things not to do in personal statement

13 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

Without question, your grades and test scores are the most important part of your grad school application. But stellar grades and a high GRE score are not enough to make you stand out from the thousands of other applicants with similar scores.

So how can you distinguish yourself? The answer: A unique and thoughtfully crafted personal statement.

Think about all the study sessions, missed parties and hard work you’ve put into maintaining good grades and achieving a score that made your mother cry tears of joy. Don’t throw all that away by writing a weak personal statement. This is a valuable opportunity for you to show the admissions department why they would be remiss not to accept you.

On the other hand, it’s important to not get too creative. I’m sorry, but you should probably save your Quentin Tarantino-style statement for another time. Trust me on that one.

Instead, it’s time to channel your inner Goldilocks and express who you are in a way that’s not too much and not too little, but is “just right” to catch the admission department’s attention.

To help you navigate through the writing process, we’ve compiled a list of 13 mistakes you should avoid when writing your personal statement.

Cliches can be hard to avoid. They’ve been lodged in our memory since the dawn of time. (See what I did there?) But they’re uninspiring, tired, and show a lack of creativity. Instead, come up with your own metaphors and similes to say in your unique way that you “have a thirst for knowledge,” and avoid clichés like they’re going out of style.

2. Redundancy

Don’t include your GPA in your personal statement. Let me say that again. Don’t include your GPA in your personal statement. In fact, avoid including any information – such as awards you’ve received, etc. – that can be found elsewhere in your application. It’s redundant. Think of your personal statement as valuable real estate and there’s only enough space for the best, most unique information.

3. Spelling or Grammatical Errors

This cannot be overstated. Admissions directors won’t be able to fully appreciate your powerful personal statement if they have to keep stumbling over spelling and grammar errors. Avoid errors by asking a friend or family member to help you proofread your statement. Another pair of eyes is more likely to catch if you misspelled “conscientious,” for example.

4. Profanity or Slang

This should go without saying, but some students forget to leave out certain inappropriate four-letter words. Just. Don’t. Do. It.

Quotes can be very inspirational, especially when they come from great writers and charismatic people like Martin Luther King, Jr. or E.E. Cummings. But they’re not YOUR words, and they don’t tell the admissions director who you are. Leave them out of your personal statement and post them on your Instagram instead.

6. Hyperboles

You want to show enthusiasm in your statement, but it’s not necessary to say that if you don’t get into grad school your “mother will kill you.” The admissions director will also likely not be impressed if you tell them you have studied no less than a million hours to get into their school. In fact, avoid any and all exaggerations.

7. Plagiarism

These days, it’s easy to find examples of great personal statements online. However, keep in mind that universities will be able to identify if you have copied any material from another source. It’s not worth the risk and, again, it doesn’t let the school see your uniqueness.

8. Other People

Remember, keep the focus of your statement on you and what makes you stand out. Avoid too much mention of mentors, family members, or other people who may have inspired your academic goals. Keep it all about you.

9. Negativity

Keep your personal statement upbeat and positive. Avoid talking about any past educational experiences. You should also avoid mentioning any personal circumstances that have caused you difficulty – unless you are able to highlight how you overcame the circumstances and what you learned from them.

Although you may be trying to secure a financial award from the school, you should leave out any mention of money in your essay. Period.

11. Arrogance

Of course you want to highlight what differentiates you from other students, but be sure to do so in a humbling way. Boasting about how awesome or great you are may be off-putting to those reviewing your application. Also, you should show , rather than tell how wonderful you are by describing certain unique experiences rather than listing superficial adjectives to describe yourself.

Often times, we immediately try to use humor to showcase what makes us unique. Being quirky, though, can be risky in an admissions essay. So proceed with caution. Keep in mind that those in the admissions department may not share your sense of humor, so it’s best to keep your weird jokes between you and your friends.

13. Confessions

This is an opportunity to describe your educational and professional goals in an intentional way. It is not an opportunity to reveal the deepest, darkest corners of your mind, so stay on point and avoid any irrelevant information.

About the Author:

Jennifer is here to help you navigate college and grad school while still maintaining your sanity. She is a graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!), with a major in Journalism and Communications and a minor in Psychology. She’s also a certified Montessori instructor and once witnessed a four-year-old correctly label all 54 countries on a map of Africa. She prefers to sing when not in the shower, and she’s not afraid of heights as long as she’s standing on something that is less than 15-feet tall.

Image Sources:

https://tessatypt.wordpress.com/author/tessaotten/
http://thumbpress.com/10-funny-spelling-and-grammar-mistakes/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533113674616215339/
http://tnova.fr/notes/refonder-l-aide-aux-eleves-en-grande-difficulte-scolaire

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Personal Statement Do’s & Don’ts

Your grades and standardized test scores are set by now, so the personal statement is your last chance to add something new to your college applications.

An effective personal statement is well-written, avoids cliches, tells a story about you that shows the admissions committee who you are, and brags a little—but doesn’t show off.

I’ve compiled a list of personal statement ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ to help you as you work your way through your first few drafts.

For even more help with the college admissions process, including boosting that standardized test score, consider taking an SAT prep course or ACT prep course with Prep Expert.

Do Tell A Story

To keep admissions officers interested, tell a story about yourself, rather than write a traditional five-paragraph essay.

Admissions officers read thousands of personal statements every year. You want yours to be compelling and memorable. So, be creative—think about an experience or part of your biography that’s special to you, and write about it.

Avoid topics admissions officers are likely to read about over and over again in other personal statements. Plenty of people have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity or been the captain of their high school basketball team, for example.

Remember, you want to stand out—so, if you do write about something like this, put your own unique spin on it.

Do Brag About Yourself

It’s a personal statement—it’s okay to write about your strengths and accomplishments.

Most people aren’t comfortable bragging about themselves. But that is exactly what to do in your personal statement. Talk about:

Sccomplishments
Moments where you made yourself proud

Just be sure to do so tastefully.

How do you strike this balance? Show, don’t tell.

Don’t tell the admissions committee you’re a good person—show them you’re a good person by writing about a good deed that you performed.

Don’t tell them you’re the best basketball player in the state—set the scene and describe how you led your teammates to victory in the championship game.

A good rule of thumb here is to try and use verbs, rather than adjectives.

Do Respect Word Limits

Overworked admissions officers won’t agree that you’re worth more of their time than other applicants—keep your personal statement within the word limit.

Most colleges and universities have a word limit for personal statements. While you might think that you have a particularly compelling story to tell, and need more paragraphs than alotted, don’t give in to this temptation.

Being over by a couple of words isn’t a huge problem—admissions officers aren’t going to count your personal statement word for word—going way over the word limit though will not be a plus for your application.

As mentioned, admissions officers have to read thousands of personal statements every year—so don’t go and give them extra homework.

Besides, you can tell a great story about yourself within the word limit. Being confined to five paragraphs or a couple of pages forces you to write only about the most important and interesting aspects of your story.

If you’re having trouble meeting the word limit, on the other hand, you probably don’t have enough to say about the topic you’ve selected. Go back to the drawing board and try telling a different story.

Do Obey The Rules Of Grammar

It’s okay to use a more personal style of writing, but admissions officers want to know you can write well—check your spelling, and follow the rules of grammar.

Your personal statement is not the place to use slang or casual language. But do show off your command of vocabulary—you want your personal statement to show you’re ready for college-level writing.

Do Personalize Your Statement

Be sure to reference the school you’re applying to in your personal statement— but don’t accidentally tell Yale how much you’re hoping to attend Harvard.

Even if you’re using the Common Application, you should tailor your personal statement to each school to which you’re applying. Mention the school in your closing paragraph, for example.

It’s fine to recycle the same personal statement for several applications—almost everyone does this—but don’t simply use the find-and-replace function to change the name of the school and be done with it.

Do a thorough once-over to make sure you haven’t accidentally mentioned how much you want to attend Duke in the personal statement you’re sending to Georgetown. (This might seem like a no-brainer, but admissions officials report goofs like this do happen all the time.)

Do Get Feedback

Have a few people look over your personal statement for you before you submit it—both to catch typos, and to assess its strengths and weaknesses.

After all the writing you’ll be doing, you’ll need a few other pairs of eyes to help you see what you’ve been missing. So, once you’ve written a draft of your personal statement, it’s a good idea to show it to others—friends, parents, teachers—and ask their opinions.

Do they think you’ve done a good job introducing yourself to the admissions committee? Did you misspell the college’s name or leave a comma out of place? Let someone else’s fresh perspective tighten up what you’ve put together so far and make it as great as possible.

Don’t Restate Your Resume

Don’t use your personal statement to repeat information admissions officers can find in other parts of your application.

You want your personal statement to stand out in a sea of applicants, and you also want to show a side of you that isn’t shown in the other parts of your application. So, don’t make the most common mistake that many applicants make.

That mistake is simply writing a laundry list of your extracurricular activities and academic accomplishments. Admissions officials can already get this information by looking at your application and high school transcript.

[leadmagnet_five]

Don’t Write About Sensitive Topics

Don’t write about anything that might make the reader feel awkward or uncomfortable—your personal statement should be positive and uplifting.

There are certain topics—domestic violence or sexual assault, for example—that might have had a profound impact on your life. You could be tempted to write about these things, to show how you have successfully overcome adversity. Don’t.

Not to downplay these experiences and their personal importance, but these topics, and others like them, are simply too sensitive to write about in a brief personal statement.

It’s not a bad idea to write about how you have overcome adversity, but your personal statement should be positive and leave your reader feeling good, not uncomfortable.

Don’t Have Someone Else Write Your Personal Statement For You

Admissions officers will be able to tell if someone else wrote your personal statement, so make sure the writing is all yours.

This might seem like another no-brainer, but each year, plenty of applicants have someone else write their personal statements for them. These applicants mistakenly think that asking a stronger writer or a native speaker to pen their essay will leave their application in better shape.

However, admissions committees are alert to this practice, and if your ‘voice’ in your personal statement is significantly different from the one in your SAT or ACT essay, admissions officers are going to know they’re not reading your actual writing.

Submitting someone else’s work as your own—better known as plagiarism—is not a good look for your application, and might result in an automatic ding.

Don’t Forget To Show Some Self-Awareness

Show admissions officers that you’re self-aware by avoiding topics that make you look spoiled or insensitive.

Be aware of the advantages you’ve grown up with so far in life. Plenty of students want to write about their life-changing trip to Costa Rica, for example.

But, unless you do so in a way that shows true cultural awareness or engagement with global issues, all you’re really doing is bragging about a really cool vacation that you took.

Unfortunately, that’s not something an admissions officer wants to read about while reviewing a giant pile of applications on their desk.

[leadmagnet_two]

Nor is this type of personal statement likely to reflect well upon you against other applicants, who are writing about topics like being the first in their family to attend college, overcoming an illness, or being an immigrant, for example. Take a minute to think about how your topic choice will come across before writing.

Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute To Write It

If you write your personal statement the same day as its due, it’s not going to be good enough to make a difference in your college admissions chances.

Don’t deprive yourself of the opportunity to write something that’ll catch an admissions officer’s eye, and help you stand out among thousands of other applicants, by procrastinating on your personal statement.

An effective, well-written personal statement takes requires some serious time and thought to do. You should try and get started on it in the summer before your senior year, so when school begins all you have left to do is dot those I’s and cross those t’s.

For more test strategy, college admissions, and scholarship application tips sign up for our FREE class happening right now!

Personal Statement Do’s and Don’ts FAQ

What is a personal statement.

The personal statement is an essay that educates admissions officials about who you are and why you deserve to be admitted to their institution.

What are the elements of an effective personal statement?

How early should i work on writing my personal statement.

You should try and get started on it in the summer before your senior year.

What shouldn’t I do when writing my personal statement?

Don’t restate your resume, wait until the last second, be arrogant, write about controversial topics, or have someone else write it for you.

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Personal Statement

7 Things to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

🚫 make sure you're not doing anything from this list..

If you're still writing your essay, start with this guide on writing a personal statement . But if you have a first draft, then go through this checklist and make sure you're NOT doing any of these 7 things.

1. Whining. Don't whine in your essay! Definitely talk about challenges you've faced in your life, and how you've grown, but don't spend too much time talking about how tough you've had it. You're not looking for pity; you're looking for respect. Take a look at this paragraph:

"Every time he cries, no matter what the reason is, my parents always blame me for making him cry. I have tasted the injustice, but I cannot do anything to it. Since the birth of my brother, half of my time has been spent on him instead of hanging out with friends after school. My mom has stopped attending anything related to my education. I feel like I am not only the foreigner to this country, but also to this family that I belong to. My family always tells me that it is my responsibility to care about my brother, meaning I need to fill out every form for him, everything!"

See how it just feels like a list of complaints? Avoid doing this.

2. Someone else is the hero. Your essay might talk about someone else in your life who has had a positive or negative influence on you. But, make sure you're still the hero of the story! If you have more than 1-2 paragraphs talking about someone else, you might need to rewrite your essay. Take a look at this paragraph:

"Ultimately, my sister did a lot of seemingly spontaneous and irrational things. But, I realized these moments were some of the most satisfying and transformative moments growing up. I realized that my sister’s humor worked its way into my heart and loosened the constraints I put myself through previously. Progressively, I went from somebody who, in their frantic, stressed life, became discouraged when not getting what they expect to someone who finds value in every moment."

Tbh, the sister in this story seems the most interesting - as a reader, I want to know more about her. She seems pretty cool. On the flip side, we haven't learned much about the narrator.

3. Reads like a resume. Your resume is like the polished, fancy version of you. Your essay is your chance to be honest, personal, and vulnerable. Don't list off your accomplishments and only focus on all the shiny, good parts of your life. Give the reader a chance to connect with you.

Don't fake smile - be your true, authentic self.

4. Lack of focus. This is the most common issue we see. Don't throw in details that aren't relevant to the story you're telling. Every sentence you write should contribute to the overall story you're telling. Take a look at this paragraph:

"After exams, my father took us out to dinner. I cherished every single dish, licking my plate clean while my mother chided me on how improper that is. Back home, she scolded me about tiny stains of food on my shirt, all the while trying to hide a smile. I studied for these moments too. She suffers from depression, so it is rare to see her smile. On an oddly cold Tuesday morning, I got a call from the British Council; I had scored the highest marks in Economics in Pakistan."

See how there are too many distracting details? It's like, each sentence gives us something that we want to know more about, but then just moves on. Why does the narrator cherish each dish? How has his mother's depression affected him? Unless you're planning to dig deep into details like these, don't include them.

Stay focused! Don't try to do too many things at once.

5. Leaves out personal growth. If your essay is about overcoming a challenge or changing as a person, make sure you focus the bulk of your essay on how you grew and changed. Don't just brush over it. Check out these paragraphs:

"After a male teacher directly asked if synchronized swimming took any effort, I vowed never to tell another soul about my sport. My floral swim cap, which once stood proudly on my dresser like a brightly colored flag, slowly inched its way deeper into my dresser. Now at sixteen, I have accepted my existence in floral swim caps."

See how we're set up to learn how the narrator changed? She talks about how she was hiding herself and her passions. But, then she never actually talks about the process of accepting herself. What happened? Did she find support from her friends? Did winning a competition change her perspective? But she never addresses it, and just says that she accepts herself now.

