What kind of things did you put in your personal statement to make it exceptional?
i’ll describe it below, but bear in mind that this was an application for straight history (not joint with english, drama or law)
firstly, it was extremely personal which i think a lot of people overlook when writing their own, since many teachers encourage to only talk about your subject. however, outside of the classroom i had little experience with history as i rarely holiday and i had done only minimal work experience, and i also knew that my personality and my passion are my selling points, so focused on communicating that clearly.
i began with explaining honestly the beginnings of my love of history (which was simply reading all the time as a child) and what history means to me. i then ventured further into my love of literature and how it linked to my passion for history, where i spoke about the tudors. i briefly touched on the topics i covered in school, especially nazi germany, and mentioned my coursework.
i then went on to talk about my passion for drama and theatre, and also the poetry i write, all of which i linked to my love for history. this was followed by details about my experience in the field of law and my involvement in politics, the relevance of which was mainly in the linking of the skills required for both law and history.
overall, i actually only spent about >1/3 talking about history (despite the general advice to keep it focused primarily on the topic), and used the rest to describe myself and my interests. for me, the key was to constantly link back to how these skills enhance my passion for history, therefore everything i mentioned was relevant as i proceeded to explain how exactly it furthers my study of history in some way.
if you have any more questions about personal statements or ucas don’t hesitate to drop an ask!