As the competition for university places continues to increase, the Personal Statement section of the university application has never been so important. In approximately 600 words, a prospective university student must capture and hold the atten-tion of the admissions tutors - in essence, it may be their first and last chance to justify why they should be offered a place to study their chosen course. And yet, despite this, many perfectly able candidates squander this opportunity by neglecting their Personal Statement, per-haps wrongly assuming that their predicted grades or reference will do the talking . This guide aims to help school leavers, overseas and mature individuals applying to a UK university, together with parents and teachers, to make their Personal Statement both compelling and convincing reading. In this guide, Matt Green: Describes the context of the university Personal Statement within the application Offers advice and guidance on a range of factors which influence the Personal Statement, such as course choice, university choice and the pros and cons of taking a gap year Sets out the essential contents of the Personal Statement and the key steps in its preparation Drafts and refines a fictitious Personal Statement, providing a valuable case study through which all of the important, key principles are brought to life New to this edition - Includes 98 high quality Personal Statement examples to provide inspiration during the writing process This engaging, easy to use and comprehensive guide is essential reading for anyone serious about producing an expertly written, compelling and ultimately successful Personal Statement as part of their application to study at a UK university