uk essay requirements

How To Write Your Undergraduate Personal Statement

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Filling in your application
Staying safe online
How to write a personal statement that works for multiple courses
Fraud and similarity
How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber

How to end your personal statement

Introducing the personal statement tool
Personal statement dos and don'ts

What to include in a personal statement

Using AI and ChatGPT to help you with your personal statement
Using your personal statement beyond a university application
Carers, estranged students, refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain
Personal statement guides
References for mature students

What's on this page?

What’s a personal statement, preparing to write your personal statement, how to open your personal statement, your personal skills and achievements, work experience and future plans.

An undergraduate personal statement is a chance to get noticed for the unique talents and experiences you have. It’s an important part of the application process as it’s an opportunity to talk about yourself and your passions, outside of your grades.

In this article, we’re going to talk you through how to write an undergraduate personal statement that stands out, without leaving you feeling overwhelmed.

Chloe Ng, HE Career Coach, Manchester Metropolitan University

You’ll have heard the saying preparation is key, and that’s no different when you’re tackling your personal statement. There are two things to think about when you’re planning. The practical and factual information you need to get across, and the more emotional, human parts of you that make you different to everyone else.

Before you start writing, take some time to think about the key things you’d want an admissions tutor to know about you, and get them down on paper. Don’t worry too much about making your notes perfect – this is more about making sure you know why you should be offered a place.

You can also look at the course description as this’ll help you with what to include and give you a good idea of what each uni is looking for.

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Here are a few questions you can answer to help you get started:.

Why have you chosen this course?
What excites you about the subject?
Is my previous or current study relevant to the course?
Have you got any work experience that might help you?
What life experiences have you had that you could talk about?
What achievements are you proud of?
What skills do you have that make you perfect for the course?
What plans and ambitions do you have for your future career?

Admissions Tutors will be reading a lot of personal statements so it’s important to grab their attention right from the start.

Remember, it can only be 4,000 characters, which is about two sides of A4. So, you’ll need to use your words wisely to fit everything in.

You can find a full guide on How to start a personal statement: the attention grabber , but here are the main things to think about .

Don’t overthink the opening. Just start by showing your enthusiasm for the subject, showcasing your knowledge and understanding, and sharing your ambitions of what you want to achieve.
Avoid cliches! Remember, this opening part is simply about introducing yourself, so let the admissions tutor reading your personal statement get to know you.
Keep it relevant and simple. You’re limited on how much you can include so avoid long-winded explanations. Why use 20 words when 10 can make your point?

Annabell Price, L’Oréal degree apprentice (Professional Products Division)

Next, you’ll need to write about your personal skills and achievements. Universities like to know the abilities you have that’ll help you on the course, or generally with life at university.

Don’t forget to include evidence to back up why you’re so excited about the course(s) you’ve chosen.

Be bold and talk about the achievements you’re proud of.
Include positions of responsibility you hold, or have held, both in and out of school.
What are the things that make you interesting, special, or unique?

Your work experience and future plans are important to include. You should share details of jobs, placements, work experience, or voluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to your course.

Try to link any experience to skills or qualities that’ll make you successful.
If you know what you’d like to do after as a career, explain how you plan to use the knowledge and experience that you’ll gain to launch your career.

It’s always good to connect the beginning of your statement to the end and a great way to reinforce what you said at the start.

You want to see the ending as your chance to finish in a way that’ll make the admissions tutor remember you.

This final part of your personal statement should emphasise the great points you’ve already made and answer the question of why you should be offered a place on the course.

Read our full guide on How to finish your statement the right way.

The personal statement tool image

Don’t be tempted to copy or share your statement.

UCAS scans all personal statements through a similarity detection system to compare them with previous statements.

Any similarity greater than 30% will be flagged and we'll inform the universities and colleges to which you have applied.

Find out more

Want to read more.

Check out our full list of Personal Statement Dos and Don’ts

See how you can use a personal statement beyond a university application

Now you’ve written your undergraduate personal statement, you’ll need to do a couple of final things before you submit it.

Have you proofread it?

Don’t just rely on spellcheckers. We’d recommend reading it out loud as that’s a great way to spot any errors as well as checking it sounds like you.

Have you asked for feedback?

Ask friends, family or a careers advisor to have a read through your personal statement and take their feedback on board.

Want more advice on your personal statement? Use the links below.

More advice

Use the UCAS’ personal statement tool alongside this guide to help you structure your ideas. Are you interested in how you can turn you Personal Statement into your CV? Read our advice here

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Academic writing: a practical guide

Academic writing
The writing process
Academic writing style
Structure & cohesion
Criticality in academic writing
Working with evidence
Referencing
Assessment & feedback
Dissertations
Reflective writing
Examination writing
Academic posters
Feedback on Structure and Organisation
Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
Feedback on Referencing and Research
Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Showing your understanding of a topic and the critical arguments that relate to it.

What are essays?

Most degree programmes include essays. They are the most common form of written assignment and so for most students, being good at essays is essential to gaining good marks, which lead to good grades, which lead to the degree classification desired. Essays are both a particular method of writing and a collection of sub-skills that students need to master during degree studies.

Find out more:

Essays: a Conceptual and Practical Guide [interactive tutorial] | Essays: a Conceptual and Practical Guide [Google Doc]

General essay writing

You have an essay to write... what next .

Read the assessment brief carefully to find out what the essay is about, what you are required to do specifically. What instructions are you given (discuss, explain, explore)? What choices do you need to make?
Work through the practical guide to essays above. This will help you to think about what an essay is and what is required of you.
Look at the assignment writing process . How will you produce your essay?
Make a plan for when, where, and how you will research, think, draft, and write your essay.
Execute your plan .
Finish early. Leave a couple of spare days at the end to edit and proofread .
Hand it in and move on to the next challenge!

Features of essay writing

Essays vary lots between disciplines and specific tasks, but they share several features that are important to bear in mind.

They are an argument towards a conclusion. The conclusion can be for or against a position, or just a narrative conclusion. All your writing and argumentation should lead to this conclusion.
They have a reader. It is essential that you show the logic of your argument and the information it is based on to your reader.
They are based on evidence . You must show this using both your referencing and also through interacting with the ideas and thinking found within the sources you use.
They have a structure. You need to ensure your structure is logical and that it matches the expectations of your department. You should also ensure that the structure enables the reader to follow your argument easily.
They have a word limit. 1000 words means 'be concise and make decisions about exactly what is important to include' whereas 3500 words means 'write in more depth, and show the reader a more complex and broad range of critical understanding'.
They are part of a discipline/subject area, each of which has conventions . For example, Chemistry requires third person impersonal writing, whereas Women's Studies requires the voice (meaning experiential viewpoint) of the author in the writing.

Types of essay

Each essay task is different and consequently the information below is not designed to be a substitute for checking the information for your specific essay task. It is essential that you check the assessment brief, module handbook and programme handbook, as well as attend any lectures, seminars and webinars devoted to the essay you are working on.

Essays in each subject area belong to a faculty (science, social sciences, arts and Humanities). Essays within the same faculty tend to share some features of style, structure, language choice, and scholarly practices. Please click through to the section relevant to your faculty area and if you want to be curious, the other ones too!

