How to write a successful UCAS personal statement in 2025.

Your personal statement is a major part of your university application and writing one that impressed the top universities is not an easy task. A successful personal statement isn’t produced by luck or magic, it requires strategy, intensive research and support from your tutors, school and family/friends.

I will share everything I have learned since my UCAS application to help you create a standout personal statement which will get you into Cambridge, Oxford and other top universities, no matter the course.

Starting with the 2026 cycle (if you’re submitting your UCAS application from September 2025, this is you), UCAS has simplified the personal statement format by providing a structured format for you to follow, instead of leaving you to brainstorm and waffle on a page.

Each section has a minimum of 350 characters, but the total maximum is still 4,000 characters. The three sections are now:

1.        Why do you want to study this subject or course?

This section allows you to explain to the university why you have chosen this specific subject to devote the next 3 (or more) years of your life to. You should try and include a unique point instead of being general with a sentence such as ‘I want to study Economics because I like money’.

Use this section to explain what excites you about your subject. If you have read a really exciting book or completed an interesting project mention that here. For example, here is the opening to my personal statement: “Veterinary Medicine perfectly combines my aspiration to heal and help with a passion for wildlife and animals of any kind”. This is specific to the key aspects of the course I had applied for, but also gives the reader a little bit more information about myself such as my interests and driving factors behind my university application.

2. How have your qualifications and studies prepared you for this?

In this section you can mention your A-Levels and how they sparked your interest in the subject. For example, a sentence like “through my A-levels in maths and further maths, I discovered how abstract concepts model real-world events” highlights the parts of the broad A-Level course which actually interest you.

You can also add any additional qualifications or achievements you have completed. For example, if you have completed any school challenges such as the Chemistry Olympiad make sure to include it!

3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful? 

In this section it is time for you to show off. You should talk directly about skills you have gained through any experiences you have had. You should talk about your part time work, volunteering, personal responsibilities and hobbies.

You should reflect on what skills you have gained, thinking specifically about why that would be useful in your chosen course. For example, a sentence like “My part-time work as a laboratory technician at an STI testing centre reinforced the importance of attention to detail, as any misread results can be permanently impactful and may result in inappropriate treatment” not only showcases the part-time work that had been completed but ensures the university knows that we understand that being attentive is importance for a medical course.

Throughout your personal statement, ensure you stay focused on each question. It is best to reflect on your experiences rather than narrate; the admission teams care more about why what you have learned matters as opposed to what you have learned.

Avoid using terms such as “since a baby” or “best institution in the world” as they are very common terms which have been used in 1000+ personal statements. Be unique and be you!

Ensure you are tailoring your personal statement to the course. Although they are being sent across many different universities with very different courses, ensure that your statement clearly aligns with the specific course content and skills needed for your course. Think about the similar modules throughout the 5 courses you are applying to and use that to your advantage!

Here at A.T. Success, we can help take away the confusion and anxiety that arrives when having to write a personal statement and begin your journey. Feel free to send us a message for a step-by-step plan for a winning personal statement.

Good luck and we hope to hear from you soon!