Warwick University Personal Statements
These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to The University of Warwick. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.
You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities.
Economics Personal Statement Example 1 
Examination of any quality newspaper will probably demonstrate that more of the headlines address economic problems than any other topic.
The importance and relevance of economic related disciplines to the modern world have led me to want to pursue the study of the subject at a higher level...
Computer Science Personal Statement Example 1
From an early age I’ve always been deeply interested in computing. It was my dad, introducing me to the computer systems at his work place that first sparked this interest. I can always remember the feeling of wanting to know just how computers worked, why they worked and what else they could do...
Mathematics Personal Statement Example 1
I have always been fascinated by my mathematical studies and, having a flair for the subject, there was never any doubt that I would choose mathematics as a degree.
It is a pivotal subject on which so many others depend (such as physics and chemistry)...
Law Personal Statement Example 1
The subject of law fascinates me extensively. I am intrigued by developments in the law and the way that it adapts to an ever-changing society.
I feel I would be suited to a law degree as I am at my best when challenged, relish the opportunity of lateral thinking and enjoy evaluating the microcosm of human relations...
History Personal Statement Example 68
I have always read widely and, due to my English Exhibition at Woodbridge School and my enjoyment of writing, at one point I had hoped to read English at university. However, whilst studying World War One poetry for my English Literature GCSE, I found that I was most interested in the times and conditions in which the author was writing...
Business Management Personal Statement Example 1
There is a rapid growth in global organisational concepts, crystallised in Japanese business philosophy, to be as effective as possible in the most efficient way.
New technology involving networking information and automation influences the behaviour of business and enables significant transformation...
Maths and Philosophy Personal Statement Example 1
I believe that there are two ways to look at how the world develops: the first is through the progress of history and human civilisation, and the second is through the progress of knowledge and human understanding...
History Personal Statement Example 2
I am captivated by the diversity and depth offered by a History degree; attracted by the way it encourages us to be analytical of the values and patterns of past societies. It was in my final year of secondary school that I was awarded the History Attainment Award, although my desire to study History dates back to an earlier age when I visited the site of the allied landings in Normandy at just eleven years old...
Mathematics and Computer Science Personal Statement Example
When asked why I like Mathematics, I realised that it is all down to my personality. Being a composed, explicit person, I enjoy the challenge of questions with unequivocal answers.
My character’s orderly side draws me enthusiastically towards neat solutions, my creativity gives rise to my acceptance of new ideas and my positive mind results in my wish to succeed...
Computer Science Personal Statement Example 3
My three major interests and passions are Computer Science, Maths and Music, and I believe that there is a creative fusion between all these disciplines. I engage wholeheartedly in these areas both in my school courses and out of school, and hope that I will be able to continue doing so on my chosen course and in the extra-curricular opportunities at university...
English Personal Statement Example 2
I have always been fascinated by the way writers can influence, and even manipulate readers emotions by their expression of thoughts, and by their ability to encourage the expansion of our imaginations and understanding...
Sociology and Anthropology Personal Statement Example 1
The study of sociology and anthropology is appealing to me because of the diversity of topics they cover and their relevance to our world today. In an increasingly globalised world, it is important to have a deep understanding of the economic and political institutions that govern, and the cultural backgrounds and values of its citizens...
Economics & Management Personal Statement Example
Being born and brought up in a country where an uneven distribution of income is a norm, the poor live on a minimum wage of Rupees 115 a day, whilst the billionaires form the sixth largest group in the world...
Biomedical Science Personal Statement Example 2
Looking back to when I was studying GCSE’s I remember fondly my science classes and recall my enthusiasm to participate and absorb the knowledge being taught by my teachers. These classes exposed me to a lot of different and amazing topics, Homeostasis being one of them which held my attention and curiosity completely...
Politics and International Relations Personal Statement Example 3
Politics and International Relations have always captivated me. Being closely connected to Israel, where political stability and good relations with her neighbours are considered luxuries, I have seen the importance of both politics and international relations for providing a safer future...
Education and Drama Personal Statement Example (Oxbridge)
"I shall have poetry in my life. And adventure. Unbiddable, ungovernable, like a riot in the heart, come ruin or rapture." Perhaps one should not begin with the words of another when presenting oneself, but as an actress, utilising the words of others is something that has become second nature...
History Personal Statement Example 5
As the descendant of an Auschwitz survivor, my family history allows me to understand the influences that the Second World War has had on people's families and the victims of the Nazi regime in occupied Poland...
