How can I stand out in such a short piece of writing?

The trick to personal statements is not in beginning with some incongruous quotation, or writing a pretentious essay, but rather in showing what you're really like in an interesting way - not just listing your interests in the usual succession: academic, extras, charity. Think of your sentences not as long, perfectly honed bits of prose, but rather as hooks on which you catch the reader's interest. A good way of doing this, which ultimately saves words, is to synthesise your intellectual and personal interests. For example: I have always loved cross country, competing nationally since 2016, so its not surprising that I also fell in love with the pastoral poetry of Keats. In doing this, not only do you convey your talents more organically, but establish a more imaginative framework from which to develop your ideas. Ultimately, universities are looking for interesting minds. By pursing an alternative structure to your personal statement, you simultaneously provide such interest, whilst also cutting words, thus allowing you to invest more content in less characters.