The UCAS personal statement is your opportunity to tell universities and colleges about the course(s) that you hope to study. All you need to do is to express your enthusiasm and ensure that you stand above the crowd. What makes you different from all?

UCAS Personal Statement gives you the chance to tell colleges about your skills and experience that you own which will help you to succeed in that particular course.

The most important thing that you need to mention is the reason you wish to apply for that college or university. Your UCAS personal statement should strongly support your desire to study that chosen degree and should evidence accurate understanding and motivation.

Now about writing the UCAS personal statement, be careful about the language you use, the grammar and the punctuation. Some statements start with quotes, some include jokes, and some set out to be unusual or eye-catching. Sometimes it works, but it might have the opposite effect to what you hoped. The admissions decision maker may not share your sense of humour so be careful when trying to make your statement stand out.

You need to put your meaning across directly and simply.  You can do this by keeping your sentences to an average of 12-20 words, and using English (or Welsh) in a way that is natural to you. Never try to be either over familiar or over formal while writing as it may have adverse effect on the authority.

Remember that you only write personal statement once so it will be used for all your choices. Try not to mention a university or college by name, even if you're applying to only one university - your personal statement cannot be changed if you apply to a different place later.

The quality of your UCAS personal statement reflects your thinking, so be the best to show your strengths and outline your ideas clearly. If you are a mature one then try including the explanation of what you have been doing since leaving education and be very careful to add the additional evidence to support your statement. Try including the details of your work experience or placements, particularly, if it is in relevance of the course you have applied for.

Most courses have an Entry Profile that you can view in Course Search - these explain what the university is looking for in their students and what qualifications or experience you'll need for the course. Check these because they'll give you some ideas about what to include in your statement. So all the best for your future and hoping that you own a bright one...