What is UCAS?
The UCAS in UCAS personal statement stands for Universities and
Colleges Admission Service, which helps full-time students get admitted to higher education institutions in the UK.
However, unlike any conventional admission portal, UCAS offers a range of services for students belonging to different
age groups and even to teachers who are seeking career advancement.
In order to apply to a university through UCAS, a student must fill out
an online application. Perhaps the most important part of this online application is the USAS personal statement,
which UCAS will forward to the universities you are planning to apply.
The better your personal statement is, the higher your chances of
getting admitted to your desired degree program or course.
Don’t have much time to read? Watch this short video instead–
What falls into the category of a Good Personal Statement?
While there is no one fixed way to write a good UCAS personal statement
there are some components, which differentiate a good personal statement from an average or below-average one.
If you want to create an impressive UCAS personal statement that will help your application stand out, you must first
understand what a personal statement entails and what the requirements are.
Thousands of students each year apply to Ivy League institutions,
however, only a handful of them get accepted. Here are some basic guidelines and tips for writing UCAS Personal
Statement, which answer the question of how to write a UCAS personal statement. You can understand and stick to it in
order to get into the University of your Dreams because getting good grades is just not enough.
Be Enthusiastic:
Show your enthusiasm about studying and your personal skills/ abilities
that make it worth being accepted in that course.
Highlight the Main Points of the Program:
Write analytically why you chose that particular course and what made
you so interested in it. Make sure that you highlight your own competencies but also University’s advantages that made
you go for it.
Meet Your Future Plans:
Describe why this course is ideal for you, and how you will grow
through it by realizing your future career plans.
Be creative:
Don’t copy and write another personal statement like all the rest. It
is better to stand out by presenting your own key points that make you different and win that University place.
Jot down everything:
Make a note of want to include in the personal statement and create
multiple drafts to know exactly how you want to present your case.
Explain the University Why:
Understand that in the UCAS personal statement structure must explain
why the university should give you admission to their program.
You must sell them why you are an ideal student for them. Add any skills you possess which might be relevant to the
course you are applying for.
Showcase prior work experience:
Include any prior work experience, study, or extracurricular activity
that might be relevant to the course you are applying for.
Write accordingly to the character limit:
A UCAS personal statement word count needs to be within the
4000-character limit, which can roughly mean 500 words or so. Do not exceed the character limit or your personal
statement cannot be submitted.
Receive an opinion from a Mentor/Friend:
Get a friend or mentor to read your personal statement before
submitting it to check for any errors, noncompliance with requirements, or any other issues.
A UCAS personal statement word count needs to be within the 4000-character limit, which can roughly mean 500 words or
so. Do not exceed the character limit or your personal statement cannot be submitted.
Proofread:
Give your personal statement a read before submission to check if you
have indeed added all vital details and to see if the statement is interesting.
Be the Early bird:
Do not wait until the last minute to write and submit your UCAS
personal statement. Start weeks before the deadline for admissions so you have time to create a quality personal
statement.
Go Through Guidelines:
Visit the UCAS website to double-check if you have fulfilled all the
requirements of the personal statement and read through their guide once or twice before you start to know exactly how
to write your UCAS personal statement.
Mistakes to Avoid in UCAS Personal Statement
Writing UCAS personal statement can be quite daunting, as you’ll need
to relay a great deal of information about yourself in a short piece of writing. In order to make your personal
statement a success, we’ve listed a few common mistakes to avoid.
Clichés and exuberant language:
“I’ve been passionate about Biology since I first watched David
Attenborough’s ‘Life’ documentary and became overwhelmed by the beauty of our planet.”
While the above statement is a positive and grammatically correct reason why a student might want to study Biology, it
is quite vague, cliché, and slightly melodramatic. While positive language works well when you’re explaining why you
want to study a certain subject, it’s important to back it up with specific, clear examples and meticulous analysis.
The aim of a personal statement is to show, not to tell.
Overusing quotations out of context:
Quotations can be an extremely useful tool to strengthen any argument,
in an essay or a UCAS personal statement, but only if they are used sparingly.
Quotations that are added clumsily to a piece of writing can have the opposite effect than the one you’re trying to
achieve and can make your statement seem pretentious and disingenuous.
For example, if you choose to quote Freud in your Psychology
application, university admissions tutors have likely read the same quotation a hundred times from other students, so
if your quotation isn’t essential in the context of your statement, it’s best not to include it at all.
Appearing to be over-confident:
Do not appear overconfident, also state why you want to get into a
particular university or program to show your love and dedication for that particular field of study which would
demonstrate that you are willing to put in hard work.
Telling the reader something they already know:
Demonstrating background reading and subject knowledge is an essential
element of a UCAS personal statement, but it needs to be relevant to your argument about why you are choosing to study
a particular subject.
Explaining scientific or academic theories at length or repeating well-known arguments by other writers is not
recommended.
The admissions tutor reading your statement wants to read about your
own thoughts, not the ideas of someone else and it’s a good idea to assume that the person reading your statement is
an expert in your subject area. All these tips will definitely help to write UCAS personal statement.
For UK student recruitment services that you can depend on, get in touch with our team at AHZ Associates today.
‒ FAQs
How do I write a perfect UCAS personal statement?
To draft a perfect UCAS personal statement
-Make sure to follow a creative way of writing and project that you’re passionate about.
-Refer and quote some interesting things that are related to your study and mention that’s why they interested you.
-Write your own quote instead of quoting others.
-Connect every point that you write to the course you’re choosing.
-Be concise about what you write.
-Conclude with a strong statement.
-Plan and structure the points carefully.
-Write rough before you fair draft it.
-Receive opinions from others on your UCAS personal statement.
-Make sure to follow a creative way of writing and project that you’re passionate about.
-Refer and quote some interesting things that are related to your study and mention that’s why they interested you.
-Write your own quote instead of quoting others.
-Connect every point that you write to the course you’re choosing.
-Be concise about what you write.
-Conclude with a strong statement.
-Plan and structure the points carefully.
-Write rough before you fair draft it.
-Receive opinions from others on your UCAS personal statement.
How do I make my UCAS personal statement stand out?
-Plan before you start drafting.
-Choose the right way of formatting.
-Be precise about your introduction.
-Draft examples that are relevant.
-Get more personal.
-Make it more information about yourself.
-Choose the right way of formatting.
-Be precise about your introduction.
-Draft examples that are relevant.
-Get more personal.
-Make it more information about yourself.
How do you start a powerful personal statement?
Start with a killer opening by summarising in a short statement about
the reason what made your choice of studying your course.
Are 450 words good for a personal statement?
Generally, the words in your personal statement should range from 350-
500 words. So, 450 words could be good for a personal statement.
What do I write in my UCAS personal statement?
You are supposed to include the reason why you’re applying, your goal
and ambitions where you see yourself in the future, which thing about the subject interested you and how you are very
suitable for studying this course.
Is a personal statement 4000 characters with or without spaces?
The personal statement of 4000 characters is with the inclusion of spaces and blank
lines.
Does UCAS’s personal statement have to be 47 lines?
Yes. A UCAS personal statement should have 4000 characters or 47 lines.
What should you not put in your UCAS personal statement?
You should avoid:
-Avoid spelling/ Grammar mistakes.
-Avoid pointless things/ clichés.
-Listing too many extra-curricular activities.
-Using too much of quotes.
-Avoid spelling/ Grammar mistakes.
-Avoid pointless things/ clichés.
-Listing too many extra-curricular activities.
-Using too much of quotes.