Don't hide the tough moments or challenges - overcoming obstacles in your life make you who you are, and this essay is about sharing who you are.

6. Overcomplicated language. Don't overcomplicate your sentences. Don't use super long sentences - limit it to 2 independent clauses per sentence unless you have a REALLY good reason for something longer.

And try not to sound like a thesaurus. Don't say things like "I was already being informed about the divergent underlying notions encompassing gender." Just say "I was already learning about the different expectations for different genders."

Be you, don't be pretentious.

7. Incorrect grammar or spelling. Check your grammar! Use spellcheck or grammarly to make sure you don't have any grammar issues in your essay.

Now, make sure you also know the 5 things you SHOULD do in your personal statement.

MORE GUIDES

Alan Bullock Careers

Independent careers adviser and writer, ucas personal statements: 20 things to put and 20 things not to put (2023 update).

“This is a must-read for students applying for Uni, especially the don’ts.” (Head of Careers, University of Warwick, October 2021)

I originally wrote this several years ago as four separate online articles for the former Which? University website. The articles were extremely popular at the time and reached many thousands of readers, drawing lots of positive feedback from students, parents, teachers and advisers alike. I re-published them on my blog as one integrated article in 2021 and have since made some further improvements to it.

My aim is to prompt applicants with some suggestions about the kind of content universities like to see in a personal statement … and what they would prefer not to see.

One message I would like to add as a preface is that your personal statement will be very important for most courses at some unis and for some courses at most unis, especially if there’s strong competition for places. But equally, it’s fairly unusual for applicants to be rejected purely because of their statement, as long as they’ve researched and prepared for it sensibly and written it with care, and that they’ve made a realistic choice of unis and courses. In that context, my advice would be to see it as an opportunity not a threat, a point which is reinforced in the quote right at the end of the article.

———-

Article 1: 10 things to put in your personal statement

No two personal statements should be the same (the clue is in the personal ) but there are certain additions that will get the attention of the admissions tutor reading it, whatever subject you want to study.

I asked admissions tutors for their views on this and here’s what they said. 1. Explain your reasons for wanting to study the course

What motivates you to take this course at university level? Mention how your interest developed, what you’ve done to pursue it or how you’ve drawn inspiration from your current studies. Or just demonstrate your enthusiasm for the subject.

“Be specific from line one.” (English admissions tutor)

2. Explain how you’re right for the course

Provide evidence that you fit the bill. Demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria, or show that you’ve researched the course or profession and understand what studying the subject at university level will involve … and that you’re prepared for this.

“Keep on topic and show that you’ve really done your research and know why you want to do the course.” (Sport admissions tutor)

3. Reflect on what you’ve learned beyond the classroom

If possible, outline how you’ve pursued your interest in your chosen subject beyond your current syllabus. This is sometimes referred to as your ‘super-curricular’ learning.

For example, talk about any further reading you’ve done around the subject and give your critical views or reflective opinions about it. This could be from books, quality newspapers, websites, periodicals, scientific journals, films, documentaries, videos, radio programmes, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, attending public lectures and so on.

However, try to avoid mentioning the wider reading that everyone else is also doing. For example, I’ve often seen personal statements for Economics that mention Levitt and Dubner’s book ‘Freakonomics’, but this book is so popular and well-known that it once prompted a busy university admissions tutor to say to me: “If I have to read about Freakonomics one more time, I’ll scream.” A slight exaggeration of course, but hopefully you get my drift.

4. Reflect on any relevant experience(s) …

Reflect on your experiences, explaining what you’ve learned from them or how they’ve helped develop your interest in the subject. This could be work experience, work shadowing, a part-time job, volunteering, university open days or tasters, summer schools, museum or gallery visits, stage performances, cultural events, archaeological digs, visits to the local courts, travel, competitions, a maths challenge or even just a conversation with someone who does what you want to do.

“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.” (Archaeology admissions tutor)

5. … Especially if you’re applying for a vocational subject

Reflecting on relevant experience or observation will be essential for some professional courses, where in effect you’re applying for the career as well as the course:

“ Reflect on your experience, don’t just describe it. Talk about the skills the profession needs, how you’ve noticed this and how you’ve developed those skills yourself.” (Occupational Therapy admissions tutor)

“Whatever environment you’ve been in, what did you spot or learn from what happens there? Or what did you observe about how the qualities exhibited by professional staff helped them engage effectively with patients or service-users?” (Medicine admissions tutor)

6. Can you demonstrate transferable skills?

Yes you can! And admissions tutors will want to hear about them. For example, it could be your ability to work independently, teamwork, good time management, problem-solving, leadership, listening or organisational skills.

7. Expand on the most relevant ones

But don’t simply list off the skills you think you have. Think about which ones relate most readily to the course you’re applying to, then demonstrate how you’ve developed, used or improved one or two of them. Again, admissions tutors want to hear about specific examples, like:

projects or assignments (what role did you play, what went well?)
positions of responsibility (what did you achieve, how has it improved your self-confidence?)
activities like sport, music or drama (what did you learn from your role, how did you work as a team?)
activities like Young Enterprise or the Duke of Edinburgh Award (what was the biggest challenge and how did you overcome it …. or what went wrong and what did you learn from that?)
volunteering or part-time job (what have you observed, what extra responsibilities have you taken on, what skills have you demonstrated yourself?)

8. Show that you’re a critical thinker

University is all about being able to think independently and analytically, so being able to demonstrate that you’re working like this already is a big plus point. Explaining how one of your A-Level or IB subjects, a BTEC assignment, a T-Level placement, or additional studies such as the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) has made you think more critically could be an effective way of doing this.

“If you’re taking the EPQ, do talk about it as it’s the kind of studying you’ll be doing at uni.” (Modern languages admissions tutor)

9. What’s the longer-term plan?

Mention what your longer-term goals are if you can do this in an interesting way or if you’ve got a specific path in mind. But if you do, then try and show a spark of individuality or imagination.

“Just saying you want to be a journalist isn’t going to stand you out from the crowd.” (History admissions tutor)

If you haven’t got a specific path in mind, maybe just talk about what you’re looking forward to at uni and what you want to gain from your course or from university life.

If you’re applying for deferred entry, do mention your gap year plans if you’ve made a firm decision to take a year out. Most courses are happy for you to take a gap year, but will want to know briefly how you plan to spend it.

10. Keep it positive

It can be difficult to get going with your personal statement, but don’t panic. Start with your strengths, focus on your enthusiasm for the course and talk positively about yourself. Or check out my separate article on ‘How to write a killer opening’.

Article 2: 10 more things to put in your personal statement

My original top ten of what to put in your personal statement was so popular, they asked me to write some more. So to help you ensure that your personal statement stands out, here are ten more key points that uni admissions tutors – the people who will actually be reading your statement – told me they’re really looking for.

1. Paragraphs

Use paragraphs rather than one solid block of text. This will help you to organise your material and make it more readable. A statement with clearly-defined, well-structured paragraphs will look a lot easier on the eye to an admissions tutor who has hundreds to read. Because you can’t indent on UCAS Apply, leaving a line between each paragraph will look even better. But on the other hand, if you do leave a line between paragraphs, they will all count towards your 47 and therefore you won’t be able to write so much. Deciding whether to leave a line between paragraphs is therefore a matter of personal choice and it might even be a good question to ask at a uni open day , to see which they prefer. One way to get the best of both worlds and to make the most of all 47 lines is not to leave a line between your paragraphs, but to tweak them so that the final line of each paragraph finishes midway or at least before the end of the line. That way, it still looks like a separate paragraph.

2. A balance of academic and extra-curricular content

Universities tend to suggest that you focus about 75% on your academic interests and why you want to study the course, and no more than 25% on the extra-curricular dimension that shows you’re a rounded person. This is a useful guideline.

That said, it’s not a hard and fast rule. So if you don’t do much outside your studies, don’t pretend, just focus mainly on your academic interests and talk about what you think instead of what you do. Different courses will need different approaches too, especially if you’re applying for a professional course like Medicine, Nursing, Primary Teaching or Social Work, which will need much more emphasis on your relevant insights or experience. On the other hand, for subjects like Law, Psychology, Engineering or Business, where having relevant work experience is very useful but not actually essential, maybe think about other ways that you’ve observed or engaged with the subject, or demonstrated relevant skills, like in your wider reading, hobbies, personal life, enterprise activities or part-time job.

3. Evidence that you’ve researched your choices

If your statement is all about your passion for media production, but their course is all about media theory and analysis, they won’t be impressed. Likewise, raving about Ancient Rome won’t impress if their history course starts in 1500. So do research the courses thoroughly and ensure that the content of your statement shows that you know what you’re applying for. Some university websites (such as Bristol and LSE) have sections on what their admissions tutors typically look for in personal statements and this sometimes includes specific advice for individual courses. You could be at a big disadvantage if you haven’t checked these out.

4. Engagement with your chosen subject

An admissions tutor wants you to stand out from the crowd, but in a good way. You won’t achieve this by being bizarre, or with meaningless clichés like ‘I was born to dance’, ‘biology is my life’ or ‘it has always been my dream to be a vet’.

Instead, show your genuine enthusiasm and engagement with your chosen subject by reflecting on what you gained or learned from the book you found in the library that changed your views, or the relevant experiences you’ve had, or a project you did, or the podcast you just heard, or the summer school or public lecture you went to. This will help you get the tutor’s attention and demonstrate that you’ve engaged with a subject in a reflective way.

5. Lateral thinking

Do talk about what inspires you about your chosen course, but try to avoid the more obvious and popular things that hundreds of other applicants will write about. For example, a Criminology statement that reflects on crime in the 19th century or the causes and effects of vandalism on the estate where you live might have more impact than yet another one that talks about serial killers or a TV series that everyone else watches too. Think outside the box.

6. Honesty and being yourself

Be honest and be yourself. It’s your voice they want to hear. And if there’s even a remote chance that you might be invited for an interview, your statement will need to stand up to close scrutiny. You won’t want any exaggerated claims coming back to haunt you.

7. Enthusiasm and curiosity

Admissions tutors are likely to love their subject and they want to teach students who share their enthusiasm. If you can also demonstrate curiosity, maybe by giving one or two examples of what you’d like to learn more about, that’s even better.

“Most of all we want people who are enthusiastic about the course”.

8. Saying HOW

SHOW, DON’T TELL. Provide examples and evidence that demonstrate what you think or do. For example:

HOW has playing basketball improved your teamwork skills?
HOW has doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award made you a better leader?
HOW did reading about the historical context of Yeats’ poetry change your understanding?
HOW did you get the elderly man with dementia in the nursing home where you volunteer to tell you about his life?
HOW did you get a new insight into law or psychology in your Saturday job on the deli counter at Sainsbury’s?
HOW did you personally cope with the academic or personal challenges caused by the pandemic?

9. Saying what you want from your course

Admissions tutors often mention this. As well as outlining what you can offer them, what do you want them to help you achieve?

10. Ending on a positive note

Make the conclusion short and sharp, choosing your key message carefully and conveying it concisely. Don’t simply regurgitate what you’ve already said. Finish on a positive note with something that adds to your statement.

If you’re struggling to think of a conclusion, two unis I spoke to said they especially look out for applicants who will be good ambassadors for the university. If you already do things at school or college that make you a good ambassador, maybe mention how you hope to build on this at uni.

Article 3: 10 things NOT to put in your personal statement

University admissions tutors read hundreds of personal statements from students each year. But what don’t they want to see? Here are some of the ‘pet hates’ they mentioned … and it might be best to steer well clear of them.

1. Quotations

It’s your voice they want to hear, not Coco Chanel, Einstein, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, David Attenborough, Descartes or Napoleon’s. So don’t put a quote in unless it’s really necessary to make a critical point, otherwise it’s a waste of your 47 lines.

“We ignore quotes, so it’s a waste of space.”

“So many applicants use the same quotes and the worst scenario is when it comes right at the start of the statement with no explanation.”

“I don’t care what Locke thinks, I want to know what YOU think.”

Or as a Sport admissions tutor said: “I’m totally fed up with Muhammad Ali quotes.”

Avoid giving a list of all the books you’ve read, countries you’ve visited, work experience placements you’ve done or positions you’ve held. For starters, it’s boring to read. It’s not what you’ve done, it’s what you think about it or learned from it that matters.

A Dentistry admissions tutor summed it up well:

“I would much rather read about what you learned from observing one filling than a list of all the procedures you saw.”

3. Platitudes and over-used clichés

Avoid ‘from a young age’, ‘since I was a child’, ‘I’ve always been fascinated by’, ‘I have a thirst for knowledge’, ‘the world we live in today’, ‘law is all around us’, … hopefully you get the idea. They constantly recur in personal statements and don’t really say anything. Or as one admissions tutor said: “Don’t give me platitudes” .

In my own experience, and I’ve read thousands of statements over the years, the first two on that list are probably the most frequent. If you’ve written your first draft and ‘from a young age’ or ‘since I was a child’ are in the first line, ditch it and try to think of a more specific way to open your statement.

4. Bigging yourself up with sweeping statements or unproven claims

More phrases to avoid: ‘I genuinely believe I’m a highly motivated student’ or ‘My achievements are vast’. Instead give specific examples that provide concrete evidence. Show, don’t tell!

5. The word ‘passion’

If possible, try to demonstrate your passion but don’t actually use the word.

“The word ‘passion’ (or ‘passionate’) is incredibly over-used.”

“Try to convey your passion without using the word ‘passion’.”

6. Stilted vocabulary

Frequent use of words or phrases like ‘fuelled my desire’, ‘I was enthralled by’ or ‘that world-renowned author Jane Austen’ make you sound a bit fake or like you’re over-using the thesaurus.

If you wouldn’t say something in a day-to-day conversation or discussion, don’t say it in your statement. It’s even worse if you get it slightly wrong, like ‘I was encapsulated by the bibliography of Richard Branson’ or ‘it was in Year 10 that my love for Chemistry came forth’ (or, worse still, ‘came fourth’, which is what one applicant actually wrote).

7. Plagiarism, lies, exaggeration or using AI

UCAS uses stringent similarity and plagiarism software and your chosen universities will be told if you copy anything from another source. Don’t be tempted to do it!

This extends to using an AI tool such as ChatGPT too, although UCAS does advise that you could use AI legitimately to give you ideas about topics that might be relevant to your chosen subject or to suggest ways of structuring your statement or to check your draft statement for readability. But don’t be tempted to use AI to actually write it for you.

As for exaggeration, don’t say you’ve read a book when you’ve only read a chapter; you never know when it might catch you out at a university interview.

“If you didn’t do it, read it or see it, don’t claim it.”

8. Trying to be funny or quirky

Humour, informality or quirkiness can be effective in the right setting but it’s a big risk, so be careful.

“It can be spectacularly good – or spectacularly bad.”

“An admissions tutor is not guaranteed to have your sense of humour.”

“Weird is not a selling point.”

9. Negative comments or excuses

Don’t talk about why you haven’t done something, or why you dropped a subject. Focus on the positives.

10. Irrelevant personal facts – the ‘So what?’ rule

Before you write about playing badminton, or how your love of reading started when you were given a Beatrix Potter book when you were five, apply the ‘SO WHAT?’ rule. Does it make a useful contribution and help explain why you should be given a place on the course? If not, scrap it.

