sussex university personal statement

Applying to Uni
Apprenticeships
Health & Relationships
Money & Finance

Personal Statements

Postgraduate
U.S Universities

University Interviews

Vocational Qualifications
Accommodation
Budgeting, Money & Finance
Health & Relationships
Jobs & Careers
Socialising

Studying Abroad

Studying & Revision
Technology
University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Clearing Guide

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements
International Student Personal Statements
Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Mature Student Personal Statements
Aberystwyth
Anglia Polytechnic University
Bath Spa University College
Bournemouth University
British College of Osteopathic Medicine
British School of Osteopathy
Canterbury Christ Church University College
Central School of Speech and Drama
Chester A College of The University of Liverpool
City College Manchester
Coventry University
De Montfort University
Edge Hill College of Higher Education
Falmouth University
Farnborough College of Technology
Glamorgan Centre for Art and Design Technology
Glasgow Caledonian University
Goldsmiths College
Heriot-watt
Heythrop College
King's College
Kingston University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Liverpool Hope
Liverpool John Moores University
London Metropolitan University
London South Bank University
Loughborough
Loughborough College
Middlesex University
Napier University, Edinburgh
Newcastle College
Northumbria University
Nottingham Trent
Oxford Brookes
Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh
Queen's, Belfast
Regents Business School London
Roehampton University of Surrey
Royal Holloway
Royal Veterinary College
Sheffield Hallam University
Southampton
Southampton Institute
St George's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's University College
Staffordshire University
Strathclyde
Swansea Institute of Higher Education
Thames Valley University
The Arts Institute At Bournemouth
The Glasgow School of Art
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
The London Institute
The Manchester Metropolitan University
The North East Wales Institute of Higher Education
The Robert Gordon University
The Surrey Institute of Art and Design
The University of Bradford
The University of Buckingham
The University of Gloucestershire
The University of Huddersfield
The University of Salford
University College Northampton
University College Worcester
University of Abertay Dundee
University of Brighton
University of Central Lancashire
University of Derby
University of East London
University of Glamorgan
University of Greenwich
University of Hertfordshire
University of Lincoln
University of Plymouth
University of Portsmouth
University of Sunderland
University of Teesside
University of The West of England, Bristol
University of Ulster
University of Wales College, Newport
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
University of Wales, Bangor
University of Westminster
University of Wolverhampton
Writtle College
York St John College
Personal Statements By Subject
Personal Statement Editing Service
Personal Statement Writing Guide
Submit Your Personal Statement
Personal Statement Questions 2025

Sussex University Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to University of Sussex. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

Biomedical Science Personal Statement Example 3 I find that science subjects suit my inquisitive personality; I enjoy experimenting and understanding how the world works. For my Biology independent study module I chose to explore the process of organ transplantation, specifically the medicines that make it possible...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 7 Keeping up to date with world news online, aroused my interest in psychology . I was particularly captivated by the articles about abnormal behaviour such as self-harm; one of the reasons for this being the alarming rise in the number of victims over the years, which made me curious about its causes ...

Anthropology Personal Statement Example 1 Completing my sixth form education at a multicultural boarding school has allowed me to experience a wide social and cultural diversity that I never would have expected in a school environment, in great contrast to the subtle ethnocentrism of my previous schooling...

International Relations Personal Statement Example 2 I'd like to study international relations because I am concerned about the rapid rise of great powers such as the resource-rich Gulf States. I would like to understand how states engage at the national level and how they leverage power...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 11 “If she’s smart she will study Medicine.” This is an unwritten rule in my culture - all Nigerian parents want their children to become doctors. What becomes of the aspiring psychologist in the family? I met a junior doctor, at an educational conference, who wanted to specialise in psychiatry...

Geography Personal Statement Example 4 All through my academic life I have found Geography extremely interesting because of the vast range of topics involved with it and how it relates to every subject in one way or another. I have a particular interest in the physical side of Geography and especially the topics of: climate change, coasts, hazards and the environment...

Physiology and Medical Sciences Personal Statement Example The human body is arguably the most complex life form that has ever existed. Studying how the body works helps us to comprehend the many processes that maintain health and find better treatment for diseases...

English Personal Statement Example 26 Growing up reading Roald Dahl, I saw elements of myself in Matilda, as ever since I can remember, I have loved reading. My passion for English could be seen by those around me, as a child, having taught myself to read and write by the time I was 4 years old, and there was never any doubt that I would go on to pursue a career in English...

Postgraduate Linguistics Personal Statement Example My interest in linguistics was gradually shaped throughout my life by all the different ways in which I have experienced languages: as a learner, translator, and as a teacher. However, it was the times spent living in Russia and later in the UK that made me fully understand that language can be a means of conveying much more than just our thoughts...

Environmental Engineering Personal Statement Example Nowadays, Environmental Engineering plays a vital role in the world as the environment is being put under constantly increasing pressure. As I am fascinated by Science and Mathematics and feel that the environment is incredibly important, I decided to study this course...

Geography Personal Statement Example 16 "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is an ever recurring question asked to me by many individuals, including myself. I have come to the conclusion that I will never come up with a final answer, as I have many ambitions and aspirations...

English Literature & Spanish Personal Statement Example For me, the most captivating part of English literature is the way great writers are able to influence the reader's imagination through the manipulation of language. The A-level topic of World War One literature was especially affecting because it showed me the importance of world events and their effect on contemporary literature that still inspires us today...

English Language/Literature Personal Statement Example 1 It is my belief that the most important part of anybody’s personality is the way that they exhibit it to the world. This idea of self expression is the basis of everything that I most enjoy and feel passionate about in life, which is why I am applying to study English...

Politics and Sociology Personal Statement Example 3 International relations and political science always attracted my attention and I clearly remember how impressed I was after the very first lesson on political science. Our teacher briefly explained us how political science had become an independent science and how it developed from a number of other disciplines: philosophy, history, economics, law...

Law Personal Statement Example 70 Law is ever changing, whether parliament is passing new legislation, existing legislation is being rewritten or the courts are interpreting laws in different ways. In the case of Anthony Bland the distinguishing of earlier precedents was vital...

Biomedical Sciences Personal Statement Example 36 What I love about science is that it has yet to offer the 'best' way for anything. Man will always find ways to do things better than before, quote: "Wherever the knowledge takes us, it will empower us to do more...

Neuroscience Personal Statement Example 2 The application of scientific knowledge to understanding how humans, and the creatures around us, function and react with each other has always been a source of wonder to me. The opportunity to combine a scientific understanding of processes and structure of the nervous system and brain with knowledge of applications relevant to our own behaviour, including those of a clinical kind, makes neuroscience such an attractive prospect to me...

Business/Human Resources Personal Statement Example In a turbulent economic and social climate, business remains of core importance. It is a crucial element of our lives, working as a catalyst for innovation, which is why I wish to study it at undergraduate level...

Media Studies Personal Statement Example 2 When I was nine years old, I would secretly read a Lord of the Rings book after bedtime with a flashlight with all the enthusiasm of, well, a child. Nobody was more excited than I when we went to watch the film adaptation, and, needless to say, I was mesmerized - not only by the effects, but also by the design of its posters, websites and trailers that all did justice to the film...

History Personal Statement Example 43 I have always wanted to be part of an open-minded society and live in a country where originality is rewarded, so the UK came to my mind as being the best country to read my degree. My passion for the English language has developed over years of studying English at school, where I have been successful in every written and oral exam...

English Personal Statement Example 30 English is not simply the study of humanity, or society, or history or the written word; it is all of those together and it is this versatility that makes it so appealing to me. The link between literary criticism and psychoanalysis is a great interest of mine...

University specific personal statements
All personal statements

Tips for writing a UCAS personal statement

A personal statement is a short, reflective piece of writing that you submit as part of your UCAS application to universities. We use it during the admissions process to decide if you're suitable for the course you're applying for - and so we can understand why you want to study your chosen subject.

Alternatively, you can see our advice for writing a Masters personal statement .

Your personal statement

A good personal statement can mean the difference between receiving an offer and being unsuccessful, so it's important you take the time to consider what you want to include in it.

Your personal statement is where you highlight you have what it takes to study on one of our undergraduate courses.

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of your UCAS application and gives you the chance to tell us how you stand out from other candidates.

For some of our courses you may be invited for interview, but for the majority the personal statement is the only opportunity that you will have to sell yourself.

Plan your personal statement

You can only submit one personal statement for the five courses and universities you apply for, so it is a good idea to plan out what you want to say before writing your personal statement.

There is no one-size fits all method when you are writing your personal statement, so try to be original and engaging.

We are looking for evidence of your interest in, enthusiasm for, and understanding of your chosen course.

Think about:

why you are interested in the subject
your ambitions and how taking the course will help you achieve them
why you are interested in progressing on to higher education.

It is also important to tell us about:

your reasons for choosing the course (this is the most important part of the statement)
your skills (and their relevance to your chosen subject)
wider reading you've undertaken
work experience (especially where this is relevant to the subject)
any achievements or prizes you have won during your study or work
your wider interests and hobbies (providing they are relevant)
any career plans you might have.

You may want to apply for a variety of different courses - if this is the case, write about common themes relevant to all courses.

If you are a mature student you can use your personal statement to talk about your wider experience and the skills and knowledge you have gained; as well as why you are now thinking about returning to education.

Be sure to include any personal circumstances that may have affected your education. For example, a physical or mental health condition, caring for a family member or changing schools due to being from an Armed Forces family. You can also let us know about any financial hardships you may have experienced during your studies.

Structure your personal statement:

Use a clear structure in your personal statement and make sure each paragraph logically follows on from the one before. You are limited to 4,000 characters (and 47 lines).

