physics personal statement ucas

Student Good Guide

The best UK online resource for students

• Physics Personal Statement Examples

When applying to Physics you need to prepare yourself for the three key segments: PAT test , personal statement and interview. However, learning from the examples can be very beneficial and inspiring. Below you can find successful Physics personal statement examples . Both personal statements are highly accepted by Physics tutors at major UK universities. 

Physics Personal Statement Example

From the vast expanse of the cosmos to the microscopic world of particle interactions, physics seeks to understand the fundamental workings of nature across all scales. This breadth draws me to physics, along with the many mysteries that still exist. I plan to expand my knowledge through university study, equipping me to participate in modern research that shapes our understanding and technological capabilities.

Visiting CERN with my school, based on an essay competition on dark matter and energy, gave me invaluable exposure to particle physics research. I attended lectures detailing experiments like LHCb and explored the facilities, getting a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s leading research organisations. A highlight was working hands-on with real LHC data during a coding activity organised by Bristol University. Using decays of kaons, we applied cuts to improve signal efficiency and purity – gaining practical insight into the analysis work of particle physicists. This inspiring experience affirmed my interest in pursuing physics at university.

Expanding my studies, I have independently taken GCSE Astronomy . Learning about the cosmos on both large and small scales – from stars and galaxies to exoplanets – has deepened my appreciation for the stunning complexity of our universe. I find great joy in gaining knowledge that allows me to understand more of what I observe in the night sky.

My strong mathematical skills will aid me in tackling university-level physics. I achieved 100% on the AS Mechanics module, which reflects my aptitude for the quantitative side of physics. Studying A-Level Chemistry has also provided useful background in nuclear processes and other relevant areas.

Last year, I spent a year in America as an AFS exchange student. Adapting to a completely new environment improved my independence, problem-solving abilities, and cultural awareness. My English fluency increased dramatically as I made friends from around the world. This experience taught me to approach challenges from diverse perspectives – a skill that will help me thrive in university physics.

Physics underlies all natural phenomena and has led to technological innovations that transform society. I am compelled to further my physics education not just to satisfy my curiosity, but to meaningfully contribute to this enterprise for the benefit of all. I am eager to join a university community passionate about pushing the frontiers of human knowledge and look forward to the challenging, rewarding work ahead.

This personal statement for the Physics course was sent to Bristol University, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and Manchester University. It was accepted by all. 

Personal Statement Example for Physics

My innate curiosity about how things work has led me towards a deep interest in Physics , something I hope to pursue at the university level and beyond. I believe Physics plays a fundamental role in understanding ourselves and our universe and equips us to tackle pressing challenges facing society.

My passion for Physics began in childhood when I became transfixed by documentaries on quantum mechanics, space exploration and great scientists like Einstein . This early inspiration developed as I began studying Newtonian mechanics , electromagnetism, thermodynamics and more in school. I was always drawn to go beyond textbook examples, reading around subjects to satisfy my curiosity about real-world applications like semiconductors, medical imaging and green energy solutions. Academically, I have consistently excelled in Physics and Maths , achieving top marks. This reflects my diligence, determination and ability to tackle complex concepts.

Beyond the classroom, I have sought opportunities to expand my Physics knowledge. I attended lectures at nearby Durham University , broadening my understanding of astrophysics and particle physics. During my work experience at a materials science company, I used physics principles to test the characteristics of nanomaterials. I also represented my school in the UK Physics Olympiad, reaching the national finals and honing my problem-solving skills. As an avid reader of New Scientist, I have developed a holistic perspective on how physics relates to other scientific fields.

With excellent teachers encouraging me, I have cultivated a collaborative approach to learning. I worked closely with peers on practical experiments, data analysis and A-level assignments. As treasurer of the school Science Society, I organised rewarding trips to CERN and the Science Museum. Through these experiences, I have learned to communicate complex scientific ideas.

In the future, I hope to research to push the frontiers of human knowledge. Your Physics programme appeals due to the access to specialist facilities like laser laboratories and the chance to join a vibrant, intellectually stimulating community. With my academic abilities, passion for the subject and determination to succeed, I believe I would thrive here. Studying at your university would be an invaluable step towards realising my aspiration to become a pioneering Physicist.

This Physics personal statement was sent to Oxford (rejected), Cambridge (rejected), UCL (offer), Durham University (offer) and University of Bristol (offer).

Personal Statement Examples

• Anthropology personal statement examples
• Statistics Personal Statements
• PPE Oxford Personal Statement Example
• Classics Personal Statement Examples
• Theology Personal Statement Examples
• Chemical Engineering personal statement examples
• Oncology Personal Statement Examples
• Psychiatry Personal Statement Examples
• Earth Sciences Personal Statement Example

Notice Regarding Political Advertisements on Our Website

Personal Statement

Introduction.

As part of your UCAS application , you will be required to write a personal statement with a maximum of 4,000 characters. This is sent to each of your chosen universities, who use it – along with the other parts of your application, such as exam grades – to assess your suitability for their course and whether to make you an offer.

Your personal statement allows you to demonstrate to the admissions tutors why you are applying for their course; what interests you about the subject and why they should accept you – showing that you have the achievements, qualities and skills they are looking for. For more competitive courses, there will often be little difference between your grades and the grades of other applicants, so it is essential to make your personal statement effective by devoting appropriate time to its preparation.

It can be tough getting started on your personal statement – however, the earlier you begin drafting it, the more time you’ll have to finalise it before the UCAS deadlines for submission of your application (15 October 2017 for Oxbridge and Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary Science, and 15 January 2018 for most other courses). Although there is no definite formula for writing a personal statement, and different subjects require different styles, the following advice breaks down the process and offers guidance for each step of completing a science-based personal statement.

Aims of the Personal Statement

Ultimately, the aim of your personal statement is to show the university’s admissions tutors that you are a good fit for their course, bearing in mind that different universities may be looking for slightly different attributes in their students. Some universities offer specific guidance on what they are looking for in personal statements through their website or course prospectus – use these to research and make notes of any specific admissions advice for the courses you are applying to, as this will allow you to tailor your personal statement to your preferred universities.

In order to produce an effective personal statement, you will need to address a number of key points that the admissions tutor will be looking for, and cover these in a well thought-out and well written manner. To achieve this, your personal statement should demonstrate:

• your interest, enthusiasm and passion for the subject, giving evidence and examples of specific areas of interest
• the relevant skills you have learnt from your studies, extracurricular activities and employment, and how these have prepared you for a degree course in your chosen subject
• your ability to articulate your enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the subject by writing long prose in a clear, confident and structured manner, using a wide range of vocabulary
• the ways in which you have been following up your interest and furthering your understanding in the subject at a higher level, outside the syllabus (i.e., projects, further reading)
• that you are well informed about what is involved in taking your subject at degree-level
• that you are a well-rounded individual with hobbies outside of your subject
• that you have a general idea of what you want to do after university

The most effective personal statements cover the above points implicitly, backing up claims through discussions and experiences which show the admissions tutor your passion for the subject, rather than vague generalisations and statements such as “I am passionate about physics” – they will already assume this. Isolate a reason as to why you personally engage with your subject and then discuss specific examples to substantiate this, eg. through a reflective discussion of further reading you have done. Write with quality, not quantity, in mind – the admissions tutor will be more impressed to read in detail what you learnt from one or two specific experiences or books, as opposed to a section which brushes over four or five. At the same time, don’t let the personal statement become a mini essay trying to simply demonstrate your knowledge of a topic you found through further reading – keep the discussion personal, showing what you got out of reading or learning it and why you found it interesting – for example did it relate to another subject you’ve studied?

For competitive courses and courses for which applicants are interviewed, another key aim of your personal statement is to persuade the admissions tutor to make you an offer or invite you to interview, as opposed to another applicant with equal grades. Your personal statement should illustrate and highlight your abilities, written with an intellectual flair that will impress the admissions tutor, all whilst being interesting, relatable and personal to you – it is a personal statement, after all. Quiet confidence is an effective style – avoid appearing overly modest and avoid being overly arrogant .

The next step is to think about what you’re going to include in your personal statement to meet these aims. This topic is discussed in the following section. Later, once you have completed the first draft of your personal statement, refer back to these aims and remove any content that is not contributing to them, as it doesn’t belong in your personal statement.

What to Include

Below is a list of points students tend to talk about in science-based personal statements, divided into two main sections: academics and non-academics. By dedicating some time to brainstorm answers to these, you will be significantly closer to getting started on your personal statement. At this stage, don’t worry about sentence length, order, connectives or how much space you will devote to each point in the final version – structuring will come later. Jot things down that you consider minor – you’re not committed to actually include any of these things in your statement once you start writing it. The only limitation is do not lie.

Reasons for choosing the course:

• Why does the subject interest you? This leads on to why you have chosen the course, a key factor that the admissions tutor will want to know.
• Why do you want to study the subject at a higher level? Answer this in terms of the new skills and knowledge you will gain, show you understand what is required of you in studying the subject at degree level and that you have the potential to succeed.
• Which aspects or areas of your studies have you enjoyed most so far? For example, any particular content, experiment, project, or an approach to learning – convey your understanding of how this relates to work you would do on a degree course, eg. how you displayed teamwork in undertaking a project, or how it increased your interest in the subject.

Demonstrating interest in the subject outside of the curriculum:

• Demonstrate any further reading you have done around the subject – eg. from books, respected newspapers, scientific journals, documentaries, websites, blogs, podcasts, radio programmes, lectures attended – explain the content of the further reading briefly and then focus on how you, personally, engaged with it, by reflecting on why it made an impression on you, and by giving your critical views on it.
• Mention any trips you attended to relevant institutions, through school or on own initiative – eg. university residentials or taster days, summer schools, work experience, volunteering, trips to industry/research institutions such as JET or CERN – as with further reading, reflect on your experiences, relate them to the course or your current studies, and explain what you’ve learned from them and how they’ve helped develop your interest in the subject.
• Describe skills you developed, used and improved through doing extracurricular activities, competitions, awards – eg. relevant clubs, societies, CREST projects/awards, Olympiads, maths challenges – these will often demonstrate skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, initiative, creativity and independent research skills. Don’t just mention them for the sake of it – explain how they have increased your interest and understanding of your chosen subject.
• Summarise any mentoring, work experience or shadowing you may have done – these can demonstrate that you have initiative; and for work experience or shadowing, describe what you enjoyed about experiencing what it’s like in a higher-level research/industry environment. Mentoring shows your interest in engaging younger pupils – explain why you enjoyed this, and how it helped your own studies.
• If you have done (or are doing) an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), explain how it relates to your interest in the subject and how the skills you gained from it will prepare you for university – the EPQ shows you are able to think analytically and independently and demonstrates transferable skills such as independent study, effective research, public speaking, time-management, recognising bias, organisation, motivation, planning and monitoring own progress.

Future plans:

• Outline any potential long-term career plans you have – explain why you are attracted to the career and how you would use the experiences, skills and knowledge you would gain from the degree course.
• If you don’t currently know what want to do after university, discuss what aspect of university you are most looking forward to and what you want to gain from the course and university life.
• If you are planning to defer your university entry, briefly outline any gap year plans you have – focussing on any potential academic or subject-related plans (eg. work experience in industry), or explain what you will learn from travelling or employment, and why it will benefit you at university.

Non-Academics

Transferable skills and knowledge:

• Write about the relevant skills you have learnt from any jobs, placements, work experience or volunteering you have done – for example, useful skills for university include the ability to work independently, teamwork, organisational skills, good time management, problem-solving, listening, critical thinking, etc.
• Mention also any positions of responsibility you’ve held, both in or out of school – for example, if you’ve been a member of a club or society (in your community or at school), or led important team projects – this shows good leadership skills.

