An FAQ-style guide on writing a flawless Personal Statement

Personal Statements are thought to play a crucial role when offering yourself to be a part of a reputable university. It is the only way you can present yourself in front of the admission cell. Whether it is showing your passion for the chosen subject or displaying the abilities that make you fit for that institute, a personal statement helps you make the grade. 

When should I begin to write it? 

Finding the right time for writing your personal statement is not as difficult as it sounds. If you are sure about your options, then writing about them becomes a whole lot easier. However, the only condition is you don’t run out of time. Remember, university application is a time-consuming process, and having your statement ready is a part of it. You don't want to miss the UCAS deadline, so beginning early is most preferable. 

What is the desired word count?

There’s no absolute word limit defined for personal statements. They are required to consist of: 

• Either 4000 characters with spaces
• Or 47 lines of 95 characters each, including spaces

Since software such as Microsoft Word may not tell you the characters or line counts that would accurately match the lengths and counts on the UCAS form, so the only way to confirm these is to copy and paste your draft statement into the online UCAS form. You need to be highly careful at this point because you’re not submitting; you’re just checking the counts. Sounds risky? Try these hacks:

• Use the "Courier New" font style, set its size to 8 pts, and go with the default margins. That gives a fair estimate of how many lines your statement will occupy. 
• You can also use the "Notepad" application, activate text-wrapping, and set the right margins at 95 characters to know how many lines are exactly used.

Is there a step before step one?

Pulling off the first draft is undoubtedly challenging. Rather than having your mind stuck at the first line, think of the following:

• What do I want to study? 
• Why do I want to study it?
• What are the personal qualities, interests, and experiences I have which support my choice and make me the apt fit for this university?

How should I structure it? 

Usually, Personal Statements are written in an essay style that begin with your course choice and the reasons behind it and end with information like extra-curricular experience and skills. Although you can style it any way you want, the best way is to talk about your course in the first two-thirds and mention your work experience in the last third to make it look more resolute.

How is it supposed to look? 

Personal Statements have no room for any formatting. Be it bold, italic, or underlined words, they will automatically get removed in the preview. The only design, however, allowed is to switch between upper and letter case letters. For your knowledge, here is what the online application system will do to your formatting:

• It will condense tabs and multiple spaces to a single space leaving no possibility for line indents. 
• Common symbols such as € and the special quote marks (“) (‘) (’) (”) will also be removed from your statement. However, the simple quotation marks (“) and (') can be used.
• Backslashes (\) will be replaced with forward slashes (/)
• Normal Brackets () will replace Curly ones {}.
• The UCAS form also removes accented characters like é, à, è, ù, etc.

What is most essential to my draft?  

Admission tutors look for unique, fervent, and passionate an individual, which means that your words need to have the power to leave an impact, move, and convince. Your personality should sound intriguing, your purpose and reasons should be clear, and your enthusiasm must reflect through. 

Should I talk about my post-study aspirations? 

It is always a good idea to state your plans but only when you are damn sure about them. You should not sound indecisive or confused. Being confident about your plans would show how seriously you have thought through your choices. Moreover, it will also be an excellent way to conclude your statement, rather than ending it with less essential topics like extra-curricular activities. 

Do I state my qualifications? 

No. Your UCAS form has already taken details of your educational history; you need not include it on your statement since that would only mean wasting space that could otherwise be used for writing more persuasive stuff. However, if you still have something important that can’t go in the qualifications section of your form, the best way to include it in your application is via the reference letter. Have your referee write it down rather you doing it yourself. 

Can I write about two entirely different subjects? 

Writing a personal statement about two entirely different courses is difficult, nearly impossible. Your writing should not sound confusing and ambiguous because that’s what will exactly happen if you write about choosing two opposite subjects. Try to bring all your brain cells on the same page and make sure they root for the same subject. 

Should I customize my Personal Statement according to the university?

Quite obviously, an admission tutor always thinks about whether they want the applicant for the particular subject, they have opted for and whether or not the student will make a good fit for their institute. As of now, most universities have information on writing personal statements published on their website; this may be of significant help when exploring what the university is really looking for. 

Are too many extracurriculars a plus point?

Doing lots of extra things to impress the jury is – not even being pessimistic – a foolish thing to do because 1) you won’t really enjoy it and 2) it won’t help much either. The only key to pose a heart-winning application is repeatedly asserting your interest in the course rather than writing about ten thousand extra-curricular activities that you did merely to gain extra credit. If doing something to boost your application is really the motive, read books or do work, related to the subject you’re passionate about. 

Can I lie on my Personal Statement? 

If you think the university won’t accept you considering your expected grades or unconvincing academic history, you should reconsider applying on second thought. Remember, whatever you write on the statement needs to be substantiated and backed up during the interview. Hence, lying or giving false information is never an option. 

The Nitty Gritty   

Many people have interests and work experience similar to yours; you need something exceptional to emerge and stand out. Avoid including experiences and hobbies common to all applicants. For example, all of the students wishing to study astrology follow NASA and its discoveries; there’s no way it can work as icing on the cake for your essay. 

With all that being said, this is nonetheless your personal statement, and it would be wrong to follow the conventions blindly. When trying to make it unique, doing it your way is necessary, too, even if that means going a little astray from the basics. 

What if it starts to lose meaning? 

When comprhending your statement, you might want to make changes, maybe remove a chunk or two, or add something that you think is more important than what was previously there. Here are some tips you might consider:

• Avoid repetition 
• Talk to-the-point 
• Remove useless words and adjectives 
• Give it a defined structure

How should I finalize my Personal Statement?

As the last step, have it read by your friends, parents, teachers, and career advisors and consider their remarks. The most valuable comments come from your teachers or your school or college council that handles UCAS applications. You can also go through your Personal Statement after months or weeks if you have time before the deadline, and that will surely help you improve what you’ve already written. 

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https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/personal-statements/personal-statement-faqs