Start and end your personal statement by highlighting your positivity and passion for the course and your future career options (if you have any at this stage).

When writing your personal statement, you should:

be honest and write in your own words - the best statements are always the most genuine
use clear language and avoid extravagant claims
be analytical rather than just descriptive - don't just tell us what you've read or what you've done, we want to see what you gained from this, or how it changed your perception of your chosen subject
explain your motivations in choosing the degree you’re applying for and demonstrate your existing passion for the subject (whether that’s from studies you’ve already undertaken in school or college or wider reading you’ve pursued)
where you are applying to courses linked to a particular profession (such as Teaching or Social Work), also reflect on your understanding of that vocation. For example, this may be reflections on what you gained from relevant work experience or it could be other research you’ve undertaken which has given you an insight into that profession
draw on your other experiences - for example, are you a member of a society, have you won any awards, scholarships or prizes?
provide evidence of your transferable skills, including research, critical thinking, communication, organisation, planning and time-management
highlight any career aspirations you might have and show how the course will help you achieve them
use accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling
proofread your statement and ask a friend or relative to read it.

Make sure you allow enough time to plan and structure your personal statement, ensuring you include everything you want to say. You may need to redraft your statement a number of times.

If you are invited to interview, go back to your statement so that you can familiarise yourself with the information you have given us.

For more advice, see the UCAS tips for writing a personal statement

Use our UCAS personal statement checklist to make sure you haven't missed anything.

Mature students

Financial challenges as a mature student
Mature students – getting ready to start your course
Mature student case studies
The application process for mature students
Student finance for mature students
Preparing for study as a mature student – student support
Preparing for study as a mature student – your qualifications
Preparing for study as a mature student – choosing where to study

As a mature student, your personal statement will still cover the same basic things as any personal statement: evidence of your interest in, understanding of, and enthusiasm for the chosen subject.

You may also have a lot more life history to fit into your statement than the average school leaver. So, think carefully about which aspects of your past experiences best suit the course and type of university you want to apply to.

If you’re ready to begin your personal statement , read our top tips on what every applicant should include.

Rob Evans – Head Of Admissions, University Of Sussex

Five things to include in your personal statement, 1. answer the question ‘why now…’.

Explain why you've decided to change direction and apply to university at this point in your life. Makes some notes to reflect on things like why you didn't choose to go to university immediately after school or college, or why studying later was part of your plan. Think too about how you have changed and developed. Whatever your reasons for studying now, you’ll need to explain those in your statement.

2. Demonstrate your personal progression

Tell them why it makes sense for you to study now. Why is a degree the logical next step for you? You could talk about:

your work experience
training courses
interests and hobbies
your general reading

And say how you would make further progress through your studies.

If your primary goal is to train for a new career, show you’re aware of the specific challenges of that career, and that you ’ ve researched it before you apply.

Browse our subject guides to sign up for subject-specific statement tips, and more.

3. Talk about your life and work experience

This is where you have the advantage as a mature student.

Student Recruitment Officer at the University of Liverpool, Louise Carr, says:

Mature students will have much richer life experience they can bring, and that doesn’t necessarily need to be work experience, but also life experience. If they can say why it’s relevant for the course, that’s also helpful.

Try and relate any jobs and hobbies you mention to the course you want to study – even if that’s in relation to transferable skills like time management or communication skills.

4. Show you understand the time commitments of degree study

Any evidence of formal study helps to show the admissions tutor you're capable of studying and learning. Mention night school, Access to HE courses or on-the-job courses in your statement, even if they’re in a non-relevant field.

Student Recruitment Officer Louise Carr says:

Whether it’s a free course or a seminar or webinar they’ve attended, all those experiences can be drawn upon and used as examples to show they have the initiative to find out more about their subject of interest.

Juggling other responsibilities such as family, childcare, part-time work or travel can put extra pressure on mature students, so also show you understand the commitments of studying for a full or part-time degree.

5. Keep your statement story honest – and personal

You might have fewer tangible reasons for applying to university as a mature applicant than simply training for a new career.

65 year old Peter White is a retired programmer who decided to fulfil another ambition and apply for a fine arts degree. Pete successfully wrote a very personal statement about his journey that included his career, personal interests, the development of his painting and drawing, the constraints of his family circumstances, and his reasons for applying.

Don’t be afraid to tell the truth about you and your story.

Ready to get cracking? Read five things everyone should include in their statement here.

Ana Ghaffari Moghaddam – Third Year Law student and careers coach, University of Liverpool

Do address why you want to study at this stage in your life.
Do talk about your life and experiences so far, in relation to what you want to study.
Do show you understand the commitment required to study for a degree.
Don't underestimate everything you have achieved so far – most of it is relevant.
Don’t forget to ask your friends and family what they think your strengths are.
Don’t leave it until the last minute – take your time to think about all your past experiences.

Final thought

Director of Admissions at the University of Stirling, Shona Barrie, concludes:

Mature students will have much richer life experience they can bring.

These experiences can really make you stand out from other applicants, so highlight those transferable skills in your personal statement and be proud of what you’ve done so far in your life.

Louise Carr at the University of Liverpool adds:

Mature students are usually great students because they have drive. They’ve made a dedicated choice to perhaps make a change in their career or their life to go to university.

So, what are you waiting for?

Need more advice?

Register for your UCAS Hub to get started with your personal statement using the Personal Statement builder
Dos and Don’ts of personal statements
Difference between an undergraduate and a postgraduate statement
Advice for students with alternative arrangements

UCAS scans all personal statements with the Copycatch system, to compare them with previous statements.

Any similarity greater than 30% will be flagged and action could be taken against you.

Find out more

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

Stand out from the crowd: here's how to write a good personal statement that will get you noticed

Share this page

Email & print.

Your personal statement forms a core part of your university application, and the sooner you get going, the better you can make it. You may think that your personal statement won’t matter as much to unis as your grades and experience but a great personal statement could make all the difference between you and a candidate with the same grades. Sure, your application might not reach that deal breaker stage. But is it something you want to leave to chance? Here we’ll take you through the process of planning, writing and checking a good personal statement, so you end up with something you can submit with confidence. And to make sure the advice we're giving you is sound, we’ve spoken to admissions staff at loads of UK universities to get their view. Look out for video interviews and advice on applying for specific subjects throughout this piece or watch our personal statement playlist on YouTube .

Are you looking for personal statement examples? Check our library of hundreds of real personal statements, on The Student Room

The university application personal statement is changing in 2025
University admissions service Ucas has announced that a new style of personal statement will be launched in 2025. This will affect anyone making a university application from autumn 2025 onwards. .

Personal statement deadlines

You'll need to make sure you've got your personal statement written well in advance of your application deadline. Below are the main university application deadline dates for 2024 entry.

2024 entry deadlines

16 October 2023: Deadline for applications to Oxford and Cambridge universities, along with most medicine, dentistry, and veterinary courses. 31 January 2024: Deadline for applications to the majority of undergraduate courses. After this date, universities will start allocating places on these courses – but you can still apply after the 31 January deadline , as this article explains . 30 June 2024: Students who apply after this date will be entered into Clearing .

Read more: Ucas deadlines and key application dates

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a central part of your Ucas application, where you explain why you’ve chosen a particular course and why you’ll be good at it. It's your chance to stand out against other candidates and hopefully get that all-important offer. You only write one personal statement which is then read by each university you apply to, so if you are applying for more than one subject (or it's a combined course) it's crucial that you include common themes or reference the overall skills needed for all subjects. Personal statements are especially important if you’re trying to get on a very competitive course, where you need to do anything you can to stand out to admissions tutors. Courteney Sheppard, senior customer experience manager at Ucas, advises that your personal statement is "the only part of the application that you have direct control over. Do lots of research to demonstrate your passion, curiosity and drive to pursue your chosen subject." There’s a limit on how much you can write: your personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever is shorter. This may appear generous (read: long) but once you've got going you may find yourself having to edit heavily.

Read more: teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

1. Plan what you want to cover

The first thing you need to do is make a plan. Writing a personal statement off the top of your head is difficult. Start by making some notes, answering the following questions:

What do you want to study?
Why do you want to study it?
What is there about you that shows you’re suited to studying this subject at university? Think about your personality, as well as your experiences.
What are your other interests and skills?

These few points are going to form the spine of your personal statement, so write them in a way that makes sense to you. You might want to make a simple bulleted list or you might want to get all arty and use a mindmap. Whatever you choose, your aim is the same. You want to get it clear in your own head why a university should offer you a place on its course. Getting those details down isn't always easy, and some people find it helpful to make notes over time. You might try carrying a notebook with you or set up a memo on your phone. Whenever you think of something useful for your personal statement, jot it down. Inspiration sometimes comes more easily when you’re thinking about something else entirely. It might help to take a look at The Student Room for some sample personal statements by university and sample personal statements by subjects , to give you an idea of the kind of thing you want to include.

