UCAS personal statements | 10 ways to support your child

Applying to university can be a long and complex process as your child explores what and where they want to study, making decisions that will shape their future career and happiness.

Although this is a journey only they can take, you can offer both practical and emotional support as they prepare their application – and that includes helping them as they plan and write their personal statement.

Contents

• What is a personal statement?
• Why are personal statements important?
• What should a personal statement include?
• Why must personal statements be unique?
• How can I help my child with their personal statement?
• Tips for international parents

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a key element of your child’s UCAS application. Submitted online with their application, it’s a mini essay they must write that showcases their ambitions, skills and experience.

Even though they can apply to up to five courses at once in a single UCAS application, they only need to write one statement.

Why are personal statements important?

For your child, a personal statement is their first opportunity to impress a university with their passion and flair for their chosen degree. In their own words they can show what makes them the best candidate for the course. It can make their application stand out.

For admissions staff, a strong personal statement that shows your child’s suitability for their course and commitment to their chosen subject, can tip the balance in favour of making them an offer.

What should a personal statement include?

Your child has just 4,000 characters (including spaces) to create a well-rounded personal statement. It needs to be impactful and reflect their personal and academic journey. It should include:

• an engaging introduction that shows their passion for their subject, setting the tone for the rest of their statement
• their achievements and interests and how these have prepared them for their chosen course
• any relevant experience – from work experience to placements, internships and volunteering – especially if these relate to their course
• extracurricular activities that have helped them grow and learn and that demonstrate transferable skills such as resilience, teamwork, and leadership
• skills and personal attributes that make them a strong candidate
• their ambitions and career goals, and how their course will help them achieve their dreams
• a strong conclusion that shows they're ready for university life

Why must personal statements be unique?

A personal statement has to be your child’s own work. It must be unique to them. They shouldn’t copy anyone else’s statement or share their own.

UCAS has a dedicated verification team that checks applications and personal statements for fraud and similarities with previous applications. This includes similarities to text on the internet if, for example, an AI chabot has been used to generate the statement.

Any incidents are flagged and the relevant universities alerted, potentially stopping them from making offers.

The guidance from UCAS is simple: your child’s personal statement should be just that – personal and written by them.

How can I help my child with their personal statement?

Even though your child must write their own personal statement, there are things you can do to help them.

1. Talk to them about why they want to go to university, their experiences, achievements and ambitions – it’ll spark ideas about what they want to include, and why.
2. If they want to start writing straight away – great! It not, encourage them to make notes that they can come back to. But don’t let them leave it too long.
3. Help them organise what they want to say into sections – it’ll allow them to focus on what’s most important to include.
4. Once they’ve written a draft, offer to read it. You might be able to suggest improvements, spot grammar or spelling mistakes.
5. Don’t over-edit their work. This is their personal statement, expressed in their words, not yours.
6. Be encouraging – it could take several rewrites before they’re happy with their personal statement.
7. Make sure they know the deadline for completing their personal statement.
8. Some schools/colleges review students’ personal statements before submission. If this is the case, encourage your child to make the most of the feedback.
9. Don’t be upset if your child doesn’t want your help. They’re growing up and this might be something they want to do on their own. Respect that. But if you know they’re running out of time, or suspect they’re floundering, ask them what you can do.
10. Download our guide to writing a personal statement – it’s packed with helpful, practical tips, as well as insights from our staff about what admissions teams look for in personal statements.

Tips for international parents

Your child’s personal statement must be written in English so, if that’s not your native language, it can be difficult to support them practically. But there are still things you can do.

Encourage your child to research the UK university system, the requirements of their chosen course, and what universities are looking for in applicants. This will help guide the content of their personal statement.

UCAS’s official website features a range of resources to help your child plan and structure their personal statement. Once they’ve registered with UCAS and set up their online Hub, they’ll also be able to access a personal statement builder.

Online educational forums in your country can offer useful insights, while grammar and spell-checking tools can provide valuable language support.

Similarly, English-speaking friends or teachers familiar with the UCAS system can offer valuable feedback, and help your child’s abilities, dreams, and ambitions shine through in their personal statement.

Although we use the terms parent/child in this blog for simplicity, it is intended for anyone fulfilling a parenting role.