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There’s no single right or wrong way to write a personal statement, but the successful ones are usually well-researched, sincerely written and follow a familiar structural form. It’s a good idea to read examples of existing personal statements to get an idea of the many ways they can be written, but make sure the text you end up submitting is your own.
To help you get an idea of how you could structure your personal statement, we’ve got a guideline for you to have a look at below.
First paragraph
Introduce yourself and why you want to study your chosen subject. It sounds obvious, but it’s what admissions tutors want to know.
You can keep it simple and straightforward, or you can allow yourself some artistic license and explain how your interest in the subject began – perhaps a person or place where your curiosity is rooted, and why the subject is important to you.
It's good to kick things off with something personal, but be mindful not to waffle or spend too long on it. Try to avoid the well-trodden cliches which you will certainly encounter as you research past examples online.
Second paragraph
Demonstrate your understanding of your chosen course through your current studies. Mention specific modules, and why they’re relevant to your degree, as well as things which you’ve recently learned which excite you.
Include details in this section to reference later on – for example, mention what A-levels you’ve chosen, then when you’re writing about your career goals, reference how those A-level choices will help you achieve this. Doing this helps to create a cohesive and connected piece of writing.
Third paragraph
Detail any work experience, summer internships, jobs and volunteering positions which you’ve recently held. Ideally these will be relevant to your course, but remember that they are not expecting you to know everything about working professionally before starting your undergraduate studies.
What you’re really doing is showing a dedication to pursuing your education in your own time. It shows initiative and the ability to take responsibility for your direction, both of which will be extremely useful to you while studying at undergraduate level.
Fourth paragraph
Use this paragraph to write about extracurricular activities and hobbies, because, yet be aware of pitfalls. Avoid simply listing all your hobbies and achievements, as this can feel quite impersonal if they are not written in context.
Instead, choose two or three key examples and spend a few sentences linking them to your degree choice. It’s a nice touch to include a future-focused comment about how you intend to continue with a hobby at university, and how it might complement or combine with your studies.
Fifth paragraph
Make the final paragraph about your future career goals. It’s one of the most important paragraphs of your personal statement, so take your time with it.
If you know what you want to do after university, give an outline of this. If you haven’t planned that far ahead, use the opportunity to dream a little. Using the skills, interests and qualifications that you mentioned earlier, build a narrative of how you might develop yourself through studying your degree.
It’s important to note that you don’t have to follow these guidelines – it’s not the only way you can structure a personal statement by any means! You might use a few ideas from it, you might use all of them, you might use none. Find what works best for you in showing why you’re a good choice for the university admissions team.
Want more personal statement help? Check out our personal statement guide!
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