Other relevant interests, hobbies and achievements:

• To help show you are a well-rounded individual, list any non-subject related activities, hobbies and spare-time interests you have, no matter how minor – for example, do you take part in any sports teams, music rehearsals, drama schools, travelling or reading?
• Also discuss any non-academic accomplishments such as a Duke of Edinburgh award. These wider interests are valuable as they demonstrate your talents, and can indicate characteristics whose transferable skills will be useful for succeeding at university, even if they don’t directly relate to your subject.

Once you have brainstormed and thought carefully about your answers to the above questions, you need to choose which points you feel you should include in your personal statement. If your list involves too many similar things, for example, a large number of books that you’ve read, select just two or three which you enjoyed the most, or which made the biggest impression on you. This way, you can elaborate in more detail on your experience of reading them – the admissions tutors would prefer to see this than simply seeing a list of books. Always try to avoid making generic statements – make sure you give a personal take on everything you mention in your statement – talk about the details in the book that you found most inspiring. In terms of which experiences to include in your statement, more recent ones are more valuable than older ones, as the admissions tutors want to know you as you are now, and how you will be at their university. Show the admissions tutors you know your own strengths and make sure you understand topics and details in your personal statement well enough to talk confidently about them at interview, if your university uses interviews as part of their selection process.

If you have worked through the above list and feel you don’t have enough exciting experiences or exotic excursions to write about, compared to other people’s statements you may have read, there is no need to worry. By spending some productive time researching through books and science news websites and publications, and reflecting on what you have learned, you should still be able to collect sufficient material to write a very good statement for a science-based subject. The admissions tutor will not be judging you based on the fact you might not have had the same opportunities as other people.

Note, there is no need to list your qualifications (eg. “I am currently taking A-Level Maths, Physics and Chemistry and achieved … grades at AS”) in your personal statement – this is already covered in the Qualifications section of your UCAS form, which the admissions tutors will see on the same page as your personal statement – you will be wasting valuable characters in your statement if you were to list these here, too.

Although there is no set structure for science-based personal statements, the following can be used as a guide:

• A punchy opening paragraph about your general interest in the subject and why you want to study it.
• A couple of mainly academic paragraphs as the body of the statement – these are more flexible – discussing your experiences of the subject in more detail.
• The penultimate paragraph in which non-subject related content such as extra-curricular activities and hobbies are discussed.
• A punchy closing paragraph about your aspirations, commitment and what makes you look forward to the course.

Universities typically recommend that you focus around 75% on academic subject-related discussion, and 25% on non-subject related extra-curriculars.

Organise your material and use a sensible order that will make your text flow – the key is to make your statement easily readable for the admissions tutor. Keep sentences short, as overly-long sentences can be difficult to follow and make your statement cumbersome. Clearly defined paragraphs can help with this but, on UCAS Apply, you can’t indent lines and, if you leave lines between paragraphs, these empty lines will count towards the 47 lines you are allowed, leaving you with fewer characters to use.

Extra Additions

There are a number of additional matters to include in your personal statement if you are an international student, a mature student, or are planning to take a year out before going to university (a gap year):

Gap year students

Briefly explain, in a few sentences before the conclusion of your personal statement, why you want to take a gap year and outline any plans you have, focussing on potential academic plans (eg. work experience in industry). If you don’t have any academic-related plans, explain what skills you will learn from travelling or employment, and how they may relate to your course.

Mature students

Use the personal statement additionally to explain what you’ve been doing since leaving formal education, why you want to return to study, and demonstrate how you will cope with the rigours of academic work – using experiences in employment to evidence this. To provide more details of current or previous employment, send a copy of your CV directly to the universities you are applying to (don’t send it to UCAS). If your degree will result in a change of career, explain why you have decided to follow a new direction.

International students

Your personal statement should also explain why you want to study in the UK and demonstrate that your English language skills are sufficiently advanced to allow you to successfully complete a degree course taught in English. You can show this by giving examples of any English courses or tests you’ve taken, saying if any of your previous studies have been taught or examined in English, and describing any activities where you have used English outside of your studies. You should also discuss why you want to be an international student in the UK, rather than study in your own county. Read UCAS’ International Undergraduate Guide for Students for more information.

More than one subject

If you are applying for courses in more than one subject area, you have to try to make your personal statement fit with the different courses you are applying for across your chosen universities, since you can only submit one personal statement through UCAS. You can either choose to emphasise the subject you prefer (or the one which is more competitive) – while, at the same time, explaining that you also have an interest in the other subject – or you can take a thematic approach by focussing on ideas, topics and skills which are applicable to both courses.

Your personal statement is a formal piece of writing and the style in which you write it should reflect this. It should sound natural – but not chatty – and use diverse vocabulary – but not overly complex words with which you’re not familiar; everyday formal language is fine . Spelling, grammar and punctuation should all be correct, and avoid contractions and abbreviations (such as “I’d” and “didn’t”). Addressing the reader (the admissions tutor) directly using “you” is not usual practise in personal statements. Assume the reader already has a level of knowledge – for example, there is no need to explain what Duke of Edinburgh awards are, or to describe what a well-known book is about. Avoid making lists or using repetitive language (“I enjoy…”, “I enjoy…”) in your statement.

Although you want to make your personal statement stand out from other applicants’, there is a line between standing out to the admissions tutor in the right way and in the wrong way. Originality is a key part in making your statement personal – and although it might be tempting to include (or even start) your statement with a quotation by an important figure in your subject, this is very commonly done by many applicants, and can come across as clichéd. Quotations are someone else’s words, and the admissions tutors want to hear your own! The use of jokes – no matter how well intentioned – is also discouraged as they can be misinterpreted by the reader, who may not have the same sense of humour as you. Re-evaluate any use of the words “love”, “adore” or “ignited” (in fact, any fire-related metaphors) as these have a tendency to sound cheesy and their use is rarely justified, given how many synonyms exist for these words. Avoid clichés along with intellectual pretensions and overly hyperbolic phrases, as these can sound tacky when reading the personal statement in a formal environment.

Before you start to write each sentence, consult the planning sheet you made from the questions under “ What To Include ”. Using these notes, you will be able to incorporate more effectively which ideas and statements you want to convey in each sentence. Try to use connectives to link sentences in order to improve the flow of the text; but avoid using filler sentences or vague and generic statements which add nothing to your statement. Write succinctly and remove anything that doesn’t contribute to its aims (laid out in “ Aims of the Personal Statement ”). There is no need to state repeatedly in different words how passionate you are about your subject – this should be shown implicitly through your evidence of wider reading and subject-related experiences. When discussing further reading, be specific and give brief examples from the book to provide insight in your own thinking in relation to what you have read – show you have formulated an opinion on the book, how it has made an impression on you, and what you got out of reading it.

You should do more than simply describe the subject-related experiences in which you have been involved: elaborate on and emphasise what you took away from them, how they increased your interest in the subject and, show evidence of useful and relevant skills you gained or improved through the experiences. You will often not even need to state the skills themselves – and if you do, avoid listing too many. Fully utilise each experience – show through your discussion of it that you enjoyed it and really engaged in it – in turn, this will help your style be enthusiastic and positive to the admissions tutor.

When entered into UCAS Apply, your personal statement will lose any formatting within it – bold, italic or underlined words are not allowed, and many types of special characters and symbols will be removed – including accented characters (à, é, ù), € and special quote and bracket characters (eg. “ ‘ ’ ”, {}, \ – though the characters “, ‘, () and / are allowed). Tabs and multiple spaces will be condensed to a single space, so you are not able to indent lines. You can leave an empty line between paragraphs to more clearly define these, but this will reduce your character amount.

Never lie, embellish or exaggerate any statements in your personal statement – apart from anything else, you may be asked to expand on them at interview and find yourself caught out. Of course, there’s no need to be an expert in quantum mechanics if you mention your interest in the field, but be prepared for questions in the interview that will show you know at least the basics of it to reassure the interviewer that you have done sufficient research in to it. Don’t make unsupported claims for yourself, either – always back yourself up with evidence or examples. Most important, never, ever plagiarise anyone else’s work in your statement, or pay for someone to do it for you. UCAS uses a similarity detection system to scan your personal statement against every other applicants’ (including previous year’s) – and if plagiarism is detected in your statement, your chosen universities will be told.

Feedback and Finalising

Once you have completed your first draft of your personal statement and are reasonably happy with it, it is time to show it to teachers, advisors and family and ask for their constructive feedback and comments on it. Some advice will likely be simple – correcting any accidental spelling, grammatical or punctuation mistakes (ensure the corrections are right!), and suggesting rephrasing of unclear sentences – but some suggestions might be more substantial and require more consideration. Don’t take any criticism personally – people are genuinely trying to help by offering their opinions. If you seriously disagree with any suggestions in particular, you can choose to ignore them – it is your personal statement and you have to be happy with the final version you submit. Redraft as necessary, let a range of (trusted) people have a look at your new version and repeat this re-drafting process as long as you think the feedback you are getting is useful. It is generally not a good idea to post your personal statement online on forums or discussion boards, as anyone is then able to copy it and pass it off as their own.

If you have have gone over the 4000 character limit and there is still academic content you are adamant on keeping in your personal statement, ask your referee – usually a teacher or admissions/senior tutor at your school/college – if they can mention it in your reference, as an alternative approach.

Once you are happy with the final version of your personal statement, paste it into UCAS Apply before your school or college’s internal deadline, pay UCAS the £24 fee, and submit your application to your chosen universities. Good luck!

Helpful Links

• Official UCAS personal statement page
• The Student Room’s personal statement advice
• Subject specific guides to personal statements  from The Student Room

Connect with PMT Education!

• Revision Courses
• Past Papers
• Solution Banks
• University Admissions
• Numerical Reasoning
• Legal Notices

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

How to write a personal statement for physics

Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not, say admissions tutors. You’ll soon be found out

"P hysics is a really cool subject because you can learn how to blow cars up." Not the most impressive opening to a personal statement Gary Barker of the University of Warwick has ever come across. More James May than Patrick Moore, he says wryly.

What would he prefer? "I would err on the side of formality rather than flippancy," he says.

Many admissions tutors look for two things in a personal statement: genuine enthusiasm for physics and signs of maturity.

Some statements border almost on the philosophical, which is absolutely fine, says Barker. "I like to think that there's a person out there who lies awake at night worrying about these things."

Demonstrating engagement with the subject is not difficult but do remember that some admissions tutors are looking for a richer knowledge of the subject than you get on prime-time TV.

"By all means mention what hooked you in the beginning, but do also mention what you are doing now to deepen your understanding," says Anton Machacek, a physics teacher who graduated from Trinity College, Oxford.

"Popular science programmes rarely develop your thinking skills in the way universities will want. In this sense, I would say that the influence of Nina and her Nefarious Neurons on you as a toddler might count more in your favour than Prof Brian Cox at age 16."

Think about which skills are relevant to your application: for example, computing experience will help you with a theoretical physics degree.

Machacek says it's a shame that students often forget to talk about their A-level courses in their personal statements. "It's no good saying 'I've studied A-level physics' – they already know that," he says. "But you can say what skills you enjoyed developing and which areas excited you."

And for a budding physicist it is well worth becoming a member of the Institute of Physics – membership is free for 16- to 19-year-olds.

