is it okay to abriviate in my statement? to conserve characters? like I have to I've
Hello!
I agree with interrobang.
If you abbreviate it can sound slightly more causal whereas this is more of a formal document to send to universities.
My suggestion would be to look through the document and ensure that you shorten sentences where you can, this will also help keep points you want to make short and snappy for the admissions team reading over it.
An example could be:
Long "I am passionate about animals and I have a lot of experience in volunteering with many businesses such as local charities and animal shelters."
Short "As I am passionate about animals I have volunteered with local charities and animal shelters gaining much experience.