When does your UCAS personal statement have to be in?
Each year the exact deadline date changes, but you can check the UCAS website to be sure. January is the national deadline for those that aren’t October entry such as Oxbridge.
Who will read your personal statement?
Personal statements are read not only by course leaders but also admissions tutors. The increase in applications to universities means that it is more important than ever to stand out from the rest.
Personal statements are compared student to student. Some courses face 1,000 applicants for 30 positions.
What to do if you’re applying for different courses…
If the courses are related in some way this may not be so hard. However if you are applying for two completely different courses then you need to be careful as generalising will be too vague.
Which university you’re applying to…
Do your research and find out about the links the university has in terms of the career you are going for. Tell them what you know about them and why they are your number one choice. In addition, universities invest a lot in the student social lifestyle so look into what stands out and tell them you’re looking forward to the experience.
Keep it simple…
Give your personal statement a good beginning and end. Like a CV personal statement, your UCAS personal statement has a lot riding on it so it isn’t really the time to get overly creative.
Start on a good strong sentence. To ensure it is actually read, not just skimmed. Make it easier to read by being concise – the text box holds up to 37 lines or 4000 characters. Make sure what you write is relevant.
Think about the reader – what will they be trained to look for? What applications will be considered worthy? Most tutors will want someone who is passionate about their university and course, who has demonstrated in their UCAS statement why they are a stand-out applicant and how they are determined to succeed.
Get feedback on your final statement.
Always get a critical friend – careers advisor, teacher or parent – to look over your application. Ask them to imagine being the admissions tutor and whether it would get you through to an interview or acceptance.
It’s your time to shine, use it wisely….
