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Undergraduate admissions: How to write a personal statement

Prospective Students

Andrew Miller

Access Officer

13 Oct 2021

What is a personal statement?

Let’s start with the basics. A personal statement is the supporting statement that you send along with your UCAS application. It is your chance to tell universities, in your own words, why you will be a great student in your chosen subject. Your personal statement should demonstrate your interest in, and suitability to, your subject. It is limited in length to 4000 characters, which translates to around 500-600 words.

What do Oxford look for in a good personal statement

At the University of Oxford we read every personal statement, multiple times, so it is definitely worth spending a good amount of time writing it. We are interested in your potential in your chosen subject, so we are very keen to hear about anything academic . This means that were interested in what you have done/are doing at school, but also in anything that you have done above and beyond your school curriculum that can be linked to your chosen subject of study. We refer to these as super-curricular activities .

Super-curricular is different to extra-curricular, as extra-curricular is not related to your academic interest. Super-curriculars can be things you’ve read, listened to, watched or visited, or any number of combinations. However, this should not just be a list of things. We also want to know how these things support you academic ambitions. Why did you choose these activities? What impact did it have on you? What did you do next? You can use all of this as specific evidence of your interest in, and commitment too, your subject.

For some ideas you could start with some suggestions from the University of Oxford here .

Basic structure

As a base line, around 80% of your personal statement should focus on your academic and super-curricular activities:

You should have an opening paragraph explaining why you want to study the course
Followed by 3 or 4 paragraphs analysing your academic and super-curricular activities
Finally, a short closing paragraph about your extra-curricular interest, focusing on transferable skills, and future aspirations/career plans

Pitfalls to avoid

An important thing to remember is that if we invite you to interview we could use your personal statement as the starting point of your interview. This means it is a good idea to re-read your personal statement beforehand. It also means that you should not be tempted to embellish your personal statement with things you haven’t read or done because you think they sound good. If we ask about those things in interview it can get very awkward very quickly!

Likewise it is important that the personal statement is in your own words and not copied from anywhere else. You also do not need to be entertaining or funny, you just need to get to the point about your academic interests and your evidence for why you will be a good scholar.

Finally, please take care with spell-checking and use whatever opportunity you can to have someone (teacher, parent, etc.) proofread for you. Most schools will want to do this for you, so please listen to your teachers.

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Where next?

How to choose your subject Read more
The application cycle Read more
UCAS and applying to Oxford Read more

10 Top Tips for an Oxford Human Sciences Personal Statement

Your Oxford Human Sciences personal statement is a crucial component in your Oxford application. It gives you a chance to articulate why you’re particularly interested in Human Sciences and to distinguish yourself from other applicants. While Oxford admissions tutors are most interested in your academic performance and ability, a great personal statement could make all the difference between you and a candidate with the same grade. Additionally, it offers the Oxford interviewer a focal point to base discussions around your personality and interests. Ultimately, they can deduce your commitment to the subject you’re applying for.

To help guide you through the process, our Oxford application experts have compiled a list of top 10 tips. It includes everything you should and should not do for your Human Science Personal Statement for the 2024/25 application cycle.

human sciences Oxford personal statement

Human Sciences is an interdisciplinary degree course which enables students to study humans from multiple interconnecting perspectives across the biological and social sciences. Underlying the degree concept is the recognition that it is important to understand connections among biological, social, and cultural phenomena in order to address the major issues and problems humans face in a rapidly changing world. When planning out your Oxford Human Sciences personal statement, make sure you research Oxford’s achievements and use it as a guide to illustrate your interest in Human Sciences.

Top 5 Tips for an Oxford Human Sciences Personal Statement

Tell your story.

Your story of how you considered a degree in Human Sciences’ and why you applied to Oxford should be what distinguishes you from other applicants. Outline why you want to pursue a degree in Human Sciences. Consider your future career plans, extra-curricular work. Also address why you chose to study at Oxford over all other universities.

What makes you suitable

Your application should demonstrate what makes you an ideal candidate to study Human Sciences at Oxford. What skills or experience do you have? Since it’s such a varied degree, are there any experiences you can draw on that not only make you suitable for studying Human Sciences but also to be an Oxford University student.

Read around the subject you’re applying for

The competition at Oxford will be great. Extracurricular reading is a good way to stand out from other students and this can range from reading books or journals. A typical book is ‘The Selfish Gene’ by Richard Dawkins, or a podcast such as ‘ Hidden Brain .’ Be sure to have some things to talk about as you may be questioned at an interview.

Proofread & read your work out loud

Once you’re happy with the content of your draft, check it and then check it again! Useful people to ask to proofread your work include a teacher in the field, a current Oxford student, and a student who is studying Human Sciences. Oxbridge Mind also offer a personal statement check . By allowing people to take a look at your Human Sciences Oxford personal statement, they would be able to pick up mistakes or name improvements that you may have missed.

Why Human Sciences

What was it that first got you interested in Human Sciences? Consider why you would be an ideal Oxford candidate too. What skills or experience do you have? Examples include analytical and critical thinking skills. What careers will this degree open for you and how does this align with your own plans for the future.

human sciences personal statement Oxford

Top 5 things to AVOID for your Oxford Human Sciences Personal Statement

Writing a list of achievements.

Reflect and expand on some key points to demonstrate your understanding and what you have learnt from them rather than listing achievements which will appear tedious. Talk about the skills you have gained from the work you have undertaken. How have these skills furthered your desire to study Human Sciences, and to study at Oxford University.

Don’t write anything that isn’t true

Don’t exaggerate. You may be asked to provide evidence of your stated achievements, or if you are interviewed you may be asked detailed questions about things you’ve mentioned. It will reflect poorly on you if you are unable to answer questions about your Human Sciences Oxford personal statement.

Copying someone else’s personal statements

Don’t plagiarise. Do not copy someone else’s UCAS personal statement or use something you have found on the internet. UCAS uses software to check every personal statement for plagiarism.

Not reflecting on or justifying your point

Write succinctly and explain points without repeating yourself. Examples include analytical skills, and other transferable skills. Remember, quality is always better than quantity- it’s better to expand on a few points than to list every point you can without going into detail.

Don’t sound unprofessional

Steer clear of slang, clichés and quotes. It will sound repetitive to Oxford admissions tutors to hear about how students are “passionate” about their subject or that they have a “thirst for knowledge”. Write about your personal experience with your Human Sciences’ journey, and allow the Oxford admissions tutors to do the rest.

If you’re unsure whether you’ve covered everything in your Human Sciences Oxford personal statement, why not book a personal statement check where our experts will give you feedback within 24 hours and you can even have a 1-1 online session on how to improve your statement.

→What is Oxford Human Sciences?

Oxford Human Sciences is an interdisciplinary field of study that combines aspects of biology, psychology, anthropology, and sociology to better understand human behavior and health. Students studying Human Sciences at Oxford University will explore the social, cultural, biological, and evolutionary aspects of human beings, as well as how they interact with their environment.

→What should I include in my Oxford Human Sciences personal statement?

Your personal statement should highlight your academic background and relevant experiences, as well as your motivation for studying Human Sciences at Oxford. You should also demonstrate your critical thinking skills, ability to analyze complex issues, and passion for understanding human behavior.

→How long should my Oxford Human Sciences personal statement be?

Oxford University recommends that your personal statement should be no longer than 4,000 characters, or about 500 words. It is important to be concise and focus on the most relevant and compelling aspects of your experience and qualifications.

→What qualities are Oxford Human Sciences admissions looking for in applicants?

Oxford Human Sciences admissions are looking for applicants who demonstrate a strong academic record, critical thinking skills, creativity, and a genuine interest in understanding human behavior. They also value experiences that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

→How important is the personal statement in the Oxford Human Sciences admissions process?

The personal statement is an important part of the Oxford Human Sciences admissions process, as it provides admissions officers with insights into your academic background, experiences, and motivation for studying Human Sciences. It is an opportunity to showcase your unique perspective and strengths as an applicant.

→Can I get help with my Oxford Human Sciences personal statement?

Yes, there are a range of resources available to help you with your personal statement, including online guides, writing workshops, and tutoring services. However, it is important to ensure that the content of your personal statement is entirely your own and reflects your own thoughts and experiences.

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Personal Statements for Further Study

A personal statement is your chance to explain your motivation for applying and why you are a great candidate for the course..

Guidelines given vary from the simple “Provide evidence in support of your application” to the more common “Tell us why you are interested in the course to which you have applied. Describe your academic interests and reasons for applying to XXX”. For some courses there may be a much more prescriptive and structured approach, requiring you to write a series of shorter responses to specific questions relating to your motivation, experience and suitability for the course. You may also come across some institutions that ask you to reflect on how you might add to the diversity of a cohort should your application be successful.

If you are applying to more than one university, each statement will need a different emphasis – do not use the same statement for all applications.

In your statement, you should demonstrate:

Motivation, enthusiasm, and a clear understanding of why you are making the application to this particular course, and to this particular institution.
How your academic background and other experiences have shaped your decision to apply and how the course contributes to your plans for the future.
Evidence that you have the ability, experience, skills and motivation to successfully contribute to the course, and to complete it.

Structure and Content

The opening paragraph sets the framework for the rest of the statement, think of it as your ‘trailer’. This is where you can grab the reader’s attention or lose it… You might start with a powerful anecdote, a brief narrative of your initial inspiration, or a thought-provoking statement linked to your academic interests.

Within the main body of the essay you should aim to cover:

Why you want to study this topic or field

Is it a natural extension of your current interests? How did you become interested in this area? Why does it continue to fascinate you? What have you done within your degree or outside of your study to fuel this interest? Would the course provide a step towards a longer-term goal?

Why you have chosen this specific course and institution

Are there particular options or modules that interest you? Is there particular expertise in that department? Has access to specific resources such as museum collections, libraries or laboratory equipment been a factor? Has the reputation (through recommendations or other means) of the course inspired you? Are you attracted by opportunities for collaboration or work placements? Have you attended any Open Days or other visits?