Many physics undergrad hopefuls mention a lot of the same books, or say they read the New Scientist, says Professor Henning Schomerus, physics admissions tutor at Lancaster University. "This wouldn't put me off, but I would probably more or less ignore it," he says. If you want to talk about a journal you read, pick out an article and discuss why it interests you.

Be specific. If The Big Bang Theory sparked your interest in physics, explain why. Schomerus, for instance, likes the episode where Sheldon takes a job as an unpaid waiter to try to discover how electrons move through graphene – it's an area he's done research in.

"Make the statement truly personal," he says, a point reiterated by Machacek, who is also a visiting research scientist at the Central Laser Facility in Rutherford.

"It is extremely important to be yourself," he says. "If you are a quiet, modest type, and you force yourself to write an extrovert's personal statement to make you seem bigger, very odd things can happen if you are interviewed."

Most admissions tutors advise that content should always trump style or creativity, but stress that writing should be coherent because physicists must be able to communicate.

Physics admissions officer Kenny Wood points out that with over a thousand applications for tutors at the University of St Andrews to sift through each year, spelling and grammar can make all the difference.

Wood says competition is fierce, and urges students not to be disappointed if they don't get into their first choice. "Remember, all physics departments are accredited by the Institute of Physics and if you get a good degree from any department in the UK, this will keep the door open for postgraduate studies at other institutions."

Olivia Keenan, a physics masters graduate from the University of Southampton about to embark on a PhD at Cardiff in extra-galactic observations, urges more girls to consider physics.

"As a female, if you are as well qualified as your male counterparts and you can make yourself stand out, then you're often in a good position to get through the 'admissions game'.

"Having narrowly missed the grades to get on to my physics course, I'm sure that having a strong personal statement helped me," she says. "It displayed my passion for the subject, backed up with evidence to prove it – for example, I'd taught GCSE students about astronomy while in sixth form at school."

Extra-curricular activities can reflect passion – working at a science museum, being a member of a local astronomy society or having visited Cern, for example – but tutors realise that not everybody has these opportunities. Simply making the most of your school's library is fine if it gives you a deeper appreciation of physics.

Above all, don't get too worked up about it. At the University of Birmingham, Professor Andy Schofield stresses that the personal statement is unlikely to be the decider in whether or not you get an offer.

It's a chance to explain any unusual aspects of your application though, says Schofield – for example, why your past performance doesn't reflect your potential.

Not everyone knows what they want to study and it's okay to apply to more than one course, say, physics and natural sciences. "I'm quite happy to see a personal statement that talks in two halves," he says.

Whether your interests lie in the cosmos or computing, the most important thing is keep it personal and prove your enthusiasm for physics.

• Personal statements
• Guardian Students
• Applying to university
• Advice for students

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

Clearing Universities & Courses

Clearing advice.

Recommended Clearing Universities

Popular Course Categories

Course Search & Discover

Start the search for your uni. Filter from hundreds of universities based on your preferences.

Search by Type

Search by region.

Recommended Universities

Northeastern University - London

London (Greater) · 100% Recommended

The University of Law

London (Greater) · 92% Recommended

University of East London

London (Greater) · 94% Recommended

Search Open Days

What's new at Uni Compare

Bangor University

Find the perfect Criminology degree which allows you to specialise in your interests

Heriot-Watt University

Your Edinburgh adventure awaits. Study career-led courses for graduate prospects.

Ranking Categories

Regional rankings.

More Rankings

Top 100 Universities

Taken from 65,000+ data points from students attending university to help future generations

About our Rankings

Discover university rankings devised from data collected from current students.

Guide Categories

Advice categories, recommended articles, popular statement examples, not sure what to search for, take our quick degree quiz.

Find the ideal uni course for you with our Course Degree Quiz. Get answers in minutes!

Take our full degree quiz

Get more tailored course suggestions with our full Course Degree Quiz and apply with confidence.

PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Physics Personal Statement

Submitted by Sam

Considering a degree in Computing? Choose Roehampton

Study Computing at Roehampton for a future-proof education, expert guidance, and real-world experience in the tech industry.

Physics Personal Statement

The varying scale of physics study is what most excites me: from the universe down to small scale particle interactions, it fundamentally governs all these areas and the many unknowns still existing, which I find fascinating. I want to develop my knowledge through further study of physics to be part of modern day research, which has such a huge impact on our lives.

Alongside my studies, I have been involved in many projects in and out of school to further my interest in physics beyond the A Level course, most recently on Oxford’s UNIQ Physics summer school. In advance of this, I read Feynman’s ‘Six Not-so-easy Pieces’. While I found many of the concepts discussed initially challenging (mainly time dilation, length contraction and curved space), I enjoyed Feynman’s clever analogies to explain these concepts, such as through bugs and hot plates. Study of these topics at Oxford developed my understanding of and interest in relativity, with the opportunity to have intellectual conversations with leading academics being most beneficial and enjoyable. Using the Michelson interferometer to measure sodium emission lines was a session that I particularly enjoyed due to experiencing the university approach to practical work and using equipment that I had only read about, and wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to use. I’ve also read ‘The Last Three Minutes’, in which I found Davies’ links between astro-, particle and quantum physics particularly interesting. However, one of the most interesting points for me in both books was not the content but by how much our knowledge has advanced during my lifetime, with discoveries such as the observation of gravitational waves (which Davies had only predicted), especially as this was performed on a somewhat enlarged version of equipment I have now used.

This year I was selected to join Project Horizon, my school's near-space programme. Over the year, we planned the launch of a payload into the stratosphere, where I led a small team of engineers building and soldering the flight computer and the payload. We had a number of sensors to capture data including temperature, humidity and UV and IR intensity, which was interesting to analyse and compare to expected trends. The payload reached 37864m, capturing spectacular footage from three cameras, which we are hoping to use in a series of outreach lessons in local primary schools. Over the past year I have also mentored a Y8 pupil in physics, as well as assisting in one lower school physics class every week as a STEM Ambassador. This opportunity to have my own basic physics knowledge questioned was extremely beneficial, while also giving back to my school community.

I’ve learnt Mandarin Chinese for the last 5 years and see this as a great benefit to my future career prospects due to the global nature of modern science. Playing the piano since infant school, now at ABRSM Grade 6 level, shows my commitment and I am also proven to be a strong leader: being Vice-Captain of School I work with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure the smooth running of the school on a weekly basis, while also leading and organising the largest RAF Air Cadet section in the country as the Cadet Warrant Officer, and being part of a Cub Scout leadership team to run a weekly programme of activities for 8 to 10 year olds. These all show my willingness to take up the leading role of a university society or in the local community, as well as my ability to communicate with all ages, from young children to peers and staff, and to be adaptable and innovative when things don’t go to plan: all making me suited for group work and the practical side of the course. Overall, I am looking forward to furthering my physics ability at university and believe I display inter-personal and time management skills essential for this challenge, with the prospect of a career in the aviation or space industries adding to my motivation to study the subject.

Recommended Course

Recommended Statements

Submitted by Jamie

Physics with Nuclear Technology Personal Statement

My first experience of Nuclear Physics was when I watched Jam...

Submitted by Rachel

Physics Personal Statement*

I have a passion for problem-solving which is my main reason for wanting to study Physics. For me, astroph...

undergraduate Universities

Undergraduate uni's.

Northeastern Uni

114 courses

Uni of East London

575 courses

Uni for Creative Arts

672 courses

Leeds Beckett Uni

454 courses

Uni of Suffolk

186 courses

Uni of Sunderland

340 courses

467 courses

Uni of Kent

580 courses

886 courses

Uni of Chester

645 courses

Heriot-Watt Uni

334 courses

Uni of Westminster

503 courses

Uni of Roehampton

468 courses

Uni of Leicester

432 courses

Uni of Winchester

259 courses

Middlesex Uni

634 courses

Uni of Bradford

390 courses

548 courses

Cardiff Met Uni

501 courses

Staffordshire Uni

472 courses

Swansea Uni

1319 courses

Uni of Portsmouth

761 courses

Uni of Hertfordshire

584 courses

Ravensbourne

103 courses

West London IoT

Wrexham Uni

289 courses

Kingston Uni

617 courses

Goldsmiths, UOL

344 courses

Uni of Brighton

407 courses

Escape Studios

Uni of Reading

685 courses

Bath Spa Uni

520 courses

Uni of Surrey

750 courses

Coventry Uni

480 courses

Uni of Bedfordshire

656 courses

Queen's Uni

635 courses

UWE, Bristol

497 courses

Uni of Huddersfield

668 courses

Leeds Arts University

Uni of Essex

1400 courses

ARU Writtle

104 courses

Uni of C.Lancashire

798 courses

709 courses

Anglia Ruskin Uni

808 courses

Edge Hill Uni

383 courses

Uni of Hull

498 courses

Nottingham Trent

912 courses

FIND THE IDEAL COURSE FOR YOU

Degree Course Quiz

Find the ideal university course for you in minutes by taking our degree matchmaker quiz today.

Find the latest from Uni Compare

Northeastern Uni London

Want to earn two globally recognised degrees simultaneously? Look no further!

Cardiff Metropolitan Uni

Ranked as the most sustainable university in Wales (P&P Uni League 2023/24)

How to Write a UCAS Personal Statement [With Examples]

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

What are the big challenges students should be aware of before writing their UCAS Personal Statement?

• The essential ingredients for writing a great Personal Statement
• How to write the UCAS Personal Statement [with examples]

Final hints & tips to help your students

Join 10,000 other counsellors & educators & get exclusive resources delivered straight to your inbox.

The UCAS Personal Statement can sometimes be a student’s only chance to impress a UK university. Read our in-depth guide to helping your students plan & write a winning application.

There are hundreds of articles out there on how to write a UCAS Personal Statement that will grab the attention of a UK university admissions officer.  

But if you’re working with students to help them perfect their Personal Statement in time for the  relevant UCAS deadlines , we can sum up the secret to success in three words.

Planning, structure and story. 

The UCAS Personal Statement is a student’s chance to talk about why they want to study for a particular degree, course or subject discipline at a UK university. 

As they set about writing a personal statement, students need to demonstrate the drive, ambition, relevant skills and notable achievements that make them a  suitable candidate for the universities they have chosen to apply to . 

But the UCAS Personal Statement requires students to write a lot about themselves in a relatively short space of time. That’s why lots of planning, a tight structure and a compelling story are essential if a student’s Personal Statement is to truly excel. 

As important deadlines for UK university applications grow closer, we at BridgeU have put together a guide, outlining some of the strategies and techniques to help your students to write a personal statement which is both engaging and truly individual.

Handpicked Related Content

Discover the simple steps that will boost the confidence of your native English speaking & ESL students alike in  University Application Essays: The 5 Secrets of Successful Writing .

As they begin to plan their Personal Statement, students may feel intimidated. It’s not easy to summarise your academic interests and personal ambitions, especially when you’re competing for a place on a course which is popular or has demanding entry requirements. In particular, students will likely come up against the following challenges.

Time pressure

Unfortunately, the Personal Statement (and other aspects of university preparation) comes during the busiest year of the student’s academic life so far.

Students, and indeed teachers and counsellors, must undertake the planning and writing of the personal statement whilst juggling other commitments, classes and deadlines, not to mention revision and open day visits!

Because there is already a lot of academic pressure on students in their final year of secondary school, finding the time and headspace for the personal statement can be hard, and can mean it gets pushed to the last minute. The risks of leaving it to the last minute are fairly obvious – the application will seem rushed and the necessary thought and planning won’t go into  making the personal statement the best it can be . 