International Relations Personal Statement Example 1
Throughout my travels, studies, and experience in the world, I have been able to attain what I hope to be a worldly and open-minded perspective. In my efforts to further broaden and improve this perspective, and fully pursue all of my academic passions, I hope to have the privilege of attending university in the United Kingdom...
English Personal Statement Example (Mature Student)
Having worked on a secure psychiatric unit for two years, caring for many people unable to or precluded from following their dreams due to mental illness, as well as over a decade employed in positions just to pay the bills, I am finally pursuing my dream of becoming a published novelist...
Economics and Politics Personal Statement Example 1
"I killed the bank": the last words of Andrew Jackson, former president of the US, after he had vetoed to renew the charter and withdraw all federal deposits from banks causing them to bust. Real money was backed with gold shortly after, causing the greatest economic boom in history for the US where no income tax was implemented...
French and Italian Personal Statement Example 1
I see speaking a foreign language as a key to a door opening up a new world of possibilities and opportunities. As a child my mother insisted I learned another language, she told me to grab any possible open window for a life beyond my own imagination...
German and Italian Personal Statement Example
Foreign languages have always been an integral part of my life as from a young age I have been exposed to other countries and cultures through frequent family holidays to France and Germany. I have always been interested in the logic behind languages...
Biochemistry Personal Statement Example 1
The need to survive is a remarkable thing, for it has allowed evolution to equip organisms with a range of extraordinary capabilities in order to stay alive. Since reading 'Why Geese Don't Get Obese' by Widmaier, my interests have developed in the molecular adaptations of animals; for example, the antifreeze protein that prevents the blood of Antarctic Notothenioid fishes from turning into ice...
International Relations Personal Statement Example 2
I'd like to study international relations because I am concerned about the rapid rise of great powers such as the resource-rich Gulf States. I would like to understand how states engage at the national level and how they leverage power...
History & Economics Personal Statement Example 1
Is one of the useful lessons of the Great Depression that the European periphery cannot restore its competitiveness whilst fixed to an overvalued currency without inducing a debt deflation trap? A study of economics and history can help illuminate such contemporary challenges...
German and English Literature Personal Statement Example
Email correspondence with a friend in Berlin during the celebrations of the twentieth anniversary of the German reunification gave me an insight into the importance and relevance of Germany’s past both within the country itself, and throughout Europe...
Biomedical Science Personal Statement Example 8
The human body is one of the most amazing things in the world. We have so many cells that are designed to carry out their jobs perfectly. Laboratory work has always been very interesting for me, as it allows you to delve deeper into finding out how and why things work in the way they do...
History Personal Statement Example 10
Visits to the national museums of Knightsbridge and the Smithsonian ignited my interest in history. My desire to study history was nurtured following visits to the Normandy beaches which prompted me to research the Second World War and its origins...
Mathematics and Economics Personal Statement Example 2
Every day we make decisions and interact with others; the laws of economics help us make rational choices and consider the irrationality of others, as well as understand the world better. Maths and statistics are the necessary tools for me to understand the modern economics...
Politics Personal Statement Example 5
My background, living in three major metropolises, Lagos, London and Aberdeen bestowed me a very diverse, open, multicultural way of thinking. The cultural shock of Lagos widened my eyes to vastness of the world and prepped my involvement in the Community Development Committee, allowing me to get in touch with all sectors of Nigerian society; here my interest in sociology, politics and government took flight...
Philosophy Personal Statement Example 5
Philosophy has shaped the foundations of all human life and thought. The importance of philosophic enquiry can be traced from the beginning of civilization to the heart of modern society, and I believe that the ability to ask and attempt to answer philosophical questions is one of the key attributes we associate with being human...
Maths and Economics Personal Statement Example 1
By skimming through a daily broadsheet or examining journals such as ‘The Economist’ it is clear to see that economic issues affect everyone both locally as well as on a global scale. However, I have been interested by Mathematics for many years and have found my enjoyment for it has increased as the depth of my understanding has grown...
Economics and Politics/Geography Personal Statement Example
My desire to study Economics in combination with the Social Sciences stems primarily from my interest in these fields but also from the fact that these two disciplines compliment each other exceptionally well...
Law Personal Statement Example 9
The spectre of global terrorism is prevalent. Fundamental civil liberties are under threat, not only by those who seek to destroy our society, but also by those who have been charged with the task of safeguarding it...
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) Personal Statement Example
Upon the opening of any quality newspaper, one would find that economic and political news dominate the headlines, but upon deeper reading it can be seen that the foundations of all human thought and actions have been shaped by philosophical theories...