How your experience equips you for the course

Consider the subjects you studied at undergraduate level; your relevant skills (technical, language, computing, research methods); independent study or research; prior (relevant) experience; academic awards and other achievements. The focus here is likely to be on your academic suitability for the course, but if you have relevant work experience or extra-curricular activities that provide further evidence of your interest or ability then include them too. Your non-academic achievements might also provide evidence of project management, resilience, effective communication and so on.

Where the course might lead you

You don’t need to have a detailed career plan, but you do need to show how this course fits in with your general aspirations. Are you intending to continue on to a PhD? Do you have a broad interest in contributing to a particular issue or field, e.g. social enterprise, public policy, human rights, sustainability? Or do you have a more specific goal in mind? How will your chosen course help you to achieve your goals?

Closing paragraph

Use your closing paragraph to summarise your application, return to any themes you introduced at the beginning, and to restate your enthusiasm for the course.

Practical Advice

Writing effective personal statements takes time. Expect to go through several drafts and ask tutors, peers, careers advisers and others to review your statement before you submit it.
Good English, grammar and spelling are essential. Avoid jargon and make sure it can be understood by non-experts.
Keep the tone positive, fresh and lively in order to convey enthusiasm and make yourself stand out, but remember that this is a document introducing you in a professional capacity.
It’s a good idea to mention relevant individuals whose work has truly inspired you, but avoid name-dropping for the sake of it, and excessive and evidence-free flattery of the institution or the course.
If you refer to any papers or books then reference these correctly in a bibliography at the end of the statement.
Pay attention to any word limits. If none are stated then aim for no more than two sides of A4 or 1000-1500 words.
It is usually possible to apply for multiple courses at a single institution. Many (including Oxford) will require you to complete a separate application form for each course that you wish to apply for.

Research Proposals

For many PhD and some research Masters applications the personal statement is often accompanied by a research proposal – a document that sets out your research interests and proposed area of study. The detail required in this section varies hugely for different disciplines. For some science subjects it may simply be a list, in order of preference, of the named PhD projects you wish to be considered for. However, for most areas – and especially in the arts, humanities and social sciences – you will need to devote a considerable amount of time to developing your ideas, discussing them with potential supervisors and writing a proposal. Your academic tutors should be able to give you some guidance on writing research proposals, and there is some useful advice from Vitae and from Find a PhD .

Admission Essays for US Graduate Schools

The information in this handout applies also to applications to American universities. However, there are subtle differences in the style and approach to essays aimed at the US context. A statement written for the US is likely to feel more personal; think of it as your academic biography – setting out your inspiration for the academic path you have followed in the past, the present and into the future. The Careers Service runs a workshop on US applications early each Michaelmas Term. The Fulbright Educational Advisory Service also publishes guidelines on completing US applications. US university career services often provide useful advice on writing graduate school admissions essays. See for example: MIT graduate school essay advice , UC Berkeley advice on writing graduate admissions statements , UNC application essay advice and Yale advice on writing personal statements for graduate school.

Teacher Training Applications

The personal statement for postgraduate teacher training is the key part of your application. The question is quite prescriptive, and your focus should be on your motivation for becoming a teacher: particularly how your teaching and other experiences have contributed. Ideally you should also set out how these have helped you to understand the role, and the sort of teacher you aspire to be. The Careers Service runs a workshop on careers in teaching each Michaelmas Term, which includes advice about the application process. For more information, see the Careers Service information on Teaching in Schools .

Graduate Entry Medicine

Applications to graduate entry medicine courses are submitted via UCAS and include a personal statement. Much of the advice in this document also applies to medicine applications, but you are likely to need to place considerable emphasis on the relevant work experience you have gained prior to your application.

See Careers Service's information on Medicine as a Second Degree for further information.

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Applying to Oxbridge: writing a personal statement

Writing an Oxbridge-quality personal statement can be challenging. Our comprehensive guide will help your students write a statement that stands out

UniAdmissions

More on this topic

What is an Oxbridge personal statement?

A Ucas personal statement is a written statement (up to 4,000 characters) in which an applicant showcases their accomplishments, abilities, interests and goals to strengthen their application for higher education.

Every university in the UK requires a personal statement, including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Although Oxbridge statements are functionally the same as any other, the quality of writing expected from applicants is much higher. This reflects how competitive and prestigious these two universities are, with more than 40,000 applications between them each year.

The quality of the personal statement becomes even more important for applicants outside the UK, because international students typically receive only 25 per cent of offers made by Oxford and Cambridge.

Personal statements must be written in English and are expected to reach a high standard of content quality and grammatical correctness. So the prospect of each student’s Oxbridge application will be dependent to some extent on how well they can plan, draft and edit their personal statement.

The deadline for the personal statement – along with the rest of the Ucas application – is usually 16 October for Oxbridge applicants, which is more than three months earlier than the applications for the rest of the universities in the UK.

How is an Oxbridge personal statement used?

Unlike most universities in the UK, which rely on the Ucas application form and supporting materials to decide whether or not to offer a place, Oxford and Cambridge require applicants to complete extra steps before offers are made.

After the standard Ucas application, most applicants will need to complete a subject-specific admissions test, which is followed by an interview, should they be invited.

The personal statement is initially used during this shortlisting process, alongside the applicant’s predicted grades, admissions-test score and other supporting materials. It will also be considered in the final decision-making process, although the applicant’s interview performance will provide a greater insight into their personality and motivation for study.

What are Oxford and Cambridge looking for?

Oxbridge admissions tutors are interested in students’ grades, experiences and attitude. It's important to study the universities' specific guidelines rather than making assumptions about what an ideal candidate would look like.

Some of the key qualities that the universities look for include:

1. Academic ability and potential

Oxbridge seeks academically thriving applicants, judged first and foremost by their grades and school performance. Oxbridge applicants should already achieve or be expected to achieve the necessary grade criteria for their courses.

2. Critical and independent thought

Oxbridge seeks exceptionally intelligent applicants who possess critical-thinking skills. The ability to think logically in academic and everyday situations is important, because initiative and independent work are essential for the teaching style and work ethic promoted at Oxford and Cambridge.

3. Suitability and enthusiasm for the course

Each applicant must have a genuine passion for their subject, showcasing expanded interest and a desire to learn. Essential traits include motivation, self-discipline, commitment and a drive for personal growth.

Drafting a personal statement for Oxbridge

After writing the foundation of their personal statement, encompassing their personal story, academic achievements, subject-related experience, extracurricular activities and additional details, an applicant needs to assess whether their statement is likely to capture the interest of Oxford and Cambridge admissions tutors.

In all likelihood, the initial draft will fall short – only a small number of applicants manage to get their statement right on the first attempt. So how can they improve it?

1. Relevance

An Oxbridge hopeful needs to connect everything they discuss to their application. Relevance to the chosen course is essential. A detailed explanation of one highly relevant example holds more value than a list of several irrelevant activities. An applicant should reflect on their experience, highlighting their personal growth and explain why it makes them a stronger Oxbridge applicant.

2. Efficiency

Oxbridge admissions are fiercely competitive, so a sentence should be as efficient as possible in highlighting the applicant’s strongest attributes.

3. Wider reading

Oxford and Cambridge value applicants who take charge of their research and education. Your students should discuss any relevant wider reading and enrichment activities they have taken part in, including research projects, extensive reading, academic competitions and more.

4. Adding value

Oxbridge admissions tutors want a mutually enriching relationship with their students. Applicants should therefore highlight their value to the university, including volunteer experience, extracurricular activities and desirable skills or traits. While not core elements to a statement, these additions will have a significant impact.

Each personal statement will be different. You and the students’ teachers should provide advice based on what you know about them. Help them play to their strengths and highlight what makes them unique.

Common personal statement mistakes

A perfect personal statement is impossible to achieve, but sometimes your students will make simple mistakes that can have consequences for their applications. These are usually easy to avoid, so here are some of the most common mistakes you can watch out for:

1. Pandering to tutors

Applicants often misunderstand what admissions tutors want to see, and might attempt to impress them in misguided ways. Some will overload their personal statements with numerous achievements, assuming that tutors expect a long list. Others will embellish details to sound impressive. However, admissions tutors easily recognise these tactics, having reviewed countless personal statements during their careers.

We already know that tutors are actually looking for academic ability, independent thinking, genuine interest and good character, so these are the traits that you should encourage your students to showcase in their writing.

2. Lying and exaggerating

Students will often think that one small lie will go unnoticed or that they won’t be questioned on the specific details of what they have mentioned. However, as soon as a student is caught out for including false information in their statement, their whole application will be in danger.

When reviewing statements, it’s important for counsellors to question students if something seems untrue – but without making accusations. Mock interviews are also a great opportunity to identify any potential misrepresentation in the work.

3. Bad spelling or grammar

It is important to be vigilant when reviewing students’ statements, especially as English might not be your students’ first language. Encourage them to find mistakes themselves before pointing them out.

Additional tips

1. offer detailed feedback .

It is hugely beneficial to the student to receive detailed feedback with actionable advice. Going line by line through their personal statement, you can point out specific areas, both large and small, that could be improved to enhance its overall quality.

2. Provide exemplars

It is strongly recommended that you build a collection of successful Oxbridge personal statements for your students to use as inspiration (but not to copy). These can come from previous applicants or from other sources, such as the successful personal statement collection curated by UniAdmissions.

3. Use spell and grammar checks

Various pieces of advanced spellchecking and grammar-checking software are available, which will help your students review their work easily and accurately. You should encourage your class to make use of these, but to be careful that they only provide guidance rather then writing the whole statement.

4. Look out for AI-written statements

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly useful writing tool. However, it is not a suitable option for writing a personal statement because it cannot offer the personal insights and reflections that are required in a good statement.

