Five Ways to Improve Your Personal Statement

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Every student applying for UK universities needs to write a Personal Statement as part of their UCAS application.  A personal statement is hugely important in your application and allows you to showcase your interests and achievements, as well as explaining why you want to study a particular course. It is also fairly short (47 lines or 4000 characters whichever comes first) so it is important that every sentence and paragraph has a clear purpose and message that you are trying to convey.  At Renewed Learning we have a lot of experience working with students on their Personal Statements. Here are our five top tips to improve yours.

1 - Include concrete examples

Your personal statement should clearly explain why you are interested in the subject you are applying for and it is crucial that you justify this interest with concrete examples of how you have pursued this interest. This can be in the form of a project that you have completed (we always recommend an EPQ), an essay competition that you entered, or a society that you have joined - or perhaps even founded. Adding in these specific details helps to show that you have more than a passing attraction to the subject as you have proactively sought further information. This not only convinces a reader you would enjoy the course but is also a great indicator of your future performance during your studies. 

2 - Don’t understate the experience you gained through A-Levels/IB 

Your priority should always be extra research, as this is how you can most effectively stand out from other candidates. However, don’t dismiss your A-Level and IB studies as a source of content for your Personal Statement! Explaining how your current studies will help you at university shows that you’ve been considering the course you’re applying for, for a significant amount of time. This speaks volumes regarding your dedication to the subject. This is also a great opportunity to show you’re able to thoughtfully reflect on the skills you’ve gained through A-Levels or IB and how these apply to a university course. This will show the reader you have done your research regarding the university course- you wouldn’t be able to find parallels between your current and future studies otherwise! 

3 - Use your time efficiently

It’s always good to do further reading, not just for the Personal Statement or to prepare for university but also for your general enjoyment. Personal Statements are a particularly great place to mention subject-specific books that you have found fascinating. However, we often find that some students find the idea of reading additional books quite daunting, especially as this preparation work comes at a very busy time with examinations fast approaching. This means it’s best to use your time as efficiently as possible, so don’t read books that you aren’t interested in. If you’re not excited by the topics of these books, they probably won’t make it into your Personal Statement. You could also consider alternative formats for information - whether attending public lectures, listening to podcasts or watching educational videos.  This could be a great way to gain a base understanding of the topic before you dive into further research. 

4 - Focus on the best points

An incredibly common mistake students make is by trying to squeeze in too much into their personal statement! Setting up each point takes up valuable space, and it is always better to fully develop a thought rather than have a myriad of undeveloped sentences. It’s always a struggle to cut down your Personal Statement when trying to meet the word limit, and it can be tempting to simply remove a few sentences from each paragraph. But this can mean you lose out on key moments where you’ve interestingly developed your points, and sometimes it’s best to instead remove weaker paragraphs. A helpful exercise to try can be to rank your paragraphs by strength: judge them by relevance; whether they contain concrete examples; if they’re based on generic topics and so on. This helps you consider the variation in your paragraph strength: compare your best point with your weakest point, and judge whether you want both associated with your Personal Statement. 

5 - Keep your introduction focused

Lots of students spend quite a few words giving a general introduction to the subject they’re applying for. This is easy to do if you’re used to this style of essay writing and try to copy it for your Personal Statement. However, if each sentence doesn’t relate to why you specifically should be admitted to the course, the words could be put to better use. It’s good practice to assume any reader has a passing knowledge of the subject you’re applying for: remember, this is the job of any admissions officer, so they will have done their homework! Essentially, you don’t need to talk about why the subject is important unless you’re talking about why it’s important to you.

Conclusion

The best way to approach writing a Personal Statement is to think from the perspective of a lecturer or admissions official: if you were in their position, what would you be looking for? You would most likely be searching for independent thinkers, who are proactive and willing to contribute to the learning environment. You would also consider the fact that any student graduating from your university will go on to represent it in the professional world, so you would be looking for a good ambassador for your institution. These are the main things to show in your Personal Statement, and if you can do this and make the five improvements we’ve outlined here you should be set up for success! 

Interview with an Oxford Graduate

What course did you study and when? 

I studied Human Sciences at Wadham College, Oxford for three years from 2019 to 2022.  Weirdly, I have actually graduated in absentia (I couldn’t attend the degree ceremony) in August 2022 because I was already on a voluntary teaching programme in Bali!

