Ingredients of a Personal Statement
At least 75% of your personal statement should focus on your academic interests. This most
commonly means analysing relevant books, textbooks or academic journals, but you can also include
public lectures, open days and TED talks.
Use the key phrases in the sections below to make sure you’ve covered the essentials in your first draft — you can
expand with more detail afterwards.
I became particularly interested in <topic>,
MOTIVATION 1x Relevant Topic
especially how it relates to <real-world issue>.
To advance my knowledge of <subject>, I have
ADDITIONAL 2x Relevant read <reading 1>. I was particularly interested in
READING Readings the alternative point of view on <topic> raised by
<reading 2>.
I understand that <subject> courses are
< e.g. mathematically> rigorous. To best prepare to
KEY SKILLS 2x Skills succeed in this course, I’ve developed strong skills
in <skill 1> and <skill 2> by <e.g. completing a
short online course>.
My most relevant work experience for this course
WORK
1x Experience and career is <work experience>. During this time,
EXPERIENCE I learned valuable skills such as <relevant skills>.
I’m applying for <subject> to prepare me for a
career in <chosen career>.
1x Dream Job
CAREER PLAN Title & Employer
Immediately after graduating, I intend to join a
company such as <company> as <role> where I
can put my <subject> knowledge to good use.
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Personal Statement 2026 Guide
Starting with the 2026 entry cycle, the UCAS personal statement will follow a new format: three structured
questions instead of an open-ended essay. Each response must be at least 350 characters, with an overall limit of
4,000 characters (including spaces).
Q1 Why do you want to study this course or subject?
Recommended character count: 1200-1600
MOTIVATION
What do you want to achieve in your life
(e.g. healing people, advancing knowledge,
building products)? Your motivation can be closely
tied to your interest in a specific career path.
ADDITIONAL READING
At least 75% of your personal
statement should focus on your
academic interest in the subject.
A power trick to analyse academic
theories is to quote one author’s
CAREER PLAN viewpoint (thesis), then bring in a
counterview (antithesis) and finally
In 1-2 lines, explain in detail your immediate plans after find common ground (synthesis).
graduating. By naming a specific job title and potential
employer, you are demonstrating your ability to plan ahead
and research options.
Q2 How have your qualifications or studies helped you to
prepare for this course or subject?
Recommended character count: 1200-1600
KEY SKILLS
Demonstrating you have the relevant ability to succeed when studying
your chosen course at degree level. For example, LSE Economics’
course website states it is a highly mathematical course, and successful
applicants will therefore need to show that they have the relevant skills to
succeed in quantitative subjects. Aim for 2 skills.
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Personal Statement 2026 Guide
Starting with the 2026 entry cycle, the UCAS personal statement will follow a new format: three structured
questions instead of an open-ended essay. Each response must be at least 350 characters, with a total limit of
4,000 characters (including spaces).
MORE ADDITIONAL READING!
The best statements demonstrate a wide reading of the university subject.
It’s not enough to name the books; you will need to analyse a key learning
and contrast it with other authors’ viewpoints to show that you can engage
in academic debate. This most commonly means analysing relevant books,
textbooks or academic journals, but you can also include public lectures,
museum visits, open days and TED talks.
Q3 What else have you done to prepare outside of
education, and why are these experiences useful?
Recommended character count: 350-800*
WORK EXPERIENCE
Work experience or positions of responsibility to demonstrate that
you have expertise/knowledge/practice within your desired career,
and, if relevant, you have quantitative ability.
* Top universities give most weight to your academic interests and potential.
While extracurriculars can strengthen your application, they’re most
effective if clearly related to your course and summarised in 1-2 lines.
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Exemplar Personal Statement
We recommend structuring your statement using a 1600:1600:800 character split across the three
questions. If there’s something important you can’t fit in, speak to your referee — they should be able to
cover it in their reference.
Q1 Why do you want to study this course or subject?