5. Use available resources

Various resources are available to support students through their applications. For example, UniAdmissions offers students a comprehensive collection of resources and support methods that can triple an average student’s chance of receiving an offer. Look into the options available to your students.

Upcoming changes to Ucas personal statements

Because of concerns that the existing personal-statement format unfairly advantages certain students, Ucas will be changing its requirements in 2024 (for 2025 university entry in the UK).

The current format sees each student writing a single, free-form document for submission. The new system will instead be based on a series of six questions, which will cover all the general topics that would be discussed in a standard personal statement. This change will affect all applicants to UK universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

The quality of content required for Oxbridge personal statements will not be changing, but applicants will need to adapt to a new, more limited way of writing. Full details about these changes, including the new questions and the reasoning behind the changes, can be found on the Ucas website .

An Oxford Student’s Guide to Applying to the University

In University by Think Student Editor December 5, 2023 Leave a Comment

Applying to university is always a long process, from deciding which course to study, to writing the best personal statement you can. For Oxford University, the process is even longer, with things like admissions tests and interviews to think about, and notoriously difficult to get through. As a current Oxford student, I have been through the whole application process, and know just how intimidating it can be! But nobody should be dissuaded from applying to Oxford just because of its difficult reputation.

This article will guide you through every step of the process, answering many common questions potential applicants may have from someone who has experienced it all. Hopefully, by the end, you will be equipped with all the information you need to make the best application you can!

Table of Contents

How do you apply to Oxford University?

The first thing to clear up is that the basics of applying to Oxford are the same as for any other university in the UK. You submit a central application through UCAS, which allows you to apply to a maximum of five universities. Check out this page from UCAS for their guide to your university application.

The form includes basic information about you, as well as a personal statement, which is your chance to show off your skills and experience to universities. There’s more advice about writing a great personal statement for Oxford later in the article!

However, there are a few things to be aware of that are different about the UCAS application if you are applying to Oxford. Firstly, if one of your five choices is Oxford University, you can’t also apply to Cambridge University in the same year, and vice versa. There’s more on this in this Think Student article.

You also apply to a specific college within the university. The college system can be confusing if you haven’t come across it before – this link from Oxford University’s website has more information.

You can also find information about individual colleges on this link. You might, for example, want to apply to a smaller college, or one that offers accommodation for all the years of your course.

Don’t worry too much about this, though. Colleges are more similar than different, and you may get a place at a different college from the one you applied to.

Additionally, there is a significantly earlier deadline to submit your UCAS application if you are applying to Oxford, Cambridge, or for a course in medicine, veterinary science or dentistry. Keep reading for more on this and other key dates.

When is the Oxford University application deadline?

You may be expecting the UCAS application deadline to be somewhere near the end of January – and this is true for most courses. However, if you are applying to the University of Oxford, you will have to submit your application by a much earlier deadline. This falls around the 15 th of October every year.

The reason for this earlier deadline is so that there is time for the university to interview applicants. This is a longer process than if they were just looking through UCAS applications.

Similarly, medicine and related courses carry out interviews, as well as courses at Cambridge University. Therefore, these options also have this early entry deadline.

In fact, you will find that much of the information in this article is also relevant if you are applying to Cambridge. The two universities have relatively similar application processes!

Have a look at this page from the official UCAS website for more information about key deadlines. You’ll notice that for 2024 entry, the early deadline is the 16 th of October – more than three months before the standard deadline on the 31 st of January!

What does the University of Oxford’s application process involve?

For most universities and courses, the UCAS form you submit will essentially be your whole application. Unfortunately, there are a few more stages if you are applying to Oxford (or Cambridge, or medical courses).

A couple of these have been mentioned, but it is useful to have an idea of a timeline, and what you will be expected to do, when. The first stage is still your UCAS application , which as mentioned will need to be submitted by mid-October.

For most courses at Oxford, you will then have to sit an admissions test. This is also usually held in mid-October, a few days after the application deadline.

You’ll likely want to prepare for these tests a few weeks in advance, so you are preparing for admissions tests alongside finalising your UCAS application. There’s more information about admissions tests and advice on preparing if you keep reading!

The university then takes into account your application and test score to decide whether to invite you to the next stage – interviews. The vast majority of interviews take place in December, in the last couple of weeks of the school term. Again, keep reading for plenty of interview advice to come.

After this, you’ve finally completed the application process – well done! Your application is now in the hands of admissions tutors. They will look at your application as a whole and send out their decision in early January.

The final part of the process is achieving your A-Level (or equivalent) grades, if you haven’t taken these exams already. This is a really important final stage of the process, but it isn’t unique to Oxford. Nearly all universities give out conditional offers, which means you have to achieve certain grades to confirm your place.

Check out this page on the Oxford University website for a timeline of the admissions process.

How do you write a personal statement for Oxford University?

Writing a personal statement is often a big worry for students, and it can be hard to know where to start. The good thing to know is that there is not any sort of special changes you have to make here if you are applying to Oxford. The same general advice applies to any personal statement: talk about why you want to study your subject, and what you have done to explore your interest in it.

I would highly recommend doing activities outside of schoolwork related to your subject. You can then write about this in your personal statement, and even talk about it in your interview.

There are really simple ways to prove to universities that you are passionate about your subject. For example, attending an online webinar from the comfort of your own home.

One thing to be aware of is that Oxford University is not as interested in your extracurricular activities as other universities may be. They are keener on seeing how you engage directly with your subject.

Nevertheless, it is worth putting in any of these extra activities you do if other universities you are applying to will look at them. I certainly wrote about extracurricular activities in my own personal statement. The general advice is to have roughly 80% of your statement be related to your subject, and 20% be about extracurricular activities like sports or music.

Have a look at this page of the Oxford website for their advice and FAQs about personal statements.

Are there entrance tests for Oxford University?

As mentioned, most courses will ask for a certain entrance test as part of the application process. You can double check if you will need one, and exactly which one, by checking out the course page on the university website, linked here .

The entrance test can seem unnecessary, but it is helpful for the university to standardise applications. Students may be taking lots of different qualifications – A-Levels, Scottish Highers, international qualifications. Having one test that all applicants have taken is a fairer way of comparing them.

You enter for these exams through your school, but it’s really important not to miss the deadline to enter. This is normally at the end of September. Talk to the Exams Officer at your school, who should be able to sort it all out for you.

When it comes to preparing for your entrance test, the best method is to do practice questions. There are official past papers available for free online, although some tests have more resources available than others.

My advice would be to time yourself as much as possible when answering questions, because these tests tend to be very time pressured. You can also check out official information and advice on Oxford University’s website here .

How do Oxford University interviews work?

For every course at Oxford University, you will have to go to one or more interviews. You will get an interview invite in late November, and as mentioned, they take place around mid-December. Interviews used to happen in person, but since the pandemic, they’ve been moved online, and are still this way as of the 2024 entry cycle.

Everyone’s interview experience is slightly different. You normally have two interviews, but you might have one or three.

They might be at the college you originally applied to, a different college, or multiple. Don’t worry too much about these logistics. They won’t tell you anything about how likely you are to get an offer.

There are lots of misconceptions about Oxford interviews – especially that they are looking for a certain stereotypical student. This isn’t the case! The main thing tutors are looking for in interviews is that you are passionate about your subject and can talk about your ideas on it.

In the interview itself, you with have a panel of normally two or three interviewers, asking various questions about your subject. For humanities subjects, they are more likely to ask about things you have mentioned on your personal statement. For more science-based subjects, you usually work through a few problems or graphs, although it is still worth knowing your personal statement well.

The key thing to remember is that the interviews are meant to be hard! They often ask questions you don’t know the answer to. My best advice would be to think out loud – give them your ideas, even if they are wrong, because they can then guide you onto the right path.

For more on Oxford University interviews and how they work, have a look at this guide from their website.

How should you prepare for Oxford University interviews?

With this in mind, the best way to prepare for your interviews is to practise. There are plenty of sample interview questions online, for every subject. Practise speaking your answers out loud – it might feel silly, but it does help!

Even better, see if you can get a couple of friends or family members to practise with you. The more you try answering questions out loud, and get feedback from others, the easier it gets.

I know a lot of people who get offers come out of their interviews thinking they have gone badly. This is absolutely fine!

The interviewers aren’t looking for students who know all the answers. They are looking for people who are interested in the subject, and willing to discuss it and adapt their ideas after feedback from tutors.

You can check out this Think Student article for general advice on preparing for university interviews

What sort of help should you get during the Oxford University application process?

There are often lots of private companies advertising Oxbridge application help, or expensive summer schools claiming to increase your chances of getting in by 90%. I certainly found these intimidating when I was applying, and wondered if you needed that sort of help to stand a chance of getting in.

In short, you definitely don’t need to pay a lot for private help to get into Oxford! There isn’t a magic formula that companies know, so don’t feel the need to spend a lot of money on your application.

That being said, there are other forms of help that can be really useful when you are applying. As mentioned, talking through interview practice questions with friends, parents or teachers is a great way to prepare.

Your school is also a great source of help, as they sort out UCAS applications every year, so will be familiar with the process . For example, I had a mock interview at my school .

If you ask a teacher for this, they will often be happy to sit down with you and ask you some interview questions. You could also ask a relevant subject teacher to read over your personal statement, or for recommendations on books to read to do with your course.

How do you receive your admissions decision from the University of Oxford?

Once you have handed in your UCAS application, completed any entrance test, and attended interviews, you’ve made it through the application process – well done! Your application will now be in the hands of Oxford tutors.

It can be easy to overthink your application but try not to worry about it too much – you’ve done everything you can. Of course, this is easier said than done, but it really is true!

Fortunately, you don’t have to wait long for the outcome of the application. After interviews in mid-December, it’s only a few weeks before decisions are released in early January.

For 2024 entry, the date is the 9 th of January. You can see more about this in the admissions timeline on this page of the University of Oxford’s website.

Generally, you will receive your decision via UCAS at some point in the morning. Some colleges may also send letters or emails – personally, I got a letter as well as the UCAS notification – but your UCAS will update that day no matter what.

