UCAS Personal Statement - Part 1

Introduction

In order to successfully gain entry into a UK university, you will need to construct a great personal statement. A good personal statement can often be the difference between outright rejection, and acceptance into your chosen Uni. But what is a personal statement, why is it important, and how can you perfect your own? In this 3 part blog, we’ll show you how to write a UCAS personal statement.

 

 

What is UCAS?

 UCAS is the organisation responsible for processing full-time undergraduate applications to UK universities and colleges. Along with listing your results, GCSE grades and predicted results (which will then be forwarded via UCAS to universities) UCAS also gives you the chance to construct a personal statement. In order to be successful, it’s critical that you understand how to write a UCAS personal statement.

What is a personal statement? 

A personal statement is a single page of A4, which acts as a reference for your qualities, skills and ambitions. You will insert this into your UCAS form online, which will be sent off to the different universities that you have applied to. To put it in simple terms: a personal statement is YOUR attempt to persuade universities that they should give you a place on their course. It should take the form of a well-written letter.

Who will look at my personal statement?

After your personal statement has been sent off, it can be used in the following way:

• Firstly, your statement will be looked at by university and college admissions tutors. These will generally be an allocated individual from the course that you are applying to. They’ll look at whether your statement meets with the expectations of those running the course, and whether you’d be likely to achieve good grades upon completion.
• Following this, if your statement is good enough, 1 of 2 things will happen. You may be offered a place (conditionally) or the admissions tutor may decide to give you a ring. This will allow them to further evaluate whether you are suitable for the course. If this does happen, they’ll have your personal statement to hand and will actively ask questions based on what you have written.
• Finally, if you are given a conditional offer, but don’t meet the grade expectations; there is a chance that your statement could be re-examined and then weighed up to decide whether it’s worth giving you a place anyway. A great statement can sometimes make up for a slight lack of grades, and tip the scales in your favour. 

Coming Soon!

In our next week’s blog, we’ll give you some more top tips on what to include in your personal statement, the best way to highlight your selling points, what to do and what not to do, and show you how to STRUCTURE your personal statement!

Hope you guys found this blog interesting and useful. On this bright note, we hope you enjoy a lovely week ahead!

Bibliography and References

(1) Writing a personal statement - https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-track/writing-personal-statement

(2)  UCAS personal statement writing tips - https://www.mystudenthalls.com/blog/writing-a-ucas-personal-statement-for-your-ucas-application/