What is a personal statement?
A personal statement supports your application to study at a university or college. It’s a chance for you to articulate why you’d like to study a particular course or subject, and what skills and experience you possess that show your passion for your chosen field.
If you’re applying for an apprenticeship – you probably won’t need to write a personal statement, but you’ll need to prepare a CV.
What to write about in your personal statement.
You.
You’re telling admissions staff why you’re suitable to study at their university or college.
It’s important to remember you can only write one personal statement – it’s the same for each course you apply for. So, avoid mentioning any universities or colleges by name.
If you’ve chosen similar subjects, talk about the subject in general, and try not to mention courses titles. If you’ve chosen a variety of subjects, just write about common themes, like problem solving or creativity.
Here are some ideas to help you get started:
- Look at course descriptions and identify the qualities, skills, and experience it requires – you can use these to help you decide what to write about.
- Tell the reader why you’re applying – include your ambitions, as well as what interests you about the subject, the course provider, and higher education.
- Think about what makes you suitable – this could be relevant experience, skills, or achievements you’ve gained from education, work, or other activities.
- Include any clubs or societies you belong to – sporting, creative, or musical.
- Mention any relevant employment experience or volunteering you’ve done, such as vInspired Awards, Step Together, or Project Trust. With the current restrictions on our lives, carrying this out in-person can be difficult. Don’t worry, unis and colleges understand this and will take it into consideration – read our advice to find out lots of other ways you can gain useful experience.
- If you’ve developed skills through Duke of Edinburgh, ASDAN, National Citizen Service, the Crest Awards scheme, or young enterprise, tell them.
- If you took part in a higher education taster course, placement, or summer school, or something similar, include it.
