I'm looking at applying maybe to the business school and was wondering if there is anything that I should include in my personal statement?

Thanks for the question. The main thing to focus on in your Personal Statement is your interest in the course itself - why you want to study Business. Other things - interests, wider reading, other experience - should be related to why you want to study the course. Normally we suggest that around 75% of the Personal Statement should be about the course, and 25% should be about extra-curricular activities. But again, try to relate everything to why you want to study that subject at university level.

What kind of extra curricular activities should I mention? Are you only interested in business related?

The Personal Statement should include activities you do regularly, which you can reflect on in relation to the skills you have learnt and the relevance to the course. Try not to just write a list of things you do. It is better to write about a few things you can reflect on.

I'm interested in applying to dual subject. How should i balance this within my statement?

If you are applying for a course which combines more than one subject, try to give equal attention to all the subjects. You should also try to link them together - how do you think the study of each subject will complement the other? For example, you could comment on the importance of studying law as it relates to businesses. In addition to the personal statement you need to be aware of the subjects required by the Business School at A Level or equivalent qualifications.

Hi, can you tell me the kind of things I should include in my personal statement. I am considering applying for MORSE.

Thanks for the question. Your Personal Statement should be about why you want to study this subject at university. We usually suggest that students focus about 75% on the subject and 25% on other interests, but try to relate everything you do to the course itself. However, we know that Warwick is one of the few places to run MORSE, so it's likely that applicants also apply for other related courses at other universities such as Statistics or Maths. So in the Personal Statement for MORSE we are not looking for you to explain in detail why you want to study this course at Warwick. We are just looking for a general interest in and commitment to studying Maths and Statistics.

Other interests? do you mean work experience - as I haven't really done anything relevant

Other interests could be work experience, hobbies, sports, anything you are involved in outside of the school curriculum.

I'm studying on the IB programme. Would you accept me?

The IB is a qualification we see regularly. If you look at our website and choose the course you are interested in, it will give you a typical offer for the IB.

I am a student studying CBSE curriculum. Does Warwick accept a lot of students with this educational background?

We see the CBSE Class 12 qualification regularly and most of our courses hold a typical offer for this exam.

If I decide not to apply to Warwick can I attend on a study abroad placement ?

We have an Study Abroad programme. If you look at our website (www.warwick.ac.uk/studyabroad ) it will give details and information for student who want to study here but are on a course elsewhere.

How many places do you have available for international students for MORSE - what is the split between UK and international?

The overall intake for the Statistics department each year is around 70 Home/EU students and around 70 international students. So the split is equal, although this may vary each year.

Is it fine to mention personal reading in the introduction in addition to other information or does personal reading have to be towards the end of the personal statement?

It is fine to mention personal reading at any point within the Personal Statement. There is no formula for how the Personal Statement should be structured. However, it IS important that student REFLECT on the reading they have done. For example, it is better to write about one or two books, reflect on the arguments within these books, say what you agree with and disagree with, etc., than to simply give a long list of books.

I am very interested to apply for your Biomedical Sciences UG Degree! I have already made a draft of my statement of purpose but I'm not sure if I have covered everything a good personal statement requires. If you could kindly let me know of any particular pointers you could give me that could help my statement of purpose become more impressive??

The main thing we are looking for in the Personal Statement is a genuine interest in and commitment to the course. You don't need to impress us :) Just tell us why you want to study the course - why you are interested, what aspects of the course are important to you, what you have done or read which has helped you come to the decision to study this subject at university.

I understand that this live chat is about ucas and personal statement do you have any helpful tip for Mathematics or Finance?

For subjects like Maths and MORSE, the most important thing is that you achieve the grades required for these subjects. The Personal Statement is more important for courses in the Business School, like Accounting and Finance.

What is the best time to apply?

The UCAS deadline is 15th January. All applications received by that date will be given equal consideration. There is no advantage to applying early.

I looking at applying to the politics department. I wanted to write a quotation from Martin Luther King in my statement, as I have found him very influential. Would this be ok?

It's fine to use quotes in your Personal Statement. However, you should make this relevant to yourself and to the course, and reflect on why this is an important quote for you.

I've heard that usually the first few lines of a Personal Statement should be very attention grabbing and I feel mine doesn't exactly meet that requirement as of now. Also I have heard that mentioning too many achievements in a Personal Statement is not a very good idea as it could come across as 'blowing your own trumpet'! However in order to substantiate my academic strengths and to portray why I am the right candidate, I was eager to mention the fact that I have won an award in school for 7 years of consecutive academic excellence. Would that be okay?

It's fine to mention these achievements. However, as I mentioned, a list of achievements by itself doesn't tell us that much. In the Personal Statement we want to hear about YOU and why you want to study the course.

Are all applications followed by an interview?

Only a few courses (e.g. Theatre and English Literature) have interviews. Most courses do not interview. For courses which do offer interviews we arrange an alternative for overseas students, such as a written task or telephone interview.

I'm curious about how much of the personal statement should be allocated to academic achievements and extra-curricular activties versus personal info including interests, hobbies, etc.

We normally suggest about 75% of the Personal Statement should focus on your interest in the course, and 25% on extra-curricular activities. However, you should try to relate everything - including extra-curricular activities - to your interest in the subject.

Regarding the extra-curricular activities, up to how many years back would be considered relevant?

There's no limit really, but obviously things which you have done recently or are still involved with are more relevant.