From some random universities themselves:From LSE:
Have you
gained any skills from your other school subjects that complement your application to study your chosen subject? Have you had the opportunity to undertake work experience relevant to your application? If you did, how did this experience give you a wider understanding of the topics you will study at university?
http://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Undergraduate/Prospective-Students/How-to-Apply/Completing-the-UCAS-form/Personal-StatementFrom Manchester:
Academic achievements/subjects studied at level 3 (AS and A2 levels, BTECs etc.) – Write about your academic achievements. What
academic skills and knowledge do you have that will prepare you to succeed in your chosen subject?
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=49108From Warwick
How are you qualified for the course?
This may be about your prior work experience or evidence of research or reading in the subject area. Your personal and
academic skills, achievements and how they relate to the course are also good stories to tell.
https://warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/personal-statement/From Exeter:
What to include:
1. reasons for applying for a particular degree(s) and how
this relates to current/previous studies and experiences such as extra curricular activities and interests (this is particularly important when they’re applying for a subject that they have not studied before).
2.
reasons for the choice of subjects taken at A level or equivalent3. what the student can offer - evidence of a willingness/desire to learn at a higher level and evidence that they understand what is required to study the course, eg if applying for psychology courses, show that they know how scientific the subject is
4. details of relevant activities and achievements. Any of the following might be appropriate to include but students should consider carefully and only include those which are relevant. Instead of merely listing these they should demonstrate skills and knowledge gained and note how they will apply this to their future studies.
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/webteam/shared/undergraduate/documents/teachersresourcespresentations/Personal_Statements_-_hints_and_tips_updated_Sept_2011.pdfSome perhaps less reliable sources:UCAS Personal Statement builder:
Do your
current or previous studies relate to the course(s) that you have chosen? If so, how?
https://www.ucas.com/file/4261/download?token=u7I6M9Q5From some random Cambridge PS tutor company:
6. How should I talk about my other A-level subjects?
Your subjects will be listed alongside your personal statement in your UCAS application, however
talking about other subjects can provide further insight into your chosen course. For instance, if you are studying English Literature and you have taken Classics, you may want to talk about the translation of texts such as the Aeneid, and how is has provided you with the understanding of classical influence in English Literature. Your Personal Statement should be completely grounded in your subject, however if you can find an interesting and relevant way in which to weave another subject in, it can be an interesting way to stand out.
https://oxbridgeapplications.com/blog/personal-statement-frequently-asked-questionsand-answers/Hopefully that's comprehensive enough. The skills gained during A levels and reasons behind choosing those subjects are valuable to hear about. It shows that the applicant has chosen their A levels carefully, and is perhaps also careful in their choice of university subject; it shows that they are aware of the skills they ned and have chosen subjects that will further those skills. All of this can be achieved without ever mentioned A levels of course, but it doesn't seem like a bad idea to me to include some details as to why you chose the A levels you have done and how they are proving useful in furthering you along the path to study whatever it is you want to study. It's similar at postgrad level: postgrad personal statements often want information as to how the Bachelor's (or equiv) has been relevant to you doing a postgrad.
At the end of the day, if your A levels are not relevant in some way to your course, then don't mention it. But if they are e.g. the way that both Eng Lit and History are to law, then make use of that. And if you can link a subject that has no obvious link, like 3D, then that just makes you stand out.