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UCAS personal statement advice for parents and guardians

intro

The personal statement is the most important part of the UCAS process. However, it can also be the most difficult piece of your child's application.

Ahead of the deadline on 31 January 2024, here is everything you will need to support them in creating a statement that stands out.

What is a personal statement?

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What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is your child's opportunity to show universities why they have chosen the subject they want to study and demonstrate their passion, knowledge and unique personality. It can be up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of text long – whichever comes first. Believe us, that's shorter than it sounds!

The personal statement is submitted alongside predicted grades and teachers’ references – making this the only part of the application that comes directly from your child.

Keep in mind too that your child can only submit one personal statement, no matter how many universities they are applying for.

What needs to be included?

A strong personal statement should:

  • Show your child's passion for their chosen subject – Why did they choose to study it?
  • Demonstrate their interests, experiences and achievements (both in and out of school) – How have these helped them develop the skills they need to succeed in their chosen field?
  • Express their personality –  Universities want to create communities of unique, interesting students. What makes your child stand out?

Visit our page on how to write a great UCAS personal statement for more writing advice, including our recommended structure and template.

How to write a strong personal statement

Our top tips for how your child can create a UCAS personal statement that shows them at their very best.

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How to help your child create their personal statement

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Help them plan

Use tools such as mind maps or spider diagrams to help them come up with ideas to put into their personal statement. Focus on coming up with ideas first, then think about structure and breaking the statement into chunks (you can use our recommended structure template to help).

If your child is struggling, ask them why they’re applying for their chosen course – talking to you in person can help bring up ideas to put into their writing.

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Learn about their chosen courses

Try and get as much information about the courses and universities that your child is interested in as you can. University websites often have lots of information about the courses on offer, and campus open days are a great opportunity to speak with lecturers and see university facilities in person.

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Help them edit and draft

A good personal statement cannot be written the night before. Encourage your child to edit, redraft and reread their statement – the more time they spend on this, the stronger it will be. Being a second pair of eyes and giving feedback about what needs improvement (as well as what's already great) can be a huge support.

FAQs for parents

Any questions? Call us on 020 8231 2220 or email undergraduate.admissions@uwl.ac.uk.

  • My child has submitted their UCAS application – what happens next?

    When UCAS sends us a copy of your child's application, we consider whether to offer them a place based on their qualifications, personal statement and referee's report. For some courses we may ask your child to attend an interview or submit a portfolio. You will hear about whether or not we have offered them a place through UCAS Track.

    If your child is given a conditional offer from us, and their results meet the conditions of the offer, they will receive a letter confirming their place.

    If your child narrowly miss the grades of their offer, we will consider their application again and they may still be offered a place.

    We aim to make a decision on applications as quickly as possible. However, for very popular courses with limited availability, it is possible that your child may not hear from the University until all 'on-time' UCAS applications have been considered.

    Once your child has received all their offers via UCAS, they will have to decide which offer to accept as their firm choice and which as their insurance choice (in case they do not achieve the grades asked for by their firm choice). 

    Do be careful that your child doesn't miss the deadline for responding to their offers – it will be clearly marked on UCAS Track.

    The UCAS website has a useful timeline of key dates.

  • My child has used all their five UCAS choices and not got a place - what can I do?

    If your child has already used up all five of your UCAS choices and they weren’t accepted or have declined all the offers they received, they can add another choice through UCAS Extra. See the UCAS website for more details.

  • How can my child get advice about applying to the University of West London?

    • Come to a UWL Open Day to look around the campus and meet course tutors and current students.
    • Watch our vlogs to see what our students say about their time here.
    • Download a copy of our Prospectus.
    • If you have any questions or concerns, give us a call on 0800 036 8888 (option 2, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm) or email us on courses@uwl.ac.uk.

  • My child is applying for a nursing or midwifery course - where can they get advice?

    Visit our 'Personal statements for nursing and midwifery applicants' page for information about what we look for in a statement and where you can find out more.

You can find more application FAQs on our 'How to apply' page.

spotlights

  • Why study with us?

    From great job prospects to our student support, find out why your child should study at UWL.

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  • Undergraduate courses

    Browse our range of undergraduate courses.

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  • Student stories

    Hear from our current and ex-students about their experiences, tips and advice on all aspects of preparing for life as a student and settling into your new life at university.

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Apply for a course

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If your child is thinking about applying for a course at UWL, you can find details about our courses using our course search or download or request a prospectus.

  • courses@uwl.ac.uk

  • 0800 036 8888 (option 2)

  • +44 (0) 20 8231 2468 for callers from outside the UK