UCAS personal statements: Six tips to make yours even better

Your personal statement is a very important part of a UCAS application, as it tells ission officers why you're a great candidate to study at their university.

There is some information you should definitely include, such as what you want to study and why. But what can you do to make your statement stand out?

To help you dial up the sparkle on your personal statement, we've put together a quick list of tips with the help of UCAS experts.

1. Dazzle them from the start: You’ll have checked your intro paragraph (as well as the whole thing) several times. But how attention-grabbing are the first lines of your statement? It’s not a case of sounding clever or sophisticated, just be clear and enthusiastic about what you want to study.

2. Big yourself up: Lots of people struggle to talk about how great they are, so to give your statement that tiny bit more oomph, try imagining what someone else would say about you (e.g. a teacher or colleague who knows you well).

3. Go extra: It doesn’t all have to be about education. You might have gained relevant skills and experience from work, clubs or societies, for example if you’ve held responsibilities such as a scout leader or sports captain. You want your readers to see you as the well-rounded person you are, not just as a diligent student.

4. If you’ve tried it, say it: Have you done any taster courses or placements that link in really well to what you want to study? They won’t know if you don’t tell them!

5. Tell them about future you: Do you want to study the course because you have specific career plans after uni? Let them know! This will make you sound focused and motivated.

6. Be positive: Use positive language that describes how attending your dream course could enhance your life.

A quick reminder: Your personal statement goes to all of the unis you apply for, so don't name any specific universities or course titles. Instead, focus on the subjects you want to study.

Last, but not least, check your spelling and grammar. Get a second (and third, and fourth…) pair of eyes on your statement before submitting it. Good luck!