Welcome!

In this brief video, I provide a short introduction to the course, and give an overview of what’s coming up!

Not sure how the whole UCAS process works?

This part gives a brief outline of the whole UCAS process, so that you know where the Personal Statement fits in.

If you already know exactly how the UCAS process works, feel free to skip straight to Part 2.

Do you wonder if your Personal Statement even matters?

It is almost impossible to know exactly how important the Personal Statement will be in your specific situation.

The more important thing to understand is when might your Personal Statement be read, and how it can impact on the decision to offer you a place.

What’s actually allowed in a UCAS Personal Statement?

In this super-short video, we simply cover the basics.

We look at the maximum length and character limits, what you can include, and what you should definitely not include.

The hardest thing is getting started.

Preparation is key, and in this part I suggest a clear and structured approach to this preparation, before you even think about starting to write your statement in full. 

I’ll ask you eight simple questions.

These are questions that every applicant really should be able to answer without too much thought.

If you can answer them, the hard work really is done!

Not sure what goes where?

If you have done the exercise in Part 4 reasonably well, you now probably have several pages, and perhaps ten or twenty ideas about yourself, your skills, your experiences, and your chosen course.

In this part I’m going to show you how to organise all this content within a really clear, simple structure.

How do you make sure everything you write really matters to the reader?

You now have lots of content, and a sensible structure for your statement.

You know which content you are going to prioritise, and roughly how long each section is going to be.

There is just one more area to focus on before you start writing the statement in full, and that’s how to write reflectively.

Are you applying for two different subjects?

How to write a statement that covers two different courses could be the most asked question in university admissions history, and the answer is not straightforward.

There are a number of possible scenarios, and in this part I suggest how to approach these.

If you ask Chat GPT to write your statement for you, it will simply make stuff up; a whole statement full of lies.

However, engage with it as if it is your counsellor, and it can be extremely helpful.

In this part I suggest a couple of really useful prompts, and give some further helpful tips on how to use AI usefully and ethically.

Want to know how to get the best possible feedback on your statement?

There are lots of people around who can help you with your Personal Statement.

This part will help you get the very best input, by planning how and when you get feedback from different people.

Looking for some final tips before you start your first draft?

Here are some thoughts that I have picked up from a whole bunch of admissions selectors and other experts over the years.