Arts & Humanities essays

Arts and Humanities is a faculty that includes a huge range of subject areas, from Music to Philosophy. Study in the arts and humanities typically focuses on products of the human mind, like music, artistic endeavour, philosophical ideas, and literary productions. This means that essays in the arts and humanities are typically exploring ideas, or interpreting the products of thinking (such as music, art, literature).

There are a range of essay writing styles in arts and humanities, and each subject area has its own conventions and expectations, which are explained and built into modules within each degree programme. Typically, each essay explores an idea, using critical engagement with source material, to produce an argument.

There is typically more reliance on the interpretation of ideas and evidence by the student than in the sciences and social sciences. For the student, the challenge is to understand and control the ideas in each essay, producing a coherent and logical argument that fulfils the essay brief. As with all essays, careful structure, word choices, and language use are essential to succeeding.

Department-specific advice for essays in Arts and Humanities

Some departments provide web-based advice:

English and Related Literature essay writing advice pages
Philosophy essay writing advice pages
Music Department 'House Style' guidance for essay writing
Language and Linguistic Science style guide

If your department does not appear above, do ask your supervisor or other academic staff what specific guidance is available.

Key Features of Arts and Humanities essays

They are based on evidence . It is important that ideas used in essays are derived from credible and usable sources to root your essay in the scholarly materials of the subject that you are writing about.
There is usually a thesis statement. This appears towards the end of your introductory paragraph, concisely outlining the purpose and the main argument of the essay. It is short (once sentence), concise, and precise. Though the essay may have multiple sub-arguments, all must tie into the thesis statement. This means it is important to know, state and stick to the primary focus set out in your thesis statement.
They require you to interpret evidence. It is unlikely that you will find a source that directly answers the essay question set. You will typically be required to interpret primary and secondary evidence. Primary evidence includes the manuscript of a novel, or a letter describing an historical event. Secondary evidence includes academic books and peer reviewed articles.
They require you to apply ideas. Many essays will ask you to apply an abstract idea to a scenario, or interpretation of something. For example, you could be asked to apply a Marxist ideology upon Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights or Post-Colonialist theories upon Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Essays vary greatly in terms of length, required depth of thinking and purpose. You must carefully read the assessment brief and any supporting materials provided to you. It is also important to complete formative tasks that prepare you for an essay, as these will help you to become use to the requirements of the summative essay.
They must show criticality. When interpreting evidence, or applying ideas in your essay you must be aware that there is more than one possible understanding. Through exploring multiple sources and showing the limits and interconnectedness of ideas you show criticality. More information on criticality can be found on the Criticality page of this guide .

Example extract of an arts and humanities essay

Essay Title: Liturgical expression and national identity during the reign of Æthelred the Unready

This essay is from English studies and shows typical features of an arts and humanities essay. It is examining two ideas, namely 'national identity' and 'liturgical expression' and applying them both to a period of history. The essay does this by analysing linguistic choices, using interpretation from the literature base to create an argument that addresses the essay title.

It also has the feature of the student using sources of evidence to offer an interpretation that may disagree with some published sources. This use of evidence to create an argument that is novel to the student and requires interpretation of ideas is typical of arts and humanities writing. '"engla God", these liturgical verses themselves both signify and enact a ritualised unity with God.' is an example from the essay extract that shows the careful language choices used to create a concise and precise argument that clearly conveys complex thought to the reader from the author.

One way of thinking about a good arts and humanities essay is that it is like you are producing a garment from threads. The overall piece has a shape that people can recognise and understand, and each word, like each stitch, builds the whole piece slowly, whilst some key threads, like core ideas in your argument, run through the whole to hold it all together. It is the threading together of the strands of argument that determines the quality of the final essay, just as the threading of strands in a garment determine the quality of the final piece.

Good arts and humanities essay writing is...

Based on evidence sources,
built on the interpretation and application of ideas, evidence and theories,
a clearly expressed, logical argument that addresses the essay question,
carefully constructed to guide the reader in a logical path from the introduction to the conclusion,
filled with carefully chosen language to precisely and accurately convey ideas and interpretations to the reader,
built on rigorous, careful and close analysis of ideas,
constructed using careful evaluation of the significance of each idea and concept used,
readable, meaning it is clear and logical, using clearly understandable English,
rewarded with high marks.

Common mistakes in arts and humanities essay writing

Not answering the question posed. It is very easy to answer the question you wished had been asked, or drift away from the question during your writing. Keep checking back to the question to ensure you are still focussed and make a clear plan before writing.
Moving beyond the evidence. You are required to interpret ideas and evidence that exist, this requires some application and novelty, but should not be making up new ideas/knowledge to make your argument work; your writing must be rooted in evidence.
Using complex and long words where simpler word choices would convey meaning more clearly. Think of the reader.
Leaving the reader to draw their own conclusion s, or requiring the reader to make assumptions. They must be able to see your thinking clearly on the page.
Using lots of direct quotes . There are times when using quotes is important to detail lines from a novel for example, but you need to use them carefully and judiciously, so that most of your writing is based on your use of sources, for which you gain credit.

Social Science essays

Social Sciences, as the name suggests, can be thought of as an attempt to use a 'scientific method' to investigate social phenomena. There is a recognition that applying the strict rules of the level of proof required in science subjects is not appropriate when studying complex social phenomena. But, there is an expectation of as much rigour as is possible to achieve in each investigation.

Consequently, there is a huge variation in the types of essays that can be found within the social sciences. An essay based on the carbon dating of human remains within Archaeology is clearly very different from an essay based on the application of an ethical framework in Human Resources Management. The former is likely to be much more like a science essay, whilst the latter may edge towards a Philosophy essay, which is part of arts and humanities.

Key features of social science essays

They are evidence-based. It is crucial to use the evidence in a way that shows you understand how significant the evidence used is.
They require interpretation of evidence . By its nature, evidence in social sciences may be less definite than in sciences, and so interpretation is required. When you interpret evidence, this too must be based on evidence, rather than personal opinion or personal observation.
They often require the application of abstract theories to real-world scenarios . The theories are 'clean and clear' and the real world is 'messy and unclear'; the skill of the student is to make plausible judgements. For example,
The level of detail and breadth of knowledge that must be displayed varies greatly, depending on the length of the essay. 1000 word essays need concise wording and for the student to limit the breadth of knowledge displayed in order to achieve the depth needed for a high mark. Conversely, 5000 word essays require both breadth and depth of knowledge.
They should show criticality. This means you need to show uncertainty in the theories and ideas used, and how ideas and theories interact with others. You should present counter-facts and counter-arguments and use the information in the literature base to reach supported conclusions and judgements.

Example extract of a social science essay

Essay Title: Who Gets What in Education and is that Fair?

Education in the western world has historically favoured men in the regard that women were essentially denied access to it for no other reason than their gender (Trueman,2016) and even though it would seem there is certainly “equality on paper” (Penny, 2010,p1.) when looking at statistics for achievement and gender, the reality is that the struggles facing anyone who does not identify as male require a little more effort to recognise. An excellent example of this can be found in the 2014 OECD report. In the UK women significantly outnumbered men in their application for university places- 376,860 women to 282,170 men (ICEF,2014)- but when observed closer men are applying for places at higher ranking universities and often studying in fields that will eventually allow them to earn better salaries. The same report praised women for the ability to combine their studies with family life and having higher aspirations than boys and therefore likely as being more determined to obtain degrees (ICEF, 2014), yet in reality women have very little choice about coping with the stressful burdens placed on them. The concepts of double burden and triple shift where women are expected to deal with housework and earning an income, or housework, raising children and earning an income (Einhorn, 1993) could in this case relate to the pressure for women to work hard at school to allow them to be able to provide for their families in future. Even women who do not necessarily have their own families or children to care for must face the double burden and triple shift phenomenon in the workplace, as women who work in the higher education sector almost always have the duty of a more pastoral and caring role of their students than male counterparts (Morley,1994).

