Your
personal statement

As part of your application to UCA - or any university - you'll need to write a personal statement. This is a really crucial part of the process as it tells us so much about you and gives you a chance to show us why you'd be a great fit for your chosen course.

What you put into your statement, and how, is really crucial - here's our advice on how to make your statement really count.

Research, research research!

We want to know why you want to study the course you've chosen, how it'll enrich your learning and future career, and also why you think UCA is an ideal place for you. So it's really important you do plenty of research to support your statement. Ask yourself the following questions as you go, and use what you find to build your statement.

  • What are your interests in the subject area? Why do you want to come and study the course?
  • Why do you think you’re the ideal applicant for this course? Include any skills or work you have done that supports this.
  • Why would you like to study at UCA? How do you think you’ll benefit from joining our community?
  • What is it particularly about UCA and the course here which appeals to you?
  • What are your future career goals, where do you hope to be at the end of the course and in the future, and how will studying at UCA help you to achieve these goals?

Great personal statements also include a bit of your personality - put your stamp on it by including any experiences you've had that are relevant to the course you want to study, any work experience, any transferable skills you have, and your hobbies and interests.

It would also be good to see your critical thinking skills.

Keeping the reader gripped...

As with all great stories, there's a beginning, a middle, and an end - and the same goes for your personal statement.

Start your statement with an introduction about you - who you are, why you want to study your chosen course at UCA.

The middle section is the crucial part that contains all the information you want to tell us about your experiences, previous studies and skills that make you suitable for the course.

Finish up with more about yourself - your hobbies and interests.

Finally, make sure your writing has a good structure, with accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation. Read it out loud to test it, and don't forget to make sure everything you say relates to the course you’re applying to and your chosen career path.