UCAS Personal Statement For U.K. Universities

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The British and U.K. higher education system is radically different from the U.S. system.  

If you're applying to a U.K. university, from the University of Edinburgh to the London School of Economics, Cambridge, Oxford and dozens of other institutions, you're probably somewhat familiar with the differences.  

I am often asked to help UCAS applicants, from the U.S. and around the world, as they create their UCAS personal statement. There is only one statement, used for all universities, and this year it's a maximum of 4000 characters (not words! - about 600 words).

Applicants can start their UCAS application here and read about the personal statement here. Though there is no one specific prompt as there are with most U.S. undergraduate applications, the website has a great many tips on how to think about your statement. The National Union of Students has also posted 10 useful tips for approaching the statement, which you can study here.  

The official UCAS page advises you to focus on:

1. "Why you are applying – your ambitions and what interests you about the subject, course providers and higher education.
2. "What makes you suitable – any relevant skills, experience or achievements gained from education, work or other activities."
3. "Remember it’s the same personal statement for all the courses you apply to, so avoid mentioning unis and colleges by name. 

I highly recommend studying the advice UCAS gives you on the website for insights about how to approach your statement. 

If you need additional help, please shoot me an email and visit my website here to read more about my services. Liz@DontSweatTheEssay.com