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Cracking the Oxbridge Personal Statement: Humanities

What is a Personal Statement?

It is a written summary about yourself which showcases to universities why you are an ideal candidate for their course. More specifically, it should detail all your relevant skills and experience which demonstrates your academic ability and interests, tailored to your chosen subject. UCAS has a 4000-character limit, so it is a short but important opportunity for you to tell your chosen universities concisely why they should make you an offer.

If you’re reading this, you are likely aiming to secure a place at Oxford or Cambridge (and if not, welcome), so you’re probably wondering what is most valuable about the personal statement to these universities? Your personal statement forms one of the most important parts of your overall application – the other being your grades as proof that you are an academically high-achieving candidate. 

Why? Because Oxbridge wants students who have a genuine, obvious passion for their subject, and so your personal statement needs to evidence this! How? Through your engagement with super-curricular activities. Not only does this demonstrate your true interest in the subject (or area within), but that you have the tenacity to manage the hustle!

This blog contains advice about how to crack the Oxbridge Personal Statement, and some examples to put our top tips into perspective. Each extract is taken from a successful candidate’s application, so use this to guide your writing, but beware not to replicate and risk being flagged for plagiarism!

Structuring the Personal Statement.

One way in which applicants can approach the overall structure of their personal statement is to identify an overall (or a few) themes to guide their writing. That way, all of their experience can be woven together more fluidly by an overarching idea. This method is highly recommended by Admissions Tutors and can easily be adapted to the new UCAS Personal Statement format. 

“Justice, particularly when attempting to implement it, can be challenging […] By investigating controversies arising from the Ford Pinto case, I re-evaluated my prejudices and found my understanding of true justice related most with John Stuart-Mill’s rule-based utilitarian approach” 

– Law Applicant (2022).

• Throughout their personal statement, this candidate mentioned referred to ‘justice’ x4 times. In fact, it was the first and last word used. This is a literary technique beyond just repetition – it is cyclical, bringing the reader back to the original thought time and time again. A good way to labour a point or belief. They also expand on how justice is defined by exploring their academic experiences and forming their own conclusion.
• Another good literary technique which creates structure and memorability is the rule of three; look out for this in another of the examples in this post…

So, having identified what material is relevant to each section, how do you then talk about your experience in a compelling way? The STAR method. 

S – Situation

T – Task

A – Action 

R – Result

This method of writing enables you to discuss how you deal with different material or issues and convey that you can learn or adapt to challenges effectively – ultimately, universities are looking to see how you learn and if they can teach you, so it is important to show them that you are diligent and resilient.

Bearing in mind the character count, you need to be concise in how you deliver the STAR approach i.e. you need not write one whole sentence for each part of the acronym. Here is an example of how you might use this method:

“Pierre Riley’s discussion of Performance Studies during my Sutton Trust summer school, challenged me to debate the importance of musical intention, building a more personal approach in my current pieces.”

Music Applicant (2022)

• This subtle fusion of the STAR method:
  • Situation: Discussing a composer’s work during a summer school event
  • Task: Being challenged with debating a particular stance
  • Action/Result: Student developed new approach to music writing/performance

Since 2025, the format of the UCAS personal statement has changed from one long piece to three sections which answer different questions. These are:

1. Why do you want to study this course or subject?
2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

The structure of your personal statement is arguably made easier by these targeted prompts. The character count is not strictly divided between these questions either – it is for you, the candidate, to decide how much you write for each section, which will inevitably reflect how much you have to say about your experience and skills. 

Let’s break it down…

1. Why do you want to study this course or subject?

This is asking you about your motivations. What really makes you interested? This is personal to everyone, and you don’t necessarily have to search for a unique answer that nobody else has thought of! It can be based on an event from history, your life, your career aspirations, or simply something you have learned which has sparked your curiosity. 

Here are some examples of different approaches to this prompt –

“It was these personal experiences that inspired me to study Geography, as I believe that its ability to make connections with people and ideas on different scales through geophysical location, migration, and globalisation harbours the solution for global issues.”

• Geography Applicant (2023)
• The first clause of this excerpt follows the candidate’s personal anecdote about being from an under-developed country and experience of poverty which has motivated them to apply for Geography.

2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

On the face of it, your qualifications do your current academic pursuits (A-levels), and so you can mention them in this section, but act with caution. It is not necessary or useful to write copious amounts of detail about what you have learned in your curriculum – universities and their respective Admissions Tutors will be well aware, having perhaps written the curriculum. Moreover, there is a whole separate section in your application dedicated to subjects and grades!