Computer Science Personal Statement Example 10
Logical problem solving has always appealed to me and this explains my interests in mathematics, programming and computing in general. The decision to read computer science was therefore a simple one.
My desire for solving challenging problems led to my choices of studying mathematics and physics at AS-level...
Pure Mathematics Personal Statement Example
Mathematics is beautiful to me because of the deep and meaningful ideas touched upon by it, the vastness of these ideas, the clearness and elegance of their representation. Mathematics gives me the ability to apply knowledge by approaching things logically, and thinking clearly...
Politics Personal Statement Example 7
I am of Somali and Maasai parentage, but was adopted and became a Dutch national. This places me firmly in the mainstream of multiculturalism.
My family's extensive travels exposed me to various African and European cultures...
Maths Personal Statement Example 6
The idea of proof has always held a real fascination for me. The process of starting from a simple set of axioms and deriving almost any mathematical truth (putting Godel to one side) is what truly separates Mathematics from any other subject...
Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 1
Modern life is almost wholly dependent on engineering. It is everywhere and it is always changing, and it is this in particular which attracts me to civil engineering.
I hope that in this field I can combine my knowledge and skills in physics and maths, two subjects which particularly interest me, and also work in an area which is both diverse and exciting...
Politics and Economics Personal Statement Example 1
Deficits, wars and scandal: this seems to be the current interpretation of Politics today. The global media appear to enjoy taking a destructive stance to economic and political policy. Have we lost our sense of balance and composure?
It is this debate that I found both embracing as well as frustrating, with editorials and columns devoted to the more sensational negative news stories...
Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 8
If I were to describe myself in one word, it would definitely be inquisitive. Since young, I have always been eager to know how things work and what the principles that lie within them are. Hence I have always enjoyed science-related subjects particularly Mathematics and Physics...
Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 9
I personally feel that there is substantial cachet to be gained by pursuing the field of mechanical engineering. The diversity present in this field has attracted me and it is consistent with my enthusiasm for Mathematics and Science...
History, Politics and Economics Personal Statement Example 1
It may sound exaggerated, but I genuinely love History, and it has become a part of my life for over four years.
As contemporary political events have increasingly become my main concern in recent years, Politics and Economics are also my favourite subjects...
Psychology Personal Statement Example 30
My deep interest in psychology started to develop after I read the books "Owl in Love" and "Woman in the Wall" by Patrice Kindl.
Of course, being only twelve years old at the time, I was far from grasping the true depth of the characters and the complex psychological net Kindl had been able to weave...
Politics Personal Statement Example 20
The unpredictability of politics is what makes it such a fascinating subject for me. A particular topic that sparked my interest is the extremely volatile relationship between one established superpower and one rising giant: the USA and India...
Economics Personal Statement Example 20
Having been born in the UK, with parents from Delhi and Kenya, I feel my background has given me an internationally diverse outlook. In my travels, I have met with both the affluence of Europe and the poverty existing in India...
English Literature and Creative Writing Personal Statement Example 1
I once aspired to be a visual artist, a photographer or painter. However, I later discovered the unique ability of poetry and the written word to maintain its power and resonance in a world saturated with images and messages...
PPE Personal Statement Example 2
Lester Brown recently stated: Socialism failed because it couldn't tell the economic truth; capitalism may fail because it couldn't tell the ecological truth. My 6th form study of Economics has led me to question the ecological and social price of free market capitalism with its underlying aim for continual economic growth...
Postgraduate Medicine Personal Statement Example
Quite simply it is my curious nature which has always underpinned my desire to study medicine; the sheer complexity of both the human body and its healing processes have always fascinated me and, during my time in 6th form and subsequently while studying for my BSc...
Psychology Personal Statement Example 48
Since embarking on the A level course 16 months ago I have decided to devote my life to working in psychology.
I am struck by the way Psychological research has impacted all areas of life, but also how much there is yet to understand...
Business & Management Personal Statement Example
There is no limit to what you can learn and how much you can earn from it. Instilled with this belief by my father, I have since the beginning learnt to approach the world differently.
I view that knowledge can be applied practically not only to earn a living, but also to earn wisdom...
Economics Personal Statement Example 23
It would not be foolish to contemplate the possibility of a far greater progress still.
John Maynard Keynes
From childhood I was bred to learn and the passion to understand has become a trait of my character...