Can you briefly summarise the Human Sciences in a couple of sentences? 

The Human Sciences is a hugely interdisciplinary degree, combining biological and social sciences to address questions relating to human life. Over my three years, I studied a huge range of topics, ranging from social-sciences such as Sociology and Anthropology through to biological topics like Genetics, as well as the mathematical rigor of Statistics. 

What job opportunities and potential careers do the Human Sciences open up? 

Unlike some other degrees, studying the Human Sciences does not lead into a particular career. However, this degree equips you with a wide range of skills and knowledge in different disciplines, opening up loads of opportunities. I’ve met Human Scientists who went on to study graduate Medicine, work in Public Health, Medical Communications, Finance, the Civil Service, Charities, Consulting, and Teaching. I am working with Renewed Learning at the moment as a tutor, and applying for a Master’s in Medical Anthropology so I can pursue further research, probably in student mental health. 

Why did you choose that course at Oxford? 

It was quite a serendipitous decision for me! Someone mentioned the Human Sciences to me, and I was instantly interested – it sounded like a perfect way to combine my skills in natural sciences with my interest in other disciplines. Oxford is actually one of very few universities that offers this course. As I researched the course, I became really excited to study alongside the brilliant academics whose books and articles I was reading.  

What was the application process like? 

I applied to the Human Sciences at Oxford on UCAS at the same time as other courses in Anthropology. We had to write a personal statement explaining why we want to study the courses we are applying for. This took me a long time and plenty of feedback from family and teachers to get right! I initially had a personal statement that resembled more of an abridged life story than a personal academic statement. I then had to do the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) test which involved verbal reasoning questions and essay writing. Finally, I heard back from Oxford that I was being called for an interview! I was so excited and nervous! I went to Oxford for three nights and attended two interviews at different colleges, where I was asked questions about my personal statement, my approach to science as well as questions to determine how I interpret graphical information. It was very difficult to tell how either interview went, and it was a great feeling when I received an offer to study the Human Sciences, conditional on me achieving 38 points in the IB. 

How did you prepare for it? 

I thought a lot about what courses I wanted to study; I talked to many different people, researched online and read widely. One of my teachers was especially helpful in the process as he had studied anthropology at university and so he gave me an insight into the social sciences and pointed me in the right direction for some reading. I also asked him to give me a mock interview and this was an invaluable experience. As for the TSA, I practised past paper questions fairly regularly. I found one of the most important skills that helped me through the application process was debating! It greatly increased my confidence, creativity and ability to express my ideas effectively, preparing me well for the TSA and interviews. 

What did you enjoy most about your course? 

Studying such a broad degree has allowed me to discover disciplines I didn’t even know existed! I especially fell in love with anthropology; I do not exaggerate when I say it has changed the way I live my life. More than anything else, however, I have greatly enjoyed my conversations with peers and academics. It is amazing to be learning alongside and from such brilliant people! 

How about your life at Oxford more generally – what societies and other opportunities did you get involved with? 

Ah there is so much to get involved with! In my final year alone, I regularly played netball for my college, went to salsa classes, went wild-swimming in the river, and I helped organise the annual Human Sciences Symposium (this year on Happiness and available on Youtube!). The real problem you find at Oxford is that there is too much to try and too little time! The career opportunities are also really good – I did a micro-internship with Enterprising Oxford, two research assistant jobs and I worked on a summer school at my college. 

What were the biggest challenges you faced while at university? How did you overcome them? 

The biggest challenges I faced were actually non-academic: settling-in to a new place, learning adult skills about how to look after myself, making friends....  I realised I needed to give myself time to do all these things, rather than working ridiculously long hours. That’s the other big challenge I faced – avoiding perfectionism and learning how to try my best without compromising my wellbeing. 

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying to Oxford, or to your course specifically? 

You should only apply to Oxford if you really love the course you are applying for. You will have to work hard and potentially for longer hours than at other universities, and you will enjoy your time a whole lot more if you like your subject. For potential future Human Scientists, I’d advise reading books in disciplines you haven’t come across in school - practise getting to grips with new concepts and be curious!  

What is the one thing you wish you knew when you were applying to universities? 

You don’t have to know what career you want to go into to pick your degree. Most degrees equip you with many transferable skills, and things you do outside of your degree can often be a lot more important to job applications.