea what else i can cut! Its already pretty succinct as it is

so its obvious its the end of a paragraph

I submitted my UCAS on Friday, it had 47 lines and I didn't leave lines between paragraphs, just started a new line for a new para Considering this was under the character count I doubt a uni will reject you on the basis that you didn't leave an extra line between a new para (they can see it's a new one anyway)

I bet it isn't. I bet there are far too many hollow and unsubstantiated claims, too many adjectives and too much on extracurricular activities. I bet you probably have some nonsense in it about the entirely useless prefect/head boy role you undertook at school.

It literally mentions nothing i did in school apart from how one of the a levels i did related to the work i now do in the sector, its got no extra curricular activities that aren't directly related to the course im applying for either. Since i finished a levels 4 years ago, I've been directly relating the experiences I've had through volunteering in the sector and explain why i now choose to study. Im trying to cut it down, its just difficult with no one else who has experience in writing them to read it haha

It literally mentions nothing i did in school apart from how one of the a levels i did related to the work i now do in the sector, its got no extra curricular activities that aren't directly related to the course im applying for either. Since i finished a levels 4 years ago, I've been directly relating the experiences I've had through volunteering in the sector and explain why i now choose to study. Im trying to cut it down, its just difficult with no one else who has experience in writing them to read it haha

Of course im happy to cut stuff out I've just got no idea where, since i feel removing all the adjectives will make it look boring as hell

Your PS should be primarily about the course and why you want to study it, it's not about what you've been doing for the 4 years to get there.

Forward looking, not backwards.

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Thats the aim,

What I've got is (numbers being the paragraph)
1 why im interested in this topic
234 how I've been preparing and what knowledge i have gained that relates to studying this topic, aka work experience acquired
5 I learnt how to speak french, this is a degree in international development - so i consider it a huge achievement, and very useful in the sector. so its extra curricular
6 what specifically about the courses i am looking forward to

Sounds good? Im literally 2 lines over the limit at the moment with 3740 characters, but i feel the statement doesnt really have an ending as it now ends on one of the topics im looking forward to studying

Thats the aim,

What I've got is (numbers being the paragraph)
1 why im interested in this topic
234 how I've been preparing and what knowledge i have gained that relates to studying this topic, aka work experience acquired
5 I learnt how to speak french, this is a degree in international development - so i consider it a huge achievement, and very useful in the sector. so its extra curricular
6 what specifically about the courses i am looking forward to

Sounds good? Im literally 2 lines over the limit at the moment with 3740 characters, but i feel the statement doesnt really have an ending as it now ends on one of the topics im looking forward to studying

I'd cut the French paragraph as a starter for ten. I'd then get rid of the 'what I'm looking forward to'.

You will then have room for a proper conclusion, tying up your application for the reader.
.

what are the offer rates for the universities you are applying to? You can use that to judge the relative importance of things like the PS.
They all seem pretty high