Read more: personal statement FAQs

2. Show off your experience

Some things are worth adding to your personal statement, some things are not. Firmly in the second camp are your qualifications. You don’t need to mention these as there’s a whole other section of your personal statement where you get to detail them very precisely. Don’t waste a single character going on about how great your GCSE grades are – it’s not what the admissions tutor wants to read. What they do want to see is: what have you done? OK, so you’ve got some good grades, but so do a lot of other applicants. What have you done that’s different, that shows you off as someone who really loves the subject you’re applying for? Spend some time thinking about all the experience you have in that subject. If you’re lucky, this might be direct work experience. That’s going to be particularly appropriate if you’re applying for one of the more vocational subjects such as medicine or journalism . But uni staff realise getting plum work experience placements is easier for some people than others, so cast your net wider when you’re thinking about what you’ve done. How about after-school clubs? Debating societies? Are you running a blog or vlog? What key skills and experience have you picked up elsewhere (eg from hobbies) that could be tied in with your course choice? Remember, you’re looking for experience that shows why you want to study your chosen subject. You’re not just writing an essay about what you're doing in your A-level syllabus. Use this checklist as a guide for what to include:

Your interest in the course. Why do you want to spend three years studying this subject at university?
What have you done outside school or college that demonstrates this interest? Think about things like fairs/exhibitions, public lectures or voluntary work that is relevant to your subject.
Relevant work experience (essential for the likes of medicine, not required for non-vocational courses such as English )
Skills and qualities required for that career if appropriate (medicine, nursing and law as obvious examples)
Interest in your current studies – what particular topics have made an impression on you?
Any other interests/hobbies/experiences you wish to mention that are relevant either to the subject or 'going to uni'. Don't just list your hobbies, you need to be very selective and state clearly what difference doing these things has made to you.
Plans for a gap year if you’re deferring entry.

Read more: 6 steps you need to take to apply to university

3. Be bold about your achievements

Don't be bashful about your achievements; that’s not going to help you get into uni. It's time to unleash your inner Muhammed Ali and get all “I am the greatest” with your writing. Do keep it focused and accurate. Do keep your language professional. But don’t hide your qualities beneath a layer of false modesty. Your personal statement is a sell – you are selling yourself as a brilliant student and you need to show the reader why that is true. This doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and if you’re finding it difficult to write about how great you are it’s time to enlist some help. Round up a friend or two, a family member, a teacher, whoever and get them to write down your qualities. Getting someone else’s view here can help you get some perspective. Don’t be shy. You are selling your skills, your experience and your enthusiasm – make sure they all leap off the screen with the way you have described them.

Read more: the ten biggest mistakes when writing your personal statement

4. How to start your personal statement

Type your personal statement in a cloud-based word processing program, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word and don’t copy and paste it into Ucas Hub until it’s finished. One of the benefits of doing it this way is that you can run spell check easily. (Please note, though, that Word adds "curly" quotation marks and other characters (like é or ü) that won't show up on your Ucas form, so do proofread it on Ucas Hub before submitting it to ensure it is how you typed it.) Another big benefit is that you'll always have a backup of what you've written. If you're being super careful, you could always save your statement in another place as well. Bear in mind that extra spaces (eg adding spaces to the beginnings of paragraphs as indentation) are removed on Ucas. In your first sentence, cut to the chase. Why do you want to do the course? Don’t waste any time rambling on about the daydreams you had when you were five. Just be clear and concise – describe in one line why this course is so important to you. Then, in the rest of your intro, go into more detail in demonstrating your enthusiasm for the course and explaining how you decided this is what you want to do for the next three or more years. However you choose to start your statement, just avoid the following hoary old chestnuts. These have been some of the most used lines in personal statements over the years – they are beyond cliche, so don’t even think about it.

From a young age I have (always) been [interested in/fascinated by]…
For as long as I can remember, I have…
I am applying for this course because…
I have always been interested in…
Throughout my life I have always enjoyed…
Reflecting on my educational experiences…
[Subject] is a very challenging and demanding [career/profession/course]…
Academically, I have always been…
I have always wanted to pursue a career in…
I have always been passionate about…

5. Focus your writing on why you've chosen that subject

So you’ve got your intro done – time to nail the rest of it. Bear in mind that you’ve got to be a little bit careful when following a personal statement template. It’s easy to fall into the trap of copying someone else’s style, and in the process lose all of your own voice and personality from your writing. But there is a rough order that you can follow, which should help keep you in your flow. After your opening paragraph or two, get into any work experience (if you’ve got it). Talk about extracurriculars: anything you've done which is relevant to the subject can go here – hobbies, interests, volunteering. Touch on your career aspirations – where do you want this course to take you? Next, show your enthusiasm for your current studies. Cite some specific examples of current work that you enjoyed. Show off your relevant skills and qualities by explaining how you’ve used these in the past. Make sure you’re giving real-world examples here, not just vague assertions like “I’m really organised and motivated”. Try to use examples that are relevant. Follow this up with something about you as a person. Talk about non-academic stuff that you like to do, but link it in some way with the course, or with how it shows your maturity for dealing with uni life. Round it all off by bringing your main points together, including a final emphasis of your commitment to studying this particular course.

Read more: how to write your personal statement in an evening

6. How long should a personal statement be?

You've got to work to a very specific limit when writing your personal statement. In theory you could use up to 4,000 characters – but you’re probably more likely to be limited by the line count. That's because it's a good idea to put line breaks in between your paragraphs (to make it more readable) and you only get a maximum of 47 lines. With this in mind, 3,500 characters is a more realistic limit. But when you’re getting started you should ignore these limits completely. At first, you just want to get down everything that you feel is important. You'll probably end up with something that is far too long, but that's fine. This is where you get to do some polishing and pruning. Keep the focus of your piece on the course you’re applying for, why you want to do it and why you’re perfectly suited to it. Look through what you’ve written so far – have you got the balance right? Chop out anything that goes on a bit, as you want each point to be snappy and succinct.

Read more: universities reveal all about personal statements

7. Keep it simple

8. Smart ways to end your personal statement

Writing a closing line that you’re happy with can feel as tricky as coming up with your opener. What you’re looking for here is a sign-off that is bold and memorable. The final couple of sentences in your statement give you the opportunity to emphasise all the good stuff you’ve already covered. Use this space to leave the reader in no doubt as to what an excellent addition you would be to their university. Pull together all your key points and – most importantly – address the central question that your personal statement should answer: why should you get a place on the course?

Read more: universities explain how to end your personal statement with a bang

9. Make sure your personal statement has no mistakes

Now you’ve got a personal statement you’re happy with, you need to make sure there are no mistakes. Check it, check it a second time, then check it again. Once you’ve done that, get someone else to check it, too. You will be doing yourself a massive disservice if you send through a personal statement with spelling and/or grammatical errors. You’ve got months to put this together so there really is no excuse for sending through something that looks like a rush job. Ask your teachers to look at it, and be prepared to accept their feedback without getting defensive. They will have seen many personal statements before; use what they tell you to make yours even better. You’ve also got another chance here to look through the content of your personal statement, so you can make sure the balance is right. Make sure your focus is very clearly on the subject you are applying for and why you want to study it. Don’t post your personal statement on the internet or social media where anyone can see it. You will get picked up by the Ucas plagiarism checker. Similarly, don't copy any that you find online. Instead, now is a good time to make your parents feel useful. Read your personal statement out to them and get them to give you feedback. Or try printing it out and mixing it up with a few others (you can find sample personal statements on The Student Room). Get them to read them all and then try to pick yours out. If they can't, perhaps there's not enough of your personality in there.

10. Don't think about your personal statement for a whole week

If you followed the advice at the very start of this guide, you’ve started your personal statement early. Good job! There are months before you need to submit it. Use one of these weeks to forget about your personal statement completely. Get on with other things – anything you like. Just don’t go near your statement. Give it a whole week and then open up the document again and read through it with fresh eyes. You’ll gain a whole new perspective on what you’ve written and will be well placed to make more changes, if needed.

Read more: how to write your personal statement when you have nothing interesting to say

10 steps to your ideal personal statement

In summary, here are the ten steps you should follow to create the perfect personal statement.

Personal statement dos and don'ts

Remember that your personal statement is your personal statement, not an article written about your intended field of study. It should tell the reader about you, not about the subject.
Only put in things that you’re prepared to talk about at the interviews.
Give convincing reasons for why you want to study the course – more than just "enjoying the subject" (this should be a given).
For very competitive courses, find out as much as you can about the nature of the course and try to make your personal statement relevant to this.
Be reflective. If you make a point like 'I like reading', 'I travelled abroad', say what you got from it.
Go through the whole thing checking your grammar and your spelling. Do this at least twice. It doesn’t matter if you’re not applying to an essay-based course – a personal statement riddled with spelling mistakes is just going to irritate the reader, which is the last thing you want to do. If this is something you find difficult then have someone look over it for you.
Leave blank lines between your paragraphs. It’s easier for the reader to get through your personal statement when it’s broken into easily digestible chunks. Remember that they’re going to be reading a lot of these! Make yours easy to get through.
Get someone else's opinion on your statement. Read it out to family or friends. Share it with your teacher. Look for feedback wherever you can find it, then act upon it.
Don’t write it like a letter. Kicking off with a greeting such as "Dear Sir/Madam" not only looks weird, it also wastes precious space.
Don’t make jokes. This is simply not the time – save them for your first night in the union.
Don’t criticise your current school or college or try to blame teachers for any disappointing grades you might have got.
Be afraid of details – if you want your PS to be personal to you that means explaining exactly which bits of work or topics or activities you've taken part in/enjoyed. It's much more compelling to read about one or two detailed examples than a paragraph that brushes over five or six.
Just list what you're doing now. You should pull out the experiences that are relevant to the courses which you're applying to.
Mention skills and activities without giving examples of when they have been demonstrated by you or what you learnt from them. Anyone can write "I have great leadership skills" in a PS, actually using a sentence to explain when you demonstrated good leadership skills is much rarer and more valuable.
Refer to experiences that took place before your GCSEs (or equivalent).
Give explanations about medical or mental health problems. These should be explained in your reference, not your PS.
Apply for too many different courses, making it difficult to write a convincing personal statement which supports the application.
Write a statement specific to just one institution, unless you're only applying to that one choice.
Copy and paste the statement from somewhere else! This means do not plagiarise. All statements are automatically checked for plagiarism by Ucas. Those that are highlighted by the computer system are checked manually by Ucas staff. If you’re found to have plagiarised parts of your statement, the universities you apply to will be informed and it could jeopardise your applications.
Use ChatGPT or another AI program to write your personal statement for you. Or, if you do, make sure you thoroughly edit and personalise the text so it's truly yours. Otherwise you're very much at risk of the plagiarism point above.