What are the types of decision you can receive from the University of Oxford?

Your decision might be an offer of a place, in which case, congratulations! This is a great achievement.

For most people, you will get an offer from a particular college – which may or may not be the one you applied to. There will also be conditions about getting certain A-Level (or equivalent) grades, although you might have already got these if you applied after a gap year.

In this case, you can now focus on schoolwork, and getting the top grades you’ll need to secure a place. For A-Levels, most courses at Oxford ask for A*AA.

The final piece of the puzzle comes on results day, where, if you meet the grade conditions, your place will be confirmed. You’ll be ready to go to Oxford that September!

Alternatively, the decision you receive could be a rejection. Even still, you should be proud of yourself for getting through the application process – it’s an achievement in itself!

Remember, Oxford University isn’t the be-all and end-all. It’s just one of your five choices – or more, if you use services like UCAS Extra or Clearing. You can have an equally fulfilling experience at any other university.

Hopefully, this article has given you a guide through each stage of the application process and will help you through this journey. Best of luck with your application, and remember to be proud of yourself, no matter the outcome.

How hard is it to get into Oxford University?

Oxford University has a notorious reputation of being really difficult to get into – but is this true?

Ultimately, both Oxford and Cambridge University do indeed have some of the lowest acceptance rates in the UK, so are two of the most difficult universities to get into. However, it is by no means impossible!

Oxford’s website has plenty of statistics about their admissions, which can be found on their website here . For example, it states that in 2022, more than 23,000 applicants applied for around 3,300 places. This is a success rate of about 14%, or 1 in 7.

For comparison, this article from Save the Student states that the average acceptance rate for all universities in the UK is just over 69% – a much higher figure!

The exact rate does vary slightly depending on the course you are applying for – the more competitive the course, the lower the acceptance rate. For example, medicine has an average acceptance rate of about 8%, compared to Archaeology and Anthropology, which accepts close to 20% of applicants. You can look at statistics for individual courses on the Oxford University website here .

Additionally, the acceptance rate tends to be lower for international applicants, as lots of people apply for a limited quota of places.

For more on how hard it is to get in, check out this Think Student article.

Is it worth applying to Oxford University?

Ultimately, my advice would be to not let the statistics put you off from applying. It can be easy to get caught up in trying to work out exactly how likely you are to get in, but this won’t actually help your application! All you can do is apply and try your best – you don’t have anything to lose by giving it a try, but if you don’t apply, you can’t get in!

Personally, I did find the application process difficult, and you may find yourself working a lot harder for it than your friends are for other universities. Preparing for admissions tests and interviews on top of A-Level work isn’t easy!

That being said, the process is surprisingly rewarding, no matter whether or not you actually end up getting a place. You will find yourself developing things like interview skills, which will almost certainly be useful in your future.

The Ultimate Guide To UCAS And Personal Statements

by The Oxford Scholastica Team | 31 Jan, 2024 | Blog Articles , Get the Edge

A student preparing their UCAS application

Table of Contents

What does UCAS stand for?

UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It is the centralised online service in the UK that everyone has to use in order to apply to any undergraduate University course in the UK.

How many courses can you apply to on UCAS?

Through UCAS, you can select up to five different courses to apply to. These can be at the same university, different ones, or a combination of both. It’s completely up to you! If you’re struggling to choose what to study, read our guide on how to find the right university course for you .

How does UCAS work?

You write and submit your application via UCAS, and UCAS sends this to the admissions teams for each of the courses you’ve selected. They will then consider your application along with all the others they have received from different students around the world, and decide who they would like to offer places.

So, UCAS is effectively the link between you and the universities you’re applying to. This means you have to sell yourself as best you can on your UCAS application, since this may be all that the admissions teams are basing their decisions on.

UCAS deadlines

UCAS have two major deadlines for undergraduate application submissions. The earlier deadline is for anyone wanting to apply to Oxford or Cambridge, and for most medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry courses across the country. This early deadline is usually 15th October . But be sure to double check that this is true for your year! The deadline for all other undergraduate courses is usually 15th January . However, many universities and colleges continue to accept applications from international students until later in the year as part of the regular college admissions cycle .

There’s quite a big gap between these two deadlines. This is because all courses with the earlier cut off point require you to go for an interview before they make their offers, so they need time to schedule these. This means you need to decide quite early in the year (by the summer before your deadline) whether you’re going to apply to any of the courses with the 15th October cut off, so that you have enough time to write your application!

UCAS application

You fill out your application using UCAS’s online hub. There are several sections to the form; some require information that you can fill out quickly and others need more time. You don’t have to do it all at once though. You can save your progress and come back to it as many times as you want.

What information are they looking for?

Most obviously, UCAS will want to know your 5 course choices! You don’t have to place them in order of preference at this point and none of the admissions officers will see the other courses you have applied to. They will, however, have access to this information after you reply to any offers you receive, but it can’t impact your application in any way.

Under the current system, a personal statement will also be required, showing your vested interest in your chosen subject. It should also demonstrate your motivation and enthusiasm, as well as any skills you have picked up so far that will help you do well at university. This is your chance to tell admissions teams why they should offer you a place on their course.

Please note: In January 2023, UCAS announced some changes to the admissions process, and the personal statement will be different for admissions cycles from 2024/25. This article will be updated when the changes are confirmed.

There will also be some additional questions for monitoring purposes. These don’t affect how likely you are to be offered a place in any way. The information is not shared with the universities until the end of the application cycle, when you’ll already know their decisions. If you’re applying from the UK, you will be asked questions about your ethnic origin, national identity and what your parents do for a living. There are also some optional questions about religion, sexual orientation and identity.

Within the additional questions section, there will be optional queries relating to your personal circumstances. These will be shared with the university if you wish to provide information about, for example, your parental education or whether you’ve been in care. This is known as ‘contextualised admissions’ and allows the university to form a more complete understanding of you as an individual so that they can provide support if necessary. If you want to know more about how a university will use this information, you can ring their admissions team directly and ask. Don’t be scared to do this at any point as, again, it won’t affect your likelihood of being offered a place!

Other information that UCAS will require is listed below:

Full education history: GCSEs and predicted A-Level/IB qualifications
Full employment history
Reference from teacher, adviser or professional who knows you academically.

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Thanks for signing up, how do i write a good ucas personal statement.

There isn’t a ‘correct’ way to write your personal statement. The key is in the title – the statement is personal. And so it should be as unique to you, your experiences and your interests as possible. That being said, there are some ways you can structure your statement to ensure clarity. Also, there are key things you can include to make sure you are providing the information admissions tutors want to know, so that you come across as an enthusiastic, mature and motivated student.

What do I put on my UCAS application?

Why you find the subject interesting.

Explain what it is that attracts you to your subject, and why you want to study it at university level. Mention particular areas you want to find out more about, for example something you’ve briefly covered on the course at school, or something you’ve read about in your own time.

Detail the relevant things you’ve read that you found the most engaging, and talk about why you found them interesting. Whether or not you’re applying for a literature-based course, make sure you’ve done some reading around the subject. And don’t just regurgitate views you’ve heard in class, read in a textbook or seen online. Remember, the admissions teams want to hear your personal opinion. This is one reason why attending a summer program like an Oxford summer course is so helpful: it introduces you to wider perspectives about your subject, and good ideas for further reading! For inspiration, check out these recommended lists of best books for English literature students , best psychology books and top law books to read .

Employment or volunteering experiences

There is a different section in which to detail your complete employment history, so only pick the most relevant to discuss in your personal statement. Choose the ones that have either taught you useful skills or made you more passionate about your subject.

Work experience / Summer schools / Taster Courses

Talking about any relevant work experience, summer schools or Higher Education taster courses can be really valuable in your personal statement. Again, choose the ones that are most representative of your engagement with your chosen subject, and detail the skills and knowledge you gained. For example, if you’ve ever attended our Oxford Summer School that’s a great one to talk about here! Going to an academic summer school like Oxford Scholastica shows your dedication to your subject outside school, which all admissions tutors are looking for.

Extracurricular activities

Clubs and societies you are a part of at school, or have leadership roles in, can be useful to discuss here, as long as you explain what you’ve gained from them. More on this in the next section!

Extra qualifications

You can also mention the skills you may have developed through any extra courses or qualifications you’ve completed, such as Duke of Edinburgh (DofE), National Citizen Service (NCS), Young Enterprise, etc.

Note for International students:

If you’re applying from outside the UK, you should also mention: why you want to study here, your English language skills, and any English courses or tests you’ve taken. It can also be good to mention why you want to be an international student, rather than studying in your own country.

UCAS personal statement structure

Universities are quite clear about the skills and qualities they are looking for in their students; make sure you read the course descriptions for each course you’re applying to and structure your statement to demonstrate that you have met everything they are looking for.
You have a maximum of 4,000 characters and 47 lines when you input your personal statement into UCAS. This means you need to think carefully about how many paragraphs to have and what information it is most important to include.
Try to present your achievements and interests in a clear and concise manner. This means having different paragraphs for different experiences where possible, and not repeating yourself. Link anything you have done to what you have learnt from it and how that better prepares you or makes you more interested in the course.
Avoid presenting a list of things you have done. Admissions teams won’t care about how many charity projects you’ve been involved with unless you tell them what you have gained from each one.

8 top tips for the best UCAS application

1. Keep it focused on you. Don’t try to define your subject or explain it to the admissions tutor – they are already experts!

2. Write in a natural style – show your understanding of your subject but without going into too much detail or trying to make it sound too complex. Again, you don’t have that many characters available and you need to prioritise talking about yourself. The most important thing is to come across as enthusiastic and eager to learn MORE – don’t focus on trying to show off what you already know.

3. Equally, don’t pretend to know more than you do, or exaggerate your achievements – this is especially important if you are going to be interviewed because they will ask you to elaborate on things you mentioned in your statement.