Sticking closely to the Personal Statement format

The character limit which UCAS sets for the personal statement is very strict – up to 4,000 characters of text. This means that students have to express themselves in a clear and concise way; it’s also important that they don’t feel the need to fill the available space needlessly.  Planning and redrafting of a personal statement is essential .

Making it stand out

This is arguably the greatest challenge facing students – making sure that their statement sets them apart from everyone else who is competing for a place on any given course; in 2022 alone, UCAS received applications from 683,650 applicants (+1.6k on 2021) students. In addition, UCAS uses its own dedicated team and purpose built software to check every application for plagiarism, so it’s crucial that students craft a truly  original personal statement which is entirely their own work .

The essential ingredients for writing a great UCAS Personal Statement 

We’ve already mentioned our three watch words for writing a high quality Personal Statement.

Planning. Structure. Story. 

Let’s dig deeper into these three essential components in more detail.

Watch: How to Write a UCAS Personal Statement with University of Essex

Planning a ucas personal statement.

It might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s vital that students plan their Personal Statement before they start writing it. Specifically, the planning phase could include: 

• Students thoroughly researching the UK university courses they plan on applying to. 
• Deciding on what relevant material to include in their Personal Statement (we’ll cover this in more detail later on). 
• Writing an unedited first draft where they just get their thoughts and ideas down on paper. 

Structuring a UCAS Personal Statement

As we’ve discussed, the UCAS Personal Statement requires students to be extremely disciplined – they will be required to condense a lot of information into a relatively short written statement. This means that, after they’ve written a rough first draft, they need to think carefully about how they structure the final statement. 

A stand out Personal Statement will need a tight structure, with an introduction and a conclusion that make an impact and really help to tell a story about who your student is, and why they are drawn to studying this particular degree. 

This brings us nicely to our third and final ingredient…

Telling a story with a Personal Statement

The UCAS Personal Statement is a student’s opportunity to show a university who they are and how their life experiences have shaped their academic interests and goals. 

So a good Personal Statement needs to offer a compelling narrative, and that means making sure that a student’s writing is well-structured, and that every sentence and paragraph is serving the statement’s ultimate purpose –  to convince a university that your student deserves a place on their subject of choice. 

How to help your students start their UCAS Personal Statement

In order to ensure that a personal statement is delivered on time and to an appropriate standard, it’s essential to plan thoroughly before writing it. Here are some questions you can ask your students before they start writing:

How can you demonstrate a formative interest in your subject?

It may sound obvious but, in order for any UCAS personal statement to have the necessary structure and clarity, students need to think hard about why they want to study their chosen subject. Ask them to think about their responses to the following questions:

What inspired you to study your chosen subject?

Example answer:  My desire to understand the nature of reality has inspired me to apply for Physics and Philosophy

Was there a formative moment when your perspective on this subject changed, or when you decided you wanted to study this subject in more detail?

Example answer:  My interest in philosophy was awakened when I questioned my childhood religious beliefs; reading Blackburn’s “Think”, convinced me to scrutinise my assumptions about the world, and to ensure I could justify my beliefs.

Can you point to any role models, leading thinkers, or notable literature which has in turn affected your thinking and/or inspired you?

Example answer :  The search for a theory of everything currently being conducted by physicists is of particular interest to me and in “The Grand Design” Hawking proposes a collection of string theories, dubbed M-theory, as the explanation of why the universe is the way it is.

Asking your students to think about the “why” behind their chosen subject discipline is a useful first step in helping them to organise their overall statement. Next, they need to be able to demonstrate evidence of their suitability for a course or degree. 

How have you demonstrated the skills and aptitudes necessary for your chosen course?

Encourage students to think about times where they have demonstrated the necessary skills to really stand out. It’s helpful to think about times when they have utilised these skills both inside and outside the classroom. Ask students to consider their responses to the following questions. 

Can you demonstrate critical and independent thinking around your chosen subject discipline?

Example answer :  Currently I am studying Maths and Economics in addition to Geography. Economics has been a valuable tool, providing the nuts and bolts to economic processes, and my geography has provided a spatial and temporal element.

Are you able to demonstrate skills and competencies which will be necessary for university study?

These include qualities such as teamwork, time management and the ability to organise workload responsibly.

Example answer:  This year I was selected to be captain of the 1st XV rugby team and Captain of Swimming which will allow me to further develop my leadership, teamwork and organisational skills.

How have your extracurricular activities helped prepare you for university?

Students may believe that their interests outside the classroom aren’t relevant to their university application. So encourage them to think about how their other interests can demonstrate the subject-related skills that universities are looking for in an application. Ask students to think about any of the following activities, and how they might be related back to the subject they are applying for.

• Clubs/societies, or volunteering work which they can use to illustrate attributes such as teamwork, an interest in community service and the ability to manage their time proactively.
• Have they been elected/nominated as a team captain, or the head of a particular club or society, which highlights leadership skills and an ability to project manage?
• Can they point to any awards or prizes they may have won, whether it’s taking up a musical instrument, playing a sport, or participating in theatre/performing arts?
• Have they achieved grades or qualifications as part of their extracurricular activities? These can only help to demonstrate aptitude and hard work. 

How to write the UCAS Personal Statement [with examples] 

If sufficient planning has gone into the personal statement, then your students should be ready to go!

In this next section, we’ll break down the individual components of the UCAS Personal Statement and share some useful examples.

These examples come from a Personal Statement in support of an application to study Environmental Science at a UK university. 

Watch: King’s College London explain what they’re looking for in a UCAS Personal Statement

Introduction.

This is the chance for an applying student to really grab an admission tutor’s attention. Students need to demonstrate both a personal passion for their subject, and explain why they have an aptitude for it .  This section is where students should begin to discuss any major influences or inspirations that have led them to this subject choice. 

Example :  My passion for the environment has perhaps come from the fact that I have lived in five different countries: France, England, Spain, Sweden and Costa Rica. Moving at the age of 15 from Sweden, a calm and organized country, to Costa Rica, a more diverse and slightly chaotic country, was a shock for me at first and took me out of my comfort zone […] Also, living in Costa Rica, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, definitely helped me realize how vulnerable the world is and how we need to take care of it in a sustainable manner. 

This opening paragraph immediately grabs the reader’s attention by giving the reader an insight into this student’s background and links their academic interests with something specific from the student’s personal backstory. 

Discussing Academic Achievements 

The next paragraph in this Personal Statement discusses the student’s academic achievements. Because this student has had an international education, they frame their academic achievements in the context of their personal background. They also cite useful examples of other curricula they have studied and the grades they have achieved. 

Example : 

Throughout my academic life I have shown myself to be a responsible student as well as a hard working one, despite the fact that I have had to move around a lot. I have achieved several other accomplishments such as a high A (286/300) in AS Spanish at age 15, and also completed a Spanish course of secondary studies for ‘MEP’(Ministerio de Educacion Publica), which is a system from Costa Rica.   

You’ll notice that this student doesn’t just list their achievements – their strong academic performance is always linked back to a wider discussion of their personal experiences. 

Showcasing Extracurricular Activities

As well as discussing academic achievements, a good Personal Statement should also discuss the student’s extracurricular activities, and how they relate back to the student’s overall university aspirations. 

By the third/fourth paragraph of the Personal Statement, students should think about incorporating their extracurricular experiences, 

Another valuable experience was when my class spent a week at a beach called ‘Pacuare’ in order to help prevent the eggs of the endangered leatherback turtle from being stolen by poachers who go on to sell them like chicken eggs. We all gained teamwork experience, which was needed in order to hide the eggs silently without scaring the mother turtles, as well as making it more difficult for the poachers to find them. 

When the poachers set fire to one of the sustainable huts where we were staying, not only did I gain self-awareness about the critical situation of the world and its ecosystems, I also matured and became even more motivated to study environmental sciences at university.

This is a particularly striking example of using extracurricular activities to showcase a student’s wider passion for the degree subject they want to study. 

Not only does this Personal Statement have a story about volunteering to save an endangered species, it also illustrates this applicants’ wider worldview, and helps to explain their motivation for wanting to study Environmental Science. 

Concluding the UCAS Personal Statement

The conclusion to a UCAS Personal Statement will have to be concise, and will need to tie all of a student’s academic and extracurricular achievements. After all, a compelling story will need a great ending. 

Remember that students need to be mindful of the character limit of a Personal Statement, so a conclusion need only be the length of a small paragraph, or even a couple of sentences. 

“ After having many varied experiences, I truly think I can contribute to university in a positive way, and would love to study in England where I believe I would gain more skills and education doing a first degree than in any other country.  “

A good Personal Statement conclusion will end with an affirmation of how the student thinks they can contribute to university life, and why they believe the institution in question should accept them. Because the student in this example has a such a rich and varied international background, they also discuss the appeal of studying at university in England. 

It’s worth taking a quick look at a few other examples of how other students have chosen to conclude their Personal Statement. 

Medicine (Imperial College, London) 

Interest in Medicine aside, other enthusiasms of mine include languages, philosophy, and mythology. It is curiously fitting that in ancient Greek lore, healing was but one of the many arts Apollo presided over, alongside archery and music.   I firmly believe that a doctor should explore the world outside the field of  Medicine, and it is with such experiences that I hope to better empathise and connect with the patients I will care for in my medical career. 

You’ll notice that this example very specifically ties the students’ academic and extracurricular activities together, and ties the Personal Statement back to their values and beliefs. 

Economic History with Economics (London School of Economics)

The highlight of my extra-curricular activities has been my visit to Shanghai with the Lord Mayor’s trade delegation in September 2012. I was selected to give a speech at this world trade conference due to my interest in economic and social history. […] I particularly enjoyed the seminar format, and look forward to experiencing more of this at university. My keen interest and desire to further my knowledge of history and economics, I believe, would make the course ideal for me.

By contrast, this conclusion ties a memorable experience back to the specifics of how the student will be taught at the London School of Economics – specifically, the appeal of learning in seminar format! 

There’s no magic formula for concluding a Personal Statement. But you’ll see that what all of these examples have in common is that they tie a student’s personal and academic experiences together – and tell a university something about their aspirations for the future.

Watch: Bournemouth University explain how to structure a UCAS Personal Statement

Know the audience

It can be easy for students to forget that the person reading a personal statement is invariably an expert in their field. This is why an ability to convey passion and think critically about their chosen subject is essential for a personal statement to stand out. Admissions tutors will also look for students who can structure their writing (more on this below). 

Students should be themselves

Remember that many students are competing for places on a university degree against fierce competition. And don’t forget that UCAS has the means to spot plagiarism. So students need to create a truly honest and individual account of who they are, what they have achieved and, perhaps most importantly, why they are driven to study this particular subject.

Proof-read (then proof-read again!)

Time pressures mean that students can easily make mistakes with their Personal Statements. As the deadline grows closer, it’s vital that they are constantly checking and rechecking their writing and to ensure that shows them in the best possible light. 

Meanwhile, when it comes to giving feedback to students writing their Personal Statements, make sure you’re as honest and positive as possible in the days and weeks leading up to submission day. 

And make sure they remember the three key ingredients of writing a successful Personal Statement. 

Planning, structure and story! 

Book a free demo

Learn how BridgeU can help deliver better outcomes for your students and improved results for your school

UCAS Personal Statement and Examples

What is the ucas personal statement .

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) Personal Statement is the main essay for your application to colleges and universities in Great Britain. UCAS gives a nice explanation here , but in short, this is your chance to stand out against the crowd and show your knowledge and enthusiasm for your chosen area of study.