You may want to look at these...

How to write your university application.

Tips for writing your university application, including deadlines and personal statements

The Ucas personal statement is changing in 2025

A question-based personal statement will be required as part of university applications from autumn 2025 onwards

How long does it take for universities to reply to your application?

It might feel like it's taking forever for your uni offers to come through. Find out what's going on, and when you should hear back

Where could your A-levels take you?

Enter your a-level choices below to find out.

Enter A-level option 1 Accounting Afrikaans Anthropology Arabic Archaeology Art and Design Bahasa Basque Bengali Biology Business Studies Chemistry Chinese Classical Civilisation Communication Studies Computer Science Craft and Design Critical Thinking Czech Dance Danish Design Design and Technology Drama and Theatre Studies Dutch Economics Electronics Engineering English Language English Language and Literature English Literature Environmental Studies Fijian Film Studies Fine Art Finnish Food Technology French Further Mathematics Gaelic General Studies Geography Geology German Government and Politics Graphics Greek Gujurati Health and Social Care Hebrew Hindi History History of Art Hungarian ICT Irish Italian Japanese Latin Latvian Law Leisure and Recreation Malay Mathematics Media Studies Mongolian Music Nepali Norwegian Panjabi Performing Arts Persian Philosophy Photography Physical Education Physics Polish Portuguese Product Design Psychology Religious Studies Romanian Russian Sanskrit Science Slovak Sociology Spanish Statistics Syariah Tamil Textiles Travel and Tourism Turkish Urdu Welsh World Development
Enter A-level option 2 Accounting Afrikaans Anthropology Arabic Archaeology Art and Design Bahasa Basque Bengali Biology Business Studies Chemistry Chinese Classical Civilisation Communication Studies Computer Science Craft and Design Critical Thinking Czech Dance Danish Design Design and Technology Drama and Theatre Studies Dutch Economics Electronics Engineering English Language English Language and Literature English Literature Environmental Studies Fijian Film Studies Fine Art Finnish Food Technology French Further Mathematics Gaelic General Studies Geography Geology German Government and Politics Graphics Greek Gujurati Health and Social Care Hebrew Hindi History History of Art Hungarian ICT Irish Italian Japanese Latin Latvian Law Leisure and Recreation Malay Mathematics Media Studies Mongolian Music Nepali Norwegian Panjabi Performing Arts Persian Philosophy Photography Physical Education Physics Polish Portuguese Product Design Psychology Religious Studies Romanian Russian Sanskrit Science Slovak Sociology Spanish Statistics Syariah Tamil Textiles Travel and Tourism Turkish Urdu Welsh World Development
Enter A-level option 3 Accounting Afrikaans Anthropology Arabic Archaeology Art and Design Bahasa Basque Bengali Biology Business Studies Chemistry Chinese Classical Civilisation Communication Studies Computer Science Craft and Design Critical Thinking Czech Dance Danish Design Design and Technology Drama and Theatre Studies Dutch Economics Electronics Engineering English Language English Language and Literature English Literature Environmental Studies Fijian Film Studies Fine Art Finnish Food Technology French Further Mathematics Gaelic General Studies Geography Geology German Government and Politics Graphics Greek Gujurati Health and Social Care Hebrew Hindi History History of Art Hungarian ICT Irish Italian Japanese Latin Latvian Law Leisure and Recreation Malay Mathematics Media Studies Mongolian Music Nepali Norwegian Panjabi Performing Arts Persian Philosophy Photography Physical Education Physics Polish Portuguese Product Design Psychology Religious Studies Romanian Russian Sanskrit Science Slovak Sociology Spanish Statistics Syariah Tamil Textiles Travel and Tourism Turkish Urdu Welsh World Development
Enter A-level option 4 Accounting Afrikaans Anthropology Arabic Archaeology Art and Design Bahasa Basque Bengali Biology Business Studies Chemistry Chinese Classical Civilisation Communication Studies Computer Science Craft and Design Critical Thinking Czech Dance Danish Design Design and Technology Drama and Theatre Studies Dutch Economics Electronics Engineering English Language English Language and Literature English Literature Environmental Studies Fijian Film Studies Fine Art Finnish Food Technology French Further Mathematics Gaelic General Studies Geography Geology German Government and Politics Graphics Greek Gujurati Health and Social Care Hebrew Hindi History History of Art Hungarian ICT Irish Italian Japanese Latin Latvian Law Leisure and Recreation Malay Mathematics Media Studies Mongolian Music Nepali Norwegian Panjabi Performing Arts Persian Philosophy Photography Physical Education Physics Polish Portuguese Product Design Psychology Religious Studies Romanian Russian Sanskrit Science Slovak Sociology Spanish Statistics Syariah Tamil Textiles Travel and Tourism Turkish Urdu Welsh World Development
Get results

Promoted universities

Durham University
Lancaster University
University of Glasgow
University of the Arts London
University of Southampton
Swansea University
Aston University, Birmingham
Ulster University
Cardiff University
University of Essex

Browse expert advice

Oxbridge applications
Personal statements
University open days
Ucas deadline 2024 countdown
A-level choices
GCSE choices and university
Making firm and insurance choices
Student life
Advice for parents

About this site

Cookie policy
List of universities and colleges
Privacy notice
Terms and conditions
Where we get our info

Who we work with

Your account settings

Ad privacy settings

Popular tools and features

A-level Explorer
Course search

Connect with us

Writing a personal statement SPECIFICALLY for sussex university

Quick Reply

Related discussions.

Bsc economics and politics (LSE), UCAS choices?
Uni of Exeter, Penryn Campus
Is it risky to apply for PPL, ISPS and Anthropology?
do you write a different personal statement for oxbridge specifically?
Can I write and adapt my personal statement to suit different universities?
Personal Statements
Personal statement advice needed.
Should I reapply to Oxbridge after getting 3 A*s?
personal statement( dentistry n optometry)
Personal statement
Personal statement help for biological natural sciences
Personal Statement help please!!
personal statement for multiple courses
Good unis for biochem with BBC
Looking for personsl statements tips and advice
S6 wanting to go edinburgh uni
How to start personal statement
Second Personal Statement
Can I write my personal statement on media but still apply to film courses
Personal statement for Urban Planning and Politics/IR

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 3 weeks ago

Posted 3 weeks ago

Last reply 1 month ago

Last reply 2 months ago

Posted 2 months ago

Posted 3 months ago

Last reply 3 months ago

Last reply 4 months ago

Articles for you

Writing an economics personal statement: expert advice from universities

Expert tips on writing a great personal statement for law

Writing a physics personal statement: expert advice from universities

Finding a university place in Ucas Clearing 2024: 10 top tips to help you get ready

Sussex - History

History – 2013 ( edinburgh, nottingham, exeter, sussex ).

I am an avid observer of international and domestic politics and through travelling, newspapers and multimedia formats my interest in how history and politics influence one another has greatly developed.

Please note UCAS will detect any form of plagiarism. PSE and its contributors do not take any responsibility for the way in which personal statements are used.

How to Write a Personal Statement For University

In University by Think Student Editor March 16, 2023 Leave a Comment

The process of applying to university can be hard at any stage. There are a range of things you need to consider. What subject(s) do you want to study? Where do you want to study? What are the entry requirements?

To make matters worse, you also have to bring these considerations together when writing the next bit of your application, your personal statement. Without knowing how to go about it, writing your personal statement can feel incredibly stressful and almost impossible to get done, believe me I know. However, writing your personal statement can be more than doable if you have the right technique and you know what you’re doing.

Continue reading to learn more about what makes up a personal statement and how to write your own. This article will take you through the process of writing a personal statement for both undergraduate and postgraduate applications and give you some extra advice for when you write yours.

Table of Contents

What is involved in writing an undergraduate personal statement?

If you’re familiar with the university application process in the UK, you’ve probably heard of a personal statement. However, do you actually know what it means and what makes one up?

For an undergraduate UK university application, a personal statement is a piece of writing, where you will need to explain why you’re a good candidate for the course(s) you’re applying for and what makes you different from other candidates . UCAS refers to this as a “chance to get noticed” because in your personal statement you pretty much need to show off your achievements, experiences, talents and the things you do or have done outside of your course that relate to what you’re applying for. To learn more about what personal statements are, check out this UCAS guide .

To do your personal statement, you will have a maximum of 4,000 characters or 47 lines, depending on which comes first. As much as it sounds, this isn’t actually very much as the character count will include each letter, space and piece of punctuation. To learn more about the formatting of a personal statement, check out this UCAS guide .

When writing your personal statement, there are quite a few key things that you need to include. These range from explaining your passion and reasoning for choosing the course to your own skills and experience. For example, you may want to write about any schemes you did, your hobbies, the reading you did and other extracurriculars related to the course.

You can also mention the skills you have picked up that will make you a great student, for example the experience you got from volunteering, doing a part time job or any roles or responsibilities you had at your sixth form or college. To learn about what you should put on a personal statement in more detail, check out this great Think Student article .

What is involved in writing a master’s personal statement?

While the basis of a master’s personal statement is the same as that of an undergraduate one, it does have its differences. While there must obviously still be a focus on you and what makes you a good fit for the course, for a postgraduate personal statement the key is to let your passion for the subject show.

As your postgraduate application will typically be done directly to the university, rather than as a general UCAS application, the exact formatting and word count required may depend on where you are replying to. Due to this, it is best to look at the university website to get a more accurate word count.

