The UK Personal Statement: Three Questions Explained

UK universities have an academic bias, especially in the Personal Statement. They want to know more about your genuine interest in studying a subject and your super-curricular activities. When you answer this prompt, you tell the admissions officer your motivation to study the subject on a deeper level. Super curricular activities include everything you do to extend your knowledge beyond your taught curriculum at school. It could range from reading books, to listening to a podcast to visiting museums to doing a research project that makes you academically richer. The University of Cambridge has compiled a list of activities that can be counted as super-curricular. Also Read: 7 Mistakes To Avoid In Your University Essay The UK Personal Statement requires you to answer three questions. Let's look at the three questions and how to put your best foot forward in your answers.

Question 1: Why this Subject?

Through this question, the universities want to understand your passion in studying the subject you are applying for. There is a preference for students who have strong critical thinking and analytical skills. This answer is your space to build your case for it. Show your curiosity through your self-initiated explorations and super-curricular activities.  While stating your interest in the subject leave out the cliches. Do not say you have always wanted to study the subject since grade 6, or you want to study medicine because your mom is one. Instead, talk about the moment you were watching a documentary and got the inspiration to explore the subject. Or, a moment in your classroom when you learned a new subject and went down a rabbit hole because you found there was so much to learn. Avoid using words such as 'interesting' or 'fascinating'. Instead, show what you did following these. For instance, you can write about the books you have read or the YouTube channels you have watched to enhance your understanding. Such examples show self-initiative and an honest curiosity on your part. It is a good idea to include any particular interests in the field and any skills you have developed during your exploration. For instance, you could be interested in child psychology and an internship at a kindergarten or play school could be a good add on to your personal statement. If you have a strong ambition to be in a field, write about how studying this subject at your undergraduate level will pave the way to your desired profession. If you want to become an architect, for instance, you can connect your interest in design history or structural engineering back to that goal. To make your writing impactful for this section, you can structure your thoughts by answering these questions:

• What was the specific moment that made you certain about studying the subject? It could be a conversation, a book, podcast or a curiosity that led you to seek the answer.
• What have you explored out of your own interest, that nobody told you to do?
• Is there a question or problem in this subject that you genuinely want to know the answer to?
• If you had to explain to a friend why this subject excites you, what would you say?

Pro-tip: We have seen most students get stuck thinking about the right introduction. Almost always, we have seen that it comes out well in later drafts. When starting, jot down all the points you want to cover in your answer and go into a free flow of writing. Making your points before you start writing will help you structure your thoughts. Also Read: Crafting the Perfect ‘Why This University and Course’ Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Your answer to this question should convey that you already have a solid foundation to study the course at a higher level. This is where you tell the university about the knowledge you already have through your formal education. For instance, you can say that you have studied Biology and Chemistry at an HL level in your IB Diploma if you are interested in studying Biotechnology. While you mention your subjects, also talk about the skills that you have developed and why you have enjoyed the process. Apart from this, you can also write about short university courses you have studied online or on campus. Do not write about your grades as that information is already available through your UCAS form. Instead talk about your rank in class or the percentile you belong to. All the competitions you participated in or the essays you wrote also belong to this section. You can also add details about any academic essay you wrote or a competition you participated in, and what you learned from it. IB students can write about their Extended Essays, and A-level students can write about EPQ. All other projects and research work also go here. You can connect your learning to the course modules and talk about how you already have the foundation and studying the course will deepen your understanding.  Here are some questions to help you write this section.

• Which specific topics or modules in your current subjects connect most directly to the course you want to study?
• Have you done any extended project, essay, or competition that taught you something relevant?
• What skill or way of thinking did your high school subjects actually build in you, beyond the content itself?
• Is there a subject you are taking that doesn't obviously connect to your course, but actually does if I think about it differently?

Also Read: What to do if your pre-mock results are not good?

Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Here is your space to talk about your extra-curricular activities and how they have enabled you to become a strong candidate for your course. You can talk about transferable skills you gained through your experience in sports, volunteering or internships. If you have a hobby or other interest that you would like to share, here is your opportunity. Instead of making a list of activities you have done, pick out the most important ones and talk about how the skills learned will help you at university. For this section, try to answer the following questions to make your writing more impactful.

• What are 2-3 activities outside academics that taught me something useful for this course?
• What skills have I learned and can I describe it without just naming the activity?
• Is there an experience I almost forgot to mention but can add to my profile?
• Why does this experience matter for what I want to study?

Pro Tip: Although there are three answers, the universities will look at it together. Avoid repeating information to keep your statement crisp and to the point. Also make sure that your answers are include 80% academic details and 20% other information. Now that you know what is to be done, here is a list of Don'ts' or what you should avoid in your personal statement.

• Avoid any direct quotes 
• Do not give personal details like your school name, subjects etc. This information is already available on your UCAS application form.
• Do not include any university names as the same personal statement will go to all your university choices
• It is not a good idea to submit your first draft or write your personal statement at the last minute. It requires a considerable amount of thinking and effort.
• Always show your final draft to someone to avoid errors and grammatical mistakes.
• Finally, do not exaggerate any experience or make up something only to include it in your personal statement. 

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