Article 4: 10 more things NOT to put in your personal statement

My original 10 personal statement don’ts article was so popular that they asked me to come back with this follow-up. So here’s a fresh set of things you really shouldn’t include in your statement.

1. Incorrect spelling and bad grammar

Don’t forget poor punctuation either. These are obvious and easily-avoided issues, so check and double check before you submit your application. Grammar and spelling crimes could result in rejection, especially if you’re applying to a very competitive course.

“Law is a subject that requires precision and one spelling mistake can mean rejection.” (Law admissions tutor)

My personal favourite was the student who wrote: “I have a part-time job as a waiter at Raymond Blanc’s Brassiere”. A brassiere is a bra and the correct word should have been Brasserie, but the good news is that we spotted and corrected it. He also added an excellent sentence reflecting on the transferable skills he developed in the role and subsequently got offers from all five unis he applied to.

2. Long sentences

Keep it concise. If some of your sentences are several lines long and only separated with commas, or worse still not punctuated at all, try to break them up with more full stops.

3. Stating the obvious

Consider this sentence: ‘In my work experience I learned to communicate effectively with clients, which is an important skill in accountancy.’ It’s the last part of this sentence that’s stating the obvious. Admissions tutors don’t need you to tell them it’s an important skill, that much is obvious. Instead, explain how you learned to communicate effectively and maybe give them an actual example. Or alternatively, elaborate on what you’ve observed yourself about the importance of effective communication in accountancy.

4. Repeating irrelevant academic details

Your qualifications, subjects, grades and other personal details are listed elsewhere in your UCAS application, so you don’t need to list them in your personal statement or start by saying ‘I am currently studying…’. It’s a waste of those precious 4,000 characters. Nor do you have to write about all the subjects or courses you’re taking, unless you really want to. Be selective. Statements that say ‘Maths has given me this, English has given me this and Psychology has given me this…’ tend to come across as dull and unimaginative. Besides, admissions tutors especially like to know what you have engaged with beyond the syllabus rather than just within it.

5. Rhetorical questions and other waffle

‘So why should I be considered for a place on your course?’. ‘Why astrophysics?’. To put it bluntly, rhetorical questions like these just sound patronising; they serve no purpose and waste space. The same applies to waffle of any kind. As a senior admissions tutor once told me, “we have a waffle detector gland” .

6. ‘When I was young’

This is a common complaint from admissions tutors. It can be tempting to begin your personal statement with something that first inspired you when you were six, but unis actually prefer to hear about something more recent or, better still, what is it that inspires you now? This is another reason why ‘from a young age’ or ‘since I was a child’ tend to be ineffective.

7. Flattery

Some statements have a tendency towards flattery, with sentences like ‘it would be an honour to be offered a place at your world-renowned university’. Don’t do it! It’s not what an admissions tutor wants to hear. What they do want to find out is what you can offer them , or what you aspire to learn from them, not that you’re only choosing their course or university because of its prestigious reputation.

8. Names of universities

Avoid showing preference for a specific university unless there’s a good reason to mention them or unless you’re applying for only one.

9. Being formulaic … and letting adults interfere

“Too many statements are formulaic” is a frequent comment I’ve heard from universities. Following a standard formula or template could mean that your statement just won’t stand out. Yes, there are guidelines and criteria you might wish to follow and it’s very sensible to do so. But do be imaginative as well, within reason. That said, don’t be too weird or off-the-wall in your approach. But equally, don’t let anyone force you to be excessively conventional either and don’t be afraid to demonstrate your individuality.

It’s right to get your personal statement proof-read too but be cautious about letting other people edit it for you. If you do, the danger is that your own voice gets lost and it may end up sounding more like the 47-year-old person who edited it than the 17-year-old who wrote it. There’s a balance to be struck here, which is reflected in a couple of other quotes I’ve picked up from admissions tutors:

“The worst statements are polished but boring.”

“If an adult has helped you write it, we can tell.”

10. Finally, don’t panic!

Stay calm. It’s difficult not to perceive your statement as a scary obstacle, but admissions tutors want you to view it as an opportunity to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the course, along with any insights or experiences that show you are a good prospective uni student. A Geography admissions tutor at a Russell Group university explained it like this and I think it’s a reassuring way to conclude this article:

“The reason students come here is because they’re fascinated by the subject. So we just want you to demonstrate this in your statement, along with an extra-curricular dimension that provides a bit of evidence to show that (for example) you work well in a team.”

You might also find it useful to check out my other two personal statement articles, which you’ll find adjacent to this one on the blog page of my website:

How to write a killer opening : https://alanbullockcareers.com/2022/06/25/ucas-personal-statements-writing-a-killer-opening-june-2022-update/
Applying for a mixture of courses : https://alanbullockcareers.com/2022/06/25/ucas-personal-statements-applying-for-a-mixture-of-courses-june-2022-update/

My featured image is a photo I took at Swansea University’s Bay Campus.

http://www.alanbullockcareers.com

What Not To Put In A Personal Statement

Published October 19, 2021

Are you wondering what not to put in a personal statement ? If you are then this is the guide for you!

A personal statement can be thought of as an essay that you write to describe who you are. The content of a personal statement is one of the most critical factors in determining if you have a chance to be accepted to your chosen university.

It’s no secret that there are wordings and styles of writing you should avoid putting in your personal statement . A single sentence written out of context can potentially ruin your personal statement!

So if you want to avoid that from happening, you need to go over this list, discussing what not to put in your personal statement.

Let’s crack on!

Claims With No Evidence

You might be thinking, “What could possibly go wrong with listing down what I’m good at?” Well, for one, listing down your strengths without evidence is a fatal mistake.

Related Read : How To Write A Personal Statement?

If you say you have good leadership skills, why not write down the awards you received to back up your claim? Mentioning prominent positions you’ve had in your organisations is also an excellent way to prove your skills.

Listing down your strengths without evidence shows poor credibility on your part. Remember this when you’re thinking of what not to put in a personal statement!

Skills Or Extracurricular Activities Irrelevant For Your Course

You’ve listed down your strengths with sufficient evidence to back up your claim. Now ask yourself the question: how do your strengths relate to your course?

Sure, you have outstanding leadership skills, but how will you use that in the field of chemistry? Say you’re an excellent debater; will that give you an edge when applying for engineering?

Make sure you tie your strengths back to the course you’re applying for. If you don’t, you might as well not put them in. You only have 4,000 characters to convince the panel that you are worth accepting.

Make each word count!

Poor Grammar And Spelling

Poor grammar and spelling are essential criteria when talking about what not to put in a personal statement. Spelling and grammatical errors can ruin decent content for a personal statement.

They show that you didn’t care enough to go over your personal statement and improve the quality.

Are you a budding medic? Here’s how to write a medical personal statement .

If you want to prove that you are a worthy applicant for your course, demonstrate your careful attention to detail by eliminating spelling and grammatical errors. Make it easy and pleasant for the admissions committee to read.

Doing so increases your chances of admittance by a hundredfold!

Failures And Regrets

Failures and regrets are some of the biggest things to remember on what not to put in a personal statement.

Why? Because your personal statement is a personal essay that sells you to universities for acceptance. Not an autobiography for you to inspire somebody like self-help books often do.

Mentioning how you failed Statistics or regret not trying out for the football team doesn’t accomplish very much when convincing the admissions committee that you’re potential student material.

But there is an exception to this rule. If your failure contributed significantly to developing your relevant skill, you may go ahead and write it down. As long as you make the connection explicit, you’re good to go!

Keep this progression in your mind: failure, skill development, then tie it back to your course. This narration structure demonstrates your grit and determination to try harder.

Sentences That Lead Nowhere

Avoid one-liners or sentences that don’t fit the context of your personal statement. If you’re writing about what inspired you to study engineering, don’t just mention inspirations and leave them hanging. Did a particular invention spark your interest?

Discuss why it sparked your interest. Could it be that the invention helped lift thousands of people from energy shortage? Perhaps it has helped alleviate global warming?

If so, how is that invention relevant in the 21st century? Then, if given the opportunity, what improvements would you make to enhance its usefulness in society? Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for you to discuss technology ideas you have in mind. You may want to pursue it if the universities accept you.

From the universities’ point of view, they’ll be thrilled to accept a student who plans to invent a potentially groundbreaking tech. Do you see where this is going?

Each sentence in your personal statement has to build upon one another to come across as coherent. One sentence that leads nowhere will leave your reader hanging and perplexed. You can quickly lose the momentum you’ve worked so hard to gain.

So “sentences that lead nowhere” should be in your “what not to put in a personal statement” list!

Quotes That Don’t Fit

Quotes are powerful, authoritative, and timeless. They can easily lift your personal statement to a higher level. But you need to know how to use them to their fullest potential. Or they may end up ruining your personal statement!

So if you want to use quotes, make sure they fit the context of your personal statement. You cannot drop in a random quote by Theodore Roosevelt with no connection to your story and how your experience relates to your determination to study the course.

One of the best ways to make quotes work is to interweave them throughout your personal statement. Explain how the quote inspired you to be a volunteer in the local kitchen soup. Then explain how your experience in the kitchen soup motivated you to apply for the course.

For a full-blast ending, mention your quote again in your conclusion.

Related Read: How To Conclude Your Personal Statement?

Facts With No Context

By now, you have substantial know-how on what not to put in a personal statement. But there’s more – facts with no context.

You don’t have to demonstrate your knowledge by discussing facts or histories. Chances are, the admissions already know what you’re talking about. They probably know more than you do!

So steer clear of textbook-type explanations. Your personal statement is not a research paper! It’s a personal essay aimed at showing the reader why you should be admitted as their student. That’s why you need to nail your facts or histories in context by explaining how these helped you in your personal development. What realisations did you have that urged you to hone your skills?

Don’t forget to tie your skills in with your course, writing why they’re essential for you to succeed in the field.

Made Up Stories

Making up stories is an absolute red line you must never cross. But it’s not easy to resist when you feel the pressure to impress and stand out. When you do feel the pressure, think of the effects down the road.

How would you prepare for a university interview if they were to ask you a question about the made-up story? Slight exaggerations, no matter how believable, can still knock you out cold when caught off-guard!

Say you mentioned that you read a particular journal article. Here comes an up-to-date professor who knows the latest research papers like the back of their hand. They ask you a question about it, but your poor answers reveal the truth that you made the story up.

Do you feel the chills crawling down your spine at the very thought? Good! Please don’t do it! It’s not worth it.

Not only can it ruin your chances of being admitted. But it can also potentially damage your career options years later!

Childhood Aspirations

Childhood aspirations carry little weight in personal statements. Why? Because you didn’t have the knowledge, experience, or skills yet to make an informed choice of your course.

The admissions committee is not looking to know your whole life story. What they want to know is if you’re a great fit as a student of your course.

Do you have the necessary experience and skills to succeed in your chosen field of study? What’s your purpose? What are your long-term plans?

Mentioning your childhood aspirations will only waste much-needed space in your personal statement. Replace what’s not needed with what’s necessary. Choose only the best and most relevant of your experience and strengths and put them on your personal statement.

If you want to avoid writing what not to put in your personal statement, this list should be a great starting point.

The main idea is to nail down each sentence in context. Every line should support the whole point of your personal statement. That is, to convince the admissions committee that you are qualified to be their student.

So keep your personal statement clear of these common errors, and you’ll have greater chances of succeeding!

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Personal Statements: Examples, Do's and Don'ts

As the name suggests, a personal statement is unique to everyone, but that does not mean there are not specific personal statement rules and guidelines to follow. Being able to quickly showcase your skills, personality and job fit can be challenging, so we are here to shed some light on structuring a personal statement that’ll make you stand out from the crowd.

In this guide, we will be looking at how to write a personal statement and the do’s and don’ts. By the end, you should have a better idea of how to structure a personal statement and impress your potential new employers.

💡 Note: We will be covering professional personal statements and not personal statements for University admissions in this article.

What is a personal statement?

Often confused with a cover letter or supporting statement, a personal statement is a small section on various forms of CVs. A personal statement is often no more than a few sentences where you can quickly summarise your skills, experience and job fit into a bitesize paragraph.

A personal statement gives you the opportunity to briefly sell yourself to your potential employer and showcase why you are the best candidate for the role. It is important to note that not all employers will require a personal statement, but if done correctly they can help set you apart from other applicants.

What makes a good personal statement?

As a personal statement is essentially a summary of the rest of your CV and you as a person, you want to ensure you list all the most important things from your CV that are the most relevant to the job you are applying for. You should never use the same personal statement, when applying for multiple jobs you can use a similar statement for each, but it should be tailored to each individual role if possible.

How to start a personal statement

Start your personal statement by introducing yourself and set the tone for the rest of your personal statement.

You want to capture the employer’s interest and summarise exactly why you are a perfect fit for the role. Most personal statement examples start with saying the role you are currently in, how much industry experience you have and key achievements or relevant skills and statistics.

How to finish a personal statement

A good way to finish your personal statement is to summarise your overall goal or aim when moving forwards towards this job and your career. This means you have spoken about the past, present and future, in just a few lines and gives the employer a good idea of you and your potential.

How to finish a personal statement can vary from role to role, but this is a good rule of thumb and will stand you in good stead, as with any application, tailor it to the job, some may call for this, some may not.

Personal statement do’s

Tailor your personal statement - utilise the job description to help you highlight exactly what the employer is looking for, highlight the skills and experience it calls for. The job description is the blueprint to your personal statement for that role, so try and signpost your abilities from the exact things the employer is looking for.
Be concise - ensure that you keep your personal statement short and relevant, aim for the maximum of a few lines or around 200 words at most. Find the most important and relevant things that you can say within that word count.
Highlight you - candidates have a habit of being too generic and not showcasing themselves, it is called a personal statement, so keep it personal to you. Personal does not mean talking about your dog though, but how you personally can succeed at this job.
Include tangibles - always try to give additional details that add value to your application, for instance, quantifying something always makes it sound better. ‘Increased sales by 35%’ sounds better than just saying ‘increased sales’.
Hit key points - a good personal statement will be able to give the employer a quick summary of you and entice them to read more or move you forward to the interview stage.
Get a second opinion - having someone else read over your personal statement can be a real help, they may spot something you haven’t or not understand something the way you had intended. This will help improve your finished personal statement.

Personal statement don’ts

Use the same wording - you can actually hurt your own chances if you use an overly generic personal statement. You want to show that you have put effort into your application and impress the employer.
Make it too long - candidates will often confuse their personal statement with a cover letter, this is a short rundown of you, focus on skills, successes, and statistics, things that can be quickly digested. Grab their attention with your personal statement, but do not bore them with an essay.
Go too personal - this may sound strange, but remember you are writing a professional application, and not setting up a dating profile. Focus on what you can bring to the company, and how your skills would be perfect for the role.
Send off your first draft - always read over your personal statement a few times to make sure it flows right and rolls off the tongue. Having a spelling or grammar mistake can ruin your chances of getting the job.
Be too broad - showing that you understood the job description and are a good candidate for the role can be evident if you have a good personal statement, but being too broad will make you look like you copy and pasted the same response to 20 applications.

What next?

Now you have a better understanding on how to structure your personal statement to increase your chances of getting your new role, you want to start your job search . Currently at Michael Page, we have over 10,000 live jobs on the site so submit your CV today to become discoverable for new roles added in your industry.

