It's never to early to start thinking about your personal statement
If you speak to any teacher, university student, or admissions tutor they will all tell you that it is never too early to start thinking about your personal statement.
With this in mind here is our personal statement timeline to give you a better idea of when you’ll need to start thinking, writing, and finally submitting your personal statement.
Start thinking – May/June
You might not know which university you want to study at but you should know, or at least have an idea, of which course you want to study. Now is the time to start reading entry requirements and checking you’re on track to have the grades you need.
You should also be thinking about your skills, experience, and personal qualities that would be relevant to this course.
Start writing – July/August
It’s time to decide which universities you want to apply to and drafting your personal statement. Attending open days and asking teachers and admissions tutors what they like to see in a personal statement will give you a better idea of what you need to include in your own.
Making changes – August
Once you have your first draft together show it to teachers, friends, and family and ask them for feedback. Asking other people what they think is really important because they might spot something you’ve missed or think you’re trying to say too much.
Make more changes – September
Using the feedback you were given on your first draft make changes to your personal statement and then show it to other people, including people who didn’t see it the first time round.
There are no limits to the amount of drafts you can write and the more feedback you get the better your personal statement will be.
Start submitting – October
If you’re applying for Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, or to Oxford or Cambridge you’ll need to submit your application by the 15th October.
Later submissions – January
If you aren’t applying to any of the above courses or universities then you have until the 15th January to submit your personal statement and UCAS application.
