Student Tips on Writing Your Personal Statement

2026 Personal Statement Format

You might be aware that the format of Personal Statements has changed for 2026 entry onwards.

You will be given three questions to help shape the focus of your personal statement:

• Why do you want to study this course or subject?
• How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
• What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Each section will have a minimum character count of 350 characters, which will each have an overall character counter to let you know that you're on track.

Do your research

Is there anything specific that stuck out to you while choosing the course that you’re applying to? Show in your personal statement that you have researched your course by mentioning any modules or topics that you will learn about that you find interesting, or opportunities that you feel will show that you’re prepared for university. You can find lots of information by going to the University website, following social media or attending Open Day events.

Show interest

This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s easy to forget when thinking of everything else you could include. Make sure you write about why you are interested in doing the course you’re applying for. You can write about how you first discovered this area, any relevant topics you’ve covered in school, or anything that shows this is something you could spend time and effort learning about. 

Talk about the future

What are you planning on doing with your degree once you have it? Mentioning this in your personal statement can show that you have ambitions for your future and that you have a plan for your degree. You can talk about any steps you plan to take to get there, and how the university could help with this. If you don’t know yet what you are doing after your degree, you can still mention that you look forward to exploring career opportunities with the help of the support you get from the University. This is a great way to show that you know something about the support that is offered at university and that you are ready to prepare for your future.

Mention relevant experience and achievements

Have you ever achieved something that you’re proud of? Mention it in your personal statement! Write about any position or responsibility you held, or what the project was about. You want to show that you are a person who is successful. Including experience and achievements can make you stand out and help show who you are as a person and as a future student. If you know what you want to do after university, try connecting it with any future career plans. You could also relate it to how it will help you as a student.

Avoid small mistakes

This seems like a simple one, but make sure all spelling and formatting is correct. You want the reader to notice you and the content you’ve written, not any spelling mistakes you might have made. It can be helpful to get someone else to proofread your personal statement once you’ve written it, just to double-check. You also want to make sure that there is enough detail for the reader to start to see who you are, while making sure that you don’t waffle or fill space with unnecessary information. Keep it concise and engaging.

Good Luck!