UCAS Personal Statement

The Personal Statement is a crucial part of a UCAS application. It is an opportunity for you to explain why you want to study a particular subject and ultimately highlight why you merit the offer of a place or call to interview. As Admissions tutors may read through hundreds of applications, the presentation and content of your Personal Statement is critical.

You only have 47 lines for your Personal Statement which is around 4,000 characters including spaces. It is important that you mention all the key information necessary to make a good first impression. It is vital you are concise and do not repeat information that you may have included elsewhere in the application.

Before you begin, make a few notes to focus your thoughts and allow yourself a couple of weeks to fine tune your statement before finally submitting it. Show it to your friends and family, be prepared for constructive criticism and use a spell check facility to ensure your spelling and grammar are accurate. Remember that you are applying for highly competitive programmes of study so don't be afraid to sell yourself.

Outlining the reasons why you want to study a particular subject is possibly the most important part of a UCAS Personal Statement. You should highlight:

• Your suitability and enthusiasm for the subject(s) you wish to study;
• Transferable skills;
• Work experience(s) relevant to the subject area;
• Your career aspirations, academic interests and the reasons why you want to go to university;
• Personal qualities and other interests that make you stand out from the crowd.

It's not only important what you write in your Personal Statement but how you write it. You need to use language that makes you sound enthusiastic about your courses and portrays you as a strong candidate. Spelling, accuracy of grammar and diversity of vocabulary are important in creating the right impression.

You also need to ensure you don't make common mistakes that can spoil your Personal Statement. Things to avoid include:

• Copying content directly from personal statement websites or publications. Your application will be passed through plagiarism detection software and any significant similarities could result in your application being excluded;
• Outlining negative experiences. Turn anything negative to your advantage, outlining how you overcame obstacles to succeed;
• Relisting information, including qualifications, submitted elsewhere in the application;
• Using slang, abbreviations or text speak. Attempts at humour should also be considered carefully and used very sparingly or preferably not at all;  
• Providing irrelevant information that fails to enhance your application or making fabricated or unsubstantiated claims. It is important to provide supportive detail to back up assertions you make.

Whilst reading through a list of do's and don'ts can make writing a Personal Statement seem quite daunting, with sufficient planning and preparation you can build a clear, concise portrayal of your suitability for a particular subject and ensure you submit a strong application.

If you are applying to Edge Hill University and would like advice on writing a UCAS Personal Statement, please contact the Course Information, Advice and Guidance Team on 01695 657000 or email study@edgehill.ac.uk.