How to write a great UCAS personal statement for an animation degree

UCAS has recently changed how personal statements work. Previously, students had to plan the structure and content of their statement themselves. Now UCAS provides three clear questions that guide you on exactly what you should write about. 

This means you can spend less time worrying about structure and more time perfecting your answers. The three questions are: 

1. Why do you want to study this course or subject? 
2. How have your qualifications or studies helped you prepare for this course or subject? 
3. What else have you done to prepare for university outside school, and why are these experiences useful? 

Each answer must be at least 350 characters, but keep in mind that’s only 75-80 words. You’ll be hard-pressed to write a stand-out answer in so few words. The total character limit for your personal statement is 4,000 characters, so you have room to write about 250 words per question. 

Even with the three questions giving you a guide on what to write about, we know all know that it can be hard to get started (especially when you’re writing about yourself)! To help, we’ve put together a guide of what an Animation students might include for each question, along with some examples. 

UCAS Personal Statement Question 1: 
Why do you want to study this course or subject? 

This is your opportunity to express your enthusiasm for animation and explain what moments in your life drew you towards subject. 

Admissions tutors will be interested to hear what exactly about animation excites you and why you think this degree is the correct next step on your journey. 

For this question you should consider including: 

• What inspired you to: perhaps a particular film or animation style was the first thing to spark your passion for animation.  
• Your specific interests: what areas within animation are you most looking forward to exploring as part of your degree? Maybe it’s character design, creating stop-motion projects or perhaps event just the opportunity to tell your stories. 
• What you want to do with your degree: it’s okay to not know what you want to do once you graduate, but if you already have dreams of joining the ranks at Pixar then make sure you share your vision for the future.

When I was young, I watched Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit films all the time. One day, I saw a behind-the-scenes clip of work that goes in to creating each frame of film and I instantly knew that I wanted to be part of that process.
Animation example answer for question one of the UCAS personal statement

UCAS Personal Statement Question 2: 
How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject? 

This question is all about highlighting the skills and knowledge you've gained through your education so far.  

Don’t just list the A Levels you’re studying the GCSEs you have, but instead focus on the subjects and projects that you can relate to animation. For instance, you could write about: 

• Relevant subjects you’ve studied: art, design, media studies and computing all have obvious links. More broadly, you could discuss studying English and demonstrate how it's helped develop your ability to tell stories. 
• Talk about specific coursework: discuss and projects that helped you develop animation-related skills or gave you the opportunity to work with equipment and software that you may use during an animation degree. 
• Transferable skills: you’ll almost certainly had to utilise skills such as time management, teamwork and problem-solving during your studies so far. 

 

 As part of my Art A Level, I’ve been exploring visual storytelling through sequential illustration. This has helped me understand key elements of animation such as pacing and composition.
Animation example answer for question two of the UCAS personal statement

UCAS Personal Statement Question 3: 
What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful? 

The final question is where you can talk about work experience, hobbies and out-of-school activities that support your interest in animation. 

Reflect on how these experiences have helped you grow creatively or personally. You could include: 

• Projects undertaken in your spare time: this includes anything you can relate to animation, such as making short films, drawing or writing film reviews. 
• Work experience: it doesn’t have to be a job in an animation studio. Any type of work can showcase transferable skills that will become useful during your degree. Also consider including an volunteering opportunities you’ve undertaken. 
• Workshops and courses: if you’ve attended any animation workshops or completed any online courses make sure to include what it was and what you gained from it. 

 

Volunteering at a local arts festival gave me the opportunity to help judge entries in one of the film categories. I learnt so much from the other panellists when it comes to analysing film, especially related to shot composition.
Architecture example answer for question three of the UCAS personal statement

Final tips for strong answers 

• Be specific: make sure every point you make has an explanation. Vague statements like “I enjoy animation” are worthless by themselves; explain why. 
• Be personal: universities want to learn who you are. Share your unique journey and avoid embellishing the truth the create a version of yourself that you think universities want to know about. 
• Show your creativity: use examples that showcase who you are as a creative. Give universities an idea of how your imagination works. 
• Connect everything to animation: Whether it’s a hobby, a skill, a job or a qualification, explain how it’s relevant to studying an animation degree. 
• Proofread and get feedback: read your writing out loud as it’ll make it easier to spot any typos and make sure to ask teachers or mentors to have a read through your draft. 

More advice for animation applicants  

• How to make a perfect animation portfolio for university
• What careers can you do with an animation degree?

Want more support about UCAS personal statements? Meet the UCA Admissions Team at one of our upcoming Open Days.

Related courses

• Animation BA (Hons)