How to plan your

personal statement
Things to know:
1. It’s the hardest part of completing
your application – make sure you
1 2
Choose the Review entry
allocate enough time to do it justice. subject you’d requirements
2. Think about any work experience, like to study Look carefully at the
part-time jobs, or qualifications – information on the
e.g. Extended Project Qualification entry requirements
– you could include. tab in the search
3. Our resources on ucas.com/ tool, and on the
personalstatement will help you. universities’ and
colleges’ websites,
to ensure you
have the skills and
3 qualifications they’re
looking for.
Attend events
Go to a UCAS exhibition or university open days to You can find courses
ask admissions tutors what they want to see in a starting the following
personal statement. Remember to write down ideas! year from May.
UCAS exhibitions
run from March
to July (August
to September in Three months before
Scotland). Outside
the UK, events
are hosted by the
4 5 Writing your
Make a list Write a draft personal
British Council
Make a list of what your Write a first draft statement
Education UK.
chosen universities and – refer back to the (one month
colleges are looking for in research you did about before)
a personal statement. what to include.

6
Check it
Ask your parents,
Three
Two
7 teacher, or careers
adviser to check it for weeks
before
Make changes you and make any
weeks
Make any changes, and check your grammar, spelling, recommendations for
before
and punctuation. Check the length is no more than 4,000 how to improve it.
characters or 47 lines of text (including blank lines).

8
Check again
Show your redrafted
statement to your
parents, teacher, or 9 10
Don’t forget
careers adviser for Deadline
Re-read it before you
a final check. Copy and paste your
go for an interview – it
final statement into
MD-3088 | v2_141017

may form the basis

Apply by the deadline.
for their questions.