UCAS Personal Statements:
Why They Matter
With changes on the horizon for 2026 applicants, the UCAS Personal Statement remains a key part of your university application. While the format may have changed (from a personal essay to three targeted questions), the Personal Statement is still your opportunity demonstrate your interest, knowledge, and aptitude for your chosen degree subject. A Personal Statement must be submitted by anyone applying to UK undergraduate degrees, and the same Statement must be used across all of your university choices.
The Personal Statement is your chance to stand out amongst a pool of top applicants. While your grades will provide strong evidence of your academic ability, the Personal Statement can be what makes an exceptional candidate stand out. The Personal Statement is your opportunity to showcase the three โPsโ: Passion, Personality, and Perspective. By giving Admissions Tutors an insight into your learning journey and future ambitions, they are better able to make a holistic decision as to whether you would be a good fit for your chosen course and university.
In what follows, we break down the three UCAS Personal Statement questions, and offer some expert guidance on how to make sure your Statement stands out โ for all the right reasons!
Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?
Question 1 is a great opportunity to say something honest and eye-catching โ something that the tutor will not have read time and time again each admissions cycle. But you will have to craft your answer carefully: we recommend spending no more than 1,500 characters (with spaces) on your answer to Question 1.
A compelling answer to Question 1 will connect your passion and interest in your subject to the reasons you wish to study it further. You might wish to mention a personal life experience (such as inspirational family member or friend, or a book you have read), to give a โnarrative feelโ to your Statement. The focus and the framing, however, should be academic. Here is an example:
Growing up in a bilingual household, I have long been interested in the relationship between language and cognition. My fascination with Linguistics deepened in Year 12, when I researched and wrote an extended essay on the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. This project revealed to me how important it is to integrate scientific, sociological, and philosophical approaches into our thinking about language. I am eager to continue exploring how English and French differently shape my own perceptions of the world at university level. By accessing cutting-edge research and continuing to conduct my own, I hope to further explore the complex socio-cultural questions the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis raises.
As you can see, this candidate uses their personal background as a springboard for discussing their passion for Linguistics. Their focus is primarily academic, and they bring in an interesting example which goes beyond their A Level syllabus โ a great way to evidence further reading and independent research.
Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
If Question 1 is about the big picture โ why you want to study this subject, and where your studies will take you โ Question 2 is your moment to foreground how your studies to date have prepared you for this next stage in your academic journey. You should highlight the skills you have gained from your formal education, with a specific focus on the A Level or IB subject(s) most relevant to your chosen degree subject.
Again, your answer should be academic in focus. The best answers will use school or college studies as a foundation for demonstrating how you have explored your chosen subject area beyond the curriculum.
In reading different secondary sources about the Vietnam War for my History coursework, I became interested in the methodological issue of neutrality: is it possible for historians to give accounts of historical events that are morally neutral? How do our own values as researchers colour our perceptions of past events? After reading Donald Bloxhamโs โHistory and Moralityโ, I was intrigued by his suggestion that using words such as โexploitation,โ โslaveryโ or โgenocideโ to label events involve making value-judgements. This challenged my view that โimpartialityโ should always be the fundamental goal of the historian: studying History should also involve engaging reflectively with ethical questions, and trying to detach from our instinctive reactions to the past may actually prevent us from learning from it. I have since enjoyed a series of lectures on the topic delivered by Dan Snow.
In this response, the candidate moves from discussing their A Level coursework, to raising undergraduate-level theoretical questions. They then go on to evidence how they have moved beyond the syllabus, both in their reading and their thinking. The paragraph has a clear line of thought: moving from evidence of their A Level studies, explaining what they have learned, and showing signs of academic extension, too.
Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
Question 3 is a great opportunity to talk about any activities or extracurriculars you have undertaken outside of your school studies, which you feel make you a strong candidate for your chosen course. Perhaps you have volunteered teaching Maths at your local primary school, or completed an online course (such as a MOOC) which has enhanced your understanding of your subject. Maybe you are in your school choir or have gained a major sporting achievement, demonstrating skills such as teamwork or resilience.
I am a peer supporter at my school, which means I dedicate my free periods to running an open clinic where students with study-related concerns can come and voice their concerns and troubleshoot their problems in the presence of an understanding ear. I am a positive influence on my peers, and I would be bringing to study of Anthropology and Archaeology not only passion and ability but a collegiate spirit. It is to these ends that I am confident a place on your course of study would not only allow me to bring out the best in myself but bring out the best in the young archaeologists and anthropologists I work with.
Personal Statements are quite unlike any other kind of writing applicants will have encountered before, and so it is natural to feel out of your depth when you begin drafting. It may feel a little awkward at first to write about yourself and achievements!
Here are some tips for getting started:
Keep track of your super-curricular learning
The backbone of the personal statement is the super-curricular activity: an academic exercise or experience that indicates that the student has gone beyond their school curriculum to explore their passion and grow their expertise. This is particularly crucial for highly selective universities and courses; our team outline some suggestions here on how to gain these experiences.
Reading about your subject beyond the syllabus and participating in relevant activities will enable you weave evidence of your genuine interestย into the statement in a way that sounds natural. This approach is much more effectively than simply stating that you are ‘passionate’ about something.
Mind-map what you have done
In the planning stage, it is worth reflecting on what you have done and the achievements you might like to mention. Likewise, brainstorming your favourite areas of interest and books or talks you especially enjoyed will help to provide you with inspiration for your answers.
This way, you can ensure you do not forget anything impressive that you might be able to include in the statement, and start to draw connections between these different elements.
Ask for help with proofreading
To gauge the impact of your statement, it can be helpful to give your drafts to someone else to read, such as a teacher, parent or friend.
They will be able to give you feedback on whether your sentences read clearly and make sense. Asking for someone else’s perspective can also be helpful for ensuring you have the right tone. Do you come across as confident, or are you selling yourself short? Do you sound authentically yourself?
The Universities Team at Oxford and Cambridge Tutors wish you the very best of luck when it comes to planning and drafting your Personal Statement, and would be delighted to assist should you need further guidance.