What should I include in my personal statement?

You should start by explaining what sparked your interest in your chosen subject and when it started, for example “I knew I wanted to study English from the first moment I picked up a copy of…” You should also try and explain what you hope to gain from studying that subject. Your next paragraph should focus on your further reading and work experience. Try not to make it a list of achievements as this will make it seem like you are boasting. Instead you can mention a book or article and say what interested you about it or what you learned. It is very obvious when people haven’t read what they claim to, as they try and summarise what they read on the back cover, so it is better if you can make an intelligent comment that is personal to you! The same applies for work experience: you should explain what it taught you and why you found it interesting/enjoyable. As you are limited for words, try to only mention experience and reading that is relevant to your course, you can aim for roughly 4 pieces of evidence of wider academic interest, although if you don’t have much work experience try to replace it with other evidence of your interest in the subject! Next you should mention what interested you about your chosen subjects during Sixth Form, and how they prepared you for your degree subject (only mention relevant subjects). Finally, you have a chance to talk about your hobbies and let your personality shine through! Explain how your chosen interests enable you to be successful at university, both socially and academically, for example “acting has allowed me to become more self-confident and helped me memorise things effectively”, or “sport enables me to be disciplined and work well as part of a team”. Ultimately, make sure you are true to yourself, and show the university why they would be lucky to have you.