As you prepare to study in the UK, a compelling personal statement or statement of purpose (SOP) is an important part of your application! Your SOP helps to tell the academic institutions you’re applying to who you are, and what will make you stand out from other students.
If you’re applying to study at the undergraduate degree level in the UK, it’s important to remember you’ll submit your application through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) platform. Through UCAS, you can submit one application to up to five universities and colleges at once. However, this means your SOP will look different than it might if you were applying to colleges in Canada or the US, where your statement would be customized to each institution.
At the postgraduate level, you’ll likely submit your application directly to each university or college, so you can tailor your statement details more specifically.
Is it your first time writing an SOP? Not to worry! Keep reading to learn how to write a great one.
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Things to Include in Your Statement of Purpose
Use your unique experiences to introduce yourself and explain why you’ll be a good addition to this field of study. Below are some guiding questions which can help you build your statement’s structure:
- Why are you a good candidate for this course?
- Where do you want your education to take you (goals, career)?
- What aspects of this field of study are you most interested in?
- How does your existing education relate to this course, and how can it help you succeed?
- Which achievements are you most proud of?
- What life experiences have you had that relate to this course, or have inspired your study?
Use this opportunity to be creative, but remember that if you’re submitting your application through UCAS, your statement is limited to 4,000 characters (which includes spaces)! Give yourself lots of time to review and edit your statement to ensure it includes all the info you need to share, while being compelling and specific.
If you’re applying directly to a university or college, check to see if they have a word or character count for their SOPs, or any other writing guidelines you need to follow.
Be Original
Do not copy someone else’s SOP, or have ChatGPT just generate one for you. All SOPs submitted through UCAS go through a similarity check. You’ll also need to declare your statement hasn’t been copied from someone else’s writing, or generated by another source, including AI software.
If you’re applying to a postgraduate course as an international student, it’s more likely you’ll submit your application directly to the university. Every university will have a slightly different view on the use of AI tools, so check with the admissions team to understand which uses of these tools are acceptable.
At the undergraduate level, you’ll risk having your application rejected and the institutions you’ve applied to notified if the UCAS reviewer suspects you’ve copied your statement from someone else, or have had an AI tool like ChatGPT write all, or large parts of it. That said, there are ways you can use AI tools, like using it to brainstorm relevant skills for the degree you’re applying to, or asking it to review the statement you’ve written for readability.
Ultimately, your personal statement or SOP should be personal. Taking the time to write it in your own words can help the reviewers see who you are, and why you care about the field you’re applying to study in.
Is English an additional language for you? These writing tips for international students can help make your work clear, thoughtful, and concise!
Statement of Purpose Walkthrough
Although everyone’s writing process is a little different, here are some good steps to follow when drafting your personal statement.
1. Begin with an Outline
First, ask yourself the following questions:
- “Why do I want to study in the UK?”
- “Why do I want to study in this field?”
- “What experiences or prerequisites do I have that will help me in this course?”
- “What will I have gained after studying in the UK?”
Once you’ve answered all of these questions, try to focus on academic or personal reasons for your answers. Include your most relevant educational, employment, and individual experiences. In general, admissions teams in the UK are looking for experience which ties into what you’ll learn in the course you’re applying for.
2. Write a Draft
It’s drafting time! If you’re applying to a course which starts in 2025, you’ll be writing an essay that includes:
- An introductory paragraph: Talk about who you are and your specific academic background.
- Body paragraphs: This is where you’ll share your answers to the questions we shared above, like what your career goals are, and what aspects of this field of study you’re passionate about.
- Conclusion: a brief summary of what you’ve shared so far, especially why you’ll be a good addition to the course.
Save most of your word count for your body paragraphs. Introductions and conclusions are best when they’re short and clear.
Changes to the Undergraduate SOP/Personal Statement Format in 2026
It’s important to know that if you’re planning to start your studies in 2026, UCAS is changing the personal statement or SOP format. Instead of writing an essay, you’ll answer three questions:
- Why do you want to study this course or subject?
- How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course?
- What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
The writing limit of 4,000 characters will remain, and each answer must be at least 350 characters long. This update to the statement format aims to make the SOP process easier, and give students some clear starting points to speak about their experience and achievements.
Tip: Write your SOP in an active voice. This approach makes your writing easier to understand. It’s often less wordy, as well—which is great when every character counts!
3. Review Your Work
You finally reach the end of your conclusion and happily sigh in relief. You’re done!
But before you break out the video games or head out on a celebratory night with friends, wait for a moment. You’re not quite done yet. Editing is one of the most important parts of drafting a great SOP. Here are some tips:
- Make sure everything in your essay is correct, and is related to the course or field of study.
- Read your statement out loud to confirm that it sounds good and makes sense. Doing this really does help!
- Ask a friend, teacher, or family member to give you their honest feedback.
Editing your work is key to an impressive SOP! Overlooked mistakes can be misinterpreted or look sloppy.
By following the guidance above, we hope writing your SOP will feel a little easier. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to writing a superb SOP. Best of luck!
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