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By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 18 August 2023 | 22 min read

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

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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.

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How to Write a Personal Statement That Wows Colleges

← What Is an Application Theme and Why Is It Important?

10 Personal Statement Examples That Work →

Most of the college applications process is fairly cut and dry. You’ll submit information about your classes and grades, standardized test scores, and various other accomplishments and honors. On much of the application, your accomplishments must speak for themselves.

The personal statement is different though, and it’s your chance to let your voice be heard. To learn more about the personal statement, how to choose a topic, and how to write one that wows colleges, don’t miss this post.

What is the Personal Statement?

Personal statements are used in both undergraduate and graduate admissions. For undergrad admissions, personal statements are any essays students must write to submit their main application. For example, the Common App Essay and Coalition Application Essay are examples of personal statements. Similarly, the ApplyTexas Essays and University of California Essays are also good examples .

Personal statements in college admissions are generally not school-specific (those are called “supplemental essays”). Instead, they’re sent to a wide range of schools, usually every school you apply to.

What is the Purpose of the Personal Statement?

The personal statement is generally your opportunity to speak to your unique experiences, qualities, or beliefs that aren’t elsewhere represented on the application. It is a chance to break away from the data that defines you on paper, and provide a glimpse into who you really are. In short, it’s the admissions committee’s chance to get to know the real you.

So, what are colleges looking for in your personal statement? They are looking for something that sets you apart. They are asking themselves: do you write about something truly unique? Do you write about something common, in a new and interesting way? Do you write about an aspect of your application that needed further explanation? All of these are great ways to impress with your personal statement.

Beyond getting to know you, admissions committees are also evaluating your writing skills. Are you able to write clearly and succinctly? Can you tell an engaging story? Writing effectively is an important skill in both college and life, so be sure to also fine-tune your actual writing (grammar and syntax), not just the content of your essay.

Is your personal statement strong enough? Get a free review of your personal statement with CollegeVine’s Peer Essay Review.

How To a Choose A Topic For Your Personal Statement

Most of the time, you’re given a handful of prompts to choose from. Common personal statement prompts include:

Central aspect of your identity (activity, interest, talent, background)
Overcoming a failure
Time you rose to a challenge or showed leadership
Experience that changed your beliefs
Problem you’d like to solve
Subject or idea that captivates you

One of the questions that we hear most often about the personal statement is, “How do I choose what to write about?” For some students, the personal statement prompt triggers an immediate and strong idea. For many more, there is at least initially some uncertainty.

We often encourage students to think less about the exact prompt and more about what aspects of themselves they think are most worthy of highlighting. This is especially helpful if you’re offered a “topic of your choice” prompt, as the best essay topic for you might actually be one you make up!

For students with an interesting story or a defining background, these can serve as the perfect catalyst to shape your approach. For students with a unique voice or different perspective, simple topics written in a new way can be engaging and insightful.

Finally, you need to consider the rest of your application when you choose a topic for your personal statement. If you are returning from a gap year, failed a single class during sophomore year, or participated extensively in something you’re passionate about that isn’t elsewhere on your application, you might attempt to address one of these topics in your statement. After all, the admissions committee wants to get to know you and understand who you really are, and these are all things that will give them a deeper understanding of that.

Still, tons of students have a decent amount of writer’s block when it comes to choosing a topic. This is understandable since the personal statement tends to be considered rather high stakes. To help you get the ball rolling, we recommend the post What If I Don’t Have Anything Interesting To Write About In My College Essay?

Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for College

1. approach this as a creative writing assignment..

Personal statements are difficult for many students because they’ve never had to do this type of writing. High schoolers are used to writing academic reports or analytical papers, but not creative storytelling pieces.

The point of creative writing is to have fun with it, and to share a meaningful story. Choose a topic that inspires you so that you’ll enjoy writing your essay. It doesn’t have to be intellectual or impressive at all. You have your transcript and test scores to prove your academic skills, so the point of the personal statement is to give you free rein to showcase your personality. This will result in a more engaging essay and reading experience for admissions officers.

As you’re writing, there’s no need to follow the traditional five-paragraph format with an explicit thesis. Your story should have an overarching message, but it doesn’t need to be explicitly stated—it should shine through organically.

Your writing should also feel natural. While it will be more refined than a conversation with your best friend, it shouldn’t feel stuffy or contrived when it comes off your tongue. This balance can be difficult to strike, but a tone that would feel natural when talking with an admired teacher or a longtime mentor is usually a good fit.

2. Show, don’t tell.

One of the biggest mistakes students make is to simply state everything that happened, instead of actually bringing the reader to the moment it happened, and telling a story. It’s boring to read: “I was overjoyed and felt empowered when I finished my first half marathon.” It’s much more interesting when the writing actually shows you what happened and what the writer felt in that moment: “As I rounded the final bend before the finish line, my heart fluttered in excitement. The adrenaline drowned out my burning legs and gasping lungs. I was going to finish my first half marathon! This was almost incomprehensible to me, as someone who could barely run a mile just a year ago.”

If you find yourself starting to write your essay like a report, and are having trouble going beyond “telling,” envision yourself in the moment you want to write about. What did you feel, emotionally and physically? Why was this moment meaningful? What did you see or hear? What were your thoughts?

For inspiration, read some memoirs or personal essays, like The New York Times Modern Love Column . You could also listen to podcasts of personal stories, like The Moth . What do these writers and storytellers do that make their stories engaging? If you didn’t enjoy a particular story, what was it that you didn’t like? Analyzing real stories can help you identify techniques that you personally resonate with.

3. Use dialogue.

A great way to keep your writing engaging is to include some dialogue. Instead of writing: “My brothers taunted me,” consider sharing what they actually said. It’s more powerful to read something like:

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.

Having dialogue can break up longer paragraphs of text, and bring some action and immediacy to your story. That being said, don’t overdo it. It’s important to strike a balance between relying too much on dialogue, and using it occasionally as an effective writing tool. You don’t want your essay to read like a script for a movie (unless, of course, that’s intentional and you want to showcase your screenwriting skills!).

Want free essay feedback? Submit your essay to CollegeVine’s Peer Essay Review and get fast, actionable edits on your essay.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Personal Statements

1. giving a recap or report of all the events..

Your essay isn’t a play-by-play of everything that happened in that time frame. Only include relevant details that enrich the story, instead of making your personal statement a report of the events. Remember that the goal is to share your voice, what’s important to you, and who you are.

2. Writing about too many events or experiences.

Similarly, another common mistake is to make your personal statement a resume or recap of all your high school accomplishments. The Activities Section of the Common App is the place for listing out your achievements, not your personal statement. Focus on one specific experience or a few related experiences, and go into detail on those.

3. Using cliche language.

Try to avoid overdone quotes from famous people like Gandhi or Thoreau. Better yet, try to avoid quotes from other people in general, unless it’s a message from someone you personally know. Adding these famous quotes won’t make your essay unique, and it takes up valuable space for you to share your voice.

You should also steer away from broad language or lavish claims like “It was the best day of my life.” Since they’re so cliche, these statements also obscure your message, and it’s hard to understand what you actually mean. If it was actually the best day of your life, show us why, rather than just telling us.

If you want to learn more about personal statements, see our post of 11 Common App Essay Examples .

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

What Not To Write In A Personal Statement: Expert Advice

Hopefully, you’re surrounded by people who can help you with exactly what to write about when you’re putting together your application, but sometimes you need to know what not to write in a personal statement , in order to make it as successful as possible.

So, what should you not write in your personal statement?

Do not write content in your personal statement that is factually inaccurate, grammatically incorrect, or that does not fully evidence your suitability.

Do not include exaggerated or overly academic vocabulary in an attempt to impress or write at length about your childhood or the work of others.

Sound like a lot of things you can’t include?

Don’t worry, I’ve broken the three main points down in detail below. Once you know what not to write in a personal statement, you’ll be able to write a compelling and successful application…

What Should you not put in a Personal Statement?

Before we break down these three key areas in a lot more detail, here’s a quick and helpful list of the top ten things you should not put in a personal statement:

Unresearched claims or inaccurate information
Lies, exaggeration or unoriginal content
Errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar
Irrelevant material or unnecessary filler
Hobbies and interests that do not add value
Stories from your childhood
Content that is not focused on your suitability
Commonly used vocabulary or quotes
Description rather than evaluation
Lists of any kind, especially qualifications

Check out my in-depth post on what to avoid in a personal statement here , or if you’ve already got started and want to check your statement for errors, this guide to how to check your personal statement is a great place to start .

If you’re ever in any doubt about what to include, just remember to check your ABC’s. If whatever you want to include fits the model, go for it…

Do Not Write About Your Childhood or Your Passions

When it comes to what not to write in a personal statement, your childhood and your passions come right at the top of the list.

It’s not that you can’t write about them at all, but you must make sure that if you do, you keep the reference brief and highly relevant.

Your Childhood is not Important to the Reader

Admissions tutors do not want to read about your childhood in a personal statement. They want to know about the person you are today, not the person you were a decade ago. It is also a signal that you do not have enough relevant material to include and that your application may lack real ambition.

Look at the examples below. The first is a paragraph from a personal statement that places much too much focus on the applicant’s childhood. The second example gets the balance right.

Although the second example doesn’t outline the countries the applicant visited, the depth of their connection with Modern Foreign Languages shines through, as does their knowledge and opinion.

You Can’t Be Passionate About Everything!

If there is one word that frustrates admissions officers more than any other, it is when applicants use the word ‘passionate’ in their personal statements…

“I am passionate about Engineering”
“My volunteering experience shows how passionate I am about Events Management”
“I am dedicated to my true passion, which is molecular Biology”

The basic dictionary definition of ‘passionate’ is “having very strong feelings or emotions”, and whilst you might well enjoy Archaeology, being passionate about it has become the shorthand of cliché . The problem is that when everybody uses the same word, it loses its meaning.

‘Passionate’ has moved from meaning ‘consumed by’ to signalling that the writer has a limited vocabulary and an unrealistic level of connection with their field of study.

Why not use these alternatives to ‘passionate’ in your personal statement:

Heartfelt	Animated	Committed	Engaged	Motivated
Fascinated	Positive	Enthralled	Dedicated	Compelled

Check out my post here and learn how to improve your personal statement , or think about using Grammarly to help your writing reach a greater level of accuracy and readability. You can check out the free version of Grammarly here or hit the banner.

Do Not Write Content if you Can’t Evidence Value

Ironically, making unqualified statements in a personal statement just doesn’t work. Every point you make must be targeted to add value to your application.

If you can’t evidence the value of an experience, qualification, skill or piece of knowledge, you should not be including it.

Without evidence to develop the context of the comment and, subsequently, the understanding of the reader, a descriptive statement will just take up space in your application and have a negative impact overall.

Here’s a three-point example. The first sentence does not include any evidence to develop the point made by the writer. The second attempts to analyse why the experience was of value, whilst the last point evidences the value with context.

Check your personal statement for moments that resemble the first point, and change these to more closely match the last example where possible.

I enjoy sports and am the captain of the basketball team at school.
My engagement with sports has helped me develop my teamwork skills. As captain of the basketball team, I have to motivate and support my teammates when we play.
As captain of the school basketball team, I am an accomplished team player. The experience has developed my communication and active listening skills, and I am used to taking responsibility for making decisions under pressure. Additionally, I have become adept at balancing my academic work with my sports commitments in order to meet deadlines, preparing me well for the demands of higher education.

Check out the skills you should include in a personal statement here , or read my post about outstanding personal statement examples to get even more inspiration!

Do Not Write About the Achievements of Others

Your personal statement should be all about you.

It isn’t an opportunity to reference as many other people as possible in an attempt to appear well-read or educated.

Writing about the achievements of others can be valuable if you take a sentence to convey their contribution and use the rest of the paragraph to give your informed thoughts and show how that piece of knowledge is of value to your application.

However, writing the equivalent of an academic essay instead of a personal statement might show that you have read a book or understood a topic, but it does not illustrate your opinions, ambitions, suitability or value to the reader.

Have a look at this example…

On the surface, it looks compelling – three different sources and a sense of argument. But what does this example actually tell you about the writer?

What are their thoughts on the topic?

How has the knowledge gained propelled them to act?

How will their experiences inform their next step in terms of study or make them a suitable candidate for the course they are applying for?

If you don’t make the connections, you can’t expect the reader to, so always prioritise writing about yourself but from an informed and relevant perspective.

If you’d like to, you can check out my post on even more powerful personal statement strategies here .

Good luck with your personal statement, and don’t forget to contact me if you’d like some 1-1 support. You’ve got this! D

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet.

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

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What to include in a personal statement

Knowing what to include in your personal statement and what to avoid will improve your chances of having your university application accepted. these are our tips..

What to include

What not to include, what to remember before you start.

One of the most important parts of your university application is your personal statement. Knowing what to include won’t only help your chances of earning a place on your ideal course but will help you stand out from other applicants.

Include the following when crafting your personal statement:

Why you want a place on the course
Your career aspirations and how your chosen subject fits into these (if you’re still unsure on your future career goals, give an idea of what you’d like to move into upon graduation)
Qualities and experience you’ll bring to your studies, supported with evidence of how you’ve demonstrated these qualities or gained such experience
Examples of any relevant work, volunteering or academic experience to support your claims. Identify what you took away from each experience and link it to why you’ve chosen to apply for the subject
Other examples of learning and growth to support your claims, including extracurricular activities and achievements. This shows unis that you’re willing to engage with other aspects of the university experience beyond your studies
Any sponsorships or placements you've acquired or have applied for, with an explanation of why they’ll help with your career aspirations
If your first language isn't English, describe any opportunities you've had to use English (such as attending an English-speaking school or working somewhere where the main language is English)
Details of your gap year, if you plan to take one, and how it contributes to your interest in your chosen subject
Positive language, especially when describing your experience, that shows why you want to study your chosen subject
Challenges you’ve faced during the covid pandemic, how you’ve positively handled these and what they have taught you
Words and sentences in active voice, such as ‘I intend to...’, ‘I strongly believe that...’ and ‘My future career aspirations include...’

Amanda, one of the senior Paramedic Science lecturers at the University of Brighton , shared with us what she expects students to include in their personal statement:

Consider the subjects you're studying and their relevance to the course you're applying for. Demonstrate research into any professional bodies associated within the field you're applying for (if relevant). Articulate your preparedness for undergraduate study or awareness of the differences between college and university, in terms of study and level of expectations. Explain what's been learned from your experiences and how this will help with your future career aspirations. Amanda Blaber, Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton, Honorary Fellow of the College of Paramedics, and Senior Fellow Advance HE (Higher Education Academy)

You don’t need to include everything in your personal statement. You only have 4,000 characters and 47 lines to work with, so keep your writing clear and concise

Avoid including:

Plagiarised content, under any circumstances. All personal statements are scanned by detection software – if you’ve used someone else’s work, your offers can be withdrawn
Words that make you sound too clever or gimmicky – there’s no guarantee that admissions tutors will understand your humour
Waffle or padding – only include relevant information
Quotations or quirky language – unless it’s relevant and makes sense based on the qualities you’re describing
Any mention of specific universities or course names – you’ll be using the same personal statement for each course and university you apply to
A list of your qualifications – unis will already have this information, so there’s no need to use up space listing them again
Additional papers to UCAS – these can be sent directly to the universities you’re applying to, with your UCAS application number attached
Anything that might come across as immature or that you can’t sensibly talk about in an interview
Excuses as to why you haven’t been able to gain relevant experience
Tips for writing your personal statement
How to make your personal statement stand out

The task of writing your personal statement may initially feel overwhelming. But by leaving yourself enough time and starting with a plan, you’ll eventually craft a personal statement to be proud of.

