A Guide to Writing the UCAS Personal Statement

If you’re thinking about applying to study in the United Kingdom this year, this is the guide you need for writing your UCAS personal statement. While most U.S. schools use the Common Application, most schools in the United Kingdom use UCAS. The unique thing about UCAS is that it involves a single essay that is sent to all course choices without any school-specific supplementary essays.

Understanding the UCAS application

What is UCAS?

The UK’s University and College Admissions Service, or UCAS, is a centralized application system for applying to universities in the UK. 

How many courses can I apply for?

While you can apply to as many universities as you like in the US, the UCAS only allows for a maximum of 5 applications to different courses. These courses can be at the same university, different universities, or a mix. With a wide range of undergraduate courses available, it’s important to select the ones that seem right for you.

How is the UCAS essay different from a Common App essay?

The Common App essay is a “personal narrative,” but the UCAS essay is a “personal statement.” The personal statement is sent to each course you apply to and is meant to demonstrate your readiness for pursuing the subject you intend to study. Unlike the Common App, it is not a narration of an important aspect of your life but rather a statement of your motivation, skills, and experiences that led you to choose a particular course of study.

What is the word limit?

The UCAS essay has a maximum length of around 4000 characters (or 47 lines). This translates to roughly 615 to 800 words. 

Brainstorming the UCAS Personal Statement

To start brainstorming ideas, it’s important to have a sense of the courses you want to study and apply for. If you are not sure about which course to take, try to narrow it down to a specific department or faculty that interests you. Think about your interests and career goals: perhaps a path inspired by your favorite subject in high school, an event in the news, or professionals with a career arc that you have always been interested in and excited about.

Now, let’s start by making a list. Include everything in your life that relates to the subject. 

• Have you taken any similar courses already? Be specific: talk about particular classes and units within those classes, books you’ve read, ideas you’ve studied that appeal to you, etc.
• Have you done any activities or work relating to your proposed course of study?
• Do you have any particular personality traits or skills that match this course? For example, if you’re a people person, perhaps a career with regular interaction would work better for you. On the other hand, if you consider yourself to be more of an independent worker, for example, performing better with solo projects than in group projects, then careers with more independence and the ability to make decisions may suit you better.
• Any personal hobbies relating to it?
• Additionally, check out the guiding questions posted on the official UCAS website to help you brainstorm.

For the next step, don’t think! Just grab a pen and write about why you’ve chosen this subject.

• What made you pause at this course as you scrolled through the course list?
• What were the moments that first made you interested in it? 
• When did you decide to make it your focus in university? 
• Do you see yourself pursuing a related career path after your degree?
• Ask your family members or teachers about moments when they saw interest in the subject bloom in you. Maybe a school project you liked working hard on, or the time when you brought a model airplane home or the time you really got into reading a specific book.

Lastly, think about your deeper “why” for studying this subject. Reflection is important, no matter what type of essay you’re writing, and a deeper “why” can make for a compelling argument for admission.

• What is it about this subject or career that appeals to you in a deeper way? For example, you may think it’s important to study the science behind climate change in order to better understand it and prepare solutions. Or that it is vital to explore different types of civic and governmental systems and bring about a local change, perhaps because previous decisions made by professionals in this sector have impacted you and your community.
• Consider adding your opinions about the subject as it affects the world. Why do you think studying it is important today?

Writing the Statement

Now that you have your thoughts in place, spend a few minutes reflecting on them. The UCAS essay is a piece of persuasive writing: the goal is to convince your reader that you are deserving to study this particular subject. In fact, one essay expert likens this essay to a courtroom statement.

Now that we have all our thoughts, ideas, and convictions on paper, organize them. 

• Start by building a clear outline for your statement. You could organize it by timeline, a chronological journey of the growth of your passion for the subject, or by importance, starting with the most relevant activities.
• Write the statement. Use transition sentences to talk about multiple aspects of your skills and activities, and divide the major aspects of your outline into paragraphs. Be as specific as possible. The goal is to show your capability and suitability for actually studying the course at the university.
• Finally, find an end to your essay. Admissions officers read many essays, so find a moment to depict how personal and important studying this subject is to you. Your enthusiasm will stick with the reader.

Remember, this is your chance to show your passion and really demonstrate who you are.

About the Author

Sara Polsky is a writer and editor based in New York City. She has a bachelor’s degree in medieval history and literature from Harvard College and a master’s in education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she has also served as a Teaching Fellow. She writes young adult fiction and has worked as a journalist, editor, educator, and college admissions application reader. She loves helping people of all ages tell stories about their experiences.