Before University

A personal statement is the only part on the UCAS form that gives you the opportunity to sell yourself to the Admissions tutors. You can select and emphasise certain points about yourself that you feel will help your application. When trying to sell yourself, remember to be honest and specific.

In your personal statement you should try to include the following:

• Your reasons for choosing the course
• Do you enjoy the subject and why?
• What aspects of the course you enjoy?
• Do you look forward to studying the subject in more depth?
• Do you look forward to putting your theory into practice?
• Do you possess certain skills needed for the course? Which ones?

Any work experience you have, and any skills you gained while doing it? For example:

• Working to deadlines
• Diplomacy
• Problem solving
• Using initiative
• Communication skills

When you write your personal statement remember the following:

• Organise your material so it is an informative and interesting read
• Write clearly and try not to pack in too much information
• Only write things that you are prepared to talk about at an interview
• Don't repeat material already on the application form
• Think about the impression you want to give
• Don't describe what courses you are doing now
• Don't ramble or fill in space with irrelevant information
• Don't say that you prefer one University to another
• Don't forget to sound interesting

The following websites can provide additional resources and help:

• UCAS