Education is a social science subject. Some studies within it follow a scientific method of quantitative data collection, whilst others are more qualitative, and others still are more theoretical. In the case of this extract it is about gendered effects in university applications. This is an inevitably complex area to write about, intersecting as it does with social class, economic status, social norms, cultural history, political policy... To name but a few.

The essay is clearly based on evidence, which in places in numerical and in places is derived from previously written papers, such as 'triple shift where women are expected to deal with housework and earning an income, or housework, raising children and earning an income (Einhorn, 1993)', where the concept of triple shift is derived from the named paper. It is this interleaving of numerical and concrete facts with theoretical ideas that have been created and/or observed that is a typical feature in social sciences. In this case, the author has clearly shown the reader where the information is from and has 'controlled' the ideas to form a narrative that is plausible and evidence-based.

When compared to science writing, it can appear to be more wordy and this is largely due to the greater degree of interpretation that is required to use and synthesise complex ideas and concepts that have meanings that are more fluid and necessarily less precise than many scientific concepts.

Good social science essay writing is...

filled with clearly articulated thinking from the mind of the author,
well structured to guide the reader through the argument or narrative being created,
focussed on answering the question or addressing the task presented,
filled with carefully chosen evaluative language to tell the reader what is more and less significant,
readable - sounds simple, but is difficult to achieve whilst remaining precise,

Common mistakes in social science essay writing

Speculating beyond the limits of the evidence presented . It is important to limit your interpretation to that which is supported by existing evidence. This can be frustrating, but is essential.
Using complex words where simpler ones will do. It is tempting to try to appear 'clever' by using 'big words', but in most cases, the simplest form of writing something is clearer. Your aim is to clearly communicate with the reader.
Giving your personal opinion - this is rarely asked for or required.
Not answering the question or fulfilling the task . This is possibly the most common error and largely comes from letting one's own ideas infect the essay writing process.
Not being critical. You need to show the limits of the ideas used, how they interact, counter-arguments and include evaluation and analysis of the ideas involved. If you find yourself being descriptive, ask why.
Using lots of direct quotes, particularly in first year writing . Quotes should be rare and used carefully because they are basically photocopying. Use your words to show you have understood the concepts involved.

Science essays

Science essays are precise, logical and strictly evidence-based pieces of writing. They employ cautious language to accurately convey the level of certainty within the scientific understanding that is being discussed and are strictly objective. This means that the author has to make the effort to really understand the meaning and significance of the science being discussed.

In a science essay, your aim is to summarise and critically evaluate existing knowledge in the field. If you're doing your own research and data collection, that will be written up in a report instead.

The skill of the student is to thread together the ideas and facts they have read in a logical order that addresses the task set. When judgements are made they must be justified against the strength and significance of the theories, findings, and ideas being used. Generally, the student should not be undertaking their own interpretation of the results and facts, but instead be using those of others to create a justifiable narrative.

Example extract of a science essay

Essay title: To what extent has Ungerleider and Mishkin’s notion of separate ‘what’ and ‘where’ pathways been vindicated by neuropsychological research?

Van Polanen & Davare (2015) showed that the dorsal stream and ventral streams are not strictly independent, but do interact with each other. Interactions between dorsal and ventral streams are important for controlling complex object-oriented hand movements, especially skilled grasp. Anatomical studies have reported the existence of direct connections between dorsal and ventral stream areas. These physiological interconnections appear to gradually more active as the precision demands of the grasp become higher.

However, cognition is a dynamic process, and a flexible interactive system is required to coordinate and modulate activity across cortical networks to enable the adaptation of processing to meet variable task demands. The clear division of the dorsal and ventral processing streams is artificial, resulting from experimental situations, which do not reflect processing within the natural environment (Weiller et al., 2011). Most successful execution of visual behaviours require the complex collaboration and seamless integration of processing between the two systems.

Cloutman (2013) had stated that dorsal and ventral streams can be functionally connected in three regards: (1) the independent processing account – where they remain separate but terminate on the same brain area, (2) the feedback account – where feedback loops from locations downstream on one pathway is constantly providing input to the other and (3) the continuous cross-talk account – where information is transferred to and from the system constantly when processing.

Indeed, the authors found that there were numerous anatomical cross-connections between the two pathways, most notably between inferior parietal and inferior temporal areas. For example, ventral regions TE and TEO have been found to have extensive connectivity with dorsal stream areas, demonstrating direct projections with areas including V3A, MT, MST, FST and LIP (Baizer et al., 1991; Disler et al., 1993).

The first obvious comment is that it is not going to win a prize for literary entertainment! The writing is what one might call 'dry'. This is because it is good scientific writing. It is clearly evidence-based, and is explaining complex interrelationships in a way that is clear, leaves little for the reader to assume and that uses carefully graded language to show the significance of each fact.

The language choices are carefully aligned with the strength of the evidence that is used. For example, 'have been found to have extensive interconnectivity' is graded to convey that many connections have been detailed in the evidence presented. Similarly, 'Most successful execution of visual behaviours require the complex collaboration' is graded carefully to convey meaning to the reader, derived from the evidence used. The sample displays many examples of controlled word choices that leave the reader in no doubt regarding the meaning they are to take from reading the piece. This concise, controlled, evidence-based and carefully considered writing is typical of that found in the science essays.

Good science essay writing is...

evidence-based,
cohesive due to language choices,
well-structured to help the reader follow the ideas,
carefully planned,
filled with carefully chosen evaluative and analytical language,
rewarded with high grades.

Common mistakes in science essay writing

The most common mistake is a lack of accuracy in the language used to convey meaning. This can be due to inadequate reading or a lack of understanding of the subject matter, or alternatively, due to not giving sufficient care to word choice. 'Increased greatly' is different to 'increased', which is different again to 'increased significantly'; it is very important that you understand what you are writing about in enough detail that you can accurately convey an understanding of it accurately to the reader.
Trying to put 'you' into the essay. It is highly unlikely that you will be required to refer to your own viewpoints, opinions or lived experience within scientific essay writing. Science is impersonal, it deals in fact, and so you are a third person, impersonal author who is interpreting and curating facts and knowledge into an essay that makes sense to the reader.
Going beyond the facts. It is rare that you will be asked to speculate in a science essay. When you are, you will be asked to extrapolate from known understanding in the relevant literature. Stick to the facts and to their meaning and significance.
Not placing understanding in context . Each scientific idea sits within a bigger discipline and interacts with other ideas. When you write about ideas, you need to acknowledge this, unless you are specifically told to only focus on one idea. An example would be genomics of viral pathogens, which is currently a much discussed area of activity. This sits within public health, virology, and genomics disciplines, to name a few. Depending on how it is to be written about, you may need to acknowledge one or more of these larger areas.

