Feature: St Mary's Top Tips for Perfecting a Personal Statement

As the time to apply through UCAS nears St Mary’s University, Twickenham is offering its top tips for writing a personal statement.

1. Don’t be Late!

The UCAS application deadline for 2019/20 courses is 6pm on Tuesday 15th January 2019. Make a schedule of when the first, second and third draft of your statement should be ready by.

It’s not a requirement to draft your statement, but it is helpful to make sure you include vital information. It will also help you to keep within the 4,000 character limit.

2. Match your Skills

Make sure you study the description and personal specification of your chosen course. Write down your skills that match those on the profile, plus any additional attributes such as extra-curricular work that could link to your course such as relevant work experience.

3. Why do you Want to Study?

The key question you should be asking is why you want to study the course you’re applying for, and this is what universities will want to know too! Think about your key skills and give examples to demonstrate what you want to get out of the course.

Use a combination of academic and relevant personal achievements to reflect your personality. UCAS has a personal statement worksheet, which can help to get you started.

4. Get Writing

When writing your personal statement don’t abbreviate words, avoid clichés and write in a professional manner. Be sure to proofread your drafts – ask teachers, friends and family for help too.

If you are unsure how to structure your statement, ask you careers service to look at some examples. Remember, do not copy another person’s statement, this is plagiarism and will be flagged to admission officers who use the Copycatch system.

5. Be Yourself

The most important rule to remember is to be yourself, after all your personal statement is about you.