You’ve got 4,000 characters and 47 line limit to show colleges what (ideally) gets you out of bed in the morning. How long is that, really? Use your “word count” tool in Google or Word docs to check as you go along, but 4,000 characters is roughly 500 words or one page.

HOW IS THE UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT DIFFERENT FROM THE US PERSONAL STATEMENT?

Think they’re the same? Think again. Here are some key differences between the UCAS and the US Personal Statement:

When you apply to UK schools, you’re applying to one particular degree program, which you’ll study for all, or almost all, your time at university. Your UCAS personal statement should focus less on cool/fun/quirky aspects of yourself and more on how you’ve prepared for your particular area of study.

The UCAS Personal Statement will be read by someone looking for proof that you are academically capable of studying that subject for your entire degree. In some cases, it might be an actual professor reading your essay.

You’ll only write one personal statement, which will be sent to all the universities you’re applying to, and it’s unlikely you’ll be sending any additional (supplemental) essays. Your essay needs to explain why you enjoy and are good at this subject, without reference to any particular university or type of university.

Any extracurricular activities that are NOT connected to the subject you’re applying for are mostly irrelevant, unless they illustrate relevant points about your study skills or attributes: for example, having a job outside of school shows time-management and people skills, or leading a sports team shows leadership and responsibility.

Your personal statement will mostly focus on what you’ve done at high school, in class, and often in preparation for external exams. 80-90% of the content will be academic in nature.

A QUICK STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO WRITING THE UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT

This may be obvious, but the first step to a great UCAS Personal Statement is to choose the subject you’re applying for. This choice will be consistent across the (up to) five course choices you have. Often, when students struggle with a UCAS personal statement, it’s because they are trying to make the statement work for a couple of different subjects. With a clear focus on one subject, the essay can do the job it is supposed to do. Keep in mind you’re limited to 47 lines or 4000 characters, so this has to be concise and make efficient use of words.

To work out what information to include, my favourite brainstorming activity is the ‘Courtroom Exercise’. Here’s how it works:

The Courtroom Exercise

Imagine you’re prosecuting a case in court, and the case is that should be admitted to a university to study the subject you’ve chosen. You have to present your case to the judge, in a 47 line or 4,000 character statement. The judge won’t accept platitudes or points made without evidence–she needs to see evidence. What examples will you present in your statement?

In a good statement, you’ll make an opening and a closing point.

To open your argument, can you sum up in one sentence why you wish to study this subject? Can you remember where your interest in that subject began? Do you have a story to tell that will engage the reader about your interest in that subject?

Next, you’ll present a number of pieces of evidence, laying out in detail why you’re a good match for this subject. What activities have you done that prove you can study this subject at university?

Most likely, you’ll start with a class you took, a project you worked on, an internship you had, or a relevant extra-curricular activity you enjoyed. For each activity you discuss, structure a paragraph on each using the ABC approach:

A: What is the A ctivity?

B: How did it B enefit you as a potential student for this degree course?

C: Link the benefit to the skills needed to be successful on this C ourse.

With three or four paragraphs like these, each of about 9 or 10 lines, and you should have the bulk of your statement done. Typically two of these will be about classes you have taken at school, and two about relevant activities outside of school.

In the last paragraph, you need to demonstrate wider skills that you have, which you can probably do from your extracurricular activities. How could you demonstrate your time management, your ability to collaborate, or your creativity? Briefly list a few extracurricular activities you’ve taken part in and identify the relevant skills that are transferable to university study.

Finally, close your argument in a way that doesn’t repeat what you’ve already shared. Case closed!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What if I’m not sure what I want to study? Should I still apply? 

There are a number of broader programs available at UK universities (sometimes called Liberal Arts or Flexible Combined Honours). However,  you should still showcase two or three academic areas of interest. If you are looking for a broader range of subjects to study and can’t choose one, then the UK might not be the best fit for you.

What if I haven’t done much, academically or via extracurriculars, to demonstrate that I’ll be able to complete the coursework for my degree? Should I still apply?

You certainly can, but you will need to be realistic about the strength of your application as a result. The most selective universities will want to see this evidence, but less selective ones will be more willing to account for your potential to grow in addition to what you’ve already achieved. You could also consider applying for a Foundation course or a ‘Year 0’ course, where you have an additional year pre-university to enable you to develop this range of evidence.

If I’m not accepted into a particular major, can I be accepted into a different major?

It’s important to understand that we are not talking about a ‘major,’ as what you are accepted into is one entire course of study. Some universities may make you an ‘alternative offer’ for a similar but perhaps less popular course (for example you applied for Business but instead they offer you a place for Business with a Language).At others, you can indicate post-application that you would like to be considered for related courses. However, it’s not going to be possible to switch between two completely unrelated academic areas.

What other information is included in my application? Will they see my extracurricular activities, for example? Is there an Additional Information section where I can include more context on what I’ve done in high school?

The application is very brief: the personal statement is where you put all the information. UCAS does not include an activities section or space for any other writing. The 47 lines are all you have. Some universities might accept information if there are particularly important extenuating circumstances that must be conveyed. This can be done via email, but typically, they don’t want to see more than the UCAS statement and your school’s reference provides.

Now, let’s take a look at some of my favourite UCAS personal statement examples with some analysis of why I think these are great.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR CHEMISTRY

When I was ten, I saw a documentary on Chemistry that really fascinated me. Narrated by British theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili, it explained how the first elements were discovered and how Chemistry was born out of alchemy. I became fascinated with Chemistry and have remained so ever since. I love the subject because it has very theoretical components, for example quantum Chemistry, while also having huge practical applications.

In this introduction, the student shows where his interest in Chemistry comes from. Adding some additional academic detail (in this case, the name of the scientist) helps guide the reader into more specific information on why this subject is interesting to him.

This aspect of Chemistry is important to me. I have, for example, used machine learning to differentiate between approved and experimental drugs. On the first run, using drug molecules from the website Drug Bank, I calculated some molecular descriptors for them. I started with a simple logistic regression model and was shocked to find that it had apparently classified almost all molecules correctly. This result couldn’t be right; it took me nearly a month to find the error. I accidentally normalized the molecular-descriptor data individually, rather than as a combined data set, thereby encoding the label into the input. On a second run, after fixing the error, I used real machine learning libraries. Here I actually got some performance with my new algorithm, which I could compare to professional researchers’ papers. The highest accuracy I ever saw on my screen was 86 percent. The researchers’ result was 85 percent; thanks to more modern machine learning methods, I narrowly beat them. I have also studied Mathematics and Physics at A Level and have been able to dive into areas beyond the A Level syllabus such as complex integration in math and the Schrödinger equation in Physics.

This paragraph outlines a clear case for this student’s aptitude for and interest in Chemistry. He explains in detail how he has explored his intended major, using academic terminology to show us he has studied the subject deeply. Knowing an admissions reader is looking for evidence that this student has a talent for Chemistry, this paragraph gives them the evidence they need to admit him.

Additionally, I have worked on an undergraduate computer science course on MIT Opencourseware, but found that the content followed fixed rules and did not require creativity. At the time I was interested in neural networks and listened to lectures by professor Geoffrey Hinton who serendipitously mentioned his students testing his techniques on ‘Kaggle Competitions’. I quickly got interested and decided to compete on this platform. Kaggle allowed me to measure my machine learning skills against competitors with PhDs or who are professional data scientists at large corporations. With this kind of competition naturally I did not win any prizes, but I worked with the same tools and saw how others gradually perfected a script, something which has helped my A Level studies immensely.

Introducing a new topic, the student again uses academic terminology to show how he has gone beyond the confines of his curriculum to explore the subject at a higher level. In this paragraph, he demonstrates that he has studied university-level Chemistry. Again, this helps the reader to see that this student is capable of studying for a Chemistry degree.

I have been keen to engage in activities beyond the classroom. For example, I have taken part in a range of extracurricular activities, including ballroom dancing, public speaking, trumpet, spoken Mandarin, and tennis, achieving a LAMDA distinction at level four for my public speaking. I have also participated in Kaggle competitions, as I’m extremely interested in machine learning. For example, I have used neural networks to determine the causes of Amazon deforestation from satellite pictures in the ‘Planet: Understanding the Amazon from Space’ competition. I believe that having worked on projects spanning several weeks or even months has allowed me to build a stamina that will be extremely useful when studying at university.

This penultimate paragraph introduces the student’s extracurricular interests, summing them up in a sentence. Those activities that can demonstrate skills that are transferable to the study of Chemistry are given a bit more explanation. The student’s descriptions in each paragraph are very detailed, with lots of specific information about awards, classes and teachers.

What I hope to gain from an undergraduate (and perhaps post-graduate) education in Chemistry is to deepen my knowledge of the subject and potentially have the ability to successfully launch a startup after university. I’m particularly interested in areas such as computational Chemistry and cheminformatics. However, I’m  open to studying other areas in Chemistry, as it is a subject that truly captivates me.

In the conclusion, the student touches on his future plans, using specific terminology that shows his knowledge of Chemistry. This also reveals that he aims to have a career in this field, which many admission readers find appealing as it demonstrates a level of commitment to the subject.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR VETERINARY MEDICINE

This next statement has to accomplish a number of tasks, given the subject the student is applying for. As a vocational degree, applicants for veterinary medicine are committing to a career as well as a subject to study, so they need to give information demonstrating they understand the reality of a career in this area. It also needs to explain their motivation for this interest, which quite often is demonstrated through work experience (something which is often a condition for entry into these programs). Finally, as this is a highly academic subject to study at university, the author should include a good level of academic terminology and experiences in the statement.

There is nothing more fascinating to me than experiencing animals in the wild, in their natural habitat where their behaviour is about the survival of their species. I was lucky enough to experience this when in Tanzania. While observing animals hunting, I became intrigued by their musculature and inspired to work alongside these animals to help them when they are sick, as a veterinarian.

In an efficient way, the applicant explains her motivation to become a vet, then squeezes in a bit of information about her experience with animals.

As a horse rider and owner for nearly ten years, I have sought opportunities to learn as much as I can about caring for the animal. I helped around the yard with grooming and exercise, bringing horses in and out from the fields, putting on rugs, and mucking out. I have also been working at a small animal vet clinic every other Saturday for over 2.5 years. There, my responsibilities include restocking and sterilising equipment, watching procedures, and helping in consultations. Exposure to different cases has expanded my knowledge of various aspects, such as assisting with an emergency caesarean procedure. Due to a lack of staff on a Saturday, I was put in charge of anaesthesia while the puppies were being revived. I took on this task without hesitation and recorded heart and respiration rate, capillary refill time, and gum colour every five minutes. Other placements following an equine vet, working on a polo farm, and volunteering at a swan sanctuary have also broadened my experience with different species and how each possesses various requirements. During pre-vet summer courses, I was also introduced to farm animals such as pigs, cows, sheep and chicken. I spend some time milking dairy cows and removing clustered dust from chicken feet, as well as tipping sheep in order to inspect their teats.

In this paragraph, she synthesizes personal experience with an academic understanding of vet medicine. She demonstrates that she is committed to animals (helping in the yard, regular Saturday work, assistance with procedures), that she has gained a variety of experiences, and that she understands some of the conditions (caesareans, clustered dust) that vets have to deal with. Note that she also briefly discusses ‘pre-vet summer courses,’ adding credibility to her level of experience.

