Advice
You can only submit one personal statement for all five of your university choices on UCAS, so what do you do if you鈥檙e applying for different courses, or even completely different subjects?
You may be applying for different subjects because you鈥檙e still considering your options, you want a back-up in case you don鈥檛 get a place on a competitive course or you want to apply for a niche course that isn鈥檛 offered at other universities.
Whatever the reasons, we have some top tips to make sure your personal statement still hits the mark.
What to do if you鈥檙e applying for courses that are slightly different:
If you鈥檙e applying for two courses that sit within the same subject area, then cover the academic interests and skills you have that are relevant to the subject as a whole. Think about what those courses have in common and try and try to include examples of those skills or interests in your personal statement.
For example, someone applying to law and criminology may write about a case study that sparked their interest in the criminal justice system.
What to do if you鈥檙e applying for courses that are completely different:
Try to focus on your skills and attributes that would make you a good candidate for all of the courses you鈥檙e looking to apply to. Skills such as problem-solving, teamwork and leadership can be applied to many different subjects.
You could also try being transparent and explaining your reasons for applying to very different courses by providing relevant reasons and examples for why you鈥檙e interested in each of the subjects.
What to do if just one of your courses is different:
If four of your UCAS choices are for the same course and one course is different from the rest, then get in touch with the university you鈥檙e applying to by email or phone. The university may let you submit a second personal statement directly to them.
Whether the university can accept a second personal statement depends on the institution so make sure to check before writing two!
Top tip:
If you鈥檙e unsure of what to include, then contact the universities you鈥檙e applying to. Even if the university can鈥檛 accept a second personal statement, they may still be able to provide some advice on what they鈥檒l be looking for.
Some universities may not make you an offer for a competitive course if they think the statement lacks focus or the applicant isn鈥檛 dedicated to their subject so check before you start writing!