How to write a personal statement for University

As part of your UCAS application, you’ll be expected to complete a Personal Statement. Here you’ll find a little more information about what that involves, along with some tips for writing your Personal Statement. 

What is a Personal Statement?

As the name suggests, it’s a piece of prose writing that details your educational experience up to this point, as well as the extra-curricular activities that have led you to applying for university. It’s a crucial part of your application as it allows universities and their lecturers to assess whether you’ll be a good fit on the course you’re applying to.

Changes to the Personal Statement

UCAS has introduced plans for a change to how Personal Statements are written for students who apply to start university in September 2026 onwards. So, use the links below to find the information that’s relevant to you. 

Writing your Personal Statement for September 2025

Personal Statements for those who are enrolling in 2025 won’t change. You’ll be expected to write a Personal Statement that is up to 4000 characters. This should cover your educational experience to date, additional qualifications you’ve gained and any extra-curricular activities that have informed your choice of subject or course. 

The format of this Personal Statement is one long piece of text. It can be broken up with paragraphs and headings but beyond that must be one clear and easy to read piece of writing. 

What should you include in your Personal Statement?

You should try to cover several topics within your Personal Statement, these should include:

  • Reasons for choosing the course or subject area.
  • Demonstration of your understanding of the course or subject area.
  • Relevant work or voluntary experience – what experience or skills have you gained?
  • Extra-curricular activities.
  • Career aspirations.
  • Other interests, sports, hobbies, etc.

Make sure you try to include a ‘wow factor’, something that showcases what’s special about you. You want to make sure your Personal Statement stands out from the crowd.

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Writing your Personal Statement for September 2026

For those students who are looking to enrol in September 2026, the process for Personal Statements is changing. 

What’s different about 2026 Personal Statements?

You will no longer be expected to write a single piece of prose of around 4000 characters. Instead, your statement will be broken down into three new questions.

These are:

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

What are the reasons for these changes?

Structuring a Personal Statement in this way is what’s called ‘scaffolding questions’ – breaking down one complex question into three key responses. The hope is that this will help you shape and structure your answers. 

The reason for these changes is to allow UCAS to fulfil their commitment to equality and inclusion by providing more support to all potential applicants. UCAS are hoping the nature of these questions will make it easier for everyone to articulate their experiences and aspirations regardless of their background or experience in longform writing.

To reach this decision, UCAS worked with over 1,200 UK and international students, around 200 teachers and advisers, as well as representatives from over 100 universities and colleges. 

To find out more, visit the UCAS page. 

How does the word count work?

The character count for these answers will be a minimum of 350 characters per answer but can add up to a maximum of 4000 characters in total. This is the same word count as the previous format for Personal Statements and while the content will remain pretty much the same as before, it will be structured in accordance with the questions. 

This means that you can use the word count in whatever way is most helpful to you. If you want to answer one question in more detail, to do with your level of experience or the course you choose, then you can submit a longer answer. So long as all the answers combined total no more than 4000 characters, it will all be considered.

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Tips for writing your Personal Statement

When writing your Personal Statement, make sure to take your time to get it right. Remember: writing is rewriting. So, once you have a version you’re happy with, go back and check it, tweaking and editing wherever you feel it’s needed. 
Here are just some things to consider:

Don’t forget, the person reading your Personal Statement will be an admissions tutor who teaches on your chosen course.

What are admissions tutors looking for?

When reading your Personal Statement, admissions tutors are looking for a statement that shows you at your best. It needs to feel distinct and truthful to who you are and your interests. Ultimately, they want to know that you will be a good fit for your course but also for the Higher Education experience.

The ideal Higher Education student will be:

  • Self-motivated
  • Enthusiastic
  • Able to initiate
  • Well organised
  • Responsible

Try and demonstrate some of these qualities in your Personal Statement using evidence and examples.

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Where can I find more Personal Statement writing help?

Read more top tips in our Personal Statement Dos and Don’ts blog.

You can make use of the UCAS website to find out what admissions tutors are looking for on their particular courses, and find contact details for UCAS. You can also contact our Student Recruitment Team if you need any advice or support, by emailing study@hud.ac.uk or calling 01484 472625 Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm.

Did you know that we also offer a Personal Statement checking service at our Open Days, so you can bring your Personal Statement with you and get feedback! Follow the links to check our upcoming Open Days and book your place.

Other useful links include:

The Student Room:

Studential:

UCAS: