How To Write A Perfect Personal Statement For University

This lesson introduces you to the function and purpose of personal statements in higher education. You'll learn exactly what a personal statement is, how it's used and why it's such an important part of your application. You'll also discover the 15 key elements that make a personal statement successful.

This lesson outlines the eight critical aspects of personal statement preparation. By the end of the lesson, you'll be able to use the skills and techniques I've taught you to research, prepare and plan your personal statement.

In this lesson, you'll discover the essential elements that MUST be included in your personal statement. You'll also be able to structure them in a logical and compelling way, whether you plan to write a chronological, academic or practical personal statement. The template resource gives you 10 different examples, from Oxbridge applications and master's degrees to undergraduate personal statements and statements of purpose.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to plan and write an engaging, original opening paragraph for your personal statement. You'll discover how to leverage your individuality and skills to enhance your suitability, and I'll share six essential 'hooks' that will grab the reader's attention.

In this lesson, I’ll outline the four elements you should consider when writing about your academic experiences and skills. We’ll also consider the best ways to write about your wider reading and research.

By the end, you’ll be ready to use the notes you collated in lesson two and write about your academic achievements with confidence and style.

In this lesson, I’ll give you the tools you need to write about your practical experiences in a way that adds value to your application. We’ll consider the techniques needed to outline the value of your practical academic work and look at how to get the most value out of your co-curricular background.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be confident about which experiences to include and how to write about them.

In this lesson, we’ll look at ways to demonstrate your suitability for the course, outlining your value to the institution you’re applying for and how to link your ambitions with what the course has to offer.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a clear idea of how to construct a great conclusion, and if you’ve followed these lessons in order, you’ll be ready to assemble a complete first draft of your personal statement.

In this lesson, you'll learn about the specific skills admissions readers look for in your personal statement. By the end of this lesson, you’ll know exactly which skills to write about, and you’ll have the resources you need to communicate their value to your application.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use quotes to evidence your wider reading and subject knowledge and to put your personal experiences into context for the reader. You'll discover how quotes can help you compare opinions, define positions and engage the reader when used appropriately.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll know exactly where and how to use quotes to deepen the value of your personal statement.

In this lesson, we’ll look at the techniques and vocabulary you can use to start the sentences in your personal statement. You'll learn how to apply three specific categories of sentence starters - introductions, comparisons and conclusions,  connections, additions and relationships, and starters relating to the presentation of ideas.

In this lesson, I’ll highlight the biggest mistakes people make when they write a personal statement. You'll learn about the three critical areas to avoid and discover some great alternatives to help you write content reflecting your potential. You'll finish the lesson by learning about the top five mistakes that will hurt your application unless you learn not to make them.

In this lesson, we’ll explore three strategies you can use to write about yourself with relevance and skill. First, you'll discover a range of prompts and questions to unlock your opinions and ambitions. Then, you’ll discover how to outline your relevant achievements and their value and turn your weaknesses into strengths.

In this lesson, we’ll explore the strategies you can use to refine your personal statement before you submit it. You’ll learn to ensure that your spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct whilst writing in your voice. We’ll ensure your content is accurate and well-referenced and that each point or paragraph is relevant. Lastly, you’ll learn how to double-check that you’ve met any specific requirements, including length.

In this lesson, we’ll address one of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to writing perfect personal statements. How original should a personal statement be?

By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to prioritise your achievements and suitability for the course, evidence your unique qualities and use vocabulary that will help you stand out in a suitably original way. You'll also learn about plagiarism and the use of AI, which can badly affect the originality of your personal statement.

In this lesson, I’ve outlined the four key steps to take if you need to write a last-minute personal statement. Admissions teams want evidence of your suitability, experience, skills and motivation, and I'll show you how to focus on these elements and your value to an institution, enabling you to write a fast, effective application.

In this lesson, you'll discover how to write a personal statement for an undergraduate Oxbridge application. Oxbridge entry is exceptionally competitive. That means your personal statement needs to be exceptional.

You'll learn how to clearly define your high academic suitability and potential and evidence wider reading and research of an impressive standard. I'll also show you how to evidence your transferable skills, scholarly enquiry, innovation, and intellectual flexibility in the right way.

In this lesson, I’ll outline the three different structures you can use to develop an effective and engaging undergraduate UCAS personal statement. These are very specific and are designed to show you how to make the most of the limited character count. At the end of the lesson, you'll learn my top tips for writing a successful application.

In this lesson, I’ll walk you through the complete process and give you the tools and techniques to write a compelling and successful graduate application. You'll learn how to structure a postgraduate personal statement and discover how to write about your research experiences and goals, the value of your career or internship experience, and ensure that our content meets the appropriate academic standard.

Studying a range of personal statement examples is extremely valuable. In this lesson, I’ve collated ten diverse personal statements and included them as downloadable resources. You’ll discover personal statements written from different perspectives and for various courses, each with its own tone and voice. Once you've examined these, you'll have lots of inspiration for your own personal statement.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to write a dynamic and successful personal statement in partnership with me.

In this last lesson, you'll discover how to answer the ten most common questions that universities ask on written applications and in interviews. I'll break down the questions in detail and give you a range of options for answering them. Each question comes with a sample answer, so you'll quickly learn the right techniques to use in response.