I have focused on HL Biology and HL Chemistry for my IB Diploma. I was particularly excited to study cell biology and body systems because these subjects allowed me to comprehend how the body works and are applicable to animal body functions. Topics like DNA replication as well as cell transcription and translation have helped me form a fundamental understanding of genetics and protein synthesis, both important topics when looking into hereditary diseases in animals. Learning about chemical reactions made me consider the importance of pharmaceutical aspects of veterinary medicine, such as the production of effective medicine. Vaccines are essential and by learning about the chemical reactions, I f developed a more nuanced understanding about how they are made and work.

Now, the statement turns to academic matters, linking her IB subjects to the university studies she aspires to. She draws out one particular example that makes a clear link between school and university-level study.

I have also written my Extended Essay discussing the consequences of breeding laws in the UK and South Australia in relation to the development of genetic abnormalities in pugs and German shepherds. This topic is important, as the growing brachycephalic aesthetic of pugs is causing them to suffer throughout their lifetime. Pedigree dogs, such as the German shepherd, have a very small gene pool and as a result, hereditary diseases can develop. This becomes an ethical discussion, because allowing German shepherds to suffer is not moral; however, as a breed, they aid the police and thus serve society.

The IB Extended Essay (like an A Level EPQ or a Capstone project) is a great topic to discuss in a personal statement, as these activities are designed to allow students to explore subjects in greater detail.

The first sentence here is a great example of what getting more specific looks like because it engages more directly with what the student is actually writing about in this particular paragraph then it extrapolates a more general point of advice from those specificities.

By choosing to write her Extended Essay on a topic of relevance to veterinary medicine, she has given herself the opportunity to show the varied aspects of veterinary science. This paragraph proves to the reader that this student is capable and motivated to study veterinary medicine.

I have learned that being a veterinarian requires diagnostic skills as well as excellent communication and leadership skills. I understand the importance and ethics of euthanasia decisions, and the sensitivity around discussing it withanimal owners. I have developed teamwork and leadership skills when playing varsity football and basketball for four years. My communication skills have expanded through being a Model U.N. and Global Issues Network member.

This small paragraph on her extracurricular activities links them clearly to her intended area of study, both in terms of related content and necessary skills. From this, the reader gains the impression that this student has a wide range of relevant interests.

When I attend university, I not only hope to become a veterinarian, but also a leader in the field. I would like to research different aspects of veterinary medicine, such as diseases. As a vet, I would like to help work towards the One Health goal; allowing the maintenance of public health security. This affects vets because we are the ones working closely with animals every day.

In the conclusion, she ties things together and looks ahead to her career. By introducing the concept of ‘One Health’, she also shows once again her knowledge of the field she is applying to.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Standing inside a wind tunnel is not something every 17 year old aspires to, but for me the opportunity to do so last year confirmed my long-held desire to become a mechanical engineer.

This introduction is efficient and provides a clear direction for the personal statement. Though it might seem that it should be more detailed, for a student applying to study a course that requires limited extended writing, being this matter-of-fact works fine.

I enjoy the challenge of using the laws of Physics, complemented with Mathematical backing, in the context of everyday life, which helps me to visualise and understand where different topics can be applied. I explored the field of aeronautics, specifically in my work experience with Emirates Aviation University. I explored how engineers apply basic concepts of air resistance and drag when I had the opportunity to experiment with the wind tunnel, which allowed me to identify how different wing shapes behave at diverse air pressures. My interest with robotics has led me to take up a year-long internship with MakersBuilders, where I had the chance to explore physics and maths on a different plane. During my internship I educated young teenagers on a more fundamental stage of building and programming, in particular when we worked on building a small robot and programmed the infra-red sensor in order to create self-sufficient movement. This exposure allowed me to improve my communication and interpersonal skills.

In this paragraph, the student adds evidence to the initial assertion that he enjoys seeing how Physics relates to everyday life. The descriptions of the work experiences he has had not only show his commitment to the subject, but also enable him to bring in some academic content to demonstrate his understanding of engineering and aeronautics.

I’m interested in the mechanics side of Maths such as circular motion and projectiles; even Pure Maths has allowed me to easily see patterns when working and solving problems in Computer Science. During my A Level Maths and Further Maths, I have particularly enjoyed working with partial fractions as they show how reverse methodology can be used to solve addition of fractions, which ranges from simple addition to complex kinematics. ­­­Pure Maths has also enabled me to better understand how 3D modelling works with ­­­the use of volumes of revolution, especially when I learned how to apply the calculations to basic objects like calculating the amount of water in a bottle or the volume of a pencil.

This paragraph brings in the academic content at school, which is important when applying for a subject such as engineering. This is because the admissions reader needs to be reassured that the student has covered the necessary foundational content to be able to cope with Year 1 of this course.

In my Drone Club I have been able to apply several methods of wing formation, such as the number of blades used during a UAS flight. Drones can be used for purposes such as in Air-sea Rescue or transporting food to low income countries. I have taken on the responsibility of leading and sharing my skills with others, particularly in the Drone Club where I gained the certification to fly drones. In coding club, I participated in the global Google Code competition related to complex, real-life coding, such as a program that allows phones to send commands to another device using Bluetooth. My Cambridge summer course on math and engineering included the origins of a few of the most important equations and ideologies from many mathematicians such as, E=mc2 from Einstein, I also got a head start at understanding matrices and their importance in kinematics. Last summer, I completed a course at UT Dallas on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The course was intuitive and allowed me to understand a different perspective of how robots and AI will replace humans to do complex and labour-intensive activities, customer service, driverless cars and technical support.

In this section, he demonstrates his commitment to the subject through a detailed list of extracurricular activities, all linked to engineering and aeronautics. The detail he gives about each one links to the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in these subjects at university.

I have represented Model UN as a delegate and enjoyed working with others to solve problems. For my Duke of Edinburgh Award, I partook in several activities such as trekking and playing the drums. I enjoy music and I have reached grade 3 for percussion. I have also participated in a range of charitable activities, which include assisting during Ramadan and undertaking fun-runs to raise money for cancer research.

As with the introduction, this is an efficient use of language, sharing a range of activities, each of which has taught him useful skills. The conclusion that follows is similarly efficient and to the point.

I believe that engineering is a discipline that will offer me a chance to make a tangible difference in the world, and I am certain I will enjoy the process of integrating technology with our everyday life.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL POLICY

Applying for a joint honours course presents a particular challenge of making the case that you are interested in the first subject, the second subject and (often overlooked) the combination of the two. In this example, the applicant uses her own academic studies and personal experiences to make her case.

I usually spend my summer breaks in Uttar Pradesh, India working at my grandparents’ NGO which produces bio-fertilizers for the poor. While working, I speak to many of the villagers in the nearby villages like Barokhar and Dharampur and have found out about the various initiatives the Government has taken to improve the production of wheat and rice. I understand the hardships they undergo and speaking to them has shown me the importance of Social Policy and the role the government plays in improving the lives of people and inspired me to pursue my university studies in this field.

In the introduction, this applicant explains where her interlinking experiences come from: she has personal experiences demonstrating how economics impacts the most vulnerable in society. In doing so, she shows the admissions reader that she has a deep interest in this combination and can move on to discussing each subject in turn.

My interest in these areas has been driven by the experiences I had at high school and beyond. I started attending Model United Nations in the 9th grade and have been to many conferences, discussing problems like the water crisis and a lack of sustainability in underdeveloped countries. These topics overlapped with my study of economics and exciting classroom discussions on what was going on how different events would impact economies, for instance how fluctuations in oil prices will affect standards of living. Studying Economics has expanded  my knowledge about how countries are run and how macroeconomic policies shape the everyday experiences of individuals.

Unusually, this applicant does not go straight into her classroom experiences but instead uses one of her extracurricular activities (Model United Nations) in her first paragraph. For students applying for subjects that are not often taught at school (Social Policy in this example), this can be a good idea, as it allows you to bring in material that you have self-studied to explain why you are capable of studying each subject at university. Here, she uses MUN discussions to show she understands some topics in social policy that are impacting the world.

By taking up history as a subject in Grade 11 and 12, I have seen the challenges that people went through in the past, and how different ideas gained momentum in different parts of the world such as the growth of communism in Russia and China and how it spread to different countries during the Cold War. I learned about the different roles that governments played in times of hardships such as that which President Roosevelt’s New Deal played during the Great Depression. From this, I gained analytical skills by scrutinizing how different social, political and economic forces have moulded societies in the past.

In this paragraph, she then takes the nearest possible class to her interest in Social Policy and draws elements from it to add to her case for Social Policy. Taking some elements from her history classes enables her to add some content to this statement, before linking to the topic of economics.

To explore my interest in Economics, I interned at Emirates National Bank of Dubai, one of the largest banks in the Middle East, and also at IBM. At Emirates NBD, I undertook a research project on Cash Management methods in competitor banks and had to present my findings at the end of the internship. I also interned at IBM where I had to analyze market trends and fluctuations in market opportunity in countries in the Middle East and Africa. I had to find relations between GDP and market opportunity and had to analyze how market opportunity could change over the next 5 years with changing geo-political situations. I have also attended Harvard University’s Youth Lead the Change leadership conference where I was taught how to apply leadership skills to solve global problems such as gender inequality and poverty.

Economics is explored again through extracurriculars, with some detail added to the general statement about the activities undertaken during this work experience. Though the level of academics here is a little thin because this student’s high school did not offer any classes in Economics, she does as well as she can to bring in academic content.

I have partaken in many extra-curricular activities which have helped me develop the skills necessary for this course. Being a part of the Press Club at school gave me an opportunity to hone my talent for the written word and gave me a platform to talk about global issues. Volunteering at a local library taught me how to be organized. I developed research and analytical skills by undertaking various research projects at school such as the sector-wide contribution of the Indian economy to the GDP in the previous year. As a member of the Business and Economic Awareness Council at school, I was instrumental in organizing many economics-based events such as the Business Fair and Innovation Mela. Being part of various Face to Faith conferences has provided me with an opportunity to interact with students in Sierra Leone, India and Korea and understand global perspectives on issues like malaria and human trafficking.

The extracurricular activities are revisited here, with the first half of this paragraph showing how the applicant has some transferable skills from her activities that will help her with this course. She then revisits her interest in the course studies, before following up with a closing section that touches on her career goals:

The prospect of pursuing these two subjects is one that I eagerly anticipate and I look forward to meeting the challenge of university. In the future, I wish to become an economist and work at a think tank where I will be able to apply what I have learnt in studying such an exciting course.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR HISTORY OF ART & PHILOSOPHY

This applicant is also a joint-honours applicant, and again is applying for a subject that she has not been able to study at school. Thus, bringing in her own interest and knowledge of both subjects is crucial here.

At the age of four, I remember an argument with my mother: I wanted to wear a pink ballerina dress with heels, made for eight-year-olds, which despite my difficulty in staying upright I was determined to wear. My mother persistently engaged in debate with me about why it was not ok to wear this ensemble in winter. After two hours of patiently explaining to me and listening to my responses she convinced me that I should wear something different, the first time I remember listening to reason. It has always been a natural instinct for me to discuss everything, since in the course of my upbringing I was never given a simple yes or no answer. Thus, when I began studying philosophy, I understood fully my passion for argument and dialogue.

This is an unusual approach to start a UCAS Personal Statement, but it does serve to show how this student approaches the world and why this combination of subjects might work for her. Though it could perhaps be drawn out more explicitly, here she is combining an artistic issue (her clothes) with a philosophical concern (her debate with her mother) to lead the reader into the case she is making for admission into this program.

