Personal Statements

Personal statement: 10 most overused opening sentences

Ucas have compiled a list of the 10 most overused opening sentences in personal statements. Whatever you do, don't begin yours with any of these...

Painful process: writing the Ucas personal statement can be a traumatic experience, but don’t let it overwhelm you Photo: Alamy

By Andrew Marszal, Digital Education Editor

6:00PM BST 25 Sep 2012

Writing a personal statement is possibly the most important – and certainly the most time-consuming – aspect of the university application process. It's also rather tricky.

I haven't dared dust off my own to see how many times I used the word "passionate", but the truth is it isn't easy to be original. Nearly 700,000 students applied for university last year – that's a lot of times for tutors to have to read "I have always been fascinated by ...[insert subject]".

• UCAS insider's guide to the personal statement

To help students avoid the most common pitfalls, Ucas has provided the Telegraph with a list of the 10 most overused opening sentences from the 2010 admissions cycle.

Whatever you do, don't start your personal statement with any of these – not only are they awful clichés, but they're bound to be picked up by UCAS' anti-plagiarism software.

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• Personal statement: last-minute guide
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• Ucas guide to the personal statement
  26 Sep 2012
• Writing your personal statement: what the experts say
  23 Nov 2012
• Telegraph's University Course Finder
  03 Jul 2011

And if you're after some more constructive help, have a read through our Ucas insider's guide to the personal statement.

Top 10 most overused personal statement opening sentences

1. I am currently studying a BTEC National Diploma in ... (used 464 times)
2. From a young age I have always been interested in ... (309 times)
3. From an early age I have always been interested in ... (292 times)
4. Nursing is a very challenging and demanding career ... (275 times)
5. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with ... (196 times)
6. "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only” ... (189 times)
7. Nursing is a profession I have always looked upon with ... (178 times)
8. For as long as I can remember I have been interested in ... (166 times)
9. I am an International Academy student and have been studying since ... (141 times)
10. Academically, I have always been a very determined and ... (138 times)

Reproduced from the 'Ucas Guide to Getting into University and College' with permission of Ucas - available from www.ucasbooks.co.uk

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