Parents and Carers

Parent/guardian guide to UCAS personal statements

What is a personal statement? 

As part of the university application, your child will need to submit a Personal Statement. This is a showcase of why they would make a great student and must not go over 4000 characters (including spaces) - this is about 500 words. Your child can only submit one Personal Statement but can apply for up to five universities. 

What should be included?

The personal statement is an opportunity for your child to provide the admission tutor with an insight into what they are like as an individual and why they are the right fit at their university.

  • Your child’s passion for wanting to study their chosen degree

  • What they’ve done to develop their skills in this subject inside and outside of the curriculum

  • Their interests and hobbies and how these link to their course

  • Any relevant experience

  • What makes them unique – things they do hobbies, sports, travelling that tell a lot about their personality

A Personal Statement is a key part of the application for applicants at the University of Bolton so we would recommend getting started on it earlier to give you the best chance of handing in a strong document. 

Getting started

A good way to approach the Personal Statement is to break it into different chunks. This will make it less daunting and helps give answers structure. Try using mind-maps, notes, spider diagrams to form the basis of the plan and paragraphs. Also do a few different drafts - no first draft is expected to be perfect.

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Submission Deadlines 

Lots of colleges will help students by setting their own deadlines and help improve personal statements with the students. It is important to stick to these dates then students don't end up stressed and lacking time to make improvements. 

You can also chat with our staff directly every Wednesday from 2 pm - 4 pm and periodically throughout the working week.

Alternatively, chat with our current students who will be able to share this information with you and any other course-related queries.

Or book onto one of our Open Days or Course Advice Days to find out more and speak with the team.

What is #UniAsItShouldBe? A University that puts its students and their needs first through a supportive learning environment. Welcome to the University of Bolton.