The Personal Statement is the only part of the UCAS application form which gives you a chance to say something about yourself, and at the same time make a positive impression. As our advice article Six Top Tips for an outstanding UCAS form explains, your Personal Statement may well be the deciding factor in getting you a university offer.

Starting before the summer holidays is ideal: it gives you time to do all the necessary thinking and to beef up your statement if you need to. Don't leave the UCAS Personal Statement to the last minute!

There are two main questions you need to answer:

  • Why do you want to study the course?
  • Why would you be good at the course?

For your response to be convincing, you must present very solid evidence. The “super-curriculum” you have dedicated time to, for example, shows how much you commit to independent learning beyond the classroom.

Remember they have AI detectors. Don’t plagiarise, even if it is just a few sentences.

The 2025/26 new structure

You now need to answer three questions - each answer will have a minimum character count of 350 characters. The 4000 overall character limit (including spaces) remains the same.

Question 1. Why do you want to study this course or subject?

  • This should be the longest and most detailed section.
  • Universities want to see clear academic curiosity and intellectual engagement.
  • Discuss:
    • What sparked your interest in the subject? (Avoid clichés like “I have always loved…”)
    • What excites you about it now? Reference specific concepts, questions, or real-world applications.
    • Any academic readings, lectures, or research projects that have deepened your passion.
    • How does this course align with your future goals?

Question 2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare?

  • This is almost as important as the first section but should be more evidence-driven.
  • Universities value students who engage critically with their subjects.
  • Discuss:
    • Relevant coursework, extended essays, research projects, or independent study
    • Topics you found challenging and how you tackled them (shows resilience & problem-solving)
    • Connections across subjects (especially for interdisciplinary courses like PPE, Natural Sciences, etc.)
    • Any university-level materials you have explored beyond the syllabus

Question 3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education?

  • This should be concise and academically linked wherever possible.
  • Top Universities do not prioritise extracurricular activities unless they relate directly to the subject.
  • Focus on super-curricular experiences such as:
    • Summer schools, online courses, research projects
    • Maths challenges, Olympiads, academic competitions
    • Relevant work experience (if applicable, e.g. Medicine, Engineering, Law)
    • Podcasts, articles, or personal projects that have influenced your thinking

⚠️ Avoid writing extensively about unrelated extracurriculars (e.g., sports, music, volunteering). These are great for well-roundedness but should not take up valuable space. If you mention them, link them to relevant skills (e.g., leadership, critical thinking, teamwork).

A few things to consider when you write out all those examples:

  • What is your exact research interest? What areas would you like to specialise in? What particular topics intrigue you the most? Instead of claiming that you are generally interested in English, tell the admissions panel that you would like to learn more about the portrayal of dictators in historical fiction, or the ways an author manipulates readers differently in ‘whodunit’ vs ‘howcatchem’ detective stories.

  • Choose 1, 2 or 3 topics and explain why you want to study them on a higher level. If you can find a connection between different research interests of yours, make sure you organise your paragraphs in a manner that allows the admissions panel to see it. However, it is also natural that your research interests are not particularly relevant to each other – for students in Natural Sciences, for example, you can be both fascinated by pharmacology and astrophysics.

  • When you share an academic experience (your coursework, a book you’ve read, a hands-on project you have done, a work experience you have taken), always provide more details. How exactly have you benefited from the experience and what new ideas have you developed? What challenges have you gone through while working on this project, and how have you tried to tackle them? How will this experience guide you to reconstruct your vision of taking your chosen course at university level?

  • Following the previous tip: remember that the focus is always on you. Instead of detailing what the documentary is about or giving a long list of tasks you were assigned during that internship, spend more time explaining your reflections and findings. Why is that important to you?

  • Finally, show your list to your family and teachers – they may well remind you of achievements you had forgotten or that you thought weren’t important.

Article written by Catherine Tang, Careers and UCAS advisor, at Ashbourne Independent Sixth-form College

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Related article

Six top tips for an outstanding UCAS form

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    On 3rd June 2019   /