The UCAS personal statement
Advice
[A quick note first: a useful and interesting episode on the BBC’s The Inquiry podcast recently here . It examines the threat that Himalayan glaciers (and the consequent impact on future water supplies in the region) face from climate change.
A short post before the May school half-term…]
From 2026, there is a new format for the UCAS personal statement. Instead of one long essay/account, the 2026 university application form uses three structured questions:
Why do you want to study this course or subject?
How have your qualifications and studies prepared you for this course or subject?
What else have you done to prepare outside education, and why are these experiences useful?
This format is designed to make statements clearer and more focused.
For many, drafting the personal statement on a UCAS application is one of the more challenging parts of applying to university. So, what should you include (and leave out) in your statement?
For each of the three questions above, you will need to provide an answer with a minimum of 350 characters and the whole statement must be a maximum of 4,000 characters (including spaces). Those 4,000 characters are your opportunity to stand out from the crowd … and there is a crowd! In 2025, over 7,800 students applied through UCAS to study geography at university.
Plan before you write
Your personal statement is not just about what you write but also about how you write. It is important that your response to each of the UCAS questions has a logical structure and that it flows well. As in an answer to an essay question, remember to evidence your points.
Many applicants for a geography degree will say that they love to read. If this is the case – good – make sure you mention things that you have read and how they have influenced your thinking. Do not make things up because you think that is what the department will want to hear. Not everyone loves reading, so if that is you, tell them instead what you do like to do/browse/watch/listen to but take some time to link it to geography.
Avoid assuming that the department you are applying to will be impressed with ‘extravagant’ or flamboyant examples. Geography departments often get personal statements from applicants who say that they love to travel and then list the many exotic locations that they have been lucky enough to visit with or outside of school. The latter list is not necessary – just give an example or two. The department is likely to be just as, and probably more, impressed by students who write about their local communities and landscapes and how these have influenced their understanding of the subject.
Should I use AI?
It is easy to assume that you must write something bold or witty to stand out and there may be a temptation to draft your personal statement using AI.
There are several issues with this approach. A statement written by AI will likely be obvious and familiar to the reader (others will have had the same idea!) and, as such, it will tell the university very little about why you want to study the subject.
Universities are interested in you and making sure that the course you are applying for suits you because that way you will enjoy the course, study hard and graduate with a good degree.
Will AI achieve all this for you? Doubtful.
External experiences
Your response to the final question on the UCAS form may be shorter than the others. This section might include employment, leisure activities, volunteering or playing sport. What is important in this section is making links to how this has either helped to enhance your love of the subject or how it has helped you prepare for university life. For most students, university life will be very different to school but if you work, have committed to a sport or have taken on responsibility, you are demonstrating that you have the kinds of skills that geographers need: responsibility, teamwork, time management, resilience, etc. Make sure that you explicitly make the links from your interests outside of education to your own skills and qualities.
Use your words wisely to ensure that your application really shows off the breadth of your abilities and skills.
Good luck with your application!
[Adapted from the work of Fiona Smyth at Manchester University]
Note: I have previously posted on the Oxbridge interviews. You can find that post here.