For example, the University of York give a general recommended personal statement word count of between 500 and 1,000 words. However, for specific departments and master’s degree courses, they may only need to be between 300 and 400 words long, such as with the education department.

To learn more about this, check out this page on the University of York’s website. You can also check out this article by Prospects and this Think Student article to learn more about the application process for master’s degrees.

How to write a personal statement for a university application

As mentioned above, you will have a maximum of 4,000 characters to write your personal statement. As this isn’t a lot of space, you need to make sure that you get your most important points across and that it is structured in a clear and engaging way .

To do this, there are a number of steps that you will need to follow to ensure that your personal statement is the best that it can be . To learn what these are, check out the following sections. You can learn more about the information included below by clicking on this guide and this page by UCAS as well as this article by The UniGuide.

You can also check out this page by Studential and this page by University Compare to see personal statement examples.

Step 1: Write down what you’re going to put on your university personal statement

As mentioned above, your personal statement is your chance to show off your personal achievements, experiences and ambitions as well as what you’ve done outside of your studies and more.

Due to this, when writing a personal statement, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that you need to put on it. Writing down the key points you want to include in your personal statement can be a great way to make your personal statement clearer and more focused on what you really want to say.

It can also help you to get everything on from the start, which can help you to avoid having to rewrite your entire personal statement just to include all of your key points. In the long run, this can also save you quite a lot of time.

Step 2: Explain why you want to study the course on your personal statement

One of the most crucial parts of your personal statement is explaining why you want to study the course you’ve applied for. This makes it a great way to start your personal statement . Especially, as it can help you to structure the rest of your personal statement by using it as a starting point.

To actually write about why you want to study your course, it can help to think about what you hope to learn, what it will allow you to do, how interested you are in the subject or even its relevance to the wider world. Writing about all of these can help to make you seem knowledgeable/ well-read in your subject and you may even want to start linking the wider reading you’ve done.

You can also mention your future ambitions and how the course you’ve applied to will help you get there. This maybe in regard to getting a job, especially for more practical subjects, or it could be for further study, such as a master’s degree or an alternative postgraduate qualification.

Step 3: Explain what makes you a good candidate on your personal statement

After explaining why you want to study the course, you also need to explain why they should choose you. To do this, you need to explain what qualities, skills, achievements and experiences you have that will make you a great pick to study the course that you’ve chosen.

When doing this, you need to make sure that you’re not just listing but rather that you’re explaining how they’re relevant and how they’ve made you a great candidate. To do this, you can use methods, such as ABC.

The ABC method stands for action, benefit, course. In this, you have to explain what you did, how it has helped or enhanced your studies and how this relates to the course you want to study at university. To learn more about this, check out this guide by Plymouth Marjon University.

You may also want to use themes to create links between the different activities you’ve done. For example, when I was writing my personal statement for modern languages, I linked my A-Level Spanish studies and the wider reading I had done to the theme of culture and then I linked my A-Level English Language studies and a MOOC I had done to the theme of translation. By doing this, you’re able to talk about more things in a way that seems more natural than if you were to mention each thing individually .

Step 4: Link to the less academic side of university on your personal statement

While the main focus of your personal statement should be on the course itself, why you want to study it and why you are academically a great candidate, another aspect of your personal statement is linking to the less academic side. This may be in terms of university life itself, such as with clubs and societies, that you’re interested in joining.

However, it may also be to do with showing off your non-academic features that will make you a great candidate. To do this efficiently, you can try and link these aspects together and talk about the skills and qualities that you’ve picked up due to any part-time work, volunteering, hobbies, etc. that you’ve done. A great way to do this is by using the ABC method again or by using the STAR method.

The STAR method is typically used for job interviews, however, it can also work pretty well for writing a personal statement. STAR stands for situation, task, action, results, meaning that you have to explain a situation and how you resolved it.

This method can work well to talk about your personal qualities or skills you learnt from a hobby or part-time job that you may have. To learn more about the STAR method, check out this guide by Indeed.

Step 5: Proofread and edit your personal statement

Another key aspect of writing your personal statement is rewriting it. You need to make sure that it is within the character/line count, that it is clear and easy to read and that all the spelling and grammar is correct. If there are these mistakes, it can leave a massive impression on your prospective university and so it is important that you do it correctly .

When proofreading and editing your work, you can also check to make sure that you’ve not repeated loads of phrases or words and that you’ve not used cliches. This is so that your writing will feel more natural to admission’s tutors.

How to write a personal statement for a master’s university application

As mentioned above, the master’s degree university application process is slightly different to the undergraduate one. Due to this, there are also some pretty noticeable differences that you need to consider when writing your master’s personal statement.

To begin with, your master’s personal statement will need to be a lot more focused on your passion for your subject . Unlike when applying for an undergraduate degree, you will need to have clear motivations for studying and you’ll probably also need to have plans for what you want to do after finishing the degree.

As you will have had to have done an undergraduate degree, you’re also now qualified. This means that you are expected to have experience and will need to show this off.

From your dissertation to any relevant projects to any work experience. You will need to make sure that you mention these and explain why they’re relevant to your course and how they’ve made you a great choice for that course. You can do this in a similar way to an undergraduate personal statement, by using the ABC and STAR methods that were mentioned above.

As mentioned above, you will need to apply directly to the university that you want to do your master’s at. This makes your personal statement different to undergraduate level as it means that you will need to explain not only why you want to study that course but also why you want to go to that university specifically . This may be for its reputation, or you may want to highlight a specific aspect of the degree that you’re particularly interested in.

To learn more about writing a master’s degree personal statement, check out this page by UCAS and this guide by the University of Sussex.

Can you re-use your university personal statement?

To put it simply, yes, you can reuse your personal statement for university . This is because it is your own work and so can’t count as plagiarism.

However, due to UCAS’ plagiarism detection system, they will be notified as your personal statement will be more than 30% similar to that of another personal statement. This won’t however be a problem as long as your personal statement is under the same name.

If it’s still your personal statement but you’re applying with a different name, you will need to fill in the “previous name” box when filling out your application . To learn more about this, check out this guide by UCAS.

While you are allowed to reuse your personal statement, it may not be a good idea to do so. This is because a personal statement can make or break your university application and if you were unable to get in with it before, the same thing may happen again.

This is especially because there may be things you’ve missed out and new experiences and achievements you’ve gained between writing your personal statement and sending it off again . To learn more about reusing a personal statement, check out this Think Student article .

Cookies on our website

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use our site so we can improve it for everyone. Also, we'd like to serve you some cookies set by other services to show you relevant content.

How to apply for undergraduate courses

At Sussex, we want your journey from application to arrival to be as smooth as possible. So that you’re fully prepared, we’ve set out a step-by-step guide to applying via UCAS, with advice on what we look for from successful students.

Student reading a book in the library at the University of Sussex

Applying to Sussex

To find out more about our degrees, see our undergraduate courses .

To help you apply to Sussex:

follow our step-by-step guide below
read our tips on writing your UCAS personal statement .

For some of our courses there are specific applications routes:

Medicine (if you're studying a Biomedical Science or Medical Neuroscience undergraduate degree at Sussex)
Primary and Early Years Education (with Qualified Teacher Status)
Social Work .

Choose your course

With more than 200 undergraduate courses from 46 subject areas to choose from, Sussex is the perfect place to find a degree that allows you to follow your passion and shape your future.

Choose from single-honours courses (where you study one main subject), joint-honours (the study of two subjects), major/minors (where you spend 75% of your time studying one subject, and 25% the other) and courses with an integrated placement, study abroad or Masters year.

Find out more about our undergraduate courses

Check our academic entry requirements

To find the entry requirements and offer levels for your chosen course, see our undergraduate courses . This lists:

the specific qualifications needed for each course, including if you need a particular subject at A-level or equivalent qualification
the typical offer level, which gives an indication of the grades you would need to achieve.

For some of our courses you will be invited to an interview as part of the selection process.

We accept applications from mature students , and in some circumstances take into account wider experience if you do not have formal academic qualifications.

Find out more about our entry requirements for UK students .

If you are an international student based overseas see our international qualifications . If you are an international student based in the UK see our UK-based international qualifications .

University preparation courses

If you do not meet the entry requirements, you can take an International Foundation Year or International Year One preparation course.

Check our English language requirements

If your first language isn’t English, you also need to meet our English language requirements or successfully complete our Pre-sessional English course .

English language requirements are also listed with each of our undergraduate courses .

Apply through UCAS

You must apply online through UCAS for full-time courses at Sussex and check your course for any specific application procedures.

You can apply for up to five courses via UCAS (although only four can be for Medicine). You do not need to use all five choices and you can apply for several courses at the same university.

If you’re an international student, you also apply through UCAS. See the UCAS guide for international students applying to UK universities .

Our UCAS code is S90 and our code name is SUSX.

The initial applications deadline for most courses is the final Wednesday in January. However, for Medicine, the deadline for Brighton and Sussex Medical School is 15 October .

UCAS accepts late applications (until 30 June) but some courses may close earlier if they become full.

If you are a UK student, you are strongly advised to apply by the initial UCAS deadline on the final Wednesday in January.

If you are an international student, you can normally apply up until 30 June, but don’t leave it too late because if you do get a place, you’ll still need to arrange a visa and your accommodation.

See our tips for writing a personal statement

Find out about our admissions policies

Find out how to transfer to Sussex from another university

Further support

If any of the following applies to you, UCAS can offer additional support and information during your application:

disabled students
student carers
estranged students
refugees and asylum seekers
students from Armed Forces families
mature students
students from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman and Boater (GTRSB) communities.

Find out more about individual needs from UCAS .

Check fees, funding and support

To help fund your studies, you may be eligible for a Government student loan .

