“The personal statement offers you the chance to get noticed for the unique talents and experiences you have.”
As the final hurdle in the UCAS application process approaches on 25th January*, how do you know if your personal statement is up to scratch?
In 2022, UCAS received 610,720 undergraduate applications, which means that your application needs to stand out – Use your personal statement to get ahead of the competition.
This handy checklist from Fiona McKenzie, Head of Education at Carfax Education will help you check over your personal statement and make sure you are on the right track.
- Be specific right from the first line – they need to know what it is you want to study.
- Avoid cliché and stock phrases such as ‘I’m a people person”, ” Biology is my favourite subject” Every character counts don’t waffle.
- Relate outside experiences to the course.
- Reflect on what you have learned from your experiences do not just describe them.
- Research your courses and note the qualities they are looking for, make sure you include them.
- Whilst the writing style should be quite formal, stick with words that you would use in normal conversation, avoid the temptation to sound like a thesaurus.
- Do NOT copy; everything is checked for plagiarism.
- Check, check and check again for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- 4,000 characters – including spaces (approx. 600 words.) and in about 4 paragraphs.
- Work offline and only upload it into UCAS when it is your best work.
…and remember, admissions officers are on the lookout for well-rounded applicants who can demonstrate why their academics, skills and experience make them a good fit for the course, and a stand-out candidate. Good luck!
Fiona McKenzie, Head of Education at Carfax Education, Fiona and the Carfax Education team have helped hundreds of students get into elite Universities.
*Note other deadlines 15th October 2022 for Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary & Oxbridge applications and 3rd October 2022 for Conservatoire applications.