Do the following before you start:

Leave yourself plenty of time to plan and write your personal statement
Write your first draft somewhere other than on the application itself, such as on Word or Google Docs. You can then copy and paste your personal statement into UCAS Apply
Keep the language clear and concise throughout – you have a limit on character count
Remember that a first draft is a first draft. Your personal statement doesn’t need to be perfect right away. Re-read and edit your piece as much as you like before the deadline
Find 2–3 people willing to proofread your personal statement and give feedback. They might notice any mistakes you’ve missed
How to start a personal statement

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Writing a Personal Statement for UCAS: The 10 Big Mistakes Students Should Avoid

James is senior content marketing manager at BridgeU. He writes and directs content for BridgeU's university partners and our community of international schools

Writing a UCAS Personal Statement for a subject that isn’t the right fit
Spelling & grammar mistakes
Avoid pointless cliches
Endlessly listing extracurriculars
Over-using quotes or taking them out of context
Telling the reader something they already know
Ignoring word limits
Unnecessary origin stories
Making things up
Controversy

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Writing a UCAS Personal Statement requires a student to convey a lot of information in a short space of time. Mistakes are easy to make. Read our run down of the most common ones and how to avoid them

Writing a Personal Statement for UCAS is, in many ways, like asking a student to tell the story of their life in 4,000 characters or less.

And if that sounds hard, it’s because it is.

The UCAS Personal Statement is the cornerstone of a UK university application . Students need to write a genuine, authoritative and compelling account of who they are and what they want from a UK university degree. They need to quickly grab the attention of the university admissions officer reading their Personal Statement, and they need to make sure they stand out from the hundreds of other applications that will be crossing that admission officer’s desk.

In order to do this, the Personal Statement will require a student to master form, structure and content in such a way that makes their writing stand out.

Understandably, students might feel an inordinate amount of pressure to get their Personal Statement right first time.

Indeed, more often than not, it’s not a case of students being lazy when writing their UCAS Personal Statements. The problem is often that students will have a lot to say and will have put a lot of thought into their Statement, but may make some simple stylistic mistakes that could cost them when they finally submit their application.

But if these mistakes are easy to make, they’re also easy to avoid.

So we’re going to take you through the 10 most common (and potentially costly) mistakes that a student might make in their UCAS Personal Statement, and give you some tips on how to help your students avoid them.

Bonus Resource – To help your students avoid any major mistakes before they begin, our Personal Statement worksheet helps them to plan and write a truly compelling account of themselves. Click here to download

1. Writing a UCAS Personal Statement for a subject that isn’t the right fit

If students have done their research carefully and considerately, then this shouldn’t be a problem. Ideally, in the year leading up to the submission of the Personal Statement, your students will have shortlisted their university and course preferences to the point where they’re applying for a subject area they’re truly passionate about.

But this first, major mistake is the natural conclusion of a student being pressured into a subject or career path by family, parents or even school peers. Hopefully this won’t happen – but if a student is writing their UCAS Personal Statement for a subject they’re not truly passionate about, then this should set off alarm bells. It will ultimately affect the quality of the Personal Statement.

And, most importantly, admissions staff will easily spot a Personal Statement where the student’s heart isn’t in it.

Top tip: We at BridgeU are big fans of students finding their best-fit universities and courses (after all, it’s why we built our platform!). Students need to put a lot of time into making sure the UK course they are applying for is right for them. Starting a Personal Statement without having thoroughly researched university and course options is one of the most fundamental mistakes a student could make.

2. Spelling & Grammar Mistakes

This may seem like a rather obvious mistake, and one your students hopefully shouldn’t be making.

But the tight time frames associated with a UCAS Personal Statement will make spelling and grammar mistakes more likely, especially if your students aren’t taking the time to proof-read their personal statement before submitting it.

Spelling and grammar mistakes can really count against students, and can make their writing appear sloppy or poorly thought through. It’s an especially bad look if your students are applying for humanities or social sciences courses, or indeed any degree that requires a lot of extended writing!

Top tip: Encourage your students to print out their Personal Statement. Whilst we know that a lot of students do more things digitally these days (and BridgeU is an online platform after all!), reading a UCAS Personal Statement back as a living, printed document can really help students hone their eye for detail!

3. Avoid exuberant language and pointless cliches

“My love of Physics began when I used to look up at the night sky as a child, and found it simultaneously breath-taking and awe-inspiring.”

“I’ve been passionate about the works of William Shakespeare since seeing my first production on stage. I’m fascinated by how Shakespeare remains relevant for today.”

Can you see what’s wrong with these two examples?

Whilst they are very positive and well-worded statements about why a student might want to study astrophysics, or Shakespearian literature, both these Personal Statement examples tip very quickly into cliche and generalisation.

We’re not suggesting you shouldn’t encourage your students to use positive language when writing a UCAS Personal Statement, but this positive language needs to be backed up with clear, specific examples and rigorous analysis.

Remember – the key to an excellent Personal Statement is showing, not telling.

So why is Shakespeare still relevant to today? What specific examples could a student writing about a 16th century author use to demonstrate their relevance to the 21st century?

Likewise, proclaiming a love for the wonders of the night sky is all well and good, but why did it make our example student want to study Physics?

Top tip: Encourage students to set a limit on the number of adjectives or descriptive phrases they use in their writing. It’s important to remember a Personal Statement has to accomplish a lot in a relatively short number of words. If students over-use words like ‘passionate’, ‘breathtaking’ and ‘awe-inspiring’ they’re just going to end up repeating themselves.

4. Endlessly listing extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities are a vital part of any Personal Statement. If used in the right way, they can help a student to stand out, and seem like a more well-rounded person. Extracurriculars can also help to showcase valuable soft skills that universities value in their students.

But there’s no point using extracurriculars like a grocery list. Students endlessly describing their extracurriculars will mean nothing if they don’t link them back to the overall narrative of the Personal Statement.

Again, it’s about showing, not telling. Saying ‘I have captained my school football team for three years’ means nothing if the writer doesn’t explain this activity within the context of the Personal Statement.

Top tip: When planning their Personal Statement, students need to think about the extracurricular activities that can demonstrate soft skills. What did they learn from doing this particular extracurricular activity? Do they think it will set them apart in their overall application? If the answer is no, then it’s best not putting it in.

5. Over-using quotes or taking them out of context

Remember what we said about exuberant language and cliches?

It’s the same with the use of quotes.

Quotes can be a powerful tool to back up any argument, be it in a UCAS Personal Statement or any other kind of essay.

But quotes used clumsily can often have the opposite effect, and make the writer of a Personal Statement seem pretentious or just quoting for the sake of it.

Many students may feel tempted to open their Personal Statement with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, or Martin Luther King. A student who is submitting an application for psychology may feel it necessary to begin their Personal Statement with a quote from Sigmund Freud.

The trouble is that many UK university admissions tutors have probably seen the same quotes again and again. Again, if quotes aren’t used in context, or don’t serve the overall narrative of the Personal Statement, then it may be worth not putting them in.

It’s also important to remember that universities want to hear from the student, not Sigmund Freud! If in doubt, a student writing a Personal Statement should use their own thoughts and insights, not someone else’s.

Top tip: Encourage students to use less well-known quotes in their Personal Statement. Quotes from less well-known, specialist thinkers within a subject discipline are more likely to show that a student is widely read and has a deep and rich knowledge of the subject they’re applying for.

6. Telling the reader something they already know

Demonstrating subject knowledge and background reading is vital for a UCAS Personal Statement. But this must fit in with the student’s overall story of why they want to study that particular degree.

What students shouldn’t do is explain academic or scientific theories at length, or regurgitate existing arguments that have already been made by other writers in their chosen field of study.

Students writing a UCAS Personal Statement need to operate from the assumption that the person reading it is probably an expert in their field. It’s only worth students talking about their wider reading, or their take on another piece of academic writing, if they can demonstrate its relevance to them.

Top tip: Students should avoid going into depth about other academic or scientific theories unless they have a bearing on the student’s own worldview, and can tell the reader something about why they want to study for that particular course.

Video: Tips from UCAS on starting a Personal Statement

7. not paying attention to word/character limits .

It’s pretty hard to literally ignore the word/character limit for the UCAS Personal Statement, as there will come a point where students will simply run out of space.

But some students can fail to pay attention to word/character limits to the extent that they don’t plan the form and structure of their UCAS Personal Statement properly.

Planning the overall structure and flow of the Personal Statement before writing it is absolutely essential if students are to make the most of the space that UCAS allocates. Half finished thoughts and hastily written conclusions will do more harm than good when someone reads the Personal Statement.

Top tip: Run one class/workshop with students where they brainstorm and plan the overall structure of their UCAS Personal Statement. Break the components of a good personal statement down into chunks, and get students thinking about the optimal structure for making their Personal Statements as good as they can be!

8. Unnecessary origin stories

Everyone loves an origin story (why else would film studios keep remaking Spiderman?). But origin stories in UCAS Personal Statements can sometimes be a waste of time (this is in sharp contrast to an application like the Common App in the USA), where they love to hear a student’s origin story)

Remember our physics student from Tip no.3 who loved to gaze at the night sky? Childhood anecdotes are great, and can certainly add character to a student’s application. But they’re not always necessary to showcase a student’s devotion to their chosen subject.

In fact, it’s fair to say that admissions tutors at UK universities are more interested in an applicant’s more recent contributions or achievements in their chosen field of study than snippets of their biography.

Yet it remains the case that students sometimes feel the need to profess their lifelong devotion to a subject they’re hoping to study at university. It’s really not necessary.

In fact UCAS themselves once published a list of the most commonly used opening lines in a Personal Statement . Three of the most frequent openings were

“I have always been interested in…” (used 927 times)

“For as long as I can remember I have…” (used 1,451 times)

“From a young age I have always been interested in/fascinated by…” (used 1,779 times)

Not only does drawing on childhood memories risk losing sight of more relevant information, it’s also something that lots of universities have seen before.

9. Making things up

We hope that none of your students would ever lie in their Personal Statement. But if someone feels the pressure to stand out from the crowd and really impress a university, then it could happen.

Even small, believable exaggerations could come back to haunt a student if they were hypothetically invited to an interview further down the road. It could be as small as pretending to have read a particular book, or quoting/discussing a piece of research in their chosen subject field and not having fully engaged with it.

Top tip: When it comes to putting anything untruthful in a Personal Statement, we can only offer you one piece of advice to give to your students.

Don’t do it! It’s not worth it, students will probably get found out and there’s likely plenty of achievements and skills that students can talk about in their Personal Statement. They just need to think long and hard about what it is!

10. Being controversial or contrarian for the sake of it

Being controversial or argumentative can seem like a good way to sit up and get the reader’s attention – but it’s not worth a student doing it unless they’ve really got the evidence and the argument to back it up.

For example, arguing against a famous essay or piece of research in a student’s chosen subject might seem like a good way to score some brownie points. But why does a student take issue with this particular piece of research? And is it really wise to try and tackle it in the space of a 4,000 character Personal Statement.

Top tip: Students should definitely be independent and analytical when discussing their degree subject in their Personal Statement – after all, it’s the most surefire way to stand out. But taking a contrarian position, or trying to make an explosive new contribution to academic discourse in the course of one Personal Statement probably isn’t a good idea.

Writing a Personal Statement for UCAS – final tips to avoid mistakes

What do these mistakes all have in common?

The answer is they are the natural consequence of students forgetting some of the core principles of UCAS Personal Statement writing.

Students need to ensure their Personal Statements are well-structured and well-planned – so as to avoid spelling mistakes and/or falling foul of the character limit.
Students need to keep their Personal Statements as unique to them as possible – this means staying truthful to their own ambitions and worldview, and avoiding generalisations or cliches.
A good Personal Statement needs to be rooted in strong analysis and writing that makes good use of evidence and specific examples to back up an argument.
A standout Personal Statement needs to be compelling account of a student’s suitability for a course with a good story at the heart of it – it needs to show, not tell.

Our Personal Statement template is a great resource if you want to help your students plan and write a truly individual Personal Statement, and avoid some of the mistakes we’ve listed here. Download it below!

Bonus Resource!

How to write a Personal Statement Worksheet & Template

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20 Worst Things to Say and Do to Someone With PTSD

“Just get over it and move on” is a big one

Verywell Mind / Stocksy

The Impact of Insensitive Actions and Statements

The 10 worst things to say to someone with ptsd, the 10 worst things to do to someone with ptsd, understanding triggers and avoiding them, effective ways to support someone with ptsd.

When it comes to supporting someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , our intentions are usually in the right place, but sometimes what we say or do can unintentionally hurt or trigger them.

Sometimes, we put our foot in our mouth and say or do things that make a person with PTSD feel unsafe and uncomfortable. Sensitivity and awareness of both our words and actions are key. People with PTSD are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, substance abuse, low self-esteem, and even self-harm, so saying or doing the wrong things may have damaging effects to them.

Naturally, you might not know what's right or wrong to say or do. But experts do! Which is why we asked a few therapists to share some of the most common mistakes to avoid—words or actions that you might not realize are hurtful or unhelpful.

Saying or doing something insensitive to someone with PTSD can have a detrimental impact on them, which might include:

Trauma symptoms: Certain words or actions can inadvertently trigger traumatic memories, leading to symptoms such as flashbacks , anxiety, or panic attacks, says Tatiana Rivera Cruz , MSW, LCSW, a therapist at ADHDAdvisor.
Emotional distress: Harmful comments can cause feelings of hurt, sadness, anger, or anxiety and exacerbate the person's emotional distress, adds Cruz.
Self-blame: People with trauma histories often struggle with blaming themselves for some part of the trauma or for not being able to cope with it, says Aimee Daramus , PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Clarity Clinic, Chicago. “If you say something insensitive, you can play into that belief that they caused or deserved the trauma.”
Low self-esteem: Insensitivity can exacerbate feelings of shame and guilt that the person may be experiencing, contributing to low self-esteem .
Lack of trust: Inconsiderate remarks can damage the trust and safety the person feels around others, making it harder for them to open up or seek help, says Cruz.
Isolation: People with PTSD often feel alone and misunderstood. Thoughtless comments can deepen these feelings. “The person may withdraw from social interactions to avoid further insensitive comments, leading to increased isolation and loneliness,” says Cruz.
Mental health conditions: People with PTSD are at an increased risk of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Insensitivity can worsen their symptoms.
Substance use: People with PTSD may resort to substance use to cope with distressing feelings and symptoms. A lack of understanding about their condition may increase their risk of choosing to use alcohol or drugs in unhealthy ways.
Relapse: A supportive and understanding environment is crucial for healing. Insensitive remarks or actions may contribute to a relapse in PTSD symptoms, potentially setting them back in their recovery journey.
Self-harm or suicide: People with PTSD are often at an increased risk of self-harm and suicide. In severe cases, the impact of insensitive treatment may contribute to suicidal ideation .

