How 'personal' should my personal statement be?

When the admissions team at universities look at your personal statement, they usually ask two main questions (1) Do we want this student on this course? (2) Do we want this student on this course? It is important to remember the aim of the personal statement, which is to show why YOU should be accepted at your chosen course at your chosen university. A personal statement is usually the only chance that your chosen university has to 'hear' about you, as in some cases it is an alternative to an interview. It is the real you that they want to know about. So, in order for a personal statement to stand out, it needs to be written in a personal style and present something different in terms of content.