University Tips

SustainaPod’s advice for writing a good personal statement

If you’re in the process of writing your personal statement, we are here to help! We asked our team their best pieces of advice for writing an excellent personal statement.

• Start early, ask your school counsellor and a few (3-4 total) people for feedback on how clear your message was conveyed, if they interpreted it differently to what you intended, if they have any ideas of how to rephrase certain parts to make it flow better. Make sure you’re not trying to say too much in one essay, focus on one main message or moment for US applications.

  Biochemistry / Biological Sciences

• It's good to show evidence of critical thinking and analysis in your personal statement (for UK applications)!

  Biological Sciences

• Choose a few topics to focus on that you are passionate about related to your subject! Show how you have learned more about the topic, your thoughts and critical thinking of them. How have your views been broadened or challenged based on it? Where possible link to personal experience and your individuality; volunteer work if accessible is also a great way to show your interest!

  Try to avoid referencing commonly used Geography books, read widely and show this through a range of interesting examples of literature and news to show your understanding.

  Really show your ‘why’: what made you interested in particular topic and how have you gone above and beyond to really investigate this in a relevant geographical context? (use evidence and examples).

  Geography

• Make sure you know exactly why you want to do your course, your reasons should be specific and if you can’t figure out why you like a course, you should find any form of internship/apprenticeship to learn more.

  Paco Wu, Civil and Environmental Engineering MEng

• Please be true to yourself and your interest, don't hop on the hype train of getting in to an easy course at a top uni.

  BSc Economics and Management

• Try to plan your time and do a lot of your reading and planning over the summer break! When school begins again in your final year you will likely be busy. This will help you manage your workload, applications are deceptively time consuming!

  Psychology

• Don't worry if your extracurriculars don't quite align with your intended major. Focus on how you can link the skills you gained in them to the skills required for your course/profession.

  Bachelor of Laws

• A good personal statement demonstrates interest and understanding over raw achievements.

  Civil Engineering / Architecture

• Showcase your passion for the subject by explaining how it relates to your purpose.

  International Business Management

Sustainability resources for your personal statement

Discover curated resources from us to enrich your knowledge of sustainability and inspire your personal statement.

How to incorporate learning from our content into a statement

Simply naming a podcast or article will not win points. You must demonstrate the Action–Insight–Impact cycle:

1. Don't just name-drop; analyze

   State what concept or case study caught your attention and why it made you question or rethink a problem.

2. Connect to your discipline

   Show how sustainability intersects with your core chosen course (e.g. How does ESG reporting affect corporate law? How does life-cycle analysis transform civil engineering?).

3. Reflect on the wider debate

   Frame opposing sides or nuances you learned: universities value students who acknowledge trade-offs (e.g. technical feasibility vs. social equity).