This was first sparked academically when I was introduced to religious ethics; having a fairly Christian background my view on religion was immature. I never thought too much of the subject as I believed it was just something my grandparents did. However, when opened up to the arguments about god and religion, I was inclined to argue every side. After research and discussion, I was able to form my own view on religion without having to pick a distinctive side to which theory I would support. This is what makes me want to study philosophy: it gives an individual personal revelation towards matters into which they may not have given too much thought to.

There is some good content here that discusses the applicant’s interest in philosophy and her own motivation for this subject, though there is a lack of academic content here.

Alongside this, taking IB Visual Arts HL has opened my artistic views through pushing me out of my comfort zone. Art being a very subjective course, I was forced to choose an opinion which only mattered to me, it had no analytical nor empirical rights or wrongs, it was just my taste in art. From studying the two subjects alongside each other, I found great value, acquiring a certain form of freedom in each individual with their dual focus on personalized opinion and taste in many areas, leading to self- improvement.

In this section, she uses her IB Visual Arts class to explore how her interest in philosophy bleeds into her appreciation of art. Again, we are still awaiting the academic content, but the reader will by now be convinced that the student has a deep level of motivation for this subject. When we consider how rare this combination is, with very few courses for this combination available, the approach to take slightly longer to establish can work.

For this reason, I find the work of Henry Moore fascinating. I am intrigued by his pieces, especially the essence of the ‘Reclining Nude’ model, as the empty holes inflicted on the abstract human body encouraged my enthusiasm for artistic interpretation. This has led me to contemplate the subtlety, complexity and merit of the role of an artist. Developing an art piece is just as complex and refined as writing a novel or developing a theory in Philosophy. For this reason, History of Art conjoins with Philosophy, as the philosophical approach towards an art piece is what adds context to the history as well as purpose behind it.

Finally, we’re given the academic content. Cleverly, the content links both the History of Art and Philosophy together through a discussion of the work of Henry Moore. Finding examples that conjoin the subjects that make up a joint-honours application is a great idea and works well here.

Studying Philosophy has allowed me to apply real life abstractions to my art, as well as to glean a deeper critical analysis of art in its various mediums. My IB Extended Essay examined the 1900s Fauve movement, which made a huge breakthrough in France and Hungary simultaneously. This was the first artistic movement which was truly daring and outgoing with its vivid colours and bold brush strokes. My interest expanded to learning about the Hungarian artists in this movement led by Henri Matisse. Bela Czobel was one of the few who travelled to France to study but returned to Hungary, more specifically Nagybanya, to bestow what he had learned.

Again in this paragraph, the author connects the subjects. Students who are able to undertake a research project in their high school studies (such as the IB Extended Essay here, or the A Level Extended Project or AP Capstone) can describe these in their UCAS personal statements, as this level of research in an area of academic study can enliven and add depth to the writing, as is the case here.

As an international student with a multicultural background, I believe I can adapt to challenging or unfamiliar surroundings with ease. I spent two summers working at a nursery in Hungary as a junior Assistant Teacher, where I demonstrated leadership and teamwork skills that I had previously developed through commitment to sports teams. I was a competitive swimmer for six years and have represented my school internationally as well as holding the school record for 100m backstroke. I was elected Deputy Head of my House, which further reflects my dedication, leadership, teamwork and diligence.

As in the previous examples, this statement gives a good overview of the applicant’s extracurricular activities, with a mention of skills that will be beneficial to her studies at university. She then concludes with a brief final sentence:

I hope to carry these skills with me into my university studies, allowing me to enrich my knowledge and combine my artistic and philosophical interests.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR LIBERAL ARTS

A good range of UK universities now offer courses called ‘Liberal Arts’ (or similar titles such as ‘Flexible Combined Honours’), which allows students to study a broader topic of study–perhaps combining three or four subjects–than is typically available in the UK system.

This presents a challenge in the personal statement, as within the 47 line / 4000 character limit, the applicant will have to show academic interest and knowledge in a range of subjects while also making the case to be admitted for this combined programme of study.

As a child I disliked reading; however, when I was 8, there was one particular book that caught my attention: The Little Prince. From that moment onwards, my love for literature was ignited and I had entered into a whirlwind of fictional worlds. While studying and analysing the classics from The Great Gatsby to Candide, this has exposed me to a variety of novels. My French bilingualism allowed me to study, in great depth, different texts in their original language. This sparked a new passion of mine for poetry, and introduced me to the works of Arthur Rimbaud, who has greatly influenced me. Through both reading and analysing poetry I was able to decipher its meaning. Liberal Arts gives me the opportunity to continue to study a range of texts and authors from different periods in history, as well as related aspects of culture, economy and society.

Here we have a slightly longer than usual opening paragraph, but given the nature of the course being applied for this works well. A personal story segueing from literature to modern languages to history and cultural studies shows that this student has a broad range of interests within the humanities and thus is well-suited to this course of study.

Liberal Arts is a clear choice for me. Coming from the IB International Baccalaureate Diploma programme I have studied a wide range of subjects which has provided me with a breadth of knowledge. In Theatre, I have adapted classics such as Othello by Shakespeare, and playing the role of moreover acting as Desdemona forced me to compartmentalise her complex emotions behind the early-modern English text. Studying History has taught me a number of skills; understanding the reasons behind changes in society, evaluating sources, and considering conflicting interpretations. From my interdisciplinary education I am able to critically analyse the world around me. Through studying Theory of Knowledge, I have developed high quality analysis using key questions and a critical mindset by questioning how and why we think and why. By going beyond the common use of reason, I have been able to deepen greaten my understanding and apply my ways of knowing in all subjects; for example in science I was creative in constructing my experiment (imagination) and used qualitative data (sense perception).

Students who are taking the IB Diploma, with its strictures to retain a broad curriculum, are well-suited to the UK’s Liberal Arts courses, as they have had practice seeing the links between subjects. In this paragraph, the applicant shows how she has done this, linking content from one subject to skills developed in another, and touching on the experience of IB Theory of Knowledge (an interdisciplinary class compulsory for all IB Diploma students) to show how she is able to see how different academic subjects overlap and share some common themes.

Languages have always played an important role in my life. I was immersed into a French nursery even though my parents are not French speakers. I have always cherished the ability to speak another language; it is something I have never taken for granted, and it is how I individualise myself. Being bilingual has allowed me to engage with a different culture. As a result, I am more open minded and have a global outlook. This has fuelled my desire to travel, learn new languages and experience new cultures. This course would provide me with the opportunity to fulfil these desires. Having written my Extended Essay in French on the use of manipulative language used by a particular character from the French classic Dangerous Liaisons I have had to apply my skills of close contextual reading and analysing to sculpt this essay. These skills are perfectly applicable to the critical thinking that is demanded for the course.

Within the humanities, this student has a particular background that makes her stand out, having become fluent in French while having no French background nor living in a French-speaking country. This is worth her exploring to develop her motivation for a broad course of study at university, which she does well here.

Studying the Liberal Arts will allow me to further my knowledge in a variety of fields whilst living independently and meeting people from different backgrounds. The flexible skills I would achieve from obtaining a liberal arts degree I believe would make me more desirable for future employment. I would thrive in this environment due to my self discipline and determination. During my school holidays I have undertaken working in a hotel as a chambermaid and this has made me appreciate the service sector in society and has taught me to work cohesively with others in an unfamiliar environment. I also took part in a creative writing course held at Keats House, where I learnt about romanticism. My commitment to extracurricular activities such as varsity football and basketball has shown me the importance of sportsmanship and camaraderie, while GIN (Global Issue Networking) has informed me of the values of community and the importance for charitable organisations.

The extracurricular paragraph here draws out a range of skills the student will apply to this course. Knowing that taking a broader range of subjects at a UK university requires excellent organizational skills, the student takes time to explain how she can meet these, perhaps going into slightly more detail than would be necessary for a single-honours application to spell out that she is capable of managing her time well. She then broadens this at the end by touching on some activities that have relevance for her studies.

My academic and personal preferences have always led me to the Liberal Arts; I feel as though the International Baccalaureate, my passion and self-discipline have prepared me for higher education. From the academics, extracurriculars and social aspects, I intend to embrace the entire experience of university.

In the final section, the candidate restates how she matches this course.

Overall, you can see how the key factor in a UCAS statement is the academic evidence, with students linking their engagement with a subject to the course of study that they are applying to. Using the courtroom exercise analogy, the judge here should be completely convinced that the case has been made, and will, therefore issue an offer of admittance to that university.

Recent Posts

• Podcast Episode 77: Rugby at universities in the USA
• US College Sports: Eligibility
• Navigating UK Foundation Programmes
• Applying to Australian Universities from the UK with an Australian passport
• Universities in Singapore and Hong Kong: what you need to know

[email protected]

+44 (0) 7392 846307, useful links, privacy policy, services for.

• Universities
• Success Stories

• Impartiality Statement
• For Students
• For Parents
• For Schools
• For Universities

• Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
• Non-Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
• Oxford PPE 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Economics 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Modern Languages 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Land Economy 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Psychology 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge English 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Human Sciences 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge History 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Geography 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Philosophy 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Classics 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Architecture 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge HSPS Programme 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Biomedical Sciences 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Engineering 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Natural Science 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Maths 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Computer Science 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Physics 24/25 Entry
• Oxford PPL 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Veterinary Science 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Chemistry 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Biology 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Biochemistry 24/25 Entry
• Non-Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
• Non-Oxbridge Dentistry 24/25 Entry
• IMAT Medicine 24/25 Entry
• Can’t Find Your Subject?
• Law Interview Programme
• PPE Interview Programme
• Economics Interview Programme
• Oxbridge Medicine Interview Programme
• Natural Science Interview Programme
• Engineering Interview Programme
• Maths Interview Programme
• Dentistry Interview Programme
• Medicine MMI Interview Programme
• Our Guarantee

Our Students

Student Success Stories

• University Access Scheme
• New Tutor Application Form
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How Does It Work?

Enrol before the 17th May and get 4 hours of A-Level tutoring. Book your consultation here.

Students who enrol on a Programme before the 17th May will get 4 hours of A-Level tutoring as a complimentary addition. Begin by booking your consultation here.

• +44 (0) 208 068 0438
• [email protected]

SCIENCE PROGRAMMES (25/26 ENTRY)

HUMANITIES PROGRAMMES (25/26 ENTRY)

GET STARTED

Can't find your subject?

OXFORD TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

CAMBRIDGE TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

MEDICINE TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

View Our Free admissions guides & resources

How UniAdmissions Cracked The Oxbridge Formula

Applying for Oxbridge is an opportunity seldom approached correctly. So how do you enter the top 16% of a strong cohort of applicants that get an offer? Discover how UniAdmissions get 2/3 of our students in.

How To Stay Motivated During Your A-Level Exams

With A-level exam season in full swing, we've put together 6 useful tips and tricks to stay motivated and achieve those expected grades.

Inside The UniAdmissions Portal: The UA Advantage

UniAdmissions students have access to the world's first dedicated Oxbridge admissions preparation platform, and this guide will help you discover exactly how the Portal will help you get your offer.

Discover all guides

ABOUT UNIADMISSIONS

Learn about who the world's first Oxbridge prep school are.

Learn about the Portal; the heart of our Programmes.

UniAdmissions' Foundation

The Foundation is our charitable arm to support disadvantaged students.

Students & Tutors

Discover who a UniAdmissions student is and our admissions criteria.

Learn about our high-performing Oxbridge tutors.

We're proud of our alumni. Read about their journey with UniAdmissions here.

Admissions Resources

Free Admissions Guides

Visit our Learning Centre and read our in-depth free guides.