Using evidence in essays

Sources of evidence are at the heart of essay writing. You need sources that are both usable and credible, in the specific context of your essay.

A good starting point is often the materials used in the module your essay is attached to. You can then work outwards into the wider field of study as you develop your thinking, and seek to show critical analysis, critical evaluation and critical thought in your essay.

Discover more about using evidence in your assignments:

Structuring an essay

Clear structure is a key element of an effective essay. This requires careful thought and you to make choices about the order the reader needs the information to be in.

These resources contain advice and guides to help you structure your work:

You can use these templates to help develop the structure of your essay.

Go to File > Make a copy... to create your own version of the template that you can edit.

Structuring essay introductions

Play this tutorial in full screen

Explain the different functions that can be fulfilled by an introduction.
Provide examples of introductions from the Faculties of Social Sciences, Sciences, and Arts and Humanities.
Evaluating your own introductions.
Matching elements of an introduction to a description of their purpose.
Highlighting where evidence is used to support elements of the introduction.
Highlighting how introductions can make clear links to the essay question.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

In this section, you will learn about the functions and key components of an essay introduction.

An introduction can fulfill the functions below. These often move from a broad overview of the topic in context to a narrow focus on the scope of the discussion, key terms and organisational structure.

Click on each function to reveal more.

It can establish the overall topic and explain the relevance and significance of the essay question to that topic
What is the topic?
Why is the essay question worth exploring? Why is the essay worth reading?
How is it relevant to wider / important / current debates in the field?
It can briefly explain the background and context and define the scope of the discussion
Is it helpful to mention some background, historical or broader factors to give the reader some context?
Is the discussion set in a particular context (geographical; political; economic; social; historical; legal)?
Does the essay question set a particular scope or are you going to narrow the scope of the discussion?
It can highlight key concepts or ideas
Are the key concepts or ideas contentious or open to interpretation?
Will the key concepts need to be defined and explained?
It can signpost the broad organisational structure of the essay
Indicate what you will cover and a brief overview of the structure of your essay
points made should be supported by evidence
clear links should be made to the question

Note: Introductions may not cover all of these elements, and they may not be covered in this order.

Useful Link: See the University of Manchester’s Academic Phrasebank for useful key phrases to introduce work.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

In this activity, you will review and evaluate introductions you have written, identifying areas for improvement.

Find some examples of introductions you have written for essays.

Which of the features do they use?
Are any elements missing?
How might you improve them?

For the following tasks, you will be using an example introduction from one of the following three faculties. Select a faculty to use an introduction from a corresponding subject.

In this activity, you will look at examples of introductions, identifying key features and their purpose.

Here is an example question:

Sociology: Examine some of the factors that influence procrastination in individuals, exploring and evaluating their impact. Identify an area(s) for future research, justifying your choice.

And here is a sample introduction written for this question:

Procrastination is a complex concept which manifests itself in different types of behaviour yet is experienced by individuals universally. A useful definition of procrastination is ‘the voluntary delay of important, necessary, and intended action despite knowing there will be negative consequences for this delay’ (Ferrari and Tice, 2000, Sirois and Pychyl, 2013 cited in Sirois and Giguère, 2018). The influences on procrastination are multi-faceted, which makes their study incredibly challenging. Researchers are now producing a body of work dedicated to procrastination; including meta-analyses such as those by Varvaricheva (2010) and Smith (2015). Influences on procrastination can be considered in two categories, factors with external, environmental, sources and factors with internal sources due to individual differences. However, these external and environmental categories are not completely independent of one another and this essay will seek to explore the complexities of this interdependence. This essay will discuss how different factors influence individual procrastination, by first examining how gender, age and personality affect the procrastination trait under internal factors, before discussing the external factors; how task aversiveness, deadlines and the internet affect procrastination behavioural outcomes. This will be followed by a brief exploration of how the two interact. Finally there a number of gaps in the literature, which suggest avenues for future research.

Click on the Next arrow to match each section of this introduction with a description of its purpose.

Procrastination is a complex concept which manifests itself in different types of behaviour yet is experienced by individuals universally.

Signposts the broad organisational structure of the essay

Narrows the topic and explains its relevance or significance to current debates

Defines the scope of the discussion

Establishes the topic and explains its broad significance

Defines key concepts

That's not the right answer

Have another go.

Yes, that's the right answer!

A useful definition of procrastination is ‘the voluntary delay of important, necessary, and intended action despite knowing there will be negative consequences for this delay’ (Ferrari and Tice, 2000, Sirois and Pychyl, 2013 cited in Sirois and Giguère, 2018).

The influences on procrastination are multi-faceted, which makes their study incredibly challenging. Researchers are now producing a body of work dedicated to procrastination; including meta-analyses such as those by Varvaricheva (2010) and Smith (2015).

Influences on procrastination can be considered in two categories, factors with external, environmental, sources and factors with internal sources due to individual differences. However, these external and environmental categories are not completely independent of one another and this essay will seek to explore the complexities of this interdependence.

This essay will discuss how different factors influence individual procrastination, by first examining how gender, age and personality affect the procrastination trait under internal factors, before discussing the external factors; how task aversiveness, deadlines and the internet affect procrastination behavioural outcomes. This will be followed by a brief exploration of how the two interact. Finally there a number of gaps in the literature, which suggest avenues for future research.

In this activity, you will identify how introductions make links to the question.

Here is the question again:

Click to highlight the places where the introduction below links closely to the question.

Have another go. You can remove the highlighting on sections by clicking on them again.

Those are the parts of the introduction that link closely to the question.

In this activity, you will consider how introductions make use of supporting evidence.

Define key concepts
Establish the topic and explain its relevance or significance

Click to highlight the places where the introduction below supports points with evidence .

Those are the parts of the introduction that use evidence to support points.

Congratulations! You've made it through the introduction!

Click on the icon at the bottom to restart the tutorial.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Nursing: Drawing on your own experiences and understanding gained from the module readings, discuss and evaluate the values, attributes and behaviours of a good nurse.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) (2015) Code states that a nurse must always put the care of patients first, be open and honest, and be empathic towards patients and their families. Student nurses are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the need for these key skills even at the interview stage and then gain the experiences to develop certain fundamental attributes, values and behaviours in order to advance through the stages of nursing. This assignment will highlight a variety of values, attributes and behaviours a good nurse should have, focusing on courage in particular. Views of courage from political, professional, and social perspectives will be considered, alongside a comparison between the attribute courage and a student nurse’s abilities. This will be demonstrated using observations from practice, appropriate theorists such as Sellman (2011), Lachman (2010) and philosophers including Aristotle and Ross (2011).

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) (2015) Code states that a nurse must always put the care of patients first, be open and honest, and be empathic towards patients and their families.

Explains the context to the discussion, with reference to the workplace

Defines the scope of the discussion by narrowing it

Defines relevant key concepts or ideas

Student nurses are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the need for these key skills even at the interview stage and then gain the experiences to develop certain fundamental attributes, values and behaviours in order to advance through the stages of nursing.

This assignment will highlight a variety of values, attributes and behaviours a good nurse should have, focusing on courage in particular.

Views of courage from political, professional, and social perspectives will be considered, alongside a comparison between the attribute courage and a student nurse’s abilities. This will be demonstrated using observations from practice, appropriate theorists such as Sellman (2011), Lachman (2010) and philosophers including Aristotle and Ross (2011).

