Undergraduate personal statement dos and don’ts

Get our dos and don'ts for writing a successful personal statement for your bachelor's degree.

Brief as it may be, your personal statement makes a lasting impression: it can also be the deciding factor in securing your university place. If you’ve never written a personal statement before, it’s only natural to feel a little anxious but there’s lots of helpful information and support available to guide you through the process.

As a starting point, below is our list of personal statement dos and don’ts. 

A personal statement supports your application to study with Cambridge Education Group (CEG) on one of our undergraduate degrees validated by London South Bank University (LSBU).

You have a recommended word limit of 300-500 words and within this you have to sum up why you are best suited for our part-time, online degrees. It’s your opportunity to tell us what relevant skills, qualifications and experience demonstrate your your passion and suitability for a particular course and why you want to study it. 

Personal statements: Dos 

• Do start early: Give yourself plenty of time to prepare, plan, draft and finalise your personal statement. It may take longer than you think to perfect it. 

• Do your research: Familiarise yourself with the details of the course and any entry requirements. You can read  sample personal statements for reference and inspiration, but don’t copy them. 

• Do make a plan: This will help you recall all of your activities, experiences, awards and achievements (some of which you may have forgotten about) and prioritise what you want to include. 

• Do cover the key information: Give your reasons for wanting to study our particular course and why you’re suitable. Tell us why you like the subject and how your interest first came about. 

• Do mention future aspirations: We like to know you have ambitions for the future and understand how and where our course can take you. 

• Do blow your own trumpet: There’s no time for modesty in your personal statement, impress us with your skills, experience and enthusiasm – from hobbies and interests to awards and achievements. 

• Do get feedback from others: Seek feedback from teachers, parents/guardians or other family members and edit your statement again and again until it says what you want it to say. 

• Do keep a copy: You can reread what you’ve written before any interviews or discussions with our course advisers and tutors.  

Want to know what else you'll need to include when you apply? Check out our straightforward application process:

Personal statements: Don’ts 

• Don’t rush: If you leave things until the last minute, you could find yourself in a panic, more likely to make a silly mistake or omit key information which could jeopardise your chances of success. 

• Don’t try to be funny: Everyone has a different sense of humour, so your attempts at comedy may fall flat. You also don’t have many words to get across a lot of vital information and evidence.  

• Don’t use clichés – It’s commonplace for applicants to use the same common phrases, such as ‘From an early age…’ or ‘I’ve always loved…’ which can make admissions tutors cringe. 

• Don’t make generalised statements: You should include specific claims and give evidence to back them up without going into too much detail e.g., ‘My ability to work well in a team was proved when I did…’ 

• Don’t write about sensitive topics: Your statement should be positive and uplifting, not controversial, so leave out any personal opinions or information that could make an admissions tutor uncomfortable. 

• Don’t include events from the distant past: Only include information and activities that are directly relevant to the course and your current goals, focusing on your recent experiences where possible.   

• Don’t exaggerate: Giving a false impression could come back to haunt you at a later date if you’re asked for evidence of your achievements, so just be honest about who you are and what you’ve done. 

• Don’t let someone else write it for you: As well-meaning as an offer of help may be, your statement should be written in your own words (not picked from a dictionary) and your authentic voice.  

Further reading

Since the process of drafting a personal statement for undergraduate and postgraduate study is fairly similar, why not check out our top tips for writing a personal statement for postgraduate study for further general guidance? 

We’re here to help 

At Cambridge Education Group (CEG), we have over 70 years of academic and training experience and our course advisers are on hand to answer any questions you may have about your chosen course or the application process. They can also run through your personal statement to give you additional feedback before you submit it. You can call us on +44 (0) 20 7815 7500, email info@cambridgeonlinelearning.com, or fill in the short form below: