•
Why you are interested in the subject, and why you want to study it further
•
What relevant experiences you have both academically and socially and how these experiences give you the necessary skills for study at degree level
•
Your diversity as an individual, demonstrating a wide range of interest and experiences.
•
Subject specific guides to writing a PS (still a work in progress)
•
Example Personal Statements - Old statements submitted by site users to provide a guide to the style and content of a Personal Statement. Don't plagiarise - the statements are referenced by UCAS Copycatch software.
•
Reviewed Personal Statements - Example statements reviewed by the PS Helpers to demonstrate good and bad practice in a PS.
•
Extenuating circumstances as to why you did badly in a particular module/GCSEs/AS levels
•
Reasons why you didn't take particular courses (for example because your school didn't offer it).
•
Background of your school - if your school wasn't the best and you have been surrounded by troublesome classmates get it mentioned in your reference, don't include it in your PS.
•
Virtuous qualities - avoid saying things in your PS like "I am a dedicated and committed student who will be an asset to your university." or "I was the best student in my year". These just make you sound arrogant and presumptuous and should be discussed in your reference. When discussing personality traits in your statement ensure that you show rather than state, giving examples of where you have demonstrated these qualities in your life.
•
Maximum of 4000 characters (including spaces). Generally you probably want to be aiming for 3000-3500 characters to allow room for line breaks and still be within the 47 line limit.
•
Maximum of 47 lines, as measured on the UCAS Apply form. The only way to check this is to try inputting your statement into the form and it will tell you how many lines you are using. In MS Word Times New Roman at 12 point, with 3.17cm left and right margins gives a reasonably close approximation for the line count on the UCAS form.
Scroll to see replies
Last reply 5 days ago
UCAS Applications + Uni Applicant Thread Directory for 2025 **Official Thread**Last reply 1 week ago
Fastest and Slowest Offer Holders Thread for 2025 EntryLast reply 1 week ago
Official Offer Holder Thread Directory 2025 EntryLast reply 1 week ago
i'm studying psychology but i don't know where to apply toLast reply 2 weeks ago
How do I get a buzzword for UCAS application?Last reply 3 weeks ago
My teacher wrote me an horrible reference, even when telling her I'm applying for medLast reply 3 weeks ago
I got an offer but haven’t met gcse requirementLast reply 4 weeks ago
Year 13s: where are you at in your university decision making?