We also have a range of undergraduate scholarships available.

Find out more about our undergraduate scholarships and tuition fees

If your application is successful, you will have your fee status assessed . If your fee status is unclear, we will ask you to complete a questionnaire. If you disagree with the outcome of your fee status assessment, you can appeal .

Receiving your decision

Keep up-to-date with your applications through UCAS Hub.

UCAS notify you when we reach a decision on your application. Our offers will normally be conditional offers (if you are still studying towards your qualifications) or unconditional (if you have completed your qualification and met the conditions already).

When you have all your decisions back from all five of your choices, you use UCAS Hub to decide which offer you want to accept.

If you receive an offer, we will invite you to an Applicant Visit Day.

If you are an international student studying a certain science- or engineering-based course you must apply for ATAS clearance after you receive your offer.

Find out about ATAS clearance on the Student Hub .

Find out more about offers .

Confirming your place

If you achieve the grades required by your conditional offer, we will confirm your place via UCAS when the exam results are published in the summer.

In some cases, you may be asked to send in copies of your results when they are released.

You may also be asked to send in verification of qualifications you have previously completed (especially if you received an unconditional offer).

All results (including verification) must be submitted by 31 August.

If you miss the conditions of your offer, we will review your application and it may still be possible to accept you. Alternatively, we may be able to offer you a place on one of our Foundation Years .

You can request to defer your entry for a year. But you can’t defer your place more than once.

If you are an international student and you are offered a place, you will receive a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number, so that you can apply for a student visa .

Find out more about confirming your place

Before you arrive at Sussex

You will be sent registration and pre-arrival information in early September.

For most students the registration process is completed online before the start of term.
If you are an international student and you need a visa to study in the UK you complete most of the registration process online. But in order to finalise your registration you will need to attend in person so we can take a copy of your passport and student visa .

Cookies on our website

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use our site so we can improve it for everyone. Also, we'd like to serve you some cookies set by other services to show you relevant content.

Skip to main content Sussex homepage Staff

Student Hub
Jobs and careers
How to apply for a job
Current location: How to write a CV

How to write a CV

Find out how to write a CV and showcase your skills, experience and ability.

Book a place at a CV and applications workshop where you will be guided through what to include.

go to careerhub

what a CV is
where to start and examples of different types of CV
what to include in your CV .

What is a CV?

Your CV (or Curriculum Vitae) is way for you to show off your skills and experience to potential employers and helps recruiters assess your suitability for a role or course.

Your CV should:

provide a clear timeline of your major activities in recent years
show where you have built up the ability to do the job or other opportunity you are applying for
demonstrate professionalism with its logical, appropriate layout and wording.

Where to start

To give your CV the best chance of success, it is important to understand what the employer is looking for, before you start writing.

If you are applying to an advertised job vacancy or course, go through the person specification or entry requirements and identify where you have evidence of the skills, knowledge or experience needed.

If you are writing a speculative application, research the career area and find out what skills are in demand.

Your CV should be no longer than two pages (unless you are writing an academic CV).

Chronological – this is the most popular style of CV for new graduates. Education, work experience and other major activities are listed in date order. See an example of a chronological CV – with experience . Also see part-time chronological CV with experience , a chronological CV with limited experience , chronological CV – following a Masters , a CV for jobs in finance .
Skills – this type of CV centres on a list of the main skills you have to offer, with examples of when you have demonstrated them. This can be a good choice if you are changing direction, have little experience, or need to tell the employer about multiple technical skills. See an example of a skills CV – with experience and part-time Skills CV – with limited experience .
Academic – for academic careers after completing a PhD, CVs tend to be much longer, with details of research carried out, and lists of publications, conferences attended. See an example of an academic CV .
Alternative/creative – for certain creative industries, it is important to demonstrate your creativity by taking a bold approach to designing the CV so that it shows off your talents.

Use our CV checker

Sussex students and recent graduates can access extra support to help you write your CV. Once you have written your CV, you can upload it to CV360 to get instant feedback on how you might improve it. If you are a recent graduate, find out how to get access to CV360 .

What to include

See what to include in your CV below.

If you are an international student and you are applying for a job in your home country, you can see CV/resume formats for different countries by using GoinGlobal .

Contact details

Postal address
Social media: include the details of your accounts, such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

Introduction

Write a short introduction which highlights your key skills. Explain briefly where you are now, what you have to offer, and what you are looking for.

List your current or most recent course (including selection of modules or dissertation if relevant), and then work backwards to A-level and GCSE. You can summarise the number of your GCSEs and total grades obtained. Do mention if you have English and Maths.

Give the start and finish dates, title of the course, and name of the institution, followed by the result if known.

If you don’t have A-levels or GCSEs, give the original name and grade of your pre-Sussex qualifications, with UCAS points if possible.

Work experience

List your most recent work experience first. You can include any type of work, including part-time, temporary, and voluntary experience.

Organise the information in a similar way to the education section and highlight any achievements with supporting evidence.

For experience that is not relevant to what you are applying for, focus on transferable skills. If you have worked in retail, for example, you could write about building teamwork, communication and customer service skills.

Mention any structured activities, especially those in which you have an official role, for example: student societies which you help to run.

Start by reviewing the skills you’ve gained from volunteering or work experience. You can also use examples from your academic life.

Once you have identified your skills, you need to show how you have used them. Think about where you developed particular skills and what you did. Avoid lists of skills without explanation.

Wrote demanding essays at university and achieved a consistent 2.1.
Compiled reports for a summer job as a business analyst intern and presented to the Board.

Just because you haven’t done a particular job before, it doesn’t mean you aren’t suitable for it. You may already have the transferrable skills required.

You may have worked at the University bar during your studies and are now applying for a graduate role in HR. You will have gained interpersonal, communication, self-management, planning and organisational skills from working at the bar. These skills will also be useful in an HR role and you can use your work experience to show that you have them.

See more information about skills from careers site TargetJobs .

You can write ‘Details of referees are available on request’ at the end of your CV.

If you are asked for referees, it is usual to give two: one from your current or most recent course, and one from a current or recent employer if possible.

Telling an employer about a disability

Your disability may have impacted on your ability to gain work experience. If this is the case, think about how you can demonstrate your skills and experience from other areas of your life when writing your CV, for example you may want to write about being involved with societies, volunteering, your studies or your interests. Find out more about your disability rights .

More support

We have partnered with EmployAbility to provide students with disabilities and long-term health conditions with individualised advice and support. The EmployAbility team will also advocate for you with an employer to ensure you receive the adjustments you need.

Writing style

Always check your CV before you send it, and ideally get someone else to read it.

Once you have written your first draft, ask yourself if it can be written more simply or concisely. Try reading your written documents aloud. Shorten long sentences or divide them into two shorter ones.

Use active, not passive language.

Don’t: Problem-solving skills were developed.

Do: I strengthened my practical problem-solving skills.

Don’t: I had to answer queries from a wide range of people.

Do: I answered queries from a wide range of people.

How to format your CV

conventional fonts, such as Arial, Calibri or Helvetica
black ink – colours can look unappealing and grey if they are printed in black and white
bold, underlining and other emphasis sparingly and consistently, e.g. for section headings
a line between sections and leave reasonable page margins.

Further help and advice

If you need further help and advice while writing your CV:

ask a question in CareerHub
book a place at a CV workshop via CareerHub
use our How to write your CV Canvas course to learn the basics.

See more from How to apply for a job

Career Exploration
Arts, Communications, & Media
Education, Nonprofit, & Public Health
Business, Consulting, Finance, & Marketing
Government, International Affairs, Law, & Public Policy
Health Professions Advising
Career Essentials Resources
Graduate School
Career Education Placements
Grants Program
Lumpkin Non-Profit Internships Program
Elisabeth Luce Moore ’24 Internships in Asia
Application Support
Short Internship Projects (SHIPs)
Fellowships for Undergraduates
Fellowships for Graduates
Class of 2025 Fellowship Planning
Fellowships for International Students
Civic Engagement

Writing a Personal Statement

Preparing to Write

Brainstorming, don't forget, sample prompts.

A personal statement is a narrative essay that connects your background, experiences, and goals to the mission, requirements, and desired outcomes of the specific opportunity you are seeking. It is a critical component in the selection process, whether the essay is for a competitive internship, a graduate fellowship, or admittance to a graduate school program. It gives the selection committee the best opportunity to get to know you, how you think and make decisions, ways in which past experiences have been significant or formative, and how you envision your future. Personal statements can be varied in form; some are given a specific prompt, while others are less structured. However, in general a personal statement should answer the following questions:

Who are you?
What are your goals?
How does this specific program/opportunity help you achieve your goals?
What is in the future?

A personal statement is not:

A variation of your college admissions essay
An academic/research paper
A narrative version of your resume
A creative writing piece (it can be creative, though)
An essay about somebody else

Keep in mind that your statement is only a portion of the application and should be written with this in mind. Your entire application package will include some, possibly all, of the materials listed below. You will want to consider what these pieces of the application communicate about you. Your personal statement should aim to tie everything together and fill in or address any gaps. There will likely be some overlap but be sure not to be too repetitive.

Personal Statement(s)
Transcripts
Letters of recommendations
Sample of written work
Research proposal

For a quick overview of personal statements, you might begin by watching this "5 Minute Fellowships" video!

If you are writing your first personal statement or working to improve upon an existing personal statement, the video below is a helpful, in-depth resource.

