How do I write my personal statement?

The most important thing to bear in mind when writing a personal statement is that you should show interest in and aptitude for your chosen subject. The maximum character count is low, so make sure that every sentence you write does this, and is on topic. A small amount of space should be used to explain any extra-curricular activities you may have done, such as playing a musical instrument or being a part of a sports team, but you shouldn't spend too long on this as what the people in charge of admissions at university really care about is your thoughts on your chosen subject. A good way to structure your personal statement is by using the rule of 3. The human brain likes reading things set out in groups of 3 - have 3 paragraphs, each about a different topic. When you write about your subject, don't spend too long talking about things you have learnt about in your A Level course. Those working in admissions reading your personal statement want to see evidence of real passion and interest for your subject, which is best shown by writing about things you have read or other ways you have engaged with your subject beyond the A Level syllabus. The best way to do this is to start with something you learned at A Level that you found interesting, then write about your thoughts on something you read outside of school time to find out more about this. Continue this chain of what you read, what you thought about it, and what this in turn lead to to read/watch/do. Always remember to give your opinion on anything you have read - this is what they care about most!