Write about what’s ignited your passion for engineering and technology, and why you think it would be a good subject for you to pursue at degree level. Sprinkle in some of your insights and knowledge of the subjects and you’ll have designed a model personal statement.
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Think about why you want to study the subject
- Have you been inspired by someone, a news story, a documentary, or a podcast?
- Do you have career aspirations in this area of study?
- What interests you about the subject – be specific; rather than saying you enjoy it or are good at it, try to explain the ‘why’ behind your reasoning.
- What do you already know about the subject and what are you looking forward to learning more about?
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What makes you suitable to study the subject?
- Have you done projects or essays in this subject at school or college?
- Think about who you are as a person; your personality, your strengths, your experiences in life – how do these make you suited to study the subject?
- How have you shown an interest in the subject outside of school or college – have you done extra reading, online courses, been part of clubs or competitions?
- Your current subjects and grades will be included elsewhere in your application, so try to think about specific things you’ve learned during your studies that relate to the subject, rather than listing your grades and subjects.
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Look at the bigger picture
- Have you done any work experience, an internship or had a part-time job in this subject area or related? Most job or work experience will give you transferable skills, even if it’s in a different industry.
- Do you have any hobbies you can mention that might relate to your chosen subject? Many hobbies show that you can be motivated outside of school to achieve and succeed in something you’re interested in.
- Think about how your life and personal experiences have helped make you the person you are today, and how these challenges and experiences can support your application by evidencing essential qualities for certain subjects.
- If you’ve got ambitions and goals for your life and career, can you express how this subject will help you reach these goals?
Guidance and examples you can use
Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?
This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities and colleges why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions.
Examples:
- Where does your interest in engineering and technology come from? Whether it’s your personal experience of city transport systems or your desire to develop new healthcare technologies, try and give context and reason for why you want to study this subject at degree level.
- Mention any relevant articles you’ve read or channels you’ve watched that show you understand what a degree like this might cover. Maybe you enjoy watching Extreme Engineering and it sparked your interest in buildings and infrastructure, or perhaps you listen to the 5 Live Science Podcast and learned about new engineering solutions to climate change.
- If you know what career you want to do, mention that too, whether you want to work in healthcare, sustainability, or product design. But don’t worry if you don’t know yet; writing about what engineering and technology interests you want to explore further is a good start.
Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area.
Examples:
- Explain how studying subjects like sciences, technology, or engineering has helped with your problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and innovation. Even better if you can mention a specific project and what you learned from it, including if you’ve done an EPQ.
- If you’ve developed a new product, in design technology for example, write about the process and what you learned from it. You may also be able to talk about other skills you picked up, such as project management, teamwork, and planning.
- Have you done any online courses to boost your knowledge in the subject? For example, why not try Subject Spotlights or Virtual Work Experiences from Springpod to grow your skills and interest?
Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education, or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.
Examples:
- What other hobbies, interests or achievements do you have that highlight why you might be suited to this course? Maybe you’ve taken apart a television or bike at home and rebuilt it, or perhaps you’ve entered engineering competitions. Expand on what you learned that’s relevant to this degree.
- If you’ve had a part-time or weekend job, or done some volunteering, reflect on the skills you’ve picked up that will help you during this degree, such as teamworking, good communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Similarly, reflect on any extracurricular or supercurricular activities that demonstrate your ability to plan and manage your time. That could be Young Enterprise, an after-school STEM or coding club, or any number of sports or other activities.
- Do relate any examples back to the subject you’re applying to – make it relevant
- Do make it personal – admissions staff want to get to know who you are
- Do use a spell-checker and grammar-checker to ensure there are no errors
- Do ask people for feedback, whether that’s family members or teachers
- Do your research to find out what universities are looking for, and make sure you include evidence to show how you are suitable for the course
- Don’t just list out examples, subjects you study, or experiences you’ve had without any evidence
- Don’t copy something you’ve seen online or use AI to write something for you
- Don’t make things up just because you think they’ll make you look good on paper
- Don’t leave it until the last minute – you need time for several drafts
- Don’t worry about making each section the same length; as long as you hit the minimum character count, you can use the 4,000 characters across each answer in the way that suits you best
How to set yourself apart
The key to setting yourself apart in your application is to remember how important the ‘personal’ bit is to your personal statement. What makes you, you?
So, you enjoy rock climbing – tell admissions tutors about it, alongside the relevant skills you’ve picked up, such as planning, resilience, attention to detail, and effective time management. Or if you’re into canoeing or paddle boarding, can you demonstrate how you fit that into your spare time, alongside your studies? It’s ok to show what you hope to get out of broader university life as well as from your degree.
If you’ve had any relevant work experience, you can reflect on what you personally gained from it that might be different to other applicants. For example, you might have work-shadowed a telecomms engineer and observed that you need to be able to work independently and outside in potentially all weathers, as well as (sometimes) having a head for heights!
Don’t worry if you’ve not had specific engineering experience
If you can, relate what you’re saying back to something you’ve read in Engineering Magazine, listened to on The World Debate, or seen on a particular episode of Click on the BBC.
Some more tips to consider
- Research the course: Why do you want to study engineering and technology, what specific aspects of the course interest you, how does it relate to your academic studies, and what additional reading or other activities have led you to apply? Be aware that these subjects are often offered separately, so make sure you check out the modules of the courses you’re applying to.
- Relevant skills: Mention things like part-time work or a weekend job, extracurricular or supercurricular activities, and draw out the transferable skills you’ve learned from them, such as any technical skills, time management, teamwork or leadership.
- Creativity and innovation: Can you show you’re a 'self-starter' who enjoys trying to solve complex problems, or come up with creative solutions? Engineering is a challenging discipline, so demonstrate you have the ability and motivation to complete the course too.
- Make your work experience count: It’s not just what you've done but how you've reflected on it. If you work-shadowed an engineer or at a renewable energy company, that’s great, but make sure you spell out exactly what you personally gained from it.