It’s important to recognize the impact words can have on someone with PTSD and approach conversations with sensitivity, understanding, and respect, Cruz explains. Compassion is the key to creating an environment where the person feels safe and supported.

It’s important to recognize the impact words can have on someone with PTSD and approach conversations with sensitivity, understanding, and respect.

Every person with PTSD is different. What might be acceptable to one person may be hurtful or harmful to another. Nevertheless, there are some common phrases to avoid, according to Cruz:

“Just get over it and move on.”

This comment dismisses their trauma and implies that their suffering is trivial or should be easily overcome. PTSD isn’t something one can simply move past—it takes time and people often need professional help.

“It could have been worse.”

Minimizing their experience invalidates their feelings and can make them feel guilty or ashamed for being affected by their trauma.

“You’re overreacting.”

This undermines their emotional responses and suggests their feelings are exaggerated or unwarranted.

“Aren’t you over that yet?”

This question implies that there is a timeline for recovery (there's not) and that they are taking too long.

“Why can’t you just be normal?”

Suggesting that they are abnormal in some way can exacerbate their feelings of alienation and isolation.

“You’re too sensitive, you need to be stronger.”

Labeling them as overly sensitive can make the person feel weak or inadequate for experiencing PTSD.

“Others have been through worse and they’re fine.”

Comparing their experience to others’ traumas can invalidate their feelings and discourage them from seeking help.

“It happened a long time ago.”

Suggesting that time should have healed their wounds ignores the persistent nature of PTSD and the ongoing challenges they face.

“Stop dwelling on the past.”

This suggests they are choosing to focus on their trauma.

“I know how you feel.”

Unless you have experienced PTSD yourself, this can come off as insincere and dismissive of their unique experience.

While words can be hurtful, actions can be equally damaging. Here are some things to avoid:

Startling them: Unexpected loud noises, sudden movements, or surprises can trigger fear or flashbacks in people with PTSD.
Invading their personal space: Touching the person or getting too close to them without their permission can make them feel threatened and unsafe.
Forcing them to talk about it: Do not force someone to talk about their trauma, particularly right after a traumatic event unless it’s necessary for safety reasons, says Dr. Daramus. “When they talk about it or think about it in the first day or two, it may increase the risk of PTSD in some individuals.”
Exposing them to triggers: Deliberately or carelessly exposing them to situations, places, or people associated with their trauma may cause emotional distress.
Being judgmental: Criticizing or judging their coping mechanisms or reactions can increase their feelings of shame and inadequacy.
Blaming them for what happened: Implying that the person was responsible in some way, like asking why they were at a certain place, or why they didn’t run or fight back is never going to help, says Dr. Daramus. “In a traumatic situation, the brain’s survival functions will often cause people to freeze up. They may not be able to remember the things one would ordinarily think of.”
Pressuring them: Forcing someone to do things they're not ready for, such as socializing or participating in activities, can exacerbate their symptoms.
Ignoring their boundaries: Disregarding their requests for space, quiet, or alone time can overwhelm them.
Giving them unsolicited advice: Saying things like “You should try this...” or “Have you considered...” is often unhelpful and invalidating.
Showing impatience: Displaying frustration, anger, or impatience with their recovery process can add to their feelings of anxiety and guilt, hindering their progress.

These are some strategies that can help you understand the person’s triggers and avoid them:

Encourage open dialogue: Create a safe space for the person to talk to you. Encourage them to share what situations, actions, or environments they find distressing. Offer a non-judgmental, empathetic ear and let them share their experiences and feelings at their own pace, says Cruz.
Observe their behavior: Pay attention to their reactions in different situations. Non-verbal cues like body language, changes in mood, or sudden withdrawal can indicate discomfort. Look for patterns in situations that trigger distress.
Help them feel safe: If the person is in distress, Dr. Daramus suggests helping them feel safe by taking them to a place or person that represents safety to them.
Respect their boundaries: Once you know their triggers, make a conscious effort to respect their boundaries . Avoid discussing or exposing them to topics, places, or activities that might make them uncomfortable unless they initiate the effort.
Give them notice: If a trigger is unavoidable, Cruz recommends giving them a gentle heads-up and preparing them in advance, so they’re not caught off guard.
Divert their attention: When they’re feeling upset or triggered, help them shift their mind to something else, like a movie, a conversation, music, or a video game, says Dr. Daramus. “Be gentle with this. Refocusing can be difficult, but it does help.”
Avoid passing judgment: Never judge or criticize their triggers or reactions. Remember that their responses are often involuntary and not something they can easily control. Let them know their experiences are valid and understood.
Ask them for guidance: If you're unsure about something, ask! Ask how you can help or if a particular action might be triggering.
Offer reassurance: Offer emotional support and reassurance when they’re upset or if they encounter triggers. Let them know they’re not alone and you’re there to help.

These are some ways to support someone with PTSD, according to the experts:

Learn about PTSD: Educate yourself about PTSD and common triggers. Books, articles, and conversations with mental health professionals can provide valuable insights. “Understanding the condition helps you provide informed support and reduces the likelihood of saying or doing something inadvertently harmful,” says Cruz.
Encourage treatment: Encourage the person to get professional help from a trained mental healthcare provider. Professional guidance is crucial for managing PTSD, Cruz explains.
Find support groups: Look for support groups either online or in your area. If the person is open to going, a support group can be a valuable source of resources, advice, and inspiration.
Avoid harmful stereotypes: Avoid buying into harmful stereotypes and challenge misconceptions about PTSD.
Be patient: Recovering from PTSD is a long and non-linear process, says Cruz. “Be patient with their progress and setbacks.”
Offer practical help: If possible, Cruz suggests assisting the person with everyday tasks that may feel overwhelming like running errands, cooking, or managing appointments.
Provide companionship: Spend quality time with the person. Hanging out together and participating in fun activities in a safe environment can be a major source of comfort and happiness for them.
Stay in touch: Keep in regular contact with the person through calls, texts, or visits, says Cruz. “Social support is vital, even if they aren’t always able to engage.”
Take care of yourself: Supporting someone with PTSD can be emotionally taxing. Practice self-care and don’t neglect your own mental and physical health.
Seek help for yourself: Consider going to therapy or joining a support group if you’re struggling or need advice.

Supporting someone with PTSD requires mindful words and actions that promote healing rather than harm. Remember, the key to effective support lies in respecting their boundaries and offering them patience and compassion . Your support can make a significant difference in their life.

National Library of Medicine. Post-traumatic stress disorder .

Lanius RA, Terpou BA, McKinnon MC. The sense of self in the aftermath of trauma: lessons from the default mode network in posttraumatic stress disorder . European Journal of Psychotraumatology . 2020;11(1):1807703.

Palmer BW, Hussain MA, Lohr JB. Loneliness in post-traumatic stress disorder: A neglected factor in accelerated aging? J Ageing Longev . 2022 Dec;2(4):326-339. doi:10.3390/jal2040027

Wang SK, Feng M, Fang Y, Lv L, Sun GL, Yang SL, Guo P, Cheng SF, Qian MC, Chen HX. Psychological trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma-related depression: A mini-review . World J Psychiatry. 2023 Jun 19;13(6):331-339. doi:10.5498/wjp.v13.i6.331

Flanagan JC, Korte KJ, Killeen TK, Back SE. Concurrent treatment of substance use and PTSD . Curr Psychiatry Rep . 2016 Aug;18(8):70. doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0709-y

Fox V, Dalman C, Dal H, Hollander AC, Kirkbride JB, Pitman A. Suicide risk in people with post-traumatic stress disorder: A cohort study of 3.1 million people in Sweden . J Affect Disord . 2021 Jan 15;279:609-616. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.10.009

National Institute of Mental Health. Post-traumatic stress disorder .

Roelofs K. Freeze for action: Neurobiological mechanisms in animal and human freezing . Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci . 2017 Apr 19;372(1718):20160206. doi:10.1098/rstb.2016.0206

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

How to End a Personal Statement With Impact

Your statement-ending paragraph is your last chance to make an impact, but it's essential to make sure that you summarise your main points and explain why you're qualified and willing to participate in the program with a strong ending. A compelling, realistic conclusion can give your application that extra oomph and show the admissions committee that you're the right choice. Just like writers on deadline, you might trip up on your statement's ending line. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Repeating information already covered without adding new insight
Introducing new ideas or topics that should have been discussed in the body
Using clichés or overly sentimental language that doesn't add value
Ending abruptly without a clear summary of your points
Overstating your achievements or future aspirations

How to End a Personal Statement Correctly

Ending your personal statement firmly is crucial. If you’re ever struggling with concluding your paper, a personal statement writing service can help. If you're determined to master conclusion writing, though, here's a simple, straightforward guide to crafting a compelling conclusion.

1. Reflect on Your Opening. Go back to your introduction . A good ending will often have an echo of the opening, which sits rather like a bookend to your statement. Don’t repeat your statements word-for-word, but perhaps offer a recap of the theme you developed or the little anecdote on which you started.

2. Summarise Key Points. Most guides for how to write a conclusion for a personal statement suggest that, at a minimum, students should briefly summarise the major themes they’ve discussed. Don’t simply recite facts; instead, create a sense of closure, revealing to the reader how your experiences and goals interrelate logically, culminating in your desire to join the program.

3. Connect to Your Future. Tie your story back to the opportunity at hand. Explain how the program will be important in helping you to reach your career or academic goals. Illustrate your plans to achieve these goals and make it clear that this program is included in your plan.

4. End with a Strong Closing Sentence. When concluding a personal statement, finish with a sentence that packs a punch. Show where you are headed next. It may be your word choice, your vow of commitment to the topic, or your powerful statement of passion and readiness to work in your chosen field. In any event, make it consistent with the tone and emphasis of your essay, and make it say what you need it to say about you.

5. Keep It Simple and Authentic. Resist the urge to drown readers in big words or have grandiose claims. The conclusion should sound sincere and genuine. Don’t make it too fancy or out of reach. Every sentence should add to the main point. Nothing should wander off.

steps on how to end a personal statement

Examples of Good and Bad Personal Statement Conclusions

Finishing up your personal statement can be a make-or-break moment in your application. It's your opportunity to stand out. That is why finding a good personal statement conclusion example can be helpful. Alternatively, you can consult an online writing service for some extra tips. Below, we'll look at five examples of some good and bad ways to conclude a personal statement.

	Analysis		Explanation
	This is a powerful conclusion because it directly links the applicant’s passion to the program, demonstrating a clear and relevant goal.		This conclusion is a cop-out. It sounds like the last desperate effort of someone out of ideas, and it says nothing that the applicant hasn’t already made clear.
	This example of ending a personal statement predicts the applicant’s educational plans and connects them to personal development and the field.		This statement is bland because it doesn’t say how the applicant hopes the program will further her goals or interests. It doesn’t say anything about the applicant at all.
	This end of personal statement is gripping because it shows how the program fits into their academic and career goals. The point is made with a clear direction and goal.		This is far too informal and general. There is no detail about the course of study or how it advances the student’s career path.
	This personal statement ending works because it connects all the dots in the applicant’s career trajectory to the university’s resources and establishes a win-win scenario.		This sounds more like a plea than a firm, confident proposition; it also doesn’t tell us about the applicant’s best qualities.
	This ending of personal statement demonstrates a clear comprehension of how the program will assist in achieving the applicant’s specific aims.		It is polite but doesn’t paraphrase the statement or conclude with a powerful point about the candidate’s career plans.
	Here, the conclusion serves to summarise the applicant’s general aims, both in their career and academia, and to tie them to what the program offers. It sounds aspirational with a good level of detail, and it commits the applicant to the program while, at the same time, showcasing their fit with it.		It is a nonspecific conclusion that fails to express a real enthusiasm for the program and a lack of specific commitment to it. The tentative language diminishes the applicant's appeal, and the absence of any assertion as to qualifications of ambition leaves it weak and cold in tone.
	This example of a personal statement ending is great because it shows the candidate’s passion and how the university's resources will help realise it. It also shows ambition and a clear pathway to graduation and states why the program is necessary.		This highly emotional conclusion doesn’t explain why this program appeals to the applicant’s educational and career goals. It's not a good way to end a personal statement. It’s more sentimental than strategic and relies too much on emotion.
	It’s a nice way to end your statement because it links the applicant’s career aspirations directly to the School’s opportunities, explaining clearly and articulately why the applicant wants to join the program.		Don’t take this approach when thinking about how to end a university personal statement. This statement is too general; it conveys neither genuine interest, let alone understanding, of what is on offer, nor a sense of enthusiasm, nor any specific grounds for selection.
	This conclusion clearly communicates the applicant’s desire to learn how to innovate in the field. It sounds ambitious and shows a willingness to apply what they have learned.		This conclusion for a personal statement is unprofessional. It fails to sell the candidate’s strengths, fit with the program, or provide any compelling reason that the school would benefit from his or her presence.
	This conclusion sends a clear message that not only do the applicant’s educational objectives and altruistic goals fit well with the given program, but the program also fits well with the applicant’s envisioned future career.		This conclusion is inappropriately informal and betrays a lack of self-confidence. It does not convey the applicant’s credentials or how the program fits professional plans.

It’s A Wrap!

As you finish your personal statement, remember that the conclusion should help tie up your argument. Our tips on how to write a personal statement will come in handy. Having read this article, you should know how to conclude a personal statement easily. Use the tips we’ve shared to craft an ending that shows off your suitability for the program. Make sure that your closing remarks remain genuine and clear-headed. This will give the admission committee a confident and positive impression of you and a sense that they know what you want to achieve.

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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

Walz VP selection spurs flurry of misinformation online

Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate at an Aug. 6 rally in Philadelphia, sparking a flurry of online discussion about Walz and his background.

It wasn't all accurate.

Walz, formerly unknown by a majority of Americans, is now preparing to take the stage as the keynote speaker for tonight's Democratic National Convention. Here's a roundup of fact checks about Walz from the USA TODAY Fact-Check team.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Claim: Tim Walz has $138 million net worth, daughter with $82,000 in forgiven student loans

Our rating: False

The claims are fabrications, according to the publisher of the satirical Facebook account where they originated. Walz's actual net worth is far lower.

Full fact check: Tim Walz has $138 million net worth? No, that started as satire

Claim: Walz 'let Minnesota burn' during 2020 protests

This claim oversimplifies Walz's reaction to the 2020 protests. After witnessing the escalating violence in Minneapolis, Walz discussed the activation of the National Guard with the city's mayor, calling on the Guard three days after the murder of George Floyd. As the protests grew more violent, Walz increased the number of mobilized Guardsmen.

Full fact check explainer: GOP critics say Tim Walz 'let Minnesota burn' in 2020 protests. Here's what happened

Claim: Tim Walz signed a bill redefining ‘sexual orientation’ to include pedophiles

The bill Walz signed into law does no such thing. The state's definition of sexual orientation does not include pedophilia.

Full fact check: No, Tim Walz did not sign bill including pedophilia as 'sexual orientation'

Claim: Walz received nine different military awards and Vance only had two

Our rating: Partly false

The list for Walz is correct, but the post understates the number of awards and medals Vance earned during his military career.