Define relevant key concepts or ideas
Signpost the broad organisational structure of the essay, making a clear link to the question

Archaeology: Explain some of the ways in which Star Carr has been re-interpreted since the initial discovery in the 1940s. Briefly evaluate how the results of recent excavations further dramatically affect our understanding of this site.

Star Carr has become the ‘best known’ Mesolithic site in Britain (Conneller, 2007, 3), in part because of its high levels of artefact preservation due to waterlogging, as the site was once on the Eastern edge of the ancient Lake Flixton, close to a small peninsula (Taylor, 2007). First excavated by Grahame Clark in 1949-51, there was a further invasive investigation in 1985 and 1989, again in 2006-8, and 2010. An impressive haul of artefacts have been excavated over the years, including bone and antler tools, barbed points, flint tools and microliths, and enigmatic red deer frontlets (Milner et al., 2016). Since Clark’s first published report in 1954 there have been numerous re-examinations of the subject, including by Clark himself in 1974. Resulting interpretations of the site have been much debated; it has been classified as ‘in situ settlement, a refuse dump, and the result of culturally prescribed acts of deposition’ (Taylor et al., 2017). This discussion will explore the ways in which the site has been variously re-interpreted during this time period, and consider how more recent study of the site has prompted new perspectives.

Explains the background to the discussion and its significance

Establishes the topic

Explains the scope of the topic and highlights key interpretations

First excavated by Grahame Clark in 1949-51, there was a further invasive investigation in 1985 and 1989, again in 2006-8, and 2010. An impressive haul of artefacts have been excavated over the years, including bone and antler tools, barbed points, flint tools and microliths, and enigmatic red deer frontlets (Milner et al., 2016).

Since Clark’s first published report in 1954 there have been numerous re-examinations of the subject, including by Clark himself in 1974. Resulting interpretations of the site have been much debated; it has been classified as ‘in situ settlement, a refuse dump, and the result of culturally prescribed acts of deposition’ (Taylor et al., 2017).

This discussion will explore the ways in which the site has been variously re-interpreted during this time period, and consider how more recent study of the site has prompted new perspectives.

Establish the topic, explains the background and significance
Explains the significance of the topic
Highlights key interpretations

Structuring essay conclusions

In this section you will consider the different functions a conclusion can fulfil, look at examples of conclusions, and identify key features and their purpose.

• • • • • • • • •

A conclusion can fulfil the functions below. These often move from a narrow focus on the outcomes of the discussion to a broad view of the topic's relevance to the wider context.

Summary of the main points in relation to the question

This might involve restating the scope of the discussion and clarifying if there any limitations of your discussion or of the evidence provided
This may include synthesising the key arguments and weighing up the evidence

Arrive at a judgement or conclusion

Having weighed up the evidence, come to a judgement about the strength of the arguments

Restate the relevance or significance of the topic to the wider context

Make it clear why your conclusions - which are based on your discussion through the essay - are important or significant in relation to wider/current debates in the field

Make recommendations or indicate the direction for further study, if applicable

Recommendations may be for further research or for practice/policy
What further research/investigation would be necessary to overcome the limitations above?
What are the implications of your findings for policy/practice?

Note: Conclusions may not cover all of these elements, and they may not be covered in this order.

Clear links should be made to the question
Do not make new points in the conclusion

Useful Link: See the University of Manchester’s Academic Phrasebank for useful key phrases to conclude work.

• • • • • • • • •

In this activity, you will look at an example conclusion, identifying key features and their purpose.

In this task, you will be using an example conclusion from one of the following three faculties. Select a faculty to use a conclusion from a corresponding subject.

And here is a sample conclusion written for the question:

In conclusion procrastination is a complex psychological phenomenon that is influenced by a number of factors, both internal and external. However it has a hugely multifaceted nature and the factors that influence it are not truly independent of one another. Character traits and the environmental impact on behaviour are interrelated; for example similar procrastination outcomes may arise from a highly conscientious individual in a distracting environment and an individual low in conscientiousness in a non-distracting setting. This means that future studies need to be very considered in their approach to separating, or controlling for, these factors. These further studies are important and urgently needed as the impact of procrastination on society is far-reaching. For instance: individuals delay contributing to a pension, meaning that old age may bring poverty for many; couples put off entering into formal contracts with each other, potentially increasing disputes over child custody and inheritance; and indeed women delay starting a family and increasing age leads to decreased fertility, thus leading to higher societal costs of providing assisted fertilisation. Furthermore one could expand the scope to include the effects on children of being born to older parents (such as risks of inherited genetic defects). These are themselves wide fields of study and are mentioned merely to illustrate the importance of further research. Until the nature of influences on procrastination is fully understood, our development of approaches to reduce procrastination is likely to be hindered.

Click on the Next arrow to match each section of the conclusion with a description of its purpose.

In conclusion procrastination is a complex psychological phenomenon that is influenced by a number of factors, both internal and external.

Synthesises the key arguments and weighs up the evidence

Indicates limitations

Restates the scope of the discussion

Indicates the direction and significance for further study

Summary of the main point in relation to the question

However it has a hugely multifaceted nature and the factors that influence it are not truly independent of one another.

Character traits and the environmental impact on behaviour are interrelated; for example similar procrastination outcomes may arise from a highly conscientious individual in a distracting environment and an individual low in conscientiousness in a non-distracting setting.

This means that future studies need to be very considered in their approach to separating, or controlling for, these factors. These further studies are important and urgently needed as the impact of procrastination on society is far-reaching. For instance: individuals delay contributing to a pension, meaning that old age may bring poverty for many; couples put off entering into formal contracts with each other, potentially increasing disputes over child custody and inheritance; and indeed women delay starting a family and increasing age leads to decreased fertility, thus leading to higher societal costs of providing assisted fertilisation. Furthermore one could expand the scope to include the effects on children of being born to older parents (such as risks of inherited genetic defects). These are themselves wide fields of study and are mentioned merely to illustrate the importance of further research.

Until the nature of influences on procrastination is fully understood, our development of approaches to reduce procrastination is likely to be hindered.

Opportunities for nurses to display courage occur every day, although it is at the nurse’s discretion whether they act courageously or not. As discussed in this assignment, courage is likewise an important attribute for a good nurse to possess and could be the difference between good and bad practice. It is significantly important that nurses speak up about bad practice to minimize potential harm to patients. However nurses do not need to raise concerns in order to be courageous, as nurses must act courageously every day. Professional bodies such as the RCN and NMC recognise that courage is important by highlighting this attribute in the RCN principles. The guidelines for raising concerns unite the attribute courage with the RCN’s principles of nursing practice by improving nurses’ awareness of how to raise concerns. Lachman’s (2010) CODE is an accessible model that modern nurses could use as a strategy to help them when raising concerns. Although students find it difficult to challenge more senior nursing professionals, they could also benefit from learning the acronym to help them as they progress through their career. For nursing students, courage could be seen as a learning development of the ability to confront their fear of personal emotional consequences from participating in what they believe to be the right action. On the whole a range of values, attributes and behaviours are needed in order to be a good nurse, including being caring, honest, compassionate, reliable and professional. These qualities are all important, but courage is an attribute that is widely overlooked for nurses to possess but vitally fundamental.