4. Be careful with humour or quotes – the admissions tutor may not have the same sense of humour as you and it could be a waste of characters!

5. Proofread it aloud , and get as many people to check it as possible so that you have a lot of different perspectives – ask your teachers, friends, and family.

6. Make sure the spelling, punctuation and grammar are completely correct as errors will suggest that you’re careless.

7. You will probably produce several drafts of your personal statement before you’re completely happy with it. This is why it’s important to start writing as early as possible – this is not something to be left to the last minute!

8. Don’t copy bits of another personal statement or share yours with anyone applying for similar courses or similar universities. All personal statements are checked for similarity and if yours is flagged as being too similar to someone else’s, it might reduce your chance of being offered a place.

How much extracurricular content should I include?

Most universities like to see that you have been engaged in extracurricular activities throughout your time at school. They show that you can juggle several commitments at once, and also that you know how to balance work and play – something that is very important at university! However, your personal statement should be mainly focused on the course you’re applying for and why you want to do it. Extracurriculars should only make up one small paragraph towards the end. That said, it shouldn’t be the focus of the final paragraph – you should wrap up with something about your relationship with your chosen subject.

Extracurriculars relevant to the course you’re applying for are amazing, but you can include ones that aren’t directly relevant too. The key is to mention what you do, and then link it back how it has helped you develop the skills and attributes that the university wants to see. These could include commitment, dedication, confidence, teamwork, resilience and interpersonal skills – all important qualities for a university student to have. For medical school applicants, see our tips on the best extracurriculars for medical students .

For those of you applying to Oxford or Cambridge, a lot of advice online says not to include extracurriculars that aren’t directly relevant to your subject. However, there is a lot of variety among different admissions tutors in their attitudes towards this. Our advice would be to include them if they demonstrate personal attributes, impressive achievements or unique skills. Just make sure you are concise and that this only makes up one small paragraph. That way, you’ve covered it if the admissions tutor does want to see it… and if they don’t there’s still a lot more to your personal statement that they will like!

What if I’m applying to different courses at different Universities?

Applying to different courses at different Universities is difficult because unfortunately, you are usually only allowed to submit one personal statement.

If just one of your choices is completely different from the others, a University may accept a separate personal statement for that course, but it has to be sent directly to them – not through UCAS. You have to call the university’s admissions team to ask if this is possible or speak to them on an open day. Speaking to them individually is the only way you can find out, but you should try to get some advice from a teacher or advisers before you do this. If one of your courses is fairly unusual and only offered by a small number of universities, the admissions team will have probably received calls like this many times before and so may be more lenient, but it’s definitely best to just ask.

There may be slight differences between the five courses you’re applying for, for example, if they are all joint or combined degrees with slightly different subject combinations. In this case, writing one statement shouldn’t be too much of a problem. You just have to make sure that you make your statement as relevant as possible to all of them – so make sure each subject is covered by what you are saying.

However, if there are big differences between all of your course choices, you will have much more difficulty writing a great personal statement. You can try to make your statement appropriate to all courses by demonstrating your skills and academic interests more generally. Alternatively, you can openly state that you are applying to several different courses and try to explain as best as possible why you have done this based on your academic interests. The focus here should be on a strong interest in all the courses and the different things they offer. Make sure you don’t come across as simply indecisive or not sure what you want from a course!

Both are risky strategies so we would advise you to apply for five courses that have some clear common ground that you can focus on in your statement.

Students writing their UCAS applications on laptops

When can I expect to hear back from UCAS?

Once you’ve sent off your application, the UCAS hub will allow you to check how your application is progressing. Most interview invitations (although not all – some course providers may email you directly), offers and rejections will be shown on there.

Unfortunately, each university’s application monitoring process takes a different amount of time, so it’s difficult to know for sure when you’ll have all of your decisions back. However, UCAS says that if you met their application deadline (15th January), you should have heard back by the 31st March and will definitely hear by the 9th May. Having said that, many universities will get back to you within just two or three weeks of applying.

If you applied at the earlier deadline (15th October), this probably means you’ve applied to one or more courses that require an interview. If you’re applying to Oxford or Cambridge, look over the Oxbridge section for more specific information about when you will hear back, tests and interviews! If you’re applying for medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, different universities hold their interviews at vastly different times. Generally, the earliest are in December and the latest are in March.

There is also a big range in how much time different universities give you between letting you know you have an interview, and the interview itself. Once you’ve decided where you want to apply, you might like to contact the admissions teams of each university directly, so that you have a rough idea of your personal timeline of events and deadlines.

What’s the difference between conditional and unconditional offers?

An unconditional offer means the university is very keen to have you on their course. If you accept it, they will automatically confirm your place regardless of the exam results you receive. Many universities (such as the University of Birmingham) will often state that if you accept an unconditional offer from them, you have to put it as your firm choice – you can’t have it as your insurance. The terms ‘firm’ and ‘insurance’ are explained in the next section.

A conditional offer is one that is dependent on the grades you are yet to receive. In the offer, they will outline which grades you need to get in order to take up your place on their course. Most universities provide their usual grade offers for each course on their website, so you know before you apply.

This is something you should bear in mind when discussing your predicted grades with your teachers. Your predicted grades on your application need to match, be close to or exceed what the university usually asks for, or it’s unlikely that you’ll be offered a place. You should think optimistically but realistically about what you can achieve.

Responding to offers – firm and insurance choices

Once you have received all your decisions, you have until a fixed deadline to reply to any offers through UCAS. This deadline is usually 31st March, as long as you’ve heard back from all five choices by then. If you have two or more offers, you have to choose one to make your ‘firm’ choice, and one to make your ‘insurance’. Your firm choice is your preferred option, so if it’s unconditional, or it’s conditional and you meet the grade requirements on results day, you will have a place on that course. Your insurance choice is your back-up, so it makes sense to choose a course with lower offer conditions, in case you don’t meet your first choice offer. You should make sure this is still a university you would be happy to go to, though!

Think carefully before you respond – you can’t change your mind on Results Day (unless you do much better than expected – see our section on ‘Adjustment’). Remember that there’s no rush as long as you meet the deadline: the universities can’t take back their offers because you’re taking too long!

You’ll then have to decline any other offers you receive that you haven’t made your firm or insurance option.

If you have a complete change of heart, you can decline all of your offers and apply to more courses using UCAS’s ‘Extra’ service.

What if I miss my offer? What is Clearing?

If you don’t get the grades you needed for your first-choice offer, your first port of call should be ringing your chosen university’s admissions team directly. They may still give you a place, especially if you only just missed your grades, because other prospective students may have missed their grades too. There’s no harm in trying, and, if there’s a particular reason as to why you achieved lower grades than anticipated, this context could help explain to them why you didn’t make the offer.

If you miss the grades for your insurance choice too, and you don’t have any luck with ringing either university, you can turn to UCAS’s Clearing Service. This allows you to find a similar course, usually at a different university, with entry requirements that match the grades you have. In 2021, Clearing ran from 5th July to 19th October (2021), but again you should check the dates for your own year of application. The application process works differently to the initial submission process.

When you apply to clearing, you are given a ‘clearing number’ – a form of ID. There are two routes you can take; Clearing Plus matches can be found in your UCAS Hub, register your interest with a course that appeals and have your application sent directly to them to make a decision. You can also search for all the available course vacancies, which means contacting the university directly if you find a course you’d like to apply to. You provide them with your clearing number and Personal ID over the phone so that they can look up your application, and then ask them if they’d accept you.

If they give you an informal offer over the phone, you can then add the course as a clearing choice in the UCAS Hub. You can only add one course at a time, and if the university confirms it, you definitely have that place and can’t apply anywhere else. Many universities have spare places on their courses after results day, so this is a very common option for people whose grades don’t align with their original universities’ requirements.

Better results than expected? What is Adjustment?

If you get better results than expected (i.e. you have met and exceeded the conditions of your firm offer and think you could be accepted onto another course which typically gives out higher offers), you may be able to apply to that course through Adjustment. You register for Adjustment via the UCAS Hub.

Adjustment is only available for a small, fixed amount of time, so you have to act fast! In 2021, this was from 10th August – 18th August (as always, check the exact dates for your year of application!). Adjustment is different to Clearing, as there isn’t a list of available courses for you to search through. Instead, you have to find out the grade requirements of courses you’d be interested in on a university’s website, and then contact the admissions office of those universities directly to ask about any possible vacancies. You have to provide your Personal ID so they can check you’ve exceeded the conditions of your original firm choice, and that you meet their own conditions of entry.

Then, if you are absolutely sure you want a place at that university, you can verbally agree an offer with them. The university will then add themselves to your application, your UCAS Hub will be updated, and you’ll have a place on that course!

A bird's eye view of the Oxford university campus

What’s different about Oxford and Cambridge?

If you’re thinking about applying to either Oxford or Cambridge (you can’t apply to both for undergraduate study – you can only choose one), you need to make up your mind well ahead of the typical UCAS application period. Firstly, as we mentioned earlier, the UCAS deadline for applying to Oxford and Cambridge (15th October) is three months earlier than the main UCAS deadline for all other universities (15th January). Secondly, there are often extra tests and pieces of work you have to complete as part of an Oxbridge application and the earlier you start preparing for these, the better!

