What should I write in my personal statement?

Your personal statement should be a concise, enthusiastic and interesting promotion of yourself. It may seem awkward to write about the things in which you excel at first but remember that this is the one opportunity you get to show the universities why they should want you to study with them. Open with an original and subject-related phrase; the admissions team have thousands of statements to get through and you want yours to stand out! Talk about why you want to study your chosen course and what you hope to gain from studying it. If your statement is university specific, such as the Cambridge SAQ, have a look at the course content online, pick something you find interesting and mention it briefly in the statement, to show your curiosity and engagement with the course. Extra-curricular activities are important, but they are not the priority of your personal statement. If you do wish to mention them, talk about the transferable skills you have gained from them which will make you a better learner. Show that you have an interest in your subject outside of the curriculum, and specify a book, film or news article etc which you found particularly interesting. It is important to show off your passion for your subject! Universities are looking for people who are keen to learn, so do not worry about whether you are getting the top marks in your class or not. The important thing is your thirst for knowledge, curiosity and drive to succeed.