Rather, this section should revolve around what you have learned and achieved. This includes your A-levels, and opens space for discussion about your super-curricular engagement. 

Importantly, when it comes to showing how this has helped you prepare for the rigorous study of your subject at university, you should be able to mention the skills you have developed through these experiences.

“My own creative writing gives me insight into writer intent – I enhanced this skill by entering the Christoper Tower Poetry (2021) and Goldsmith’s Young Writer (2021) competitions”

English Applicant (2022)

• This candidate talks about their experience and discusses how they have developed their skillset, namely participating in competitions (one of many good examples of relevant super-curriculars). 

“My A Levels in Music and English Literature complement my enthusiasm for French and Italian culture as they allow me to access the artistic and literary contexts behind history and politics…”

MMLL Applicant (2022)

• This candidate has linked their A-levels to their chosen subject by focusing on transferable skills rather than classroom content.

“Reading Chambers’ ‘Sex, Culture and Justice’ I agreed with her stance that liberalist rhetoric perpetuates systemic inequality, with a lack of regard to culture and that social constructions place limits on individual autonomy. A lecture I attended on ‘Mediated Intimacy’ looked at these social structures from the perspective of beauty filters on social media.” 

HSPS Applicant (2023)

• This candidate ties together multiple different examples of super-curricular engagement through their shared topic/theme and demonstrates real interaction with the material rather than simply listing experiences. In doing so, they also share what they learned and offer their critical opinion (in this case, affirming the author’s stance). 
• Another good thing to highlight from this example is the interest shown in current social and political affairs; it shows perceptiveness about the world around us, not just reading issues of history – during the process of writing your personal statement, stay attuned to the news and see if it overlaps with your subject to open discourse about ongoing issues.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

This final section is the place for you to talk about all your other experiences or skills that you have done beyond merely studying (more specifically, your extracurriculars). This can vary in relevance to your desire discipline but ultimately foster skills which will support you in pursuit of your degree/career.

“I have developed a passion for the application of the law, whether working as an FA referee or reaching the regional finals of a Young Lawyers moot trial competition as a barrister”

Law Applicant (2023)

• This person has used the word ‘passion’ – one which students are encouraged to avoid because of its common usage, but also its emptiness… don’t just say your passionate – show it!
• The examples used illustrate a hobby unrelated to the candidate’s subject but which operates on the same principles (applying rules to a game), and another activity which is more relevant but not strictly academic.

“A City-based insurance brokerage is an odd place for philosophical revelation; nonetheless my month’s internship at Lockton LLP brought home what I previously dismissed as a tired truism: that we have lost our spiritual moorings.”

TRPR Applicant (2020)

• This example serves as a reminder that you don’t need to a perfect string of subject-specific experience to boost your application; this person was applying for Theology and extracted an idea from legal work experience (likely due to their former interest in the subject).
• Section 3 is an ideal place to mention work experience or volunteering. Note: it is not necessary to have either.

“I am applying with deferred entry in order to fulfil a lifelong goal and learn BSL. I want to begin the widening of my linguistic communication by learning to communicate with Deaf individuals in my native language…”

MMLL Applicant (2021)

• If you are applying for deferred entry, or applying after a gap year, it is worth explaining your how you will use or have used this time productively; here, the candidate has chosen something which supports a skill which will prepare them for their degree.

FAQs

“How do I start my introduction” / “I don’t know how to start”

Ah, the time-old problem. The answer is: just start writing. It doesn’t matter. Your first draft will not be your last – so worry about that last. Some guiding principles:

• Don’t start every sentence with ‘I…’
• Don’t use the same word to start every sentence – repetition is not interesting.
• Try to use the STAR method when introducing a new experience/achievement etc
• The beginning of new sentences can be used to link two different ideas or experiences together to create flow (e.g. This led me to…)
• Don’t use a quote. This is about you, not Socrates.

“Should I / Can I use paragraphs?”

You can, but be mindful of your character count (spaces are included). An efficient tactic which may resolve this is joining sentences together, writing with more flow by finding a common link or theme, or engaging critically with different sets of material.

On the other hand, students find it useful to separate experience which is simply unrelated e.g. academics, super-curriculars, and extracurriculars. That is okay too.

“How do I end / conclude my personal statement?”

In the same way that you finish any piece of written work – by linking to the question, and drawing out the parts that really matter, namely your skills and why you are an ideal candidate for this course. 

