Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
How do you write a personal statement that will impress universities? And what should you definitely leave out? We got university application experts to share their tips on these questions and more.
The Student Room held a live Q&A about university applications with experts from Teesside University and the University of Kent. The experts were on hand to answer any questions our members had about writing their personal statements.
Here’s a round-up of some of their advice. Links to the specific questions are below.
0:00 Intro
0:15 What should I include in my personal statement and how should I structure it?
1:01 What do you think is helpful to read in a personal statement? What impresses you?
1:51 What doesn't impress you in a personal statement and could easily be left out?
2:49 Are there any common mistakes that you see people make with their personal statements?
3:47 What are your tips for staying within the word count when writing your personal statement?
4:44 How much importance do you attach to the personal statement?
5:34 Do you have to talk about your A-levels in your personal statement?
6:25 Should I mention any of my reading in my personal statement?
7:05 How should you write your personal statement if the courses you’re applying for are different from each other?
7:54 What advice can you give to students who are finding it difficult to “sell themselves”?
8:54 Final advice
The Student Room is the UK's largest student community giving help, advice and support about everything from studying for GCSEs and A-levels to applying to uni.
thestudentroom.co.uk
How do you write a personal statement that will impress universities? And what should you definitely leave out? We got university application experts to share their tips on these questions and more.
The Student Room held a live Q&A about university applications with experts from Teesside University and the University of Kent. The experts were on hand to answer any questions our members had about writing their personal statements.
Here’s a round-up of some of their advice. Links to the specific questions are below.
0:00 Intro
0:15 What should I include in my personal statement and how should I structure it?
1:01 What do you think is helpful to read in a personal statement? What impresses you?
1:51 What doesn't impress you in a personal statement and could easily be left out?
2:49 Are there any common mistakes that you see people make with their personal statements?
3:47 What are your tips for staying within the word count when writing your personal statement?
4:44 How much importance do you attach to the personal statement?
5:34 Do you have to talk about your A-levels in your personal statement?
6:25 Should I mention any of my reading in my personal statement?
7:05 How should you write your personal statement if the courses you’re applying for are different from each other?
7:54 What advice can you give to students who are finding it difficult to “sell themselves”?
8:54 Final advice
The Student Room is the UK's largest student community giving help, advice and support about everything from studying for GCSEs and A-levels to applying to uni.
thestudentroom.co.uk