Arrives at an overall judgement or conclusion

Make recommendations for practice

Professional bodies such as the RCN and NMC recognise that courage is important by highlighting this attribute in the RCN principles. The guidelines for raising concerns unite the attribute courage with the RCN’s principles of nursing practice by improving nurses’ awareness of how to raise concerns. Lachman’s (2010) CODE is an accessible model that modern nurses could use as a strategy to help them when raising concerns.

Although students find it difficult to challenge more senior nursing professionals, they could also benefit from learning the acronym to help them as they progress through their career. For nursing students, courage could be seen as a learning development of the ability to confront their fear of personal emotional consequences from participating in what they believe to be the right action.

On the whole a range of values, attributes and behaviours are needed in order to be a good nurse, including being caring, honest, compassionate, reliable and professional. These qualities are all important, but courage is an attribute that is widely overlooked for nurses to possess but vitally fundamental.

Star Carr is one of the most fascinating and informative Mesolithic sites in the world. What was once considered to be the occasional winter settlement of a group of hunter-gatherer families, now appears to be a site of year-round settlement occupied over centuries. Since its initial discovery and excavation in the late 1940s and early 1950s, a great deal of further data has been collected, altering interpretations made by the primary excavators who pioneered analysis of the site. What once was considered a typical textbook Mesolithic hunting encampment is now theorized to be a site of ritual importance. The site has produced unique findings such as a multitude of barbed points, twenty one antlered headdresses and the earliest known example of a permanent living structure in Britain. These factors will combine to immortalise the site, even when its potential for further research is thoroughly decayed, which tragically could be very soon (Taylor et al. 2010).

Star Carr is one of the most fascinating and informative Mesolithic sites in the world.

Synthesise the main points

Limitations and implications for future research

Restate the significance of the topic to the wider context

What was once considered to be the occasional winter settlement of a group of hunter-gatherer families, now appears to be a site of year-round settlement occupied over centuries. Since its initial discovery and excavation in the late 1940s and early 1950s, a great deal of further data has been collected, altering interpretations made by the primary excavators who pioneered analysis of the site. What once was considered a typical textbook Mesolithic hunting encampment is now theorized to be a site of ritual importance. The site has produced unique findings such as a multitude of barbed points, twenty one antlered headdresses and the earliest known example of a permanent living structure in Britain.

These factors will combine to immortalise the site, even when its potential for further research is thoroughly decayed, which tragically could be very soon (Taylor et al. 2010).

Congratulations! You've made it through the conclusion!

Click on the icon below to restart the tutorial.

• • • • • • • • •

Other support for essay writing

Online resources.

The general writing pages of this site offer guidance that can be applied to all types of writing, including essays. Also check your department guidance and VLE sites for tailored resources.

Other useful resources for essay writing:

Appointments and workshops

There is lots of support and advice for essay writing. This is likely to be in your department, and particularly from your academic supervisor and module tutors, but there is also central support, which you can access using the links below.

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Last Updated: Jun 4, 2024 10:44 AM
URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing

University of Kentucky

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Freshman Admission Checklist

Here's what we need.

In order for the Office of Undergraduate Admission to make an admission decision, UK must receive a completed application. This includes the online application and supporting material.

Most undergraduate majors at UK permit a student to be directly admitted to their program (or with a pre-major designation) as part of the general undergraduate admission process. However, some colleges and programs at UK require an admission process separate from general undergraduate admission to the University.

Learn about Selective Majors and Programs

Application

You can apply via UK Application for Undergraduate Admission or Common App .

We use our essays to get to know potential students like you and see a small glimpse of your personality. Here are our 2024-25 essay prompts; choose your favorite from the list below and write a draft now so you are prepared when you start your application.

Describe a topic, idea or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Discuss an accomplishment, event or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt or one of your own design.
Some students have a background, identity, interest or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Transcripts (with Pre-College Curriculum)

Please request that your high school send an official high school transcript to UK. This transcript should reflect grades through at least six semesters of high school work. If you are a high school graduate, submit a complete official transcript including the date of graduation.

Incoming freshmen should have the high school preparation necessary for academic success at the college level. To be eligible for consideration at UK, an applicant must have successfully completed the following high school courses as a minimum:

English/Language Arts – 4 credits

English I, II, III, IV

Mathematics – 3 credits

Algebra I, Geometry, or more rigorous courses in mathematics

Science – 3 credits

Biology I, Chemistry I, Physics I or life science, physical science and earth/space science (at least one lab course)

Social Studies – 3 credits

From U.S. History, Economics, Government, World Geography and World Civilization (or comparable courses)

Foreign Language – 2 credits (recommended)

Two credits in the same foreign language or demonstrated competency

Health – 1/2 credit

Physical Education – 1/2 credit

History and Appreciation of Visual, Performing Arts – 1 credit

History and appreciation of visual and performing arts or another arts course that incorporates such content

Electives – 7 credits

Recommended strongly: one or more courses that develop computer literacy

High school graduates from states other than Kentucky may follow pre-college curriculum requirements (college prep courses) from their state of residence.

A total of 24 credits or more must be completed in high school. Applicants should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission for information concerning exceptions to this policy.

Non-refundable Application Processing Fee

Pay $50 ($60 international applicants) online when submitting the electronic application for admission or mail a check noting the applicant ID to the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Full-time UK employees applying to take classes and who submit a copy of their UK staff card are not required to pay the processing fee.

Test Scores (optional)

Scores from the ACT or the SAT are not required for admission purposes but students may submit them for consideration in illustrating their academic journey. To be considered official, submitted test scores must be received either directly from ACT/SAT or listed on your official high school transcript. When requesting, indicate to the testing service that an official score report should be sent to the University of Kentucky (ACT School Code -1554; SAT School Code - 1837).

For more information regarding our test optional for admission policy, including information on continuation of the policy through the 2028-29 academic year, visit go.uky.edu/testoptional .

College Credit (optional)

The University of Kentucky currently has almost 500,000 established course equivalencies from many colleges and universities around the country.  Please note that if your institution and/or courses are not listed here, it does not mean that credit will not be awarded.

An official transcript from the college or university must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admission. A college transcript is necessary for credit to be awarded even if the credit also appears on a high school transcript.

Contact 859-257-2000 for more information.

Search the College Credit Equivalency Database

The University of Kentucky considers admission from freshman applicants who are not high school graduates but who present a valid High School Equivalency Certificate and General Education Development (GED) test scores.

Fall 2024 Deadlines

	Deadline to Apply for Admission	Competitive & Academic Scholarship, Lewis Honors College Deadline	FAFSA Priority Deadline	Housing and Dining Application Deadline	Living Learning Program Application Deadline	Enrollment Deposit, Orientation Fee & Scholarship Acceptance
Early Action Track					February 15
Regular Decision Track					May 15

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2024-25 is now open. All students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA. Use UK's school code - 001989 - on the form.

*Considering the delays that have likely impacted students’ college decision process, the University of Kentucky is still accepting confirmations for the Class of 2028. Limited spots remain; interested students should confirm their spot by registering for Big Blue Nation Orientation.

Spring and Summer Terms Deadlines

Students wishing to enroll in the Spring term should apply by September 30.

Students wishing to enroll in the Summer term should apply by February 15.

If a deadline falls on a weekend, the deadline is extended until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the following Monday.

