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Writing your UCAS personal statement

Posted: October 24 2022

Brunel University London

Now you’ve decided which university and course you’d like to apply for, it’s time to complete your UCAS application – starting with your personal statement.

Remember, you only have one personal statement, so it’s important to use this opportunity to show why you’ll make a great student and why we should choose you.

What’s a personal statement?

The personal statement is a mandatory part of your UCAS application. It’s your chance to tell us about yourself. Talk about your personal and educational achievements, your passions and your interests. Tell us what inspires you – but keep in mind that these should be linked to what you want to study. All this gives us an insight into who you are as a person, why you want to study your course and ultimately, why we should make you an offer to study at Brunel. 

How long is a personal statement?

The first thing to know is that the personal statement is limited to 47 lines or 4,000 characters (including spaces). This might sound long, but really it’s less than two sides of A4. It's important to remember that you need to include different points about yourself and how they relate to your course choice. So you'll have to think carefully about what should go into it.

Who reads my personal statement?

Your personal statement will be read by one of our admissions tutors. Our admissions tutors are members of staff at the university who set the entry criteria for our courses. Each course will have its own admissions tutor. They’ll assess your application, read your personal statement and decide whether or not you’ll receive an offer.

Ready to start writing? Download our personal statement guide to start your university application.