Personal Statement Writing Guide

UCAS Personal Statement FAQs
Got questions about writing your UCAS personal statement? All the answers are here.

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​​​​​​​Analysis Of An Example Statement
Our founder talks about his own UCAS personal statement and how he wrote it.

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Personal Statement Editing Service
Get your personal statement reviewed today by one of our professional editors.

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Personal Statement Length Checker
Find out whether your personal statement meets or exceeds the limit set by UCAS.

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​​​​​​​Personal Statement Template
Our personal statement template worksheet will help set you in the right direction for a successful UCAS application.

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​​​​​​​Personal Statement Timeline
Take the stress out of UCAS by following our timeline on what you should be doing with your application and when.

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​​​​​​​Personal Statement Writing Tips
Our Founder gives his tips and advice on how to tackle the UCAS personal statement.

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Tips From A Teacher
Further tips and advice on writing the personal statement from a sixth form tutor.

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How To Write A Personal Statement
Our guide to writing the UCAS personal statement, including tips on language, structure, formatting and more.

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10 Personal Statement Don'ts
Learn how to avoid 10 common mistakes applicants make with their UCAS personal statements

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How long should my personal statement be?

The 'word' limit is 47 lines of text, or 4000 characters. This equates to (roughly) 600 words.

UCAS recommends that you write out your personal statement in a word processor before copying and pasting it into their online application form.

To help you with this, use our personal statement length checker when writing your statement.

When should I start writing my personal statement?

Nobody can write a brilliant personal statement in one draft, so it's important you start early on to make sure your statement is the best it can be.

We recommend you begin jotting down some notes for your initial draft during the summer holidays (July and August) so you have something down before you go back to school/college in the autumn.

How do I write a UCAS personal statement?

To write a great personal statement that will give you the best chance of success, we recommend you:

  1. Start with why you've chosen your course and what aspect(s) of it interest you most
  2. Let your passion and enthusiasm shine through
  3. Don't include over-used phrases such as "From a very young age..." and "I've always wanted to be...".
  4. Try to be original and give it your own unique voice
  5. Don't use quotes, humour, jokes or cliches - now is not the time!
  6. Round off with a summary of what you want to do in the future and how your degree will help you achieve this.

Where can I get more help and support with my personal statement?

At Studential, we also offer a range of UCAS Personal Editing & Review Services, including ones for:

Our professional editors are here to help those who are struggling with their personal statements, and need a little extra help with putting together a final draft.

You can also use our Personal Statement Template to help you put together your first draft.

What should I not include in my personal statement?

When writing your UCAS personal statement, it's best to avoid the following:

  • Humour or jokes
  • Cliches and quotes
  • Over-used words and phrases
  • Negativity
  • Lies or stretching the truth
  • Not getting feedback from family and friends
  • Forgetting to include your skills, work experience and/or personal traits.

For more information, please take a look at our 10 Personal Statement Don'ts.