Important Information
Email	[email protected]
Phone	859-257-2000
Fax	859-257-3823

The differences between a UK personal statement and a US admissions essay

What is the Ucas personal statement to apply for a UK university? How does it differ from the US application essay? What should students emphasise? Augusto Neto provides the answers

Augusto Neto

More on this topic

The intricacies of applying to UK universities

Applications to UK universities are submitted through Ucas, the University and Colleges Admissions Service . While it is possible to apply to universities directly, the advice is that anyone applying to more than one course in the UK must do so through Ucas.

Students can apply for up to five courses in one year. The limit is four for medicine, which is why most students looking to study medicine apply to four medicine courses and one biomedical sciences course.

Notice that the limit is five courses , meaning that it is entirely possible to apply to more than one course at the same university. For those interested in Oxbridge – the universities of Oxford and Cambridge – it is always a case of either one or the other. It is not possible to apply to a course at both universities. Careful thought and consideration when making choices is essential.

What to consider when choosing a course

Course relevance: Ensure that the selected courses align closely with the student’s academic and career aspirations.

Diversity of choice: While focusing on a specific field of study, students should consider diversifying course choices to increase the likelihood of receiving offers.

Research each choice: Students should thoroughly research each university and course before making any selection to ensure that they match academic preferences and expectations.

Entry requirements: Take note of the entry requirements for each course and university to gauge each student’s eligibility.

Personal statement: Students should craft a personalised and tailored personal statement to highlight their specific interests and suitability for their chosen courses.

Remember that the Ucas application process is highly competitive and making well-informed choices is essential for a successful application experience. If there are any changes or updates to the application process, it’s recommended to refer to the most recent Ucas guidelines for the latest information.

US university-application essays versus Ucas personal statements

There are notable differences between essays written for university applications in the US and those written for the UK. Here are key distinctions:

1. Academic emphasis

UK: The personal statement for UK applications places a strong emphasis on academics. Admissions tutors are primarily interested in an applicant’s academic achievements, subject-specific knowledge and a clear demonstration of interest in the chosen course.

US: While academic achievements are important in US college-application essays, there is often more flexibility to explore extracurricular activities, personal experiences and how these contribute to the student’s overall character.

2. Specialisation

UK: The personal statement should demonstrate a clear and genuine interest in the chosen field of study. Extracurricular activities are relevant only if they directly contribute to the applicant’s academic profile.

US: US college essays often allow for a more holistic portrayal of the student. While the student’s intended major is considered, there’s room to explore a range of interests and experiences.

3. Extracurricular relevance

UK: Extracurricular activities should be directly relevant to the chosen course. For example, volunteering at a dog shelter is valuable for a veterinary science application, but the essay should focus on learning and skills gained from the experience.

US: US college essays often encourage a broader exploration of personal growth, leadership and community engagement. Extracurriculars are viewed as part of a holistic assessment of the student’s character.

4. Structure and length

UK: The UK personal statement is typically limited to a specific word count (often around 4,000 characters or 47 lines), requiring concise and focused writing. Each word should contribute to showcasing the applicant’s academic suitability.

US: US college essays vary in length and format. Common application essays, for example, have a word limit, but supplemental essays might have different requirements. There’s often more room for creativity and storytelling.

Essay Writing
Higher Education Student Handbook

Some assignments, and most examination answers, will be required to be presented in the form of an essay.

An essay is a continuous piece of writing in which ideas, propositions, research and justifications are put forward and analysed in the form of a series of paragraphs.

The structure is different from that of a written report (see Report Writing below), which is separated into sections by numbers and headings: in the absence of such guidance for the reader of an essay, it is vitally important that the essay structure is planned so that each paragraph follows logically from the other and is wrapped up in an introductory paragraph/s and concluding paragraph/s.

The reader (lecturer/marker) needs to understand clearly:

What is being said
How what is said is justified

How do you know you have achieved both? Below are some suggested means of checking.

1. Do you understand the essay question? What is the proposition/hypothesis put forward for discussion/analysis? If you can rephrase the question for yourself then, yes. If not, ask for help.

2. Is there a structure? An outline is essential: What are you going to say, and what evidence will you bring in to support it?

3. Research: Key texts/sources: have you found out who the key (acknowledged experts) authors are on the topic under discussion? If not, the reader is not going to be convinced by what you say, because you are clearly not in possession of the key facts. Your reader (lecturer) is an informed reader i.e. in possession of the key facts.

4. Research: Relevance: the research process will provide you with a wide range of material. Having decided what you are going to say, which pieces of information/others’ research will best support your response to the question posed?

Beware of generalisations

Look at the following essay question and the attempt at beginning to answer it:

"Outline the difficulties facing the tourist industry today.

Travel broadens the mind. Without experience of people and places we would be much less informed about the world. From the earliest times travel was seen as dangerous and heroic…"

The writer is being too general and begins to offer some sociological evidence, which has not been asked for in the question. He/she is also being too imaginative and what is said is irrelevant. A better beginning to the question might have been:

There are a number of significant problems facing the tourist industry today (Pryer, 2004). Some of the most worrying concern the potential danger to the environment politically, physically and culturally; the place of tourism in the economy of many countries is also an issue.

Question terminology

Analyse key verbs used i.e. assess, explain, analyse, describe, narrate. These verbs give you some idea of the approach to use in your answer.

For example: Look at the following essay questions, all on the same subject:

a) ‘Tourism today is quite unlike tourism in 1900’. Justify this statement.

b) ‘Tourism today is quite unlike tourism in 1900’. Outline the main stages of changes in tourism since 1900.

c) ‘Tourists today are quite unlike the tourists of 1900’. Diagnose the main causes of change in tourists’ expectations in this century.

The key verbs here, (justify, outline, evaluate, diagnose) need to be looked at carefully because they indicate the approach you are expected to take when you prepare and write the essay. (A dictionary can prove an invaluable help here.) The other words in the question can provide the key to the subject matter you will need to include in your answer (i.e. tourism, change).

How to get started

Generating ideas - there are various methods of doing this.

Different people have different methods. For example:

Blank sheet – Take a blank sheet of paper and write whatever occurs to you, anywhere on the sheet, as you think about the question.
List – List your ideas as they occur.
Spider/pattern – Draw a diagram with the subject of the essay written in a central circle or box.
Mind Map – sketch out all the ideas in your mind and then work out how they are related to each other.

Next you will need to ask yourself what you need to find out. Your idea-generating session should have given you some idea of the areas to follow. Your sources are likely to be books, people, magazines, journals, electronic resources and the media.

Making notes

Some topics require you to research more, some to think and analyse more. Only collect information that will be useful – don’t waste time compiling masses of information that will not be used.

First, analyse the question and decide what it wants you to do. Next, re-write it in an easily understandable form. Your notes will vary according to you and your style – make any that seem relevant to the subject area, at any time – put the information into a box, or special essay file. This practice can help produce originality.

When you get to this point, you need to start to think about the reader of your essay. What you say must be clear and easy to follow, not a mass of unrelated points. Facts are important but not alone, they should be used in an organised way. You are now at the stage where you will begin to group your material. There are various ways of doing this. For example:

Single pieces of paper for single points, allocated to group headings later.
Group headings established.
Tree diagram or form of pattern diagram.

Once groups have been established, it is important that the sequence of ideas is organised. In other words, in what order will your information or comments come in the essay?