“I’m applying for slightly different courses at each university – how do I adapt my application to all of these?”

It is common that students will have one or multiple UCAS options which might, for example, have an additional discipline (e.g. History, History and Politics, Politics and International Relations…). Don’t fret too much; universities will understand this and not hold it against you. Your personal statement will cover a lot of discourse and can touch on all these topics without diluting the strength of your application.

“I sincerely believe that my legal, political, and philosophical perceptiveness will determine my success as I move towards serving justice” 

– Law Applicant (2022)

• This candidate applied navigated this same problem by tying together all their experience and ideas from multiple disciplines in one concluding sentence.

“How do I prepare now?” 

Get involved with super-curricular activities! If you aren’t already, start searching. You can try:

• Reading books
• Listening to podcasts
• Watching lectures or documentaries
• Participating in competitions (essays, debates)
• Join or start a society
• Volunteering
• Work experience (there is a plethora of free, online courses too!)
• And so much more…

“What about the My Cambridge Application?”

This involves an additional, much shorter personal statement which is optional, and you can use to mention further experience or activities you have completed which you have not previously mentioned, and more pertinently, tailor your application specifically to the Cambridge Tripos (e.g. if the course isn’t offered anywhere else, and to consider the course’s unique modules or opportunities).

It does not negatively impact your overall application if you choose not to complete this personal statement, but it is a good way to show off using some extra characters!

Revising Humanities at A-Level ad GCSE: Managing Time

Revision for Humanities GCSEs and A-Levels can at times feel overwhelming. The content is vast and the essays can be demanding, making revision seem insurmountable. After years of sitting exams, I have picked up some tactics that help me organise my time and stay on top of work. 

Creating Revision Timetables 

This tends to be the most fun and satisfying part of revision – and an area I spend lots of time on when procrastinating! It comes at the beginning of the revision process, before stress levels are too high, and it lets you feel productive without being grueling. So, this stage should be enjoyed! 

You’ve probably heard the idea that a 24-hour day can be split into eight hours of sleep, eight hours of leisure and eight hours of work. While this model has its flaws, it definitely shows that there is often more time in the day when we think! Keep this in mind when creating revision timetables as time spent relaxing and unwinding is as valuable as time spent working. 

When making a timetable, I often found a productive approach was to structure my days around a typical school day. On the weekends or during study leave, days that are completely free can seem intimidating, so I found the best tactic was to follow a 9am to 4:30pm structure, with breaks included of course! This worked well because: 

● I would begin early, when my concentration was strongest. 

● I had a clear “end point” to the working day. 

● I could switch off in the evening without guilt. 

Of course this doesn’t work for everyone. Late-night workers may need to adapt this framework and, as exams approach, evenings often end up being filled with last-minute cramming. However, this defined structure undoubtedly makes days that can seem intimidating, slightly more manageable. 

Being Strategic about Subject Balance 

One of the biggest traps I think we often all fall into is prioritising the subjects and topics we enjoy most. Unsurprisingly, these also tend to be the ones we are strongest at and that require the least attention. 

To counteract this, write down all the topics you need to cover. The list may seem daunting at first, but this forces you to be realistic and strategic. Then, when making your timetable, try to schedule your hardest topics in the morning as it means you tick them off sooner. You avoid postponing the difficult content and establish a good momentum for the day. Finally, schedule the topics you enjoy during the post-lunch slump! 

In terms of how many subjects to work through a day, there is no universal rule. Try not to be too rigid with timings as tasks can often take longer than expected and this just increases

stress. Instead, I found I worked best when I aimed to cover three topics a day, each from a different subject. This: 

● Introduces variety, which helps maintain focus. 

● But also avoids overwhelming your brain with too many different themes at once. 

Below is an example timetable I created, following the tips above!

	9-10:30	10:30-10:45 (BREAK)	10:45-12:15	12:15-1:15 (LUNCH)	1:15-2:45	2:45-3 (BREAK)	3-4:30
MONDAY	SPANISH		SPANISH		HISTORY		FRENCH
TUESDAY	ENGLISH LITERATURE		ENGLISH LITERATURE		RELIGIOUS STUDIES		ENGLISH LANGUAGE
WEDNESDAY	RELIGIOUS STUDIES		RELIGIOUS STUDIES		SPANISH		FRENCH
THURSDAY	HISTORY		HISTORY		ENGLISH LITERATURE		RELIGIOUS STUDIES
FRIDAY	FRENCH		FRENCH		ENGLISH LANGUAGE		SPANISH