Extra written work and tests

Written work : This is a required element of applications to some, but not all, courses offered at Oxford. This is your chance to showcase your abilities in and enthusiasm for your chosen subject specifically. Note that this is NOT work that you have written specifically for your application, but original, marked schoolwork, unchanged from the time of marking. Generally, this will be required for Humanities subjects more than Sciences, but there are several exceptions so you’ll have to check your relevant course page. The deadline to submit written work is the 10th November, and is the same across all subjects (except Fine Art, which is earlier). Have a look at the full list of courses, and check whether you need to submit written work, here.
Admissions tests : These are required for a handful of subjects. Again, take a look at the subject you’re applying to. They are generally designed to test your natural aptitude for your subject and are just another thing the tutors can use to help them decide between many excellent candidates. You must have registered for your admissions test by 15th October, and make sure you have your test candidate entry number from your school or test centre as proof of entry by 6pm that day.
Admissions tests : At Cambridge, the system is slightly different: the majority of subjects require some kind of admissions test. In most cases, the test is to be taken before interviews, but in some cases it is done at the interview itself. If taken before interviews, again you have to register by 15th October, and the tests are usually taken around 30th October – though the exact date may change. If taken at interview, you don’t have to register. Find out which subjects have pre-interview tests, and which have at-interview tests here.
Submitted work : This is required for several courses – mainly Arts and Social Sciences – but only by certain colleges. Again, this will be an original, marked piece of work from a relevant A Level/IB (or equivalent) course. The deadlines for submission will vary from college to college, and they will contact you about it directly. More information can be found here.

Please note that both the submitted work and your test scores for both universities only form one part of your overall application. They will not be viewed in isolation and there is usually no pass or fail mark, so please don’t let any of this put you off applying!

Also note that, if you’re applying for medicine at either university (or Biomedical Sciences at Oxford), the admissions test deadlines are slightly different, because the same test is also used by many other medical schools across the country. For both Cambridge and Oxford, you will have to take the BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test) on 30th October (like all other Cambridge pre-interview tests), but you have to be registered before 15th October. You cannot register yourself. Either your school or a local test centre can register you any time between 1st September and 1st October (as always, please double check these dates hold true for your year of application).

University interviews

The other main thing that differentiates the application process at Oxbridge from other UK universities is the interview. Every course at both institutions will require you to attend an interview before places are offered. The interviews for both universities generally take place in the first few weeks of December.

What happens in an Oxbridge interview?

The Oxbridge interviews are designed to imitate an Oxford tutorial or a Cambridge supervision, and test how you would respond to that kind of teaching style. This is because tutorials and supervisions are an important component of teaching at Oxbridge. It’s therefore important that the tutors know that you would be able to contribute well and get the most out of these should you be offered a place.

There’s no denying, however, that different tutors can vary a lot in their approach in the interview. Some will be very friendly and make a big effort to put you at ease from the start. Some may ask about any extracurriculars you mentioned you enjoy on your personal statement, while others may go straight to the more challenging stuff. The most important thing is to try and keep a level head and remember that you have already done so well to be there. Just listen to and focus on the questions you’re being asked and you’ll do wonderfully!

What do the interviewers look for?

As well as looking for a dedication to and aptitude for your chosen subject, the tutors will be looking for a desire to learn more about your subject. Just like with the personal statement, they don’t want you to pretend to know it all already – otherwise what would be the point of going to the university? So, if you don’t know an answer to a question, don’t be daunted. Interviewers want to see how you think more than what you know. Show them how you would go about trying to find the answer, or steer the conversation towards a related topic you’re able to extrapolate from. Try to avoid guessing.

Many tutors will present you with a piece of text, an image or an object that you will probably never have seen before and ask you questions based on that. Here, they are testing your ability to use what you already know and apply it to a new context. This uses skills like intellectual agility, open-mindedness, and also being able to make links between different topic areas.

Above all, the tutors want to see that you have a deep intellectual curiosity and interest in the subject you’re applying to, so the best thing you can do is just try to stay positive and enthusiastic throughout!

Having mock interviews is a good idea if you haven’t been put on the spot academically in the same way before, or if you think you will struggle a lot with nerves in the real thing. You could ask a teacher at school (ideally one you don’t know very well), or an older student who is studying your subject to give you a mock interview. However, even if you can’t get anyone to give you a mock interview, just talking about your subject and reading a lot around it in the weeks before your interview will be really helpful too!

Need help with your UCAS application?

If you’re an Oxford Scholastica alumnus , our team would love to answer any more specific questions that you have about any part of the UK university application process! Get in touch via the box below. We’ve also included a list of helpful links so do make sure to take a look at any of those which sound useful to you.

Wishing you all the very best of luck in your applications!

Ready to get a head start on your future?

Next steps for applying to university through UCAS

Check out these useful resources to help you on your way to completing your university applications through UCAS.

UCAS’ key dates timeline
UCAS’ Oxbridge application tips
Taking the International Baccalaureate? Read this article on applying to UK Universities while studying for IB
Not from the UK? Have a look at UCAS’ application tips for international students
Bloggers’ video on ‘How we got into Oxford and Cambridge: top tips’
Which? University article on ‘How to write a personal statement that works for multiple different courses’

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Oxford Personal Statement Examples: Top 4

If you’re looking to craft the perfect personal statement, reading over some Oxford personal statement examples will be the best way to start. It’s one thing to read college essay tips or instructions on how to write the perfect personal statement, but another entirely to see an example of how it’s done.

How to start a college essay can be tricky, but we have you covered! In this article, we have Oxford personal statement examples for your edification so that you can write your own best work.

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Article Contents 12 min read

Oxford personal statement examples, example no.1.

We are made of stories. History itself is the story we tell ourselves about who we are, and our oldest stories are still with us. Gilgamesh would never have found his immortality but through his story being told over and over again. Scrooge is visited by three ghosts every year for some people, and no matter how many times we hear about his conversion from miser to “…as good a man as the good old city knew…” we have our hearts warmed, reminding ourselves of the importance of human comfort and generosity. I have come to my interest in the classics through my interest in the stories we tell that make us who we are.

My personal reading list always exceeds my school’s reading list. When I was a boy, I was gripped by the stories of heroes like Perseus and Hercules. As I grew, I sought further stories and came across the epic poems. Over the years, I have found many people who share my enjoyment of these tales, but often they do not truly know them. One of my perpetual fascinations with classics is how these stories change, or are perceived, in the public consciousness.

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For example, many people know of the Labours of Hercules – or Herakles, as the Greeks said – but they rarely know why he was tasked with these Labours: he killed his children. We often make dark aspects of old stories into children’s stories. We see this with modern cartoon versions of far grimmer fairy tales. I believe that this has done our world a disservice. Instead of confronting unpleasant truths, we hide them. History is often whitewashed along with the stories to make it palatable.

My studies of the classics have led me to begin a work on Hercules – investigating how his story has been told and retold. I am also examining how the story has changed over the years, why it has changed and how retelling this story in gentler ways has paralleled pop culture dumbing down stories and ignoring unpleasant truths.

“It’s just a frog,” I thought, but no matter how I tried to convince myself of that fact, I didn’t find it any easier to dissect. I was disappointed in myself because I thought that a scientist should be dispassionate, logical, and capable of dealing with any sentimental subject in an objective fashion. Yet there was the frog, my scalpel poised dramatically above its little, amphibian torso. I was almost paralysed with sympathy, and I began to fear that I would never be a scientist.

When I was young, I would wander the woods, sketching plants and animals before looking them up at home. I am happiest when I am learning something new – even if it means unlearning a truth I “knew” the day before. I had loved labs and experiments, but I had hit the wall of dissection. Could I take these creatures apart? I love learning about them, but how could I slice them open?

I told my friend Jeremiah that I wasn’t going to dissect the bullfrog. I would drop the course and do something else with my life. “I’ll help,” he said, “Come on.” With his support and encouragement, I made the first cut and couldn’t believe what I saw; I was entranced by the intricacy of the frog. Being able to see and understand nature from an insider’s perspective, so to speak, was no longer “gross,” and my curiosity finally kicked in.

As I continued in biology, through lab experiments, dissections and investigations, I found myself reversing my position on the mentality of the scientist. It is not that we must be dispassionate, but that we must intimately feel a connection with the natural world. We are a part of this world – as perfectly slotted into our evolutionary position as any other creature. More excited than ever, I joined a biology club in our city where I was surrounded by biologists of all ages – amateur and professional – and I grew immensely. I was even awarded 1 st place in a biology Olympiad.

I believe that a truly successful scientist is one who finds harmony in the natural world, not one who exploits it, and I have had several conversations with my laboratory instructor on these points. He agreed with me, and we have been working on a rubric to create a more nature-friendly approach to the science curriculum at our school. He was already quite nature-conscious, but we both agree that we could be doing more to minimise our ecological footprints.

My dream job is one that helps to balance human interaction with nature on a global scale, to fight climate change and ensure the survival of all natural species. I hope to study the natural sciences at Oxford to bring this about. I believe that my journey is one of lifelong learning, a concept stressed at your school. I am also interested in your research in sustainable urban development. I think that co-existing with nature is one of the all-important issues for humanity and for an aspiring biologist. I want to contribute to a world where, even if we dissect frogs, we do so with a sense of responsibility, not callous indifference.

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Example No.3

I was ten minutes into a well-structured argument as to why I was not argumentative before I realised the irony of my words. I shut my mouth, red-faced and laughing with the rest of my family. I come from a family of debaters. Not that being a debater is the only thing that makes me want to study history and politics at your institution. Politicians are more than just arguers, but my temperament is well-suited to challenging ideas and wrestling with those ideas in the public sphere.

I want to make a difference on a national level in the political arena, serving the public as a politician. I joined the debate club to learn how to perform well in front of an audience, how to test my ideas and most importantly, how to lose. I am proud of my track record, wins and losses. Losses can be a strength. My first debate was, “Be it therefore resolved that there is an obesity problem in this country.” I was assigned the “pro” angle, and I was so sure that I could win by appealing to statistical realities. However, I lost. My opponent had sharper arguments and convinced the audience that “problem” implied an inherent morality issue with obesity. I had no counterargument.

From that loss, I learned how to use language better, to anticipate counterarguments and to know my opponent’s position better than my own. Every loss is an opportunity to grow, and I love that I have been pitted against fierce opponents who make me earn every point. I would rather achieve fewer victories against a skilled debater than gain many victories against those who are ill-prepared. I also rarely lose on the same subject twice.