We are the world's biggest Oxbridge application publisher. Learn more here.

Teachers Learning Hub

Learn about how to help your students get their place at Oxbridge.

Get Started

• Access Student Portal
• Oxbridge Programmes
• Open Day Webinar
• Tutor Application Form
• Common Questions
• Download Our Prospectus

Successful Personal Statement For Cambridge Mathematics And Physics

Last Updated: 6th April 2022

Author: Rob Needleman

Table of Contents

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 a Mathematics and Physics applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Cambridge University. The Mathematics and Physics Course at Cambridge offers the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects: everything from abstract logic to black holes.

Read on to see how this strong Personal Statement addresses both maths and physics to showcase a high level of their ability. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

INTERVIEW + REJECTED

Enrolling on our Oxbridge Maths comprehensive Programme will give you access to Personal Statement redrafts. 

Your tutor will give you actionable feedback with insider tips on how to improve and make your Personal Statement Oxbridge quality for the best chances of success.  

Mathematics And Physics Personal Statement

Since childhood, I’ve always loved complex puzzles, logical problems and challenges. Later on I discovered mathematics and physics which offered a lot of interesting problems and I enjoyed spending time on them. I loved the fact that real-life events, such as throwing a ball, could be described by a virtual language created by humans. However the most impressive fact for me was when I discovered that mathematicians and physicists can predict events just by solving equations. That’s is when I decided that maths and physics are what I want to do in life to contribute to the world.

Even though my passion in mathematics started very early, I have struggled to get to where I am now. When I got into Bratislava’s best gymnasium in mathematics I found myself at a position I had never been before. That was the first time I wasn’t the best in mathematics in our class, in fact I was one of the weaker students in this field. However over time I made my way to the top, but I still couldn’t surpass my classmates. When I got to the 5th grade, I realized why I didn’t succeed. That year we got a new mathematics teacher and she opened my eyes and showed me the beauty of maths. The most important thing that happened that year however was when I won the regional mathematics Olympiad and they invited me to KMS which is a camp for people interested in mathematics. There I realized that the school mathematics is just a fraction of the possibilities in this area. However the thing that I believe helped me in mathematics is that I started enjoying it. Rather than solving a Sudoku or crossword puzzle I was solving geometry problems. Since then I have won many prizes including bronze medals from the Middle European Mathematical Olympiad and the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Besides maths and physics I also love playing the piano and practicing Kung Fu. I have played the piano for 13 years and my personal favourites are Chopin’s Nocturnes. I may not be great at it, but playing the piano helps me relax and forget about my worries for a while. I practice Kung Fu mainly for health. My favourite style is Bagua. I learned that Kung Fu is not only a martial art, but a way of living. Besides Kung Fu and the piano, I also enjoy teaching kids interesting facts or problems in mathematics. During school, I teach a mathematics club and I want to teach the kids that mathematics isn’t just numbers.

Every summer I help organize a mathematics day camp for children. Mathematics may be the subject which I’m best at, but I don’t want to be ‘just a mathematician’ in the future. Since I was little, I’ve always wanted to do something great like solving global issues or inventing something useful, however I realize that it is very hard to achieve this with pure mathematics. People advised me to go study economics and financial mathematics so I could have a good job and earn money, but that is not what I want to achieve in life. My goal is to shape the world and make it a better place for future generations. This is the reason I want to study physics or engineering. I started doing physics two years ago and since then I participated and won some competitions including the Regional Physics Olympiad. To be better at physics I started reading Feynman’s lectures which helped me a lot, but also taught me that there is much to learn out there about the world. The reason why I want to study in the UK is because there are many opportunities compared to Slovakia. I have many friends who study there and heard from them that it’s an amazing experience. The most important fact, though, is that in the UK I can study and work with people who are ambitious. I know what I want to achieve in life, and even though I don’t yet know exactly how to get there or where ‘there’ will be, I believe that a UK university education will steer me in the right direction.

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

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

Successful personal statement for economics at cambridge, successful personal statement for land economy at cambridge, successful personal statement for chemistry at oxford, successful personal statement for geography at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at oxford, successful personal statement for law at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at cambridge, successful personal statement for engineering at cambridge, successful personal statement for philosophy at cambridge, successful personal statement for veterinary medicine at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychological and behavioural sciences at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychology at oxford, successful personal statement for history at oxford, successful personal statement for physics at oxford, successful personal statement example for computer science at oxford, successful personal statement for english at cambridge, successful personal statement for oxford english language and literature, successful personal statement for medicine at oxford university, successful personal statement for modern languages at oxford, successful personal statement for engineering at oxford, successful personal statement for natural sciences (biological) at cambridge, successful personal statement for economics & management at oxford, successful personal statement for ppe at oxford, successful personal statement for law at cambridge, successful personal statement for dentistry at king’s college london, successful personal statement for medicine at cambridge.

Download our Free Personal Statement Starter Guide 

Good Points Of The Personal Statement

This is a very good statement. The statement is well-written and structured. The student describes their life experiences without making the statement sound like a list of achievements. This is achieved because the student explains every experience described, rather than listing their life experiences with no context. It is clear that the student has many talents and achievements, and these are stated in a humble manner that does not make it seem as though the student is bragging. It is clear that the student is aware of the significance of their decision to study outside of their native homeland and the challenges that this will bring. The student explains their reasons for applying to study a dual honours course and does not neglect either discipline.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The student uses the word ‘gymnasium’ instead of school/college. Whilst this may be the term used in Slovakia, in the UK a ‘gymnasium’ is a place where people exercise and its use in this statement is somewhat confusing. The way in which the student writes about their personal experiences makes the statement sound somewhat like an autobiography.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

This is a very good statement. The student clearly has personality and a high level of ability. Strange terminology used can be excused due to the fact that the student’s first language is not English, and that the vast majority of the statement is very well-written.

This Personal Statement for Maths and Physics is a great example of how to showcase a high level of ability. The candidate’s interest and achievements are clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Cambridge, 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.

You can find more successful personal statements and our expert guides on our Free Personal Statement Resources page.

Our expert tutors are on hand to help you craft the perfect Personal Statement for your Cambridge Mathematics and Physics application.

With our  Oxbridge Maths Premium Programme, we help you craft the perfect Personal   Statement , score highly on the STEP and teach you how to  Interview effectively .

Discover our  Oxbridge Maths Premium Programme  by clicking the button below to  enrol and triple your chances of success.

UniAdmissions students placed at Oxford And Cambridge

Continue learning about Oxbridge...

Ai writing & ucas personal statements: what you need to know.

When it comes to writing in the 2020s, AI-Generation has become one of the most important issues for many industries,…

Cambridge Announces The ESAT To Replace The NSAA & ENGAA

In 2023, it was announced by the University of Cambridge that many of their established admissions tests would stop being…

Oxford Offers Second Admissions Test For 2023 Maths Applicants

After a large amount of complaints from students and schools regarding technical issues affecting Oxford's various computer-based admissions tests, the…

Oxbridge Personal Statements: A Complete Teacher’s Guide

As a teacher, you will support students with their UCAS Personal Statements every year, but what about Personal Statements for…

UCAS Personal Statements Are Changing in 2025

On January 12th 2023, UCAS announced that the traditional Personal Statement would be replaced by a multi-question form for university…

Writing an Economics and Management Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we…

The Secrets to Oxbridge Admission.

• We cracked the Oxbridge formula . Find out what we discovered here.
• Looking for application support? Don't work with a random tutor. This is what you need to know first.
• Get up-to-date Oxbridge advice with our webinars. Follow our Open Days led by our experts and stay updated.
• Begin your Oxbridge journey with UniAdmissions through our programmes of support by clicking here.

Personal Statement Starter Guide

We have developed an 80-page E-Book filled with expert Personal Statement Advice. Inside, you’ll find guides on planning and writing your personal statement, as well as our full collection of 25+ Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements.

Get it directly to your inbox by registering your email.

How would you like to speak to an Admissions Consultant?

• Applying to Uni
• Apprenticeships
• Health & Relationships
• Money & Finance

Personal Statements

• Postgraduate
• U.S Universities

University Interviews

• Vocational Qualifications
• Accommodation
• ​​​​​​​Budgeting, Money & Finance
• ​​​​​​​Health & Relationships
• ​​​​​​​Jobs & Careers
• ​​​​​​​Socialising

Studying Abroad

• ​​​​​​​Studying & Revision
• ​​​​​​​Technology
• ​​​​​​​University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Guide

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements

International Student Personal Statements

Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

You are here

Astrophysics personal statement example.

As a child, I would often read books about space and astronomy and wonder what made it possible. This has developed into a much deeper, scientific interest in the subject. Studying Physics at GCSE and A-Level, along with Chemistry and Mathematics, has helped me further develop my interest. I have enjoyed doing my ISAs in these subjects, as these have allowed me to approach scientific problems in a practical way- a valuable skill for studying Science at undergraduate level. During my Physics A-Level, I enjoyed learning about nuclear and particle physics, and concepts of special relativity such as time dilation and length contraction. This is because these are things fundamental to our existence, the topics fascinate me and I have a natural aptitude for mathematics. My A-Levels have further developed these numeracy skills, which is useful in a Physics degree.

Not only do areas of stellar dynamics and galaxies interest me, but also cosmology and quantum mechanics, which are more challenging and help us to understand our universe. I keep up-to-date with astronomy news through the magazine "All About Space". Books such as "A Brief History of Time" and "The Cosmic Tourist" have inspired me to pursue studies in Astronomy. As a member of the Liverpool Astronomical Society I attend regular meetings, academic talks and astronomy nights at Pex Hill Observatory who keep me informed of astronomical events via emails and newsletters. Becoming a member of this society has been a fantastic opportunity for me, and it helps increase my understanding of all topics covered by physics and astronomy. I completed work experience in the Biology department of the University of Liverpool in July 2013. Here I was able to gain valuable lab experience and use scientific judgement in my work. I encountered research scientists and was able to consult them about what scientific research entailed. During Year 12, I acted as an assistant teacher in a Year 7 Chemistry class, which gave me experience of working in a Science classroom. Both of these placements allowed me to develop my problem-solving and teamwork skills. I have also completed voluntary and charity work for organisations such as Ykids and Macmillan, including organising a coffee morning to raise money for Macmillan.

During Year 12, I completed the Scholars Scheme at the University of Liverpool. As part of this I was mentored by a university academic and completed an academic essay titled "The Effects on Life on Earth of a Gamma Ray Burst". I passed this essay with fantastic marks and it also provided me with key skills involved in university essay writing, including referencing and how to avoid plagiarism. I have had 100% attendance and punctuality throughout my entire time in secondary school, which shows true commitment. As form captain one of my main duties was attending student council meetings, communicating the ideas of my peers to other members of the school. This allowed me to develop my communication skills, listen to the points of others and develop my own opinions.

I enjoy performing with the school orchestra and choirs, which allows me to work as part of a team and express myself creatively. I keep a good balance between my leisure activities and studies, allowing me to relax and not become too stressed. I also enjoy amateur astronomy. The first time I saw the planets and a deep-sky object (the Pleiades) will always be special to me. I would like my degree to lead to a career in Astrophysics research, as it would keep me abreast of new discoveries in Physics and Astronomy, and it would be a great opportunity for me. I may also consider doing a PGCE to become a Science teacher. I would like to do this as I would enjoy passing on my wisdom to future generations, especially girls, as I believe there should be more women in physics and engineering. The university that accepts me would be gaining a conscientious, hard-working student who is enthusiastic about her subject.

Profile info

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Add new comment.