Maths and Science Personal Statement Example
Maths and science, in particular physics, have always been my favourite subjects in school. I have an inquisitive mind and am always asking "how?" and "why?" to find out how things work. I chose maths, physics and biology for my A levels, yet only realised I wanted to do engineering when I started studying topics such as mechanics...
English Literature Personal Statement Example 16
I believe that to read English is to read the human being itself: after all, we are all writers. Even in the very act of choosing our words - thinking them, speaking them, physically writing them down - we create something meaningful...
Psychology Personal Statement Example 49
To what extent should we humans accept things the way they are? When should we seek deep meanings and what are the circumstances that convert simple unambiguous certainties into complex facts?.
These and many other questions have aroused in me a keen interest in psychology...
History and Sociology Personal Statement Example
History enables me to see how actions and events have shaped our current society and to understand the present, one must understand the past. The broad topic areas that are involved in History and Sociology allow me to understand different perspectives on a diverse range of subjects...
Politics Personal Statement Example 23
World History has shown, mankind’s pursuit of a utopian society has led to its experimentation with various forms of government. The ingrained desire in man to have a social system where a select few rule over the majority, makes politics one of the most essential areas of study...
Chemistry Personal Statement Example 15
Chemistry is in my opinion the most important of the sciences today. As a science of matter and its properties, Chemistry can be applied to almost any situation from forensics through medicine to environmental sustainability...
Politics and International Studies Personal Statement Example 1
"In our age there is no such thing as keeping out of politics, all issues are political issues." Politics for me is the power to effect change, to make a difference whether that is to the detriment or advantage to society as a whole...
Law Personal Statement Example 63
I cannot remember a person in my life who has had a more significant influence on me than my father. Everything I have achieved with regard to academics, sports, or life in general, I am indebted to him for...
English Literature & Spanish Personal Statement Example
For me, the most captivating part of English literature is the way great writers are able to influence the reader's imagination through the manipulation of language.
The A-level topic of World War One literature was especially affecting because it showed me the importance of world events and their effect on contemporary literature that still inspires us today...
Mathematics Personal Statement Example 12
Mathematics is at the root of many academic subjects, such as mechanics in Physics, organic Chemistry and even Music and this is why I find it so fascinating. The process of starting from a simple set of formulae and deriving nearly all mathematical truth from these is what makes Mathematics a leading academic subject...
Physics & Maths Personal Statement Example 1
The nobility of physics together with my aspiration to explore natural phenomena mathematically and to formulate theories that govern them has changed my perception of reality and this has made me ponder difficult questions...
Politics and International Studies Personal Statement Example 2
According to Aristotle “If liberty and equality, are chiefly thought to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost”. Reflection on the disparity between the philosopher’s idealised maxim of democracy and my own dissatisfaction with the actual, gave cause to my decision to become an academic in political science...
Politics and International Relations Personal Statement Example 8
My great grandfather volunteered in the 1948 War of Independence and became the first Inspector General of the Israeli Navy, ensuring I was brought up in a strongly political family. However I am broad minded, as I attend a conservative school yet am part of a liberal youth movement so I have been exposed to many diverse opinions, encouraging me to be an informed decision-maker...
History & Politics Personal Statement Example
For years I have listened to my family discussing the latest political and historical issues on the news and I have been fascinated and awed by the fact that there was never a wrong or right answer, decision or explanation to a given problem...
Sociology Personal Statement Example 10
I have, for a long time, been interested in the inner workings of society: how and why subcultures develop. Also, how political policies shape the direction of society for years and I wonder why people act in the way they do (here, I have sympathy with Robert Owens' view that we are mostly the mere products of our environment), not only how we shape society, but how it shapes and changes us...
Chemistry Personal Statement Example 17
The realisation I wanted to study Chemistry at degree level came with my growing appreciation of its contribution and significance in shaping modern society, coupled with an increasing interest in the subject as my knowledge and understanding have developed...
Economics & Politics Personal Statement Example 2
My perception of economics and politics changed when in 2008 I became involved in the city council’s budgetary committee as a student representative, which gave me an insight how a political decision can have an impact on the whole city’s future on both social and economic scales...
Politics and Sociology Personal Statement Example 4
Everyone wants to 'change the world' when they are young. I was no exception, but it is only as I have matured and watched events unfold that I realised the importance of politics and sociology within society...
Mathematics Personal Statement Example 14
The challenge of problem solving has always been key to my passion for mathematics. For me, the satisfaction gained from systematically working through a complex problem to an often unobvious solution is unmatched by other areas of study...
