I am an incoming second year law student who did my UCAS application two years ago. I believe the advice below is not restricted to law or humanities and I hope it helps! A good personal statement is arguably the key factor that determines whether you get into a university, as it is the only way admission officers get to know about you, other than your grades if they don’t offer interviews. There are a few things that students should be aware of, regardless of the degree you are applying for – structure and academic passion. 

Structure

People may approach this differently based on personal preferences and there is no right or wrong way of doing this. I wrote my personal statement in five paragraphs. A short introduction on what I thought of the course and why I liked it, three body paragraphs on three areas of law I found interesting, and a conclusion on how my extracurriculars relate to the degree I am applying for and my academic passion.

I divided my body paragraphs into three as I wanted to be able to demonstrate my interests in three distinct areas. I first touched on my Extended Project Qualification(EPQ); I then touched on work experience and discussed what I found interesting in my observation of the work that lawyers do (make sure your personal statement relates to why you want to study the degree rather than why you like the profession!); and finally, how my essay competition had inspired me to do further reading.

Academic passion

Academic passion should be the first thing to think about before you write your first draft. Academic passion may be exemplified by a project you have been involved in, a book you have read, an online course you’ve done, summer school – anything that shows you are interested in the degree you are applying for. If you can’t think of anything on top of your head, perhaps look at reading lists provided by universities. I also recommend using edX or Future Learn for online courses. These courses are not only there for students to write on their personal statement, but it is also a good opportunity for you to decide whether it is a suitable course for you!

Final advice

Don’t be shy to ask for advice from your teachers, or to ask university students on LinkedIn for help. We have been in your position and would be happy to give advice in our capacity, as long as you are polite. There are various charities and organisations that offer university application support and work experiences, aiming to enhance social mobility (e.g. Rare Recruitment, Sutton Trust, etc.) Enrolling in their programme does not only enable exposure to different areas, it sometimes also offer mentoring opportunities. You may be paired up with university students of the course you are applying for or a professional from your industry. Good luck applying!