A large portion of your work towards completing a personal statement begins well before your first draft or even an outline. It is incredibly important to be sure you understand all of the rules and regulations around the statement. Things to consider before you begin writing:

How many prompts? And what are they? It is important to know the basics so you can get your ideas in order. Some programs will require a general statement of interest and a focused supplementary or secondary statement closely aligned with the institution's goals.
Are there formatting guidelines? Single or double spaced, margins, fonts, text sizes, etc. Our general guideline is to keep it simple.
How do I submit my statement(s)? If uploading a document we highly suggest using a PDF as it will minimize the chances of accidental changes to formatting. Some programs may event ask you to copy and paste into a text box.
When do I have to submit my statement(s)? Most are due at the time of application but some programs, especially medical schools, will ask for secondary statements a few months after you apply. In these instances be sure to complete them within two weeks, any longer is an indication that you aren't that interested in the institution.

Below is a second 5 Minute Fellowships video that can help you get started!

Before you start writing, take some time to reflect on your experiences and motivations as they relate to the programs to which you are applying. This will offer you a chance to organize your thoughts which will make the writing process much easier. Below are a list of questions to help you get started:

What individuals, experiences or events have shaped your interest in this particular field?
What has influenced your decision to apply to graduate school?
How does this field align with your interests, strengths, and values?
What distinguishes you from other applicants?
What would you bring to this program/profession?
What has prepared you for graduate study in this field? Consider your classes at Wellesley, research and work experience, including internships, summer jobs and volunteer work.
Why are you interested in this particular institution or degree program?
How is this program distinct from others?
What do you hope to gain?
What is motivating you to seek an advanced degree now?
Where do you see yourself headed and how will this degree program help you get there?

For those applying to Medical School, if you need a committee letter for your application and are using the Medical Professions Advisory Committee you have already done a lot of heavy lifting through the 2017-2018 Applicant Information Form . Even if you aren't using MPAC the applicant information form is a great place to start.

Another great place to start is through talking out your ideas. You have a number of options both on and off campus, such as: Career Education advisors and mentors ( you can set up an appointment here ), major advisor, family, friends. If you are applying to a graduate program it is especially important to talk with a faculty member in the field. Remember to take good notes so you can refer to them later.

When you begin writing keep in mind that your essay is one of many in the application pool. This is not to say you should exaggerate your experiences to “stand out” but that you should focus on clear, concise writing. Also keep in mind that the readers are considering you not just as a potential student but a future colleague. Be sure to show them examples and experiences which demonstrate you are ready to begin their program.

It is important to remember that your personal statement will take time and energy to complete, so plan accordingly. Every application and statement should be seen as different from one another, even if they are all the same type of program. Each institution may teach you the same material but their delivery or focus will be slightly different.

In addition, remember:

Be yourself: You aren’t good at being someone else
Tragedy is not a requirement, reflection and depth are
Research the institution or organization
Proofread, proofread, proofread
How to have your personal statement reviewed

The prompts below are from actual applications to a several types of programs. As you will notice many of them are VERY general in nature. This is why it is so important to do your research and reflect on your motivations. Although the prompts are similar in nature the resulting statements would be very different depending on the discipline and type of program, as well as your particular background and reasons for wanting to pursue this graduate degree.

This statement should illustrate your academic background and experiences and explain why you would excel in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (UMass Amherst - M.S. in Civil Engineering).
Describe your academic and career objectives and how the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies can help you achieve them. Include other considerations that explain why you seek admissions to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and your interests in the environmental field (Yale - Master of Environmental Management).
Please discuss your academic interests and goals. Include your current professional and research interests, as well as your long-range professional objectives. Please be as specific as possible about how your objectives can be met at Clark and do not exceed 800 words (Clark University - M.A. in International Development and Social Change).
Write a 500- to 700-word statement that describes your work or research. Discuss how you came to focus on the medium, body of work, or academic area you wish to pursue at the graduate level. Also discuss future directions or goals for your work, and describe how the Master of Fine Arts in Studio (Printmedia) is particularly suited to your professional goals (School of the Art Institute of Chicago - MFA in Studio, Printmaking).
Your statement should explain why you want to study economics at the graduate level. The statement is particularly important if there is something unusual about your background and preparation that you would like us to know about you (University of Texas at Austin - Ph.D in Economics).
Your personal goal statement is an important part of the review process for our faculty members as they consider your application. They want to know about your background, work experience, plans for graduate study and professional career, qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the program, and any other relevant information (Indiana University Bloomington - M.S.Ed. in Secondary Education).
Your autobiographical essay/personal statement is a narrative that outlines significant experiences in your life, including childhood experiences, study and work, your strengths and aspirations in the field of architecture, and why you want to come to the University of Oregon (University of Oregon - Master of Architecture).
Personal history and diversity statement, in which you describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. You may refer to any educational, familial, cultural, economic or social experiences, challenges, community service, outreach activities, residency and citizenship, first-generation college status, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field; or how you might serve educationally underrepresented and underserved segments of society with your graduate education (U.C. Davis - M.A. in Linguistics).
A Personal Statement specifying your past experiences, reasons for applying, and your areas of interest. It should explain your intellectual and personal goals, why you are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary degree rather than a more traditional disciplinary one, and how this degree fits into your intellectual and personal future (Rutgers University - Ph.D in Women’s and Gender Studies).
Your application requires a written statement to uploaded into your application and is a critical component of your application for admission. This is your opportunity to tell us what excites you about the field of library and information science, and what problems you want to help solve in this field. Please also tell us how your prior experiences have prepared you for this next step toward your career goals and how this program will help you achieve them (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - Master of Science in Library Science).
After watching the video, please describe what strengths and preferences as a learner you have that will facilitate your success in this innovative curriculum. What challenges in our curriculum do you anticipate and what strategies might you use to address these challenges? (MGH Institute of Health Professions PT - They recently redesigned their curriculum)
Your personal goal statement should briefly describe how you view the future of the field, what your goals are to be part of that future, and what brought you to pursue an advanced education degree in your chosen field. You may include any other information that you feel might be useful. (Northeastern PT)
Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, describe a meaningful educational experience that affected your professional goals and growth and explain how it impacted you. The educational experience does not need to be related to this degree. Focus on the educational experience and not why you think you would be a good professional in this field. (Simmons PT)
Personal Statement (500 word minimum): State your reasons for seeking admission to this program at this institution. Include your professional goals, why you want to pursue a career in this field and how admission to this program will assist you in accomplishing those goals. (Regis College Nursing)
“Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to this type of program.” (AMCAS)
Address the following three questions(Though there is no set limit, most statements are 1–2 pages, single-spaced.): What are your reasons for pursuing this degree? Why do you wish to pursue your degree at this institution? How do you intend to leverage your degree in a career of this field? (Boston University MPH)
Please submit a personal statement/statement of purpose of no more than 500 words for the department/degree of choice. Professional degree essays require a clear understanding of the _______ field and how you hope to work within the field. Be sure to proofread your personal statement carefully for spelling and grammar. In your statement, be sure to address the following: what interests you in the field of _____ what interests you in a specific degree program and department at this institution and what interests you in a particular certificate (if applicable). Please also describe how you hope to use your ________ training to help you achieve your career goals. (Columbia PhD in Public Health - Epidemiology)
Because each Home Program requires significant original research activities in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, we are interested in obtaining as much information as possible about your previous research experiences. Those who already have such experience are in a better position to know whether they are truly interested in performing ______ research as part of a graduate program. Please include specific information about your research experience in your Statement of Purpose. You may also use the Statement to amplify your comments about your choice of Home Program(s), and how your past experiences and current interests are related to your choice. Personal Statements should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). Make sure to set your computer to Western European or other English-language setting. We cannot guarantee the ability to access your statement if it is submitted in other fonts. (Stanford Biosciences PhD)
Your statement of purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the Department of ____ at ___ University. It would be helpful to include what you have done to prepare for this degree program. Please describe your research interests, past research experience, future career plans and other details of your background and interests that will allow us to evaluate your ability to thrive in our program. If you have interests that align with a specific faculty member, you may state this in your application. Your statement of purpose should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). (Stanford Bioengineering PhD)
Statement of purpose (Up to one page or 1,000 words): Rather than a research proposal, you should provide a statement of purpose. Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at this institution and your relevant experience and education. Please provide an indication of the area of your proposed research and supervisor(s) in your statement. This will be assessed for the coherence of the statement; evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study; the ability to present a reasoned case in English; and commitment to the subject. (Oxford Inorganic Chemistry - DPhil)

Related resources

What is a Career Community?
Exploration & Discovery
Education, Cultures & Human Services
Multimedia, Marketing, Communication & Creative Arts
Policy, Law & Public Service
Management, Consulting, Sales & Finance
Life & Physical Sciences
Environment & Sustainability
Engineering
Computing, Information & Analytics
What is an Affinity Community?
International Students
Students of Color
Veteran Students
NCAA Student Athletes
Students with Neurodiversity & Dis/ability
Adult Students
First Generation Students
Exploring Careers
Exploring Graduate School
Internships
Interview Prep
Research, Volunteering, & Fellowships
Resume Prep
Skill Development
Contact + Team

Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls

Share This: Share Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls on Facebook Share Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls on LinkedIn Share Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls on X

From Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls // Purdue Writing Lab

Writing the personal statement: top 10 rules.

