What makes a good personal statement?

When it comes to personal statements, the secret is inherent in the name itself - that it is personal. A personal statement should demonstrate your personal reasons and motivations for studying a particular subject, and should explore what in particular excites you about that subject. Take it as an opportunity to display your love for your chosen subject, and a chance to evidence how you would make the most of gaining a place to study this subject at university. From my experience, it is advisable to ensure that the majority of content in a personal statement is academic, with around 20% being left to extra-curricular activities. This (once again drawing from my experience) is especially important if Oxbridge is an aspiration! What I mean by 'academic content' is that it would be excellent for the personal statement to contain plenty of examples of how you have expressed an interest in the subject and explored it in more detail in your own time. This will demonstrate a proactive mindset that is very important at university, and is something I think universities admire in applicants.