Full fact check: JD Vance's military achievements misrepresented in viral post

Claim: Tim Walz said he wanted to invest in a ladder factory to help migrants get over border wall

The full context of this clip shows Walz's ladder factory reference was part of an argument that a wall is an ineffective way to secure a border. Walz didn't reference or say he supports helping anyone enter the U.S. illegally.

Full fact check: Walz ladder factory comment was argument border wall is ineffective

Claim: Tim Walz lied about coaching high school football team to state championship

Walz was a coach for a Minnesota high school football team when it won a state championship in 1999, according to local news reporting.

Full fact check: Tim Walz coached for high school football team that won state championship

Claim: Biden opposing SAVE Act is 'cheating'; Walz is allowing 'illegals' to vote in Minnesota

The post misrepresents two legislative actions. Noncitizens aren't allowed to vote, and vetoing the SAVE bill would not change that or violate any laws to constitute "cheating." Minnesota's automatic voter registration bill, signed by Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, does not allow noncitizens of any status to vote in state or federal elections.

Full fact check: Walz, Biden actions don't allow noncitizens to vote

Claim: Image shows Kamala Harris and Tim Walz posing with a communist sign

Our rating: Altered

Images and videos from the event pictured show the background included a sign that said, “Kamala and the Coach,” not "Revolutionary Communists of America."

Full fact check: Harris and Walz posing with a communist sign? No, image is altered

Claim: 'No one' attended Aug. 7 Harris and Walz rally in Michigan

Images and videos from the Aug. 7 event show a large crowd was present to greet Harris and Walz.

Full fact check: Images and videos show thousands attended Harris rally in Michigan

Claim: Image shows Fox Business graphic about Tim Walz's 'communist agenda'

The image doesn't show a real graphic broadcast on Fox Business, a spokesperson said. It was created as satire and is now being misrepresented as being authentic.

Full fact check: No, Fox Business didn't air graphic about Tim Walz's 'communist agenda'

Claim: Peggy Flanagan replaced Tim Walz as Minnesota governor after VP selection

Walz has not stepped down as Minnesota's governor, and Flanagan has not become the state's governor. Walz is also not required to leave office to run with Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Full fact check: Gov. Walz does not need to resign after VP selection

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here .

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .

Did you get a fake McAfee or Norton invoice? How the scam works (and what not to do)

I just paid $715.15 for a five-year subscription to McAfee Total Protection covering 20 devices. At least, that's what some unknown individual wants me to believe.

Also: Stop paying for third-party antivirus software. Here's why

The news of my transaction came in the form of an email delivered to my personal account, with a PDF file attached. Here's what the attachment looked like.

This fake invoice is convincing enough to fool an unsophisticated recipient

That "receipt" looks official, doesn't it? Especially to an inexperienced person who doesn't have the experience to spot the telltale signs of a scam. You've probably seen similar phishing emails, congratulating you on your purchase of a subscription to McAfee or Norton Internet Security or some other brand that's well-known to consumers.

Also: Was your SSN leaked to the dark web? How to check for suspicious activity (and what to do next)

The amount of the supposed transaction is usually just high enough to alarm you. And if you don't realize it's a scam, your first reaction is to pick up the phone and call the toll-free number on the invoice so you can explain that it's all a mistake and you never ordered those products and ask them to please reverse the charges.

How the scam works

So, what happens if you call the number on that receipt? Thanks to an affidavit filed as part of a U.S. Federal court case in the Southern District of Mississippi, we now have a detailed description of this scam in operation. (Hat tip to Seamus Hughes and his excellent Court Watch newsletter for the link.)

Also: AI phone scams sound scary real. Do these 5 things to protect yourself and your family

The author of the affidavit is Martez Simpson, a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, who described how the victim was taken for nearly $11,000. Agent Simpson even managed to talk to the recipient of the funds, an Indian national who was angry that his crypto account had been seized by the Feds pursuant to a court order.

The victim, a Mississippi woman, is identified only as V1 in the affidavit. After she received the phishing email, she called the phone number and spoke to a person who claimed to be a McAfee employee. (He was not, needless to say, a McAfee employee.) That person, referred to in Secret Service-speak as an unknown individual ("UI"), convinced the victim to install software that gave the crooks access to her computer.

Using command prompt entries, the UI convinced V1 that, rather than the $723.64 that the email had indicated was improperly taken out of her bank account, her banking data indicated a $77,723.64 amount was refunded. The UI informed V1 that because the wrong amount was refunded to the account, V1 needed to physically withdraw money from the bank and deposit the money into a Bitcoin ATM.

(As Agent Simpson notes in a footnote, it's possible that more than one individual was involved in carrying out this scam. And if this story sounds familiar, it might be because several of the plot elements are central to the film Beekeeper , starring Jason Statham, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime.)

The victim was apparently convinced that this McAfee employee had access to her mobile phone and her email account and that the only way to regain access was to follow their instructions. She withdrew $15,000 in cash from her bank account and then, while remaining on the phone with the overseas criminals, went to two separate Bitcoin ATMs and converted nearly $11,000 of that cash into Bitcoin. She then emailed the Bitcoin tracking codes to a Gmail address provided by the crooks, who replied with a pair of QR codes that the unfortunate V1 used to transfer the funds to a Binance wallet controlled by the thieves.

There's no indication in the affidavit of what happened next, but it's most likely that the bad guys simply hung up. They had their funds, after all, and they no longer needed to keep up the pretense with the victim.

Also: The NSA advises you to turn your phone off and back on once a week - here's why

After the bank told the victim she'd been defrauded, they called the Secret Service, who were able to trace the funds using blockchain analysis. They convinced Binance (which held the wallet) to freeze the $29,788.29 in that account while they went to court to recover those funds. That's when the owner of the wallet, "Azmi," contacted the Secret Service to find out why his account had been frozen.

According to Agent Simpson, "Azmi was adamant that he doesn't know these people, insisting that he was just a trader. I believe Azmi was using the conversation to 'fish' for information regarding the frozen account and become better at this type of cryptocurrency scheme."

Good luck with that, Azmi.

Other variations on a common scam

Your first reaction to this story is probably something along the lines of "Who would fall for this kind of crazy scheme?" The answer is: a lot of people. Typically, they're responding to one of the two universal motivators, fear or greed. The Federal Trade Commission calls them "imposter scams," and what they have in common is that the person trying to take your money wants to convince you they're working for someone you trust: a big company like Amazon or PayPal, a government agency like the FTC, or perhaps your bank or credit union.

Also: How to find and remove spyware from your phone

There are plenty of variations besides the phony McAfee receipt. You might get a phone call, supposedly from Amazon or from your bank, alerting you to "fraudulent transactions." There's the fake antivirus warning that pops up and tells you your computer is infected and you need to call right away to remove the virus.

You can find countless examples of people who were scared into responding to these scams, like this Pittsburgh woman who lost $10,000 after she received a phony virus warning. She called the number on the pop-up message and spoke with a man who claimed to work for Microsoft. The thieves said her bank account had been compromised by a gang of Chinese child pornographers who were going to take her money unless she transferred it using a Bitcoin ATM.

Also: Wiping a Windows laptop? Here's the safest free way to erase your personal data

And even sophisticated people can get caught up in a money-moving scheme that looks preposterous in hindsight. Take the case of Charlotte Cowles, who is not a senior citizen and writes a financial advice column for New York magazine. She turned over $50,000 in cash to a gang of thieves who claimed to work for Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and the C.I.A. They convinced her that her identity had been stolen and they could help her avoid being charged with money laundering. Her bank tried, unsuccessfully, to point out that she was probably a victim of fraud.

It's a wild story.

What should you do?

The people who run these online scams do it day in and day out. They're experienced in techniques of social engineering designed to make their would-be victims feel anxious and afraid. The best way to fight back is to avoid engaging completely. If you're helping out an unsophisticated friend or relative, here's some advice you can offer them.

1. Trust your instincts

One of the common threads in every story I've read about an online scam is the victim's rueful comment: "I should have trusted my instincts."

If something feels wrong, it probably is. The smartest thing to do when you receive a suspicious unsolicited email is to simply delete it. If you get a pop-up warning you that your computer's infected, press Ctrl+W (Command+W on a Mac), which is the universal shortcut for closing a tab. Press Ctrl+Shift+W (Command+Shift+W on a Mac) to close all tabs.

2. Remain calm

Every online scammer has a script filled with dire scenarios to convince you that you're in danger and that you must act immediately to avoid losing money or being arrested. That's not the way the world works. There will be plenty of time to call your bank or credit card company later. Don't panic.

3. Don't dial the number in that email or pop-up window

The whole point of a phishing attack is to fool you into talking with someone who is not who they say they are. If someone sends you a message trying to convince you they're from Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, or McAfee, they're probably lying. If they claim to be from your credit card company, call the number on the back of your card or on your printed bank statement and ask to speak to someone in the fraud department.

4. Keep your personal information private

No contact from a legitimate company is ever going to ask for your password, your PIN code, or details about your credit card account. If they start demanding that information, ask them some questions, like what's your account number, and what are the last four digits of the card they have on file.

And if they can't answer, well, that says something, doesn't it?

5. When in doubt, hang up and call someone you trust

Once a scammer has you on the phone, regardless of who initiated the call, know that they thrive on creating panic and paranoia. The best antidote? Talk to a trusted friend or family member. Or call your bank or credit card company! They have a lot of experience with this grift, unfortunately.

6. Oh, and if someone tells you to go to a Bitcoin ATM, it's a scam.

Legitimate organizations don't ask you to send them Bitcoin deposits or gift cards.

If you don't believe me, just ask the FTC .

This article was originally published on July 15, 2024. It was last updated August 17, 2024.

Stop paying for antivirus software. Here's why you don't need it

Mcafee unleashes ai deepfake audio detector - but how reliable can it be, the best free antivirus software: expert tested.

‘Do something': Read and watch Michelle Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention

The former first lady made a personal and passionate speech to the dnc in chicago., published august 20, 2024 • updated on august 21, 2024 at 11:08 am.

Editor's note: The text of the speech below is as prepared. Her actual delivery may have varied.

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Hello Chicago!

Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it?

Not just here in this arena… but spreading all across this country we love… a familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for too long.

You know what I’m talking about?

It’s the contagious power of hope!

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The anticipation… the energy… the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.

The chance to vanquish the demons of fear, division, and hate that have consumed us… and continue pursuing the unfinished promise of this great nation—the dream that our parents and grandparents fought and died and sacrificed for.

America, hope is making a comeback!

To be honest, I’m realizing that until recently, I have mourned the dimming of that hope.

Maybe you’ve experienced the same feelings… a deep pit in my stomach… a palpable sense of dread about the future.

And for me, that mourning has been mixed with my own personal grief.

The last time I was in Chicago was to memorialize my mother—the woman who showed me the meaning of hard work, humility, and decency… who set my moral compass high and showed me the power of my voice.

I still feel her loss so profoundly… I wasn’t even sure I’d be steady enough to stand before you tonight.

But my heart compelled me to be here because of the sense of duty I feel to honor her memory… and to remind us all not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future.

You see, my mom, in her steady, quiet way, lived out that striving sense of hope every day of her life.

She believed that all children — all people — have value… that anyone can succeed if given the opportunity.

She and my father didn’t aspire to be wealthy… in fact, they were suspicious of those who took more than they needed.

They understood that it wasn’t enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning.

So my mother volunteered at the local school… she always looked out for the other kids on our block.

She was glad to do the thankless, unglamorous work that for generations, has strengthened the fabric of this nation.

The belief that if you do unto others… if you love thy neighbor… if you work and scrape and sacrifice, it will pay off—if not for you, then maybe for your children or your grandchildren… those values have been passed on through family farms and factory towns… through tree-lined suburbs and crowded tenements… through prayer groups and National Guard units and social studies classrooms.

Those were the values my mother poured into me until her very last breath.

Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values.

Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country.

That’s why her mother moved here from India at 19.

It’s why she taught Kamala about justice… about our obligation to lift others up… about our responsibility to give more than we take.

She’d often tell her daughter, “Don’t sit around and complain about things—do something!”

So with that voice in her head, Kamala went out and worked hard in school, graduating from an HBCU… earning her law degree at a state school… and then she went on to work for the people.

Fighting to hold lawbreakers accountable and strengthen the rule of law… fighting to get folks better wages… cheaper prescription drugs… a good education… decent health care, childcare, and elder care.

From a middle-class household, she worked her way up to become Vice President of the United States of America.

Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment.

She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency… and she is one of the most dignified—a tribute to her mother, to my mother, and probably to your mother too… the embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country.

Her story is your story… it’s my story… it’s the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life.

Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what’s in your bank account… we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life… all of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued.

Because no one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American… no one!

Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open for others.

She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward… we will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.

If we bankrupt a business… or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third, or fourth chance.

If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead… we don’t get to change the rules so we always win.

If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top.

No, we put our heads down. We get to work. In America, we do something.

And throughout her entire life, that’s exactly what we’ve seen from Kamala Harris: the steel of her spine… the steadiness of her upbringing… the honesty of her example… and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light.

It couldn’t be more obvious… of the two major candidates in this race, only Kamala Harris truly understands the unseen labor and unwavering commitment that has always made America great.

Unfortunately, we know what comes next… we know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth.

My husband and I, sadly, know a little something about this.

For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.

His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.

Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those “Black jobs”?

It’s his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people’s lives better.

You see, gutting our health care… taking away our freedom to control our bodies… the freedom to become a mother through IVF, like I did—those things are not going to improve the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters.

Shutting down the Department of Education… banning our books—none of that will prepare our kids for the future.

Demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love—that doesn’t make anybody’s life better.

Instead, it only makes us small.

And let me tell you… going small is never the answer.

Going small is the opposite of what we teach our children.

Going small is petty… it’s unhealthy… and quite frankly, it’s unpresidential.

Why would we accept this from anyone seeking our highest office?

Why would we normalize this type of backward leadership?

Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics… it only serves to further discourage good, big-hearted people from wanting to get involved at all.

America, our parents taught us better than that… and we deserve so much better than that.

That’s why we must do everything in our power to elect two of those good, big-hearted people… there is no other choice than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz!

But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt…let us not forget what we are up against.

Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great right now… they’re packing arenas across the country… folks are energized… we’re feeling good.

But there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome… who are ready to question and criticize every move Kamala makes… who are eager to spread those lies… who don’t want to vote for a woman… who will continue to prioritize building their wealth over ensuring everyone has enough.

No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is still going to be an uphill battle… so we cannot be our own worst enemies.

No, the minute something goes wrong… the minute a lie takes hold, we cannot start wringing our hands.

We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right.

We cannot indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.

Kamala and Tim have lived amazing lives… I am confident they will lead with compassion, inclusion, and grace.

But they are still only human. They are not perfect. And like all of us, they will make mistakes.

But luckily, this is not just on them.

No, this is up to us—all of us—to be the solution we seek… it is up to all of us to be the antidote to all the darkness and division.

I don’t care how you identify politically… whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, independent, or none of the above… this is our time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right.

To stand up not just for our basic freedoms but for decency and humanity… for basic respect, dignity, and empathy… for the values at the very foundation of this democracy.

It’s up to us to remember what Kamala’s mother told her: Don’t just sit around and complain — do something!

So if they lie about her, and they will, we’ve got to do something!

If we see a bad poll, and we will, we’ve got to put down that phone and do something!