Strive for depth rather than breadth. Narrow focus to one or two key themes, ideas or experiences
Try to tell the reader something that no other applicant will be able to say
Provide the reader with insight into what drives you
Be yourself, not the ‘ideal’ applicant
Get creative and imaginative in the opening remarks, but make sure it’s something that no one else could write
Address the school’s unique features that interest you
Focus on the affirmative in the personal statement; consider an addendum to explain deficiencies or blemishes
Evaluate experiences, rather than describe them
Proofread carefully for grammar, syntax, punctuation, word usage, and style
Use readable fonts, typeface, and conventional spacing and margins

WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT: TOP 10 PITFALLS

Do not submit an expository resume; avoid repeating information found elsewhere on the application
Do not use the same personal statement for each application. Generic statements are often obvious
Do not preach to your reader. You can express opinions, but do not come across as fanatical or extreme
Do not talk about money as a motivator
Do not discuss systemic and social injustices simply as complaints, but as a relevant source of motivation for your overall goals and intended studies
Do not remind the school of its rankings or tell them how good they are
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is…”
“This question asks me to discuss…”
“I would like to thank the admissions committee for considering my application.”
“It is my sincere hope that you will grant me the opportunity to attend your fine school.”
“In sum, there are three reasons why you should admit me…”
Do not use unconventional and gimmicky formats and packages
Do not submit supplemental materials unless they are requested
Do not get the name of the school wrong
Do not incorporate technical language or very uncommon words

Stewart, Mark Alan. Perfect Personal Statements. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996.

IMAGES

10+ Good Personal Statement Examples & Writing Tips
Personal Statement Template
💐 Masters personal statement format. Writing Personal Statements for
ow to write a good personal statement for university
Best Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for University
UCAS

COMMENTS

How to write a personal statement for Masters courses
A personal statement is a piece of writing that you submit as part of your application. It is a statement of academic interests and should not contain any autobiographical information about your personal life. Instead, it should show us that you are the right person for Sussex by telling us why you want to study your course, and any extra ...
Tips for writing a UCAS personal statement
Tips for writing a UCAS personal statement. A personal statement is a short, reflective piece of writing that you submit as part of your UCAS application to universities. We use it during the admissions process to decide if you're suitable for the course you're applying for - and so we can understand why you want to study your chosen subject.
Online application guide
at least one academic reference from your most recent university, or your referee's contact details; You should also upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV). Academic interests. You must write a personal statement. See our tips for writing a personal statement. Submit your application. You can't submit your application until all the sections are ...
How to write a personal statement for Masters courses
Find out how to write a personal statement for masters degrees at the University of Sussex, and see personal statement examples. Welcome to the University of Sussex. Our site uses cookies.
University of Sussex Personal Statements
These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to University of Sussex. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place. You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities.
How To Write Your Undergraduate Personal Statement
Just start by showing your enthusiasm for the subject, showcasing your knowledge and understanding, and sharing your ambitions of what you want to achieve. Avoid cliches! Remember, this opening part is simply about introducing yourself, so let the admissions tutor reading your personal statement get to know you. Keep it relevant and simple.
Writing your personal statement
University of Sussex admissions tutors tell you what they would like to see in a personal statement.
Tips for writing a UCAS personal statement : How to apply for
Welcome to the University of Sussex. Our site uses cookies.Read our policy. Close
How to fill in an application form : University of Sussex
How to fill out the personal statement. Show the employer how you meet the criteria on the job description or person specification. To do this, use each point on the person specification as a heading and provide your example underneath. This makes it easier for the people shortlisting to see how you meet the criteria.
Mature students: five things to include in your personal statement
The application process for mature students. Mature students: five things to include in your personal statement. Student finance for mature students. Preparing for study as a mature student - student support. Preparing for study as a mature student - your qualifications. Preparing for study as a mature student - choosing where to study.
How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps
Use your closing couple of lines to summarise the most important points in your statement. 9. Check your writing thoroughly and get someone else to check it, too. 10. Give your brain a rest by forgetting about your personal statement for a while before going back to review it one last time with fresh eyes.
How to write a Personal Statement (advice from Oxford, Sussex
Advice on writing your Personal Statement from Lady Margaret Hall (University of Oxford) , University of Sussex, University of Greenwich and Bangor Universit...
Personal statement examples by subject: complete list
When you're writing your university personal statement, a little inspiration can be handy. On The Student Room, we have hundreds of real personal statements written by students when they applied for university in previous years. ... 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB ...
Tips for applying to do a Masters at Sussex
Find out how to write a personal statement for masters degrees at the University of Sussex, and see personal statement examples. Cookies on our website. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use our site so we can improve it for everyone. Also, we'd like to serve you ...
Sussex University
Mathematics, Statistics and Financial Economics - 2013 ( Queen Mary, Sussex) I have been drawn to the logical, abstract and exact nature of mathematics from an early age and this once relatively casual interest has developed over the years into a ... Please note UCAS will detect any form of plagiarism. PSE and its contributors do not take any ...
Personal Statement Tips for College and University Applications
The Free Guide to Writing the Personal Statement. Kick things off with the two greatest brainstorming exercises ever, learn about options for structuring a personal statement + example outlines, check out some amazing example personal statements, and get on your way to writing your own killer personal statement for university applications.
Writing a personal statement SPECIFICALLY for sussex university
Writing a personal statement SPECIFICALLY for sussex university. So I'm interested in taking part in the summer school for sussex university. i'm currently writing my personal statement out, and i'm unsure how much i should be mentioning the uni itself. i heard somewhere they like it if you talk specifically about THEIR uni in the statement ...
Sussex University
Examples of UCAS undefined Personal Statements that received an offer from Sussex, to help you write your personal statement. Home; Method. Start; Guidelines; Top Tips; Examples. By Subject; By University; Send your PS; Sussex - History of Art. History of Art - 2020 (UCL, The Courltaut Institute of Art, Exeter, Birmingham, Sussex)
Sussex University
Examples of UCAS undefined Personal Statements that received an offer from Sussex, to help you write your personal statement. Home; Method. ... Guidelines; Top Tips; Examples. By Subject; By University; Send your PS; Sussex - History. History - 2013 (Edinburgh, Nottingham, Exeter, Sussex) I am an avid observer of international and domestic ...
How to Write a Personal Statement For University
Step 2: Explain why you want to study the course on your personal statement. One of the most crucial parts of your personal statement is explaining why you want to study the course you've applied for. This makes it a great way to start your personal statement. Especially, as it can help you to structure the rest of your personal statement by ...
How to apply for undergraduate courses
To help you apply to Sussex: follow our step-by-step guide below; read our tips on writing your UCAS personal statement. For some of our courses there are specific applications routes: Medicine (if you're studying a Biomedical Science or Medical Neuroscience undergraduate degree at Sussex) Primary and Early Years Education (with Qualified ...
How to write a Psychology Personal Statement (Oxford, Bangor ...
Admissions tutors give their advice on how to write a great Psychology Personal Statement. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content...
How to write a CV : University of Sussex
Sussex students and recent graduates can access extra support to help you write your CV. Once you have written your CV, you can upload it to CV360 to get instant feedback on how you might improve it. ... University of Sussex Sussex House Falmer Brighton, BN1 9RH. Contact us +44 (0)1273 606755. [email protected]. University of Sussex ...
Writing a Personal Statement
A personal statement is a narrative essay that connects your background, experiences, and goals to the mission, requirements, and desired outcomes of the specific opportunity you are seeking. It is a critical component in the selection process, whether the essay is for a competitive internship, a graduate fellowship, or admittance to a graduate school program.
Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls
Share This: Share Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls on Facebook Share Personal Statement: ... University of Pittsburgh Pitt Career Central. Facebook Instagram LinkedIn X (formerly Twitter) 200 William Pitt Union 3959 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15260 412-383-4473 [email protected].
Casper police officer arrested
The Casper Police Department press release stated that "while navigating a personal crisis, a Casper police officer was involved in a criminal incident on the night of August 22, 2024, that ...

In this section

You are here

Sussex University Personal Statements

Tips for writing a UCAS personal statement

Your personal statement

Plan your personal statement

Structure your personal statement:

You might also be interested in:

Mature students

Rob Evans – Head Of Admissions, University Of Sussex

2. Demonstrate your personal progression

3. Talk about your life and work experience

4. Show you understand the time commitments of degree study

5. Keep your statement story honest – and personal

Ana Ghaffari Moghaddam – Third Year Law student and careers coach, University of Liverpool

Final thought

Need more advice?

Sponsored articles UCAS Media Service

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

Share this page

Personal statement deadlines

2024 entry deadlines

What is a personal statement?

1. Plan what you want to cover

2. Show off your experience

3. Be bold about your achievements

4. How to start your personal statement

5. Focus your writing on why you've chosen that subject

6. How long should a personal statement be?

7. Keep it simple

8. Smart ways to end your personal statement

9. Make sure your personal statement has no mistakes

10. Don't think about your personal statement for a whole week

10 steps to your ideal personal statement

Personal statement dos and don'ts

You may want to look at these...

The Ucas personal statement is changing in 2025

How long does it take for universities to reply to your application?

Where could your A-levels take you?

Related to this article

Promoted universities

Browse expert advice

About this site

Who we work with

Popular tools and features

Connect with us

Writing a personal statement SPECIFICALLY for sussex university

Quick Reply

Articles for you

Sussex - History

How to Write a Personal Statement For University

What is involved in writing an undergraduate personal statement?

What is involved in writing a master’s personal statement?

How to write a personal statement for a university application

Step 1: Write down what you’re going to put on your university personal statement

Step 2: Explain why you want to study the course on your personal statement

Step 3: Explain what makes you a good candidate on your personal statement

Step 4: Link to the less academic side of university on your personal statement

Step 5: Proofread and edit your personal statement

How to write a personal statement for a master’s university application

Can you re-use your university personal statement?

Cookies on our website

How to apply for undergraduate courses

Applying to Sussex

Choose your course

Check our academic entry requirements

University preparation courses

Check our English language requirements

Apply through UCAS

Further support

Check fees, funding and support

Receiving your decision

Confirming your place

Before you arrive at Sussex

You might also be interested in:

Cookies on our website

How to write a CV

What is a CV?

Where to start

Use our CV checker