Psychology Personal Statement Example 64
Psychology is ubiquitous in society. Because of the mercurial nature of humans, there is always something different to study and analyse. I find this exciting.
Part of what draws me to psychology is how the dynamics of it affect daily life and behaviour...
Economics Personal Statement Example 30
The ever-changing nature of the human science intrigues me. Newton’s laws of motion will never change, from wherever ‘the ball is dropped’. However, different strategies and policies have to be framed and implemented for each economic problem...
Maths Personal Statement Example 13
'When is something maths?'. To ask this question would generate many replies perhaps declaring 'doing complex calculations' or 'working out sums', but it is simply so much more. To me, mathematics is a language, explaining how our world works, such as why things exist as they do in geometrical space...
English Personal Statement Example 30
English is not simply the study of humanity, or society, or history or the written word; it is all of those together and it is this versatility that makes it so appealing to me. The link between literary criticism and psychoanalysis is a great interest of mine...
Mathematics Personal Statement Example 15
Mathematics is a language of science which portrays just merely anything in this world better than any other way we distinguish.The more we discover nature,the more mathematical association revealed by doing so...
Biomedical Engineering Personal Statement Example 3
Being nicknamed after sheep isn't something to be proud of, but the fact that most people in my neighbourhood know me as "Dolly" reveals my passion for genetic engineering.
My fascination with science began in primary school and thanks to a desire to delve deeper into the scientific principles that govern this world and use them to develop technology that can resolve our problems, it gradually developed into a career choice...
Natural Sciences Personal Statement Example 4
Why and How? I believe these are the two most important question words as they express mankind’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and they have lain the foundation of sciences and have helped us find answers and solutions to problems throughout history from the domestication of fire to Darwin’s theory of evolution, to landing on the moon and so on...
Law Personal Statement Example 83
Currently I study English language, history and law. Out of the three I find law the most fascinating because it is the foundation of anything that occurs in society. Learning about how decisions are made in law, the constant arguments to reach a fair judgement and the on-going evolution of the law to adapt to society makes me enthusiastic to learn more...
English Literature Personal Statement Example 20
I was once told by a writer at Bath "LitFest" that literature is "all about control". At a young age, his words seemed obscure, but years later, I am finally able to grasp his meaning. On one side of a barrier of ink and paper, a writer aims to understand and control their world, whilst a reader attempts to lose control in a boundless, imaginary world...
Politics & International Relations Personal Statement Example 7
Growing up in a family directly affected by the Biafran War has greatly contributed to my interest in Politics and International Relations. My mother's stories about the nomadic life forced upon her family made me examine the reasons why countries go to war...
History Personal Statement Example (Oxford University)
My interest in History was first sparked during a remembrance service at the Menin Gate. Hearing the bugles bellow out the 'Last Post' to a crowd of thousands, instilled in me a deeper appreciation of the past, and the sacrifices that were made to sculpt the world we live in today...
Economics Personal Statement Example 32
One look at the world around us and we can instantly see how vital a role economics plays in every aspect of life. A fleeting glimpse of a newspaper headline or the core section of the evening news will tell you that economics influences nearly everything we do and think...
Biomedical Science Personal Statement Example 14
How one mutation can cause a malignant tumour or change the genetic material which is then passed to the next generation interests me. The challenges which are within the human body and the diseases which can change it easily are also a fascination...
Computer Science Personal Statement Example 57
Interacting with computers has been my passion ever since I was a young kid. I will not lie – I was initially drawn to them because I fancied computer games.
However, the more I operated with computers, the more I began to appreciate understanding how they work, discovering just how much they can do and the near limitless potential they hold...
PPE/Economics Personal Statement Example
Humanity today stands at the intersection of the most significant questions facing the world today: if democracy leads to political infighting, should it be sacrificed in the interest of economic well-being? Does religious fundamentalism provide a way for countries in the developing world to assert their identity in the face of Western hegemony? Does the entry of Western consumer goods threaten a country’s economic self-sufficiency?
The answers of these questions will determine what the nature of our world is in the twenty-first century...
History Personal Statement Example (Oxbridge) 2
Whether considering the real world applications of Bentham's utilitarianism in Religious Studies, analysing the context of a changing Victorian society in English Literature, or debating the evolving ideology of the Labour Party in Politics, there is one common thread connecting what I enjoy most about my studies: history...
Sociology Personal Statement Example 14
The need for the study of Sociology in society is, arguably, universally fundamental.
The study of society is of paramount importance in solving social problems of great magnitude such as poverty and family disorganisation...
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