This is relevant to my political philosophy, which is that I believe politicians should be willing to change their opinions, even on important issues. If nobody changed their minds, we would all be pig-headed fools. I want the best information, and if that changes my mind, so be it. We need more changed minds and evidence-based policies coming from politicians who value truth and accuracy, as well as the ethics to provide morally defensible positions.

Thanks to my debate club experience, I was able to campaign successfully for student body president, a position I held for two years. I took this responsibility seriously, even if not every peer or authority figure felt the same way. During my time in student government, my proudest accomplishment was helping create a new scholarship programme to fund the university studies and housing of one student. I believe that politicians should fight for changes that will benefit people, not just institutions, so this scholarship was a particularly exciting project for me to work on.

Outside of political ambitions, my favourite thing to do is to go to museums and art galleries. I take tremendous pleasure in discovering who we were and are and being able to compare the two. I hope to bring my historical knowledge and understanding to my career in politics.

Whether I am debating at family dinner or quietly, reverently studying in a museum, my greatest joy would be to help people build the society that they want to see.

Example No.4

When the first atomic bombs were detonated, Oppenheimer famously stated, “I am become death, destroyer of worlds,” characterising the transcendent regret he felt. Of course, Oppenheimer was himself quoting from the Bhagavad Gita. When I think of Oppenheimer’s sorrow, I think of the importance philosophy has for a person navigating hard sciences, like mathematics.

For many people, philosophy and mathematics – what I hope to study at Oxford – are divorced from one another, if not opposites. One, resulting from the musings of a curious mind, is seen as almost useless in practical terms. The other is seen as cold, scientific truth in written form. But I believe they are linked. I loved reading Oxford’s published paper, “Influencing HIV/AIDS Policy in India Through Mathematical Modelling.” Our math knowledge, and the application thereof, can directly affect the world around us, improving it for all.

In my final year of high school, I wanted to write about the impact that mathematics has on the world. I wrote a paper on black holes. I interviewed a mathematician named Peter Richards who was working at a physics lab studying the phenomenon. Mr. Richards told me how the gravity of black holes creates event horizons, shaping space around them, but that scientists are investigating whether gravity is influenced by light. This cosmological-level chicken-or-egg question became the basis of my paper, which was about how we think about the universe and our place in it. Mathematics might one day answer who we are and why we are here. This paper won 1 st place in an essay competition and secured me a small scholarship.

Math is the language of the universe. I see it everywhere: in nature’s patterns and in the music I play. I have been learning to play flutes – everything from woodwinds to concert flutes to world music instruments like ocarinas. As my study of math deepens, I become more immersed in exploring the range of the instrument, which, in turn, transforms my music. Math reshapes the world around us.

This study of the interplay between mathematics and philosophy led me to study the mathematics of global populations, which I believe will soon become imperative research on how we can maintain a sustainable eco-system. I attended a recent event for mathematicians studying global trends, where I interviewed several prominent mathematicians in the field for the school paper. I got to ask these important persons about their thoughts on the responsibility mathematicians have regarding humanity and the care needed to help our species. A surprising number – two out of the five I spoke with – had given little or no thought to the idea of blending philosophy and mathematics. I was shocked at this mathematical proof that even people in the field did not give much thought to this.

I hope to combat this in my own life and studies, encouraging mathematicians to increase their conscientious use of their skills to better humanity in a direct way, as well as to be more conscious of their responsibilities in the world today.

Oxford recommends that you follow the UCAS advice on personal statements when writing your own. It is well worth taking your time drafting your personal statement because the admissions committee at Oxford reads each one several times. They are really interested in learning about anything academic because they are curious about your potential in your field of study. This implies that they are interested in both what you have done and are doing in school as well as anything you have done outside of the classroom that is related to the subject you have chosen to study. More than being the best extracurriculars for college , Oxford refers to these activities as super-curriculars . Super-curriculars can be anything “you’ve read, listened to, watched or visited” that relates to your academic interests, unlike extracurriculars.

About 80% of your personal statement should discuss your academic interests and super-curriculars. The recommended structure is as follows:

Opening paragraph explaining why you want to pursue the programme
3 or 4 paragraphs analysing your academic and super-curricular activities
Brief closing paragraph about your extracurricular interests, with a focus on transferable skills and career plans/future aspirations

To ensure that your personal statement applies specifically to the University of Oxford, first look at the school’s mission, vision statement and core values. Aligning your essay with these values will help prove that Oxford is the perfect fit for you, which is your main goal. This is the first step in how to write a college essay for this school.

You may also want to reference other important aspects of Oxford. Do they have research in the area you want to work in? Do they have a professor you cannot wait to study with? Do they have the curriculum set up in a way that best suits you as a student and your future goals? You need to show not only how you fit with Oxford, but also how the school will propel you forward in a way that no other school could.

Oxford’s Mission Statement

“We inspire people locally, nationally and globally by extending access to Oxford’s world-class teaching and resources through flexible and inclusive opportunities for study and research.”

Oxford’s Vision Statement

“To be a global centre of excellence for lifelong learning. Courses will be underpinned by the best teaching, research and support for learning to meet the needs of diverse, ambitious and intellectually curious students. Staff and students will work together within and beyond Oxford to foster a vibrant learning community attentive to the importance of promoting sustainability and social justice.”

Oxford’s Values

Finally, note that all Oxford personal statements have a character cap of 4,000, including spaces, and must be no longer than 47 lines.

Essay Writing Tips

Here are some general pieces of advice to keep in mind while working through your college essay review process. These tips will apply to your Oxford essays, but they will also be beneficial for any essays. Essays follow a basic structure and have a fundamental goal that is shared among them, even when specifics differ. So, you could be writing supplemental college essays , college diversity essays , or Harvard medical school secondary essays , but regardless of the type of essay or school, these tips will still apply.

The Main Objective

All essays are, directly or indirectly, “ why this college” essays . The admissions committee is looking for students who fit their institution and are excited about attending. Whatever your college essay topics are, you’re always answering that fundamental question.

Start Strong

College essay introductions are hard in and of themselves. Conquering the introduction means beating the blank page. Start with the best “"hook” sentence you can find. That means you need an attention-grabbing opener that compels the reader to continue.

Once you’re through the introduction, you must follow through with two or three paragraphs about your accomplishments or criteria the school expect to hear about – in Oxford’s case, those are your academics and super-curriculars.

Each story should answer the fundamental question: “Why is this person perfect for this school?"

Wrap it up with a conclusion that summarises your main points and, if possible, connects to the introduction like a loop.

Up to 4,000 characters, which includes spaces.

You don’t want to go so short you can’t say anything of substance. Brevity is the soul of wit, however, so don’t worry about having a personal statement that is “only” 300–400 words long. Don’t pad out your statement; say what you need to and no more.

Your personal statement shows your unique abilities and personality and why you are ideally suited for the institution and programme to which you are applying. Showcase qualities like perseverance, leadership, teamwork, curiosity, creativity, logic and personal growth.

Your main focus will be on academics and super-curricular activities.

Negative people don’t come off well, so dwelling on problems, whining, or badmouthing people is never a good idea.

Formal, standard essay format is perfect: hook sentence, introduction, main body – which expresses one or two main ideas – and a conclusion that comes full-circle, ideally connecting to the introduction. You can use the first person, since this is a personal essay.

Always follow the rule of “show, don’t tell” to demonstrate your qualities and abilities.

Free-associate for a while. Give yourself one or two minutes to write on the programme you want to take at Oxford and just free-associate. By the end, your passion for the subject will have won out and given you a good list of ideas to explore.

Your essay gets cut off. Never exceed the limit. So, in practical terms, if you exceed the character limit, or 47 lines, part of your personal statement will be missing.

Not formally, no, but it is being evaluated, so make sure you edit properly and go over spelling and grammar with a fine-tooth comb.

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Oxford University Personal Statements

We hope our collection of oxford university personal statements provides inspiration for writing your own. please do not plagiarise them in any way, or ucas will penalise your application. our personal statement editing & review services are availble if you feel you need a little extra help..

History Personal Statement Example 3 Recently, I found out that my grandma was gambled into slavery for seven years. She escaped her prison and made her way back to Hong Kong, 300 miles south. I was amazed at how courageous she was. This personal discovery led me to read Jung Chang's 'Wild Swans' which made me both proud and ashamed of my heritage...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 4 I find it amazing to watch as the digital revolution sculpts society at a rate that has never before been seen; there is so much to still be discovered. Quantum computing is a topic that particularly interests me, stemming from my studies and keen interest in physics...

Economics and PPE Personal Statement Example My aspiration to study economics at both advanced and degree level has stemmed from my lasting interest in current affairs and world development. These issues require an application of economics in real-life situations and can be related to many diverse subjects such as politics, philosophy and psychology...

English Literature Personal Statement Example 1 When I saw Gatz, John Collin's eight hour interpretation of The Great Gatsby, I noticed that Fitzgerald changes the colour of Daisy's hair every time he describes it. It is "like a dash of blue paint", "yellowy" like her daughters and then "dark, shining"...

Geography Personal Statement Example 2 In a dynamic world, the study of geography is increasingly important. The diversity of the subject and the interaction between the physical environment and human population is becoming even more evident with climate change and globalisation influencing our everyday lives...

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

History Personal Statement Example 13 Until I began my A-levels last September, I had never been to school or followed a formal syllabus. My parents homeschooled me. They guided, encouraged, and fed my interests with books, documentaries and discussions...

Natural and Biological Sciences Personal Statement Example Experiencing first-hand life as a human in the natural world, I have the authority to confirm that regardless of previous knowledge, unexplained phenomena still exist. As a scientist, I adore observing the unknown, analysing the known and making decisions accordingly...

English Personal Statement Example 22 What I enjoy above all else in a piece of literature is the feeling that it has brought about change, either in me or in some wider context. Literature which offers the opportunity for an adapted way of living or thinking, however slight, is I think a thing to be kept and treasured in our intellects...

