Personal statement paragraphing urgent !!

I need to submit my application in a couple of days, so I've been poring over my personal statement for the last week. I mean like for hours and hours at a time, refining tiny details and taking out words so that I met the character limit.

Finally, i did indeed get my PS under the limit, but went to paste it in UCAS only to find out about the line count !? [clearly my college neglected to tell us that this existed]

It didn't cut any of my work out but it tells me I'm 4 lines over - I don't think I can physically reduce my statement down one word, let alone 4 lines. I've tried removing paragraph space [which puts me in the line limit] but it looks soo blocky and someone on here said that unis wouldn't like that.

I have no idea what to do !

Reply 1

bibachu

Original post by checka888

I need to submit my application in a couple of days, so I've been poring over my personal statement for the last week. I mean like for hours and hours at a time, refining tiny details and taking out words so that I met the character limit.
Finally, i did indeed get my PS under the limit, but went to paste it in UCAS only to find out about the line count !? [clearly my college neglected to tell us that this existed]
It didn't cut any of my work out but it tells me I'm 4 lines over - I don't think I can physically reduce my statement down one word, let alone 4 lines. I've tried removing paragraph space [which puts me in the line limit] but it looks soo blocky and someone on here said that unis wouldn't like that.
I have no idea what to do !

If you absolutely cannot reduce the character count, you’ll have to send it without paragraph spacing. You wouldn’t be the first to do so and you certainly won’t be the last. I’ve been told by admissions staff at universities like Cambridge that they don’t particularly mind if you don’t have any paragraph spacing. They’re used to reading personal statements with and without it. So long as you are using your characters wisely to talk about super curricular activities, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Reply 2

username_66

Original post by checka888

I need to submit my application in a couple of days, so I've been poring over my personal statement for the last week. I mean like for hours and hours at a time, refining tiny details and taking out words so that I met the character limit.
Finally, i did indeed get my PS under the limit, but went to paste it in UCAS only to find out about the line count !? [clearly my college neglected to tell us that this existed]
It didn't cut any of my work out but it tells me I'm 4 lines over - I don't think I can physically reduce my statement down one word, let alone 4 lines. I've tried removing paragraph space [which puts me in the line limit] but it looks soo blocky and someone on here said that unis wouldn't like that.
I have no idea what to do !

I did this last year, got 4/5 offers and post interview stage at cambridge- really don't think it matters if you don't have para spacing