Paragraphing

When the material and ideas have been organised in sequence you can begin to write the essay. Each paragraph should contain a controlling idea, or topic sentence which links and anticipates. Support sentences will expand on the idea in this sentence, by giving examples or re-emphasising the point in some way, so that the reader grasps the main point of the paragraph. “Signposting” words and phrases can be useful in the linking process, for example: “Developing this further…” (looking ahead), or “Such developments…” (referring back).

Drafting (writing up)

Write (or word process) your rough copy. This can be done in sections or written up in its entirety from the organised notes. Each person has their own preference. One useful method is the half-page system which leaves space for annotation and possible alteration to the sequencing of points.

Introductions and conclusions

The introduction and conclusion should be written after the main body paragraphs have been written and organised. This ensures that what the essay says is supported at either end.

An introduction should outline the basis of your essay, giving the reader an indication of what you will be writing about or discussing. A relevant quotation from a key source could provide a gripping start. So could a positive statement such as: “History is bunk” (H. Ford 1934) provided that you then proceed to justify the statement.

Henry Ford did not, which is why he is given credibility as an expert on cars, not history. For a 1,000-word essay an introduction of approximately 50-100 words would be appropriate.

A conclusion should pull an essay together. A positive finish is also a good idea. You may summarise your arguments in the concluding paragraph, drawing together the threads of an argument but also reminding the reader that your essay (hopefully) has proved the points you set out to make. A final paragraph for a 1,000-word essay would be 50-100 words in length.

A verdict or judgement in answer to the question set should be considered.

Style and presentation

Academic writing must be objective in its approach; that is, students are not simply asked for opinions (subjective), but to analyse, judge and propose, using evidence. For this reason, the use of the personal pronouns (I, we, you…) should be avoided. If necessary, the term ‘the author’ may also be used. You may, however, give supported judgements which use references, including examples of data to offer perceptive comment.

Essays should be presented word processed as directed on A4 paper. You should use clear, simple English. Slang and jargon should not be used and long, rambling sentences should be avoided. A good dictionary is the writer’s friend – spell checks cannot always be relied on. Your grammar (sentence structure, use of vocabulary…) should be considered carefully, as should punctuation. Together with research and planning, these areas make an impression on the reader.

Appendices are not usually necessary for an essay. However, you should make your sources clear at the end of the essay.

Quotations – It is important to show, by the use of speech marks ('t' or “t” - be consistent), when you are quoting what someone else said or wrote. Lengthy quotations are not generally appropriate to the short (approximately 1,000 word) essay and it is better to quote a reference for the reader to follow up if she/he wishes. Shorter, succinct quotations relating to a particular point can be very effective.

A guide to essay writing, including a number of helpful videos, is available in the Assignment Lifecycle.

Anonymous marking

Most work is now required to be submitted anonymously. Please follow any specific guidelines given in your assignment brief.

Assessment fairness and marking

Presentation of submitted work

The following instructions give you the University standard for presenting your written work for assessment: it is strongly recommended you follow these instructions as you are assessed on presentation in written assignments. Should a lecturing team require you to present your work in any format and style other than these instructions, they will directly inform you of this.

These instructions aim to ensure that all work you submit will be presented in a professional and consistent manner. Unless you are specifically instructed otherwise, all submitted work should be word-processed. Where necessary, some diagrams may have to be drawn by hand, but the majority of work should be produced using appropriate software.

Think very carefully before adding decorative features like WordArt, page borders or Clip Art to any piece of academic work. Such additions are unlikely to improve the work, and often serve only as a distraction. Therefore, generally, these are best avoided.

The use of colour is permissible, and may be particularly useful if you are presenting charts or diagrams. However, monochrome printing should normally be adequate for any work you are required to present.

Use Times New Roman size 12 for general text. Use Arial size 14 for main headings and Arial size 12 for sub-headings.

Alignment and spacing

Apart from main headings, please left align all text.
All work is to be 1.5 line spaced, except for leaving one line space between sub-headings and text.
Paragraphs should be separated from each other and from indented quotations by twice as much white space as there is between lines.
Wherever possible, no gaps should be left on the page unless a chart means you have to. Only main headings or new tasks should start on a new page – not subheadings.
Tables, charts and graphs should be centred on the page wherever possible and should be of approximately the same size wherever possible.
Bullet points and numbers can use the pre-given Microsoft Word settings.

Headings and sub-headings should be in Arial font. Major headings should be in bold and centred; type these in size 14 upper and lower case letters; sub-headings should be typed in upper and lowercase letters, size 12, aligned to the left margin and bold.

All margins are to be 2.5 cms both sides.

Headers (unless this is an anonymous submission)

Insert a header that contains your name as per your ID card and course only: put this header in upper and lower case size 9 font and left align it; do not underline or put it in bold.

Page numbering

Page numbers to be size 12 and placed on the bottom right-hand corner in a footer.

Numbering paragraphs

Please think very carefully before numbering headings and paragraphs in reports as these often become confusing and adversely affect presentation. If you decide to use a numbering style, please use the Microsoft Word numbering tools, as these will present the numbers in the most suitable manner.

Numbering and titling tables and charts

Please number each table – ‘table 1’, ‘table 2’ etc. – and number each chart or graph as ‘figure 1’, ‘figure 2’ etc. Centre these numbers directly above the table or figure. It is good practice to give each table or chart a title. This title should be in Arial, size 12 and centred directly below the chart or table.

If the quotation is less than one line, then it should be included in the main text enclosed in either single or double speech marks (be consistent) – do not italicise this or place it in bold. If the quotation is more than one line then:

Separate it from the main text with a double hard return (‘enter’) top and bottom and indented by 1 cm each side.
It should not be placed within speech marks.
Place it in size 12 font.

Do not italicise quotes or place them in bold lettering. Direct quotes must be acknowledged using either single or double speech marks (be consistent) otherwise you are vulnerable to an accusation of attempting to pass off a source’s words as your own paraphrasing summary. This could be interpreted as plagiarism (see below).

List of references

These are to be single line spaced and must follow the University Standard exactly in both procedure and presentation. The Referencing Guide is available on both the Assignment Life Cycle (on Canvas) and the Library portal site. It is also included in CASE's Getting Started booklet (available on the Assignment Life Cycle, but also as paper copies in the Academic Skills Centre, 6th Floor, Link building).

Appendices should be kept to a minimum. When used, they should be titled and presented in a professional and consistent manner. Title each one 'Appendix A’ (with a description of the content), B, C, etc., and place this title in bold, Arial font 12 and place on the left margin.

Paper and printing

Use only white A4 paper and print on both sides.

Care must be taken when using other people’s work in your own. Otherwise you could face the very serious charge of plagiarism - stealing someone else’s ideas. Please note:

When you use a direct quotation you must use quotation marks.
If you summarise another writer’s views, you must cite the source correctly.
If you paraphrase someone else’s thoughts, you must document the source.

Plagiarism Guide

Final thoughts

The last thing you should do before handing in your essay is to proofread it. It is often useful to let someone else read it and listen to their comments, as well as reading it through out loud to yourself.

A final check for grammar and punctuation errors is always time well spent, since grading is influenced by the appropriate use of standard English. All students at UCB can set up a Grammarly Premium account free of charge. You are strongly recommended to set up an account in