English Literature and Creative Writing Personal Statement Example 1 I once aspired to be a visual artist, a photographer or painter. However, I later discovered the unique ability of poetry and the written word to maintain its power and resonance in a world saturated with images and messages...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 45 Advances in computer and information technology over the past few decades have brought about revolution in science, medicine, education, business, and entertainment. I wish to be part of the future revolution and that is why I want to study computer science...

English Literature Personal Statement Example 16 I believe that to read English is to read the human being itself: after all, we are all writers. Even in the very act of choosing our words - thinking them, speaking them, physically writing them down - we create something meaningful...

Human Sciences Personal Statement Example Perhaps what makes me different from other University applicants is that I have ambition to understand multidimensional human life. It is not the appeal of a top qualification or the zesty student lifestyle that attracts me to this course; but it is the long-term knowledge and answers to interdisciplinary human problems, and the enigmas that I will commit a lifetime investigating with perhaps no solution, that inspires me to apply...

Engineering Personal Statement Example 19 Physics is that branch of science without which science is just like a beautiful lamp with no light. For centuries, mathematicians and physicists have made plenty of scientific contributions thus helping the world make a better place to live...

History (Ancient and Modern) Personal Statement Example 1 It is those things we don’t yet know or understand that make history a fascinating, intellectual puzzle. We know a remarkable amount about history and the development of society but new archaeological discoveries, the dedicated efforts of historians, translators and other academics and advancements in areas such as archaeometry mean that the body of historical information is still expanding...

Archaeology and Anthropology Personal Statement Example 2 As an immigrant living in Spain, I am constantly reminded of the importance social and cultural factors have on my daily life, the language I speak, and the difference between the relationships I maintain with people from my own country and those I encounter here on a daily basis...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 49 My views about computing changed considerably when I heard about Linux. In the late nineties it was a newer operating system and tasks like installing and configuring were considered to be quite challenging in India...

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

History and English Personal Statement Example Studying history and English concurrently has appealed to me ever since I recognised the inseparability of the two disciplines closest to my heart. Personally, I believe that the literary style of a piece of writing is as important as scholarly research and I try to make my essays as lively as possible whilst still grounded in solid historical or literary method, dulce et utile, following the example of writers such as Richard J Evans...

Economics and Management Personal Statement Example 2 My interest in Economics goes beyond an appreciation of statistics and profit margins. In my mind, economics represents the relationship between people and their money – a relationship that dates back to the history of mankind...

German Personal Statement Example 7 The study of language has always been appealing and is the focus of much of my time and energy, but the study of the German language is what mesmerises me most. Before understanding German I was first intrigued by its sound, and as I began to learn it, I became fascinated by its complexity...

Economics Personal Statement Example 30 The ever-changing nature of the human science intrigues me. Newton’s laws of motion will never change, from wherever ‘the ball is dropped’. However, different strategies and policies have to be framed and implemented for each economic problem...

Mathematics & Computer Science Personal Statement Example I have found mathematics a fascinating subject since my early years. I enjoy it as it is challenging and logical. I am particularly interested in decision mathematics as it is a field that is directly related to real-life applications of mathematics and can be used to solve problems, such as finding the optimal solution for transporting materials from one place to another while minimising the cost...

Physics Personal Statement Example 15 I have always been intrigued by the world of physics. From everyday experiences to the most extreme boundaries of today's knowledge, I have always voraciously searched for answers to my questions. As I grew up, the elegance of mathematical demonstrations and of physical theorems fascinated me, and I have often dreamt of making contributions to the unification theory and of improving and simplifying the Navier-Stokes equations...

Electrical Engineering Personal Statement Example 2 The defining wonder of today’s age is electricity. In just two centuries, we have come from Faraday’s crude but prophetic experiments to devices just a square inch that can calculate in seconds what the most gifted of human minds might take days...

Medicine Personal Statement Example 70 The challenge of spending my working life immersed in the fascinating, ever-evolving world of the medical sciences, and the opportunity to use this knowledge to benefit others, has drawn me to seek a career in medicine...

Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE) Personal Statement Example 3 In this day and age virtually every aspect of our lives may be considered political. My passion to study Politics stems from this tenet and a belief that a comprehension of Politics is integral to understanding the current state of humanity...

Chemistry Personal Statement Example 18 Chemistry explores the properties of all matter and energy in our universe, which eventually leads to breakthroughs that benefit mankind, ranging from how to prevent food from decomposing to understanding what chemicals can help or harm you...

Philosophy Personal Statement Example (Mature Student) Since leaving education in 2006 I have always wanted to return; a great love of learning, desire for knowledge and natural curiosity throughout my life resulted in an ambition to teach. It was with this ambition in my heart that I took the plunge and returned to education, beginning my Access course last year with the intention of applying to study for a primary education degree...

Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 17 My decision to study engineering stems from a desire to contribute to the evolution of society through a process that does not just define our environment but our era. My personal inspiration is the Segovia aqueduct, an 800m long, 30 metre high Roman marvel which still stands today...

Ancient and Modern History Personal Statement Example 1 What makes history engaging and interesting to me is its interdisciplinary nature and its ability to take you on a journey to the discovery of humanity's past. History has been a constant source of captivation for me, from studying the mythology of Ancient Greece in primary school through to the study of the Russian Revolution at A Level...

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Successful Personal Statement For Oxford English Language And Literature

Last Updated: 5th April 2022

Author: Rob Needleman

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it.

Today, we are looking through an English Language and Literature applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure them a place at Oxford. The English Language and Literature course at Oxford is one of the broadest degrees in the country, so let’s see how the applicant navigated around this to write a strong Personal Statement.

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

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English Personal Statement

George Eliot’s metaphor for imagination- ‘inward light which is the last refinement of Energy … bathing even the ethereal atoms in its ideally illuminated space’- is beautiful. The powerful image supported by the underlying liquid consonants skilfully leads to the action it describes, but it is also the suggestion of particle physics and mass-energy equivalence that interests me about this quotation. In this way, I have gained more from reading ‘Middlemarch’ as I appreciate Eliot’s constant links between science and fiction, and I believe scientific study has generally sharpened my abilities of analysis and concise expression.

I have loved working as a steward at the Globe Theatre; I had the opportunity to see many plays, including a production of Marlowe’s ‘Dr Faustus’. I read Dante’s ‘Inferno’ and several books of Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ for a different portrayal of hell and sin to that depicted in ‘Dr Faustus’. I found the torment and suffering described by Dante graphic, whilst the first person narrative drew me closer to the pathos fear and disgust expressed. Milton’s depiction of a mental state is much more powerful in my opinion, and has interesting parallels to Faustus’ state of damnation. I also saw Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’, ‘All’s Well that Ends Well’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ whilst stewarding. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ reminded me of the surprising similarity between Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies. Claudio and Hero’s troubled love and Don John’s self-proclaimed villainy seem to mirror the actions of Othello, Desdemona and Iago. Viewing comedy as a structure, ‘Much Ado’ contains the potential tragedy of ‘Othello’, but an added last act resolves all tensions and ends so happily and neatly that it seems to me rather unrealistic.

I enjoyed Dickens’ ‘Our Mutual Friend’ for its satirical portrayal of superficial London society. His depiction of characters and scenes make the novel humorous and therefore very different to ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. Here, the powerful characterisation emphasises the terrible human suffering and moral corruption, for example his effective personification of ‘La Vengeance’, who encourages the cries of bloodlust from Parisians. I found it easier to empathise with Jude in Hardy’s ‘Jude the Obscure’ than with Dickens’ creations however, since his actions appear futile against the fate which continually works against him. There seems to be no hope in the novel, unlike the eventual triumph of love over death in ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. Just as in ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ and ‘A Pair of Blue Eyes’, love and happiness seem only like a prelude to grief and sorrow linked with the relentless passing of time. I find Donne’s approaches to this theme interesting too: in both his love poems and the Holy Sonnets, Donne uses form to counter and control the passing of time and the prospect of change.

I have participated in many music groups and ensembles at school, having achieved Grade 8 with distinction in both Flute and French Horn. I have worked for two years in my local Cancer Research shop as part of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award, and also spent a residential week with a charity called Activenture, looking after children of different ages and abilities, for which I received the Young Carer of the Year award. During my gap year, I plan to join my local orchestra and travel for three months around South America, but ultimately I am most excited about the time I will have to read and further explore English literature.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

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Good Points Of The Personal Statement

The candidate’s wide range of personal interests are clearly demonstrated, and — for the most part — are well-linked to their subject application, giving it further strength. They are able to use independent thought to illustrate how various bits of reading they have done are linked. The list of works they discuss ranges from poetry to plays to Victorian novels; a strong variety of works. They evaluate these across genres and are able to apply critical thought and analysis to them. Throughout their discussions of various texts, the applicant clearly illustrates their enthusiasm for the subject; their writing is energised by positivity and personal engagement with the material.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The candidate could have worked even harder to connect their extra-curricular activities to their application (though their relevance was clear in most instances). The effect of the applicant’s use of independent thought and personal experience was often slightly dulled by their use of highly personal and personalising terms such as ‘beautiful’, or simply ‘I enjoyed’. Though there is perhaps nothing wrong with these evaluations as an initial starting point, the candidate could have pushed further with their readings to interrogate these works further. Though the applicant demonstrates a wide literary foundation, their commentary did at times lapse into plot summary, which is less interesting than their own thought.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This candidate’s application reads as both impressive in its depth of knowledge and personal in its illustration of thought and enthusiasm. As such, it reads as a statement that is well-balanced and well-judged; the reader is able to get a good sense of this applicant’s interests on both a personal and academic level. The statement could have made greater use of critical language and could have included fewer instances of value judgments; small alterations which would have given the candidate’s discussions greater academic depth.

This Personal Statement for English is a great example of a statement done right. The candidate’s interest is clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Oxford, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years so you need to appeal directly to them.

Go to our Free Personal Statement Resources page for even more successful personal statements and expert guides.

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