Personal statement . . .

By Peter Stanford

Every single question on your UCAS application form is there for a reason, and therefore all must be tackled with care and attention. This is your chance to impress the universities you want to attend. But the 4,000-character personal statement is arguably more crucial than most of the other elements on the form because, if well done, it will make you rise off the page for the admissions tutors reading it.
 
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Once you start thinking seriously about going on to university, attention inevitably focuses on your choices – where and which courses. But from the beginning it is also wise to think about how you are going to make the universities and course tutors choose you.
 

Application forms for entry in 2013 are already up on the UCAS website now, so it is never too soon to start mulling this over.
 

The required grades or predicted grades are, of course, vital, but a well-constructed positive and passionate personal statement will go a long way to make you stand out from the crowd. The very worst thing you can do is leave it to the last minute, assume it is a formality, and scribble the first thing that comes into your head: “Take me because I’m good and you should be grateful”.
 

Your school will help with picking your words carefully. And parents, siblings, mentors and those who have recently been through the UCAS process will be able to offer top tips. But, in the final analysis, there is no substitute when it comes to producing a winning personal statement for putting in the hard work required to make it as persuasive and toned as it can be.
 
 
Here are a few pointers to get you started:

Dos and don’ts when writing your personal statement

Do Write a list of your ideas before attempting to create the real thing.

Do expect to produce several drafts.

Do ask people you trust for feedback.

Do check university and college prospectuses, websites and — at ucas.com — Entry Profiles, as they usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want their students to demonstrate.
 
Do use your best English/Welsh and don’t let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement.
 
Do be enthusiastic — if you show your interest in the course, it may help you get a place.
 
Don’t feel that you need to use elaborate language. If you try too hard to impress with long words that you are not confident using, the focus of your writing may be lost.
 
Don’t say too much about things that are not relevant — if you think that you are starting to, take a break and come back to your statement when you feel more focused.
 
Don’t lie — if you exaggerate you may get caught out at interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
 
Don’t rely on a spellchecker as it will not pick up everything — proof-read as many times as possible.
 
Don’t leave it to the last minute — your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.
 
Don’t expect to be able to write your personal statement whilst watching television, texting your friends or surfing the internet — this is your future, so make the most of the opportunity to succeed. Telegraph