Using mind-maps to complete the UCAS personal statement
- Aug 18, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 22
This is just a snippet from The Parents' Guide to University. If you’d like the full version, with clear, up-to-date advice, practical tips and actions you can take at home, click below.
Read the full guide: The Parents' Guide to University
If your teen is planning on applying to university, they'll need to complete a personal statement as part of their application. This is like a short advert that lets your teen showcase why they would make a great student. It includes all the things they've done, inside and outside school, that prove to the university they're ideal to be accepted as an undergraduate. They're allowed about 500 words.
Why mind-maps help them complete the UCAS personal statement
Most students find that starting their personal statement is the hardest part. If your child is struggling to get motivated, encourage them to make a list of everything they might want to include, without worrying whether it'll make the final version.
A good way to start is to break the content into more manageable chunks. This makes it less daunting and might even help them structure it. Try using mind-maps, notes, spider diagrams or bullet points (whatever works best for your child) to help them put pen to paper and get the ideas flowing. We've included an example of our personal statement mind-map below.
How mind-maps work
Work through each bubble in our mind-map above. Get your teen to list some bullet points where they have something to say (and tick off that bubble), then highlight the bubbles where there's nothing to say.
Don’t panic if your child’s list is looking quite thin. It's okay not to have done everything, but if there are lots of empty bubbles, they may need to broaden their experience by trying different hobbies and interests.
How to make their personal statement impressive
There are plenty of things they can do during evenings, weekends and school holidays to have something to say and stand out from others. This isn't about achieving miracles in a short space of time; it's about them working out their likes and dislikes by trying different things, which helps build their character. Need inspiration? We've got lots of ideas in The Parents' Guide to Developing Skills and Character. Whatever your teen's personality, there's always something they can explore and enjoy.
Writing their personal statement
Once your teen has listed plenty of ideas, it's time to work out how to structure the statement. It's important to write it according to the new UCAS guidelines, and we'll take you through it step by step if you'd like to know more.
When the first draft is finished, your teen should share it with others for feedback. This might be friends, family, teachers, or anyone who knows them well. The idea is to see whether what they've written is a good reflection of them and includes all their strengths. It's amazing how differently we see ourselves from the way others see us; quite often we don't notice the very characteristics other people find impressive. Don't let them skip this step, even if they're a bit shy.
Your teen should write several drafts before submitting the final version, which is why it pays to start early.
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