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Average length of a personal statement

5.3.R.J.1.l

Hi i've been writing out my personal statement and people have said it shuldnt be any more than 47 lines ... but mines gone slightly over and i think it should be around 57 .. will that b a problem .. or should it b ight?

plez reply asap

thanks alot

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Reply 1

Juno

It has to be a maximum of 47 lines, or it won't fit into the space on the UCAS form.

Reply 2

glitterxsparkle

Juno

It has to be a maximum of 47 lines, or it won't fit into the space on the UCAS form.

Yeah best keep it to what they say otherwise something important you write might be cut off because you have gone over.

Reply 3

Geogger

yep - 47 lines max with 1.5 cm margins , size 12 font.
It looks better, however if you separate your paragraphs with space lines (still keeping within the total of 47)

Reply 4

5.3.R.J.1.l

fanx for da help ppl :smile:

i'll tri to condense it some how :smile:

Reply 5

Tom

Yes, paragraphing is pretty essential IF the UCAS online form will let you this year (it didn't me last year - it pretended to, but in the final copy they were gone). And yes, as the ppl have said, the line count isn't advisory, it's the max the online form will hold. But most people go over that in their first drafts, and you have plenty of time to get help and advice and pare it down to the best and most essential bits. It doesn't hurt to put everything in to start with, and then start eliminating.

Reply 6

Juno

People on here will help you reduce it, or your teacher is always a good person to ask!

Reply 7

Geogger

Be careful about posting your full statement on here though. Other people can 'lift' your PS or parts of it and if they apply to the same places as you, who's to tell which one was the original? There are some safe contacts - perhaps in your subject forum - or people who are already at Uni (so it would be safe) or people like me (postUni) - better to pm people with parts of your PS rather than the whole thing.

Reply 8

Sami C

I am just running in difficulties now. I need to add another 3 lines and I have 1 line to spare with paragraphs...some editing has to be done, which I don't want. I really like what my statement has in it right now....

11"

visesh

11"

12 mate.

Reply 11

shimmerinapple

Have you guys already filled in your ucas form? I study overseas and we haven't started yet. Will it be too late if we start to fill it in at the start of next academic year (Sept 05)?

Reply 12

Tom

Don't worry, only the seriously organised are doing it now. i didn't start mine 'till September. Although i don't know if it needs to be done earlier overseas...

Reply 13

Sami C

I've filled in my form, but that is only because our school wants us to start now as they know that it will take most people ages to fill it in due to laziness. Some schools haven't even registered with UCAS yet, so I wouldn't worry. If you are organised, then you will still complete it as quickly as everyone else. The only problem is that students will be crowding the website in early September so you could have some issues with the website going down or something stupid like that.

It can be filled in in about an hour or less. Courses, employment, about you, personal statement (as long as you already written it), education. Simple stuff, and really easy to navigate.

Reply 14

leannemarie

UCAS personal statement limit is definitely 4000 characters for 2006 entry

Reply 15

Dr. Blazed

shimmerinapple

Have you guys already filled in your ucas form? I study overseas and we haven't started yet. Will it be too late if we start to fill it in at the start of next academic year (Sept 05)?

The deadline's January. It doesn't matter if you don't do it until then.

Reply 16

Madelyn

Deadline for Oxbridge or medicine is about 15th October (it was last year, will be a similar date this year), but you still don't need to do your PS until September. Does everyone apply online now? I found there was more PS space on the paper form.