Your child’s personal statement is an important part of their university application and one which many find difficult. We’ve gathered some key information and advice that will help you understand what’s required and how you can help your child with it.
The statement is a piece of writing that should demonstrate why your child wants to study the course they鈥檝e chosen and why they鈥檙e suitable for it. While your child can apply to several universities/courses, they can only submit one personal statement so it must be relevant to all. It鈥檚 worth remembering that the statement can鈥檛 be changed once submitted so triple check before hitting send!
Admissions teams are looking for evidence that your child is passionate and knowledgeable about the subject area they want to study and has the relevant skills and experience.
As early as possible! Schools and colleges will give your child an earlier deadline than the UCAS one so they can review it before it鈥檚 submitted. So, it should probably be started in October/November. (The UCAS deadline is in January or later if they鈥檙e applying through UCAS Extra or Clearing).
The statement is formed of three questions (this is a new structure for 2026):
- Why do they want to study do the course?
- How have their qualifications/studies have prepared them for the course?
- What have they done outside of education to prepare?
Students guide to writing a personal statement
Each answer should be a minimum of 350 characters, including spaces. In total, the statement should be no more than 4,000 characters including spaces. The statement will be submitted through the UCAS application portal but should be written and edited offline first.
Your child should include their plans for the future and personal interests that make them suitable for the course and studying at university. You can help them to think about how their experiences may have given them skills they can use on their course eg communication, organisation, time management.
Encourage them to really shout about their qualities and achievements 鈥� something a lot of people find difficult. Your child should ask you, their teachers and even friends for ideas and feedback.
It might help your child to focus on one question at a time 鈥� that way it won鈥檛 seem as overwhelming. It鈥檚 also a great idea for you to proofread it for them to make sure it reads well and includes everything it should. A fresh pair of eyes often spot mistakes or omissions.
Above all, be supportive 鈥� that might mean difference things to different people so find out what your child needs from you. It might be peace and quiet, it might be a sounding board, it might be suggestions, or it might just be providing snacks while they get on with it!