If we start feeling tired… if we start feeling that dread creeping back in… we’ve got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our faces, and do something!

We have only two and a half months to get this done… only 11 weeks to make sure every single person we know is registered and has a voting plan.

So we cannot afford for anyone to sit on their hands and wait to be called upon… don’t complain if no one from the campaign has specifically reached out to ask for your support… there is simply no time for that kind of foolishness.

You know what we need to do.

So consider this to be your official ask: Michelle Obama is asking you to do something!

Because this is going to be close.

In some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner.

So we need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt… we need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us.

Our fate is in our hands.

In 77 days, we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division, and smallness of the past.

We have the power to marry our hope with our action.

We have the power to pay forward the love, sweat, and sacrifice of our mothers and fathers and all those who came before us.

We did it before and we sure can do it again.

Let us work like our lives depend on it…

Let us keep moving our country forward and go higher — yes, higher — than we’ve ever gone before…

As we elect the next President and Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz!

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How To Write Your Undergraduate Personal Statement

Applying to university

Getting started
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Understanding historical entry grades data
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Filling in your application
Staying safe online
How to write a personal statement that works for multiple courses
The new personal statement for 2026 entry
Fraud and similarity
How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber

How to end your personal statement

Introducing the personal statement tool
Personal statement dos and don'ts

What to include in a personal statement

Using AI and ChatGPT to help you with your personal statement
Using your personal statement beyond a university application
Carers, estranged students, refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain
Personal statement guides
References for mature students

What's on this page?

What’s a personal statement, preparing to write your personal statement, how to open your personal statement, your personal skills and achievements, work experience and future plans.

An undergraduate personal statement is a chance to get noticed for the unique talents and experiences you have. It’s an important part of the application process as it’s an opportunity to talk about yourself and your passions, outside of your grades.

In this article, we’re going to talk you through how to write an undergraduate personal statement that stands out, without leaving you feeling overwhelmed.

Chloe Ng, HE Career Coach, Manchester Metropolitan University

You’ll have heard the saying preparation is key, and that’s no different when you’re tackling your personal statement. There are two things to think about when you’re planning. The practical and factual information you need to get across, and the more emotional, human parts of you that make you different to everyone else.

Before you start writing, take some time to think about the key things you’d want an admissions tutor to know about you, and get them down on paper. Don’t worry too much about making your notes perfect – this is more about making sure you know why you should be offered a place.

You can also look at the course description as this’ll help you with what to include and give you a good idea of what each uni is looking for.

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Here are a few questions you can answer to help you get started:.

Why have you chosen this course?
What excites you about the subject?
Is my previous or current study relevant to the course?
Have you got any work experience that might help you?
What life experiences have you had that you could talk about?
What achievements are you proud of?
What skills do you have that make you perfect for the course?
What plans and ambitions do you have for your future career?

Admissions Tutors will be reading a lot of personal statements so it’s important to grab their attention right from the start.

Remember, it can only be 4,000 characters, which is about two sides of A4. So, you’ll need to use your words wisely to fit everything in.

You can find a full guide on How to start a personal statement: the attention grabber , but here are the main things to think about .

Don’t overthink the opening. 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. You’re limited on how much you can include so avoid long-winded explanations. Why use 20 words when 10 can make your point?

Annabell Price, L’Oréal degree apprentice (Professional Products Division)

Next, you’ll need to write about your personal skills and achievements. Universities like to know the abilities you have that’ll help you on the course, or generally with life at university.

Don’t forget to include evidence to back up why you’re so excited about the course(s) you’ve chosen.

Be bold and talk about the achievements you’re proud of.
Include positions of responsibility you hold, or have held, both in and out of school.
What are the things that make you interesting, special, or unique?

Your work experience and future plans are important to include. You should share details of jobs, placements, work experience, or voluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to your course.

Try to link any experience to skills or qualities that’ll make you successful.
If you know what you’d like to do after as a career, explain how you plan to use the knowledge and experience that you’ll gain to launch your career.

It’s always good to connect the beginning of your statement to the end and a great way to reinforce what you said at the start.

You want to see the ending as your chance to finish in a way that’ll make the admissions tutor remember you.

This final part of your personal statement should emphasise the great points you’ve already made and answer the question of why you should be offered a place on the course.

Read our full guide on How to finish your statement the right way.

The personal statement tool image

Don’t be tempted to copy or share your statement.

UCAS scans all personal statements through a similarity detection system to compare them with previous statements.

Any similarity greater than 30% will be flagged and we'll inform the universities and colleges to which you have applied.

Find out more

Want to read more.

Check out our full list of Personal Statement Dos and Don’ts

See how you can use a personal statement beyond a university application

Now you’ve written your undergraduate personal statement, you’ll need to do a couple of final things before you submit it.

Have you proofread it?

Don’t just rely on spellcheckers. We’d recommend reading it out loud as that’s a great way to spot any errors as well as checking it sounds like you.

Have you asked for feedback?

Ask friends, family or a careers advisor to have a read through your personal statement and take their feedback on board.

Want more advice on your personal statement? Use the links below.

More advice

Use the UCAS’ personal statement tool alongside this guide to help you structure your ideas. Are you interested in how you can turn you Personal Statement into your CV? Read our advice here

Start your search now

Get your UCAS Hub

Your place to discover your options and research your future.

Former Trump officials are among the most vocal opponents of returning him to the White House

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper has called him a “threat to democracy.” Former national security adviser John Bolton has declared him “unfit to be president.” And former Vice President Mike Pence has declined to endorse him, citing “profound differences.”

As Donald Trump seeks the presidency for a third time, he is being vigorously opposed by a vocal contingent of former officials who are stridently warning against his return to power and offering dire predictions for the country and the rule of law if his campaign succeeds.

It’s a striking chorus of detractors, one without precedent in the modern era, coming from those who witnessed first-hand his conduct in office and the turmoil that followed.

Sarah Matthews, a former Trump aide who testified before the House Jan. 6 committee and is among those warning about the threat he poses, said it’s “mind-boggling” how many members of his senior staff have denounced him.

“These are folks who saw him up close and personal and saw his leadership style,” Matthews said.

WATCH: Anatomy of a Donald Trump speech

“The American people should listen to what these folks are saying because it should be alarming that the people that Trump hired to work for him a first term are saying that he’s unfit to serve for a second term.”

Yet the critics remain a distinct minority. Republican lawmakers and officials across the party have endorsed Trump’s bid — some begrudgingly, others with fervor and enthusiasm. Many aides and Cabinet officials who served under Trump are onboard for another term, something Trump’s campaign is quick to highlight.

“The majority of the people who served in President Trump’s cabinet and in his administration, like the majority of Americans, have overwhelmingly endorsed his candidacy to beat Crooked Joe Biden and take back the White House,” said Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung.

Still, the Biden campaign has trumpeted the criticism of former Trump officials in statements and social media posts, hoping to convince at least some Republican voters — including those who backed other candidates during the GOP primary — that they cannot support his candidacy.

“Those who worked with Donald Trump at the most senior levels of his administration believe he is too dangerous, too selfish and too extreme to ever lead our country again — we agree,” said Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa.

In many ways, the schism among former Trump officials is an extension of his time in the White House. Friction was constant as Trump’s demands ran into resistance from some officials and aides who refused requests that they found misguided, unrealistic and, at times, flatly illegal. Firings were frequent. Many quit.

Staff upheaval was particularly intense in the chaotic weeks after the 2020 election as Trump worked to overturn his election loss to Biden. Trump summoned supporters to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, as his falsehoods about a stolen election became the rallying cry for supporters who violently breached the U.S. Capitol. Many people serving in the administration quit in protest, including Matthews.

READ MORE: Trump Media stock falls more than 21 percent after company discloses $58 million loss for 2023

Trump’s attempt to remain in office included a bitter pressure campaign against Pence, who as vice president was tasked with presiding over the count of the Electoral College ballots on Jan. 6. Trump was adamant that Pence should prevent Biden from becoming president, something he had no power to do. Pence had to flee the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 as rioters stormed the building to chants of “Hang Mike Pence!”

Pence recently said he “cannot in good conscience” endorse Trump because of Jan. 6 and other issues, despite being proud of what they achieved together.

And Pence is not alone.

Esper, who was fired by Trump days after the 2020 election, clashed with the then-president over several issues, including Trump’s push to deploy military troops to respond to civil unrest after the killing of George Floyd by police in 2020.

In a recent interview with HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher,” Esper repeated a warning that Trump is “a threat to democracy” and added, “I think there’s a lot to be concerned about.”

“There’s no way I’ll vote for Trump, but every day that Trump does something crazy, the door to voting for Biden opens a little bit more, and that’s where I’m at,” Esper said.

Among Trump’s most vocal critics are former aides who worked closely with him in the White House, particularly a trio who gained prominence testifying about the Jan. 6 attack and Trump’s push to overturn the election.

The group includes Matthews, former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin and Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows. They have given a series of interviews in recent months opposing their former boss.

“Fundamentally, a second Trump term could mean the end of American democracy as we know it, and I don’t say that lightly,” Griffin told ABC in December.

John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, had his own long falling-out with Trump. Kelly, in a lengthy October statement to CNN, described Trump as “a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators” and “has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”

Olivia Troye, a former Pence adviser who left the White House in 2020, and former press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who resigned Jan. 6, are both outspoken critics who said they didn’t vote for Trump in 2020.

Even Bill Barr, Trump’s former attorney general who has not ruled out voting for him again, has referred to Trump as “a consummate narcissist” who “constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk and the conservative and Republican agenda at risk.”

Still, the ranks of former Trump officials opposing his bid are greatly outnumbered by those who are supportive.

Linda McMahon, who headed the Small Business Administration under Trump, is co-chairing a major fundraiser for the former president on Saturday in Florida, along with former Trump Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

McMahon is also chair of the board of The America First Policy Institute, which is packed with supportive former Trump officials and has been described as an “administration in waiting” for a second Trump term.

The institute is headed by Brooke Rollins, Trump’s former domestic policy chief, and counts Pence’s national security adviser and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg among its chairs, along with former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Trump’s U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, and former National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow.

Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has campaigned for Trump, as has former Housing Secretary Ben Carson, who called him “a friend of America.”

Trump’s also got the backing of former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, former Interior Secretary and Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, and Russell Vought, who ran Trump’s Office of Management and Budget.

Vought said in a post on X that Trump is “the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State.”

Trump supporters are also quick to dismiss critics in the party.

Carmen McVane, who attended Trump’s rally Tuesday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said those who speak negatively against Trump or refuse to endorse are RINOs, or Republicans In Name Only, and will only help Biden and Democrats.

“There’s a lot of RINOs who don’t do what they’re supposed to do,” McVane said. “It’s time for everyone to back who we have and go full force ahead.”

Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Green Bay, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.

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COMMENTS

9 Common College Essay Mistakes To Avoid in Your Personal Statement
Start from a blank canvas to make sure you get to the personal right away. No cliched "inspirational" quotes either, please. 7) Writing a Cliched Conclusion. Another major personal essay mistake is that your closing paragraph feels cliche and just repeats information you've already said earlier in the essay.
13 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Personal Statement
Don't include your GPA in your personal statement. In fact, avoid including any information - such as awards you've received, etc. - that can be found elsewhere in your application. It's redundant. Think of your personal statement as valuable real estate and there's only enough space for the best, most unique information. 3.
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Personal Statement Do's & Don'ts. Published in College Admissions, College Prep · 10 min read · May 2, 2017. Your grades and standardized test scores are set by now, so the personal statement is your last chance to add something new to your college applications. An effective personal statement is well-written, avoids cliches, tells a ...
Personal statement dos and don'ts
Don'ts. Don't be modest or shy. You want your passions to come across. Don't exaggerate - if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement. Don't use quotes from someone else, or cliches. Don't leave it to the last minute - your statement will seem rushed and important ...
7 Things to Avoid in Your Personal Statement
Don't list off your accomplishments and only focus on all the shiny, good parts of your life. Give the reader a chance to connect with you. Don't fake smile - be your true, authentic self. 4. Lack of focus. This is the most common issue we see. Don't throw in details that aren't relevant to the story you're telling.
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Personal statement do's. Tailor your personal statement - utilise the job description to help you highlight exactly what the employer is looking for, highlight the skills and experience it calls for. The job description is the blueprint to your personal statement for that role, so try and signpost your abilities from the exact things the employer is looking for.
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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.
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Top tips on how to write your statement opener. We spoke to admissions tutors at unis and colleges - read on for their tips. 1. Don't begin with the overkill opening. Try not to overthink the opening sentence. You need to engage the reader with your relevant thoughts and ideas, but not go overboard. Tutors said: 'The opening is your chance ...
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Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for College. 1. Approach this as a creative writing assignment. Personal statements are difficult for many students because they've never had to do this type of writing. High schoolers are used to writing academic reports or analytical papers, but not creative storytelling pieces.
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Example #3 - 12. Example #4 - Flying. Example #5 - Arab Spring in Bahrain. Example #6 - Poop, Animals and the Environment. Example #7 - Entoptic Phenomena. Example #8 - The Builder & Problem Solver. Example #10 - The Little Porch and a Dog (With Spanish Translation) Example #10 - Life As an Undocumented Student.
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Before we break down these three key areas in a lot more detail, here's a quick and helpful list of the top ten things you should not put in a personal statement: Unresearched claims or inaccurate information. Lies, exaggeration or unoriginal content. Errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar. Irrelevant material or unnecessary filler.
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Amanda, one of the senior Paramedic Science lecturers at the University of Brighton, shared with us what she expects students to include in their personal statement: Consider the subjects you're studying and their relevance to the course you're applying for. Demonstrate research into any professional bodies associated within the field you're ...
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Your personal statement is the opportunity to show universities who you are, your ambitions and why you're passionate about the course you're applying for. Before you dive into writing, it's good to understand what you should include in your personal statement to make the most of the 4000-character count. The purpose of your personal ...
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.
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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.
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13 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

2. Redundancy

3. Spelling or Grammatical Errors

4. Profanity or Slang

6. Hyperboles

7. Plagiarism

8. Other People

9. Negativity

11. Arrogance

13. Confessions

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Personal Statement Do’s & Don’ts

Do Tell A Story

Do Brag About Yourself

Do Respect Word Limits

Do Obey The Rules Of Grammar

Do Personalize Your Statement

Do Get Feedback

Don’t Restate Your Resume

Don’t Write About Sensitive Topics

Don’t Have Someone Else Write Your Personal Statement For You

Don’t Forget To Show Some Self-Awareness

Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute To Write It

Personal Statement Do’s and Don’ts FAQ

What are the elements of an effective personal statement?

What shouldn’t I do when writing my personal statement?

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7 Things to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

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What Not To Put In A Personal Statement

Claims With No Evidence

Skills Or Extracurricular Activities Irrelevant For Your Course

Poor Grammar And Spelling

Failures And Regrets

Sentences That Lead Nowhere

Quotes That Don’t Fit

Facts With No Context

Made Up Stories

Childhood Aspirations

Real Alumni Stories

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Personal Statements: Examples, Do's and Don'ts

What is a personal statement?

What makes a good personal statement?

How to start a personal statement

How to finish a personal statement

Personal statement do’s

Personal statement don’ts

What next?

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How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

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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