If you're stuck with your personal statement, who better to give you advice than the people who will be reading your statement to consider offering you a place? We spoke to our lecturers and our course enquiries team for their top tips.
This advice is for applicants applying for 2025 entry. Read guidance for applicants applying for 2026 entry and beyond.
Olga Kampaxi
Course Lead for Business Management
Olga's top tips for business applicants are:
- Include any job experience or volunteering experience you might have (highlighting any soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and coordination)
- Think about any successful project that you participated in and what did you learn.
- Highlight your determination, focus, passion(s), and any challenges that you have overcome.
- Show your motivation.
- Be specific and precise, focusing on yourself and avoid generalisations
Rosemarie Lowe
Programme Director Early Childhood Studies
Rosemarie's top tips are:
- Quirky quotations are never original...don't bother! It's more important to explore what skills and interests you have, as well as your experiences and how they demonstrate you would be an asset to the course and the university, don't just repeat the qualifications you have, or what you are studying, all of that information is already on the form.
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Make sure you meet the entry requirements. Look at GCSEs or equivalents that are required, if practical experience is necessary then demonstrate you have done this and more importantly what you have learnt from it. If you are planning to get the experience required outline how and when and what you anticipate learning from it.
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Get someone to check your statement - school teachers, tutors even parents! Check for clarity of written English, this is not the time to make punctuation or spelling errors.
Nicki Schiessel Harvey
Built Environment
Nicki let us know that tutors in her department are looking for students to demonstrate knowledge of and enthusiasm for the built environment industries. They want students to show that they understand what the industry is about and what it is about a career in the built environment that excites them. (A lot of people don’t have a clear picture of what ‘built environment’ means, so they would expect that prospective students do understand what the course involves.) It’s also good to show how your skills, such as teamwork or communication, can be applied to your studies.
Shona McQuillan
Pre-Entry Enquiries Manager
A good personal statement should:
- Provide the admissions tutor with relevant background information about you.
- Show that you are positive and motivated.
- Be written in clear and concise English.
- Reflect the distinctive style and characteristics of its author – admissions tutors are not seeking to admit clones.
David Gibson
Digital Technology
When reviewing a personal statement, David expects students to show an interest in their area of study, through their hobbies and activities. He also wants students who take an interest in extra-curricular activities and are proactive in doing things outside their work.