I am applying to Economics courses to equip me with
the models and mindset to excel in a career in strategic There are so many interesting ways to begin a
consultancy. personal statement, many of which are cliche. It’s
OK to just state your motivation clearly. You can
come back at the end and improve this once you
I greatly enjoy reading economic theories and applying these have finished.
to real-world events. For example, LSE’s Nobel Prize winner,
Prof. Christopher Pissarides, opened my eyes with his two-
sided model of unemployment in Labour Market Adjustment Namedropping an academic from your first choice
(1976). By focusing on both unemployment and vacancy rates, is a sneaky way to hint to that university that they
are your first choice, without explicitly telling your
Pissarides’ work built on the Neoclassical model of Alfred
other UCAS choices this.
Marshall by considering a firm’s perspective when creating a
new role. As a result, his work suggests solutions to the UK’s
recent vacancy crisis in which 15% of companies reported staff
Mentioning academic texts and their dates can
shortages (ONS, 2025); Pissarides’ Search Theory can be draw the reader’s eye. You can also reference
modernised to predict that the early adopters of non-monetary TED Talks or public lectures to show wider subject
engagement.
employment benefits, such as flexible working, were best able
to avoid costly staffing shortages by making their wages go
further, and thus not losing staff to the competition. Show multiple academic points of view to
demonstrate you understand the main debates. A
powerful trick is to make a point (thesis), counter
Through the lenses of such theories, I hope to apply the it (antithesis) and then find common ground
quantitative economic models from my degree as a junior (synthesis).
strategy consultant at a top firm - such as Boston Consulting
Group - so that I can best advise my clients on how to
It is not enough to summarise or comment on what
mitigate and capitalise on recent shocks. you have read. Always relate your points back to
the purpose of your personal statement - why you
wish to study your chosen course.
Demonstrating that you have done some career
research into a specific role and company can help
you stand out as a well-researched candidate with
a realistic plan.
This paragraph links an advanced academic
theory, career interest and a real-world topic to
demonstrate that you really have understood the
concept and intend to use your degree in your
career.
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Exemplar Personal Statement
Q2 How have your qualifications or studies helped you to
prepare for this course or subject?
I understand that Economics courses are mathematically rigorous
Additional courses, certificates and other
and I have dedicated the past two years to preparing myself for
evidence of your skills prove to the reader
university-level study. I have completed Caltech’s Principles of your strengths far beyond talking about
Economics with Calculus (EC11) online which taught me quantitative your skills.
Economics concepts beyond the A-level syllabus, such as indifference
curves and how the Marginal Rate of Substitution (MRS) can be derived
to solve constrained optimisation problems. I particularly enjoyed Mostly
Harmless Econometrics (Angrist, 2008), which positions economists as
detectives trying to battle the ‘red herrings’ of heteroskedasticity;
I learned how “proxy variables” are used as close substitutes when
hard-to-find data are missing from a model, and look forward to
applying such knowledge at university using specialist software such as Showing an understanding of
STATA and R. university-level topics from your readings
can really help you to stand out from
the crowd.
I also achieved a Gold in the UK Maths Challenge and am reading
Steven Strogatz’s Infinite Powers so that I can better understand the
many applications that calculus has in the modern world. In addition Taking subjects that are highly desirable
to Economics A level, I selected Further Maths (A* achieved in Maths for your course can put you at a great
advantage, even if they’re not required.
A level last summer) and also History to improve my analytical and
written skills as communication and report writing are key skills in any
economist’s toolkit.
Q3 What else have you done to prepare outside of
education, and why are these experiences useful?
My four-week internship at Apples & Oranges Accountants taught me
Showing impact at work, enthusiasm and
the foundations of company finances: management accounts and cash going above and beyond will highlight to
flow forecasting. After impressing my manager by completing my the admissions committee that you want to
work hard and learn.
profit-and-loss analyses promptly, I asked to shadow a meeting between
the partners and a CFO in which they discussed a major restructuring.
This experience cemented my career ambition to apply economics
models across a variety of industries and challenges. Briefly highlight your extracurriculars in 1-2
lines to focus on what will most impress the
university. They should also, if possible,
Outside of academics, I look forward to joining consultancy society and relate to skills useful for your course.
tennis society. A keen chess player (ELO 1250), I consider myself to
have a growth mindset, having devoured Dr. Carol Dweck’s seminal book
on the matter (Dweck, 2012).
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