UCAS Admissions Consulting

When is the UCAS personal Statement Deadline?

The deadline for applications for Oxford and Cambridge institutions, Medicine, veterinary Medicine, and Dentistry is at 6pm (UK time) on 15th October. For all other applications, the portal for applications closes at the same time on the 31st January. The application is composed of your grades (both predicted and those previously achieved), references from your teachers, and your personal statement. It’s recommended that all candidates should complete the whole process at least 2-3 weeks in advance to ensure there is enough time to check work.

How to write a UCAS Personal Statement

The UCAS Personal Statement is a unique piece of writing that is new to most students when they are applying to university. The UCAS Personal Statement is just one of several components of the UCAS application. It can be up to 4000 characters and 47 lines long and its purpose is to communicate to the admissions tutors your commitment to the course, you ability to process academic information, and your ability to think critically about your experiences. Your personal statement is the only opportunity to present yourself in a controllable way.

You should take every chance you can to stand out for your experiences on your personal statement since you can’t be in control of any other part: references and exams are in the hands of others. Think about what an admission panel would like to see from a candidate:

  • Key experiences that illustrate that you’ve gone above and beyond, shown proactivity, and capability.

    • These experiences usually occur well before the time comes to write the personal statement.

  • A unique story that has led to the decision that you want to study this programme.

    • This story is something that can only have been experienced by you. If it can be translated to someone else, then it will likely come across as cliché

  • For Oxford and Cambridge applications, key academic research must be communicated, understood, and linked to the wider narrative of the writing

  • Wider passions such as extracurricular activities—bonus points if you`ve held leadership positions

  • Perfect spelling and grammar

How to start a UCAS Personal Statement

The introduction is the first impression of your personal statement, and you should treat it with the utmost care. First impressions are important, and yours must be a good one.

Introduction (about 4 - 5 lines)

It should be short, powerful, and based on a unique experience. It should say why you want to study the subject—that’s it. However, it should be unique. The general rule is that if the introduction can represent someone else, then it should be adjusted to make it more personal.

Some introductions that you might want to avoid are the following

  • Since a young age I have been passionate about xyz subject

Although this gives a unique point of view, it can be used by unlimited people.

  • An inspirational quote

In general, it’s better to use academic research that you can think critically about rather than use inspiration.

  • My father was a [job title] and I want to be like him

Using parental influence doesn’t demonstrate independent thought

  • I’m currently studying [subjects at school] and I really enjoy them

Your subjects are communicated in other parts of the application, you don’t need to talk about them too much in your personal statement, although if there is something special that you’ve done, you can definitely mention it.

The introduction is often made too long. If you’re struggling with it, you can always adjust it later. Spend more time on the body of your personal statement.