The 'personal' in 'personal statement' suggests that you should be allowed to express

yourself however you want, right? Well, to a certain extent that is true: admissions tutors
want to get a picture of you, not your parents, your teachers or your best friend, so it
has to be your work. However, the purpose of the statement is to persuade academic
staff that they should offer you one of their highly sought-after university places;
although there is no strict template for this, there are specific things you should include
and certain things you should most certainly leave out.

The importance of the opening paragraph

The online Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) undergraduate

application form allows a total of 4,000 characters (around 700 words), meaning that
you need to craft the statement carefully. The most important part is unquestionably the
opening paragraph, as it acts as an invitation to continue reading. If you are not able to
catch the attention of the admissions tutor, who has hundreds of statements to assess,
then it is highly unlikely they will read through to the end.

The best advice here is to avoid much-used opening lines and clichés such as 'I have
wanted to be an engineer since I was a child'. This kind of thing is not the invitation
readers are looking for. Instead, try using an anecdote, experience or inspirational
moment: 'Although tinkering with engines had always been a childhood hobby, it was
the vision of the fastest car on earth, the Bloodhound, at an exhibition in London, that
roused my desire to learn everything I could about automotive engineering'. Really? Tell
me more!

Of course, your opening paragraph could start in a variety of ways, but the fundamental
purpose is to grab the reader’s interest.

Provide evidence of your commitment and skills

Following on from that, you have to provide evidence of your passion and commitment
to your chosen programme, and highlight the specific and transferable skills you
possess to study it successfully. You can do this by following the ABC rule.

Action: Include examples of what you have done, experienced or even read that have
helped you in your choice of degree and boosted your knowledge of the subject area.

Benefit: By doing these things, explain what you learned or gained; in the case of a
book or article, put forward an opinion.

Course: The most successful applicants ensure that the information they include is
relevant to their course in order to highlight their suitability. Flower-arranging may allow
you to realise your creative potential, but will it help you study astrophysics?
It is perfectly acceptable to base this ABC rule on school-based activities, as not all
students have opportunities outside the classroom. However, if you can link extra-
curricular pursuits to your desired programme of study, you are further highlighting your
commitment. As a general rule of thumb, the information you include here should be
around 80 per cent academic and 20 per cent non-academic. So, for example, as a
member of the school science club – a non-curricular, academic activity – you may have
developed the ability to analyse data and tackle problems logically. Taking part in a
work placement falls into the same category and could have helped you develop your
communication, time-management and computer skills. You get the idea.

Non-academic accomplishments may involve music, sport, travel or clubs and can lead
to a variety of competencies such as team-working, leadership, language or
presentation skills. A word of warning here: it is vital that you sell yourself, but
arrogance or lies will result in your personal statement landing in the 'rejected' pile.
Keep it honest and down-to-earth.

Provide a memorable conclusion

Once you have emphasised your keen interest and relevant qualities, you should round
off the statement with a conclusion that will be remembered. There is little point putting
all your effort to generate interest in the opening paragraph only for your statement to
gradually fade away at the end. A good conclusion will create lasting impact and may
express how studying your chosen course will allow you to pursue a particular career or
achieve any other plans. It can also underline your motivation and determination.

Use a formal tone, stay relevant and be positive

As you have to pack all this information into a relatively short statement, it is essential to
avoid the superfluous or, as I like to call it, the 'fluff'. If a sentence sounds pretty but
doesn’t give the reader information, remove it. In addition, the tone should be formal
and you should not use contractions, slang or jokes; remember, the statement will be
read by academics – often leaders in their field.

Referring to books is fine but don’t resort to using famous quotes as they are overused
and do not reflect your own ideas. Also, while it's good to avoid repetition, don't overdo
it with the thesaurus.

Negativity has no place in a personal statement, so if you need to mention a difficult

situation you have overcome, ensure you present it as a learning experience rather than
giving the reader an opportunity to notice any shortcomings. Also, bear in mind that your
personal statement will probably go to several universities as part of a single
application, so specifically naming one university is not going to win you any favours
with the others.
Get some help but never copy someone else's work

Checking grammar, spelling and flow is essential and it is perfectly OK to ask someone
to do this for you. A fresh pair of eyes and a different perspective always help, and, as
long as the third party does not write the content for you, their input could be of vital
importance. And while you may get away with not sticking to all of the above advice,
there is one thing that you absolutely must not do: copy someone else’s work. Most
applications are made through UCAS, which uses sophisticated software to detect
plagiarism. If you are found to have copied content from the internet, or a previous
statement, your application will be cancelled immediately. Remember, it is
a personal statement.

Get your ideas down in a mind-map first

Finally, I will leave you with my top tip. If you understand all the theory behind the
personal statement and have an abundance of ideas floating in your head, but are
staring blankly at your computer screen, take a pen and paper and make a simple mind
map. Jot down all your experiences, activities, skills, attributes and perhaps
even include books you have read or even current items that interest you in the news.
Then look for how these link to your course and highlight the most significant elements
using arrows, colours and even doodles. Capturing thoughts on paper and making
logical deductions from an image can give structure to your ideas.

Top Ten Personal Statement Tips

1. Express interest in your subject and show passion

You should express an interest and passion in your chosen university

subject throughout your personal statement. If admissions officers don't feel like you
care about what you are to study, why should they offer you a place? Demonstrate your
passion.

2. Make your first line stand out to grab the reader's attention

Your opening sentence is a chance to make an immediate grab for the attention of the
reader. Make it stand out and you'll hook them for the rest of the statement.

3. Relate outside and social interests to your course

Admissions officers love it when you can demonstrably link your hobbies to the course
you are applying for. These must be relevant though - anything which stands out as
being a waste of space on your statement will count against it.

4. Think about what you want to achieve after graduation

Think about the type of role or career you would like to move into after you finish your
degree. Explaining what you wish to achieve after graduation is a great way to show
your ambition.

5. Get the basics right

Make sure you use paragraphs so the text is clear, have a defined, beginning, middle
and end and keep your writing succinct. By following these simple guidelines, your
personal statement will automatically stand out.

6. Don't try to sound too clever

Whilst the purpose of a personal statement is to sell yourself, do not come across as too
arrogant or 'know-it-all' as this is not an appealing trait.

7. Take time and make it your best work

You have plenty of time to craft your personal statement, and producing multiple drafts
and revisions over a couple of weeks allows your personal statement to breathe and
grow.

8. Don't leave it until the last minute

Related to the above, the worst thing you can do is leave it to the last minute. This
means mistakes, inaccuracies and a general panic at submitting your personal
statement on time.

9. Get a second opinion

Worried about certain sections, phrases or your grammar? Have a friend, family
member or colleague give it a second look to avoid small mistakes that are easy to
miss.

10. Be honest

You will be asked to produce evidence of your stated achievements, so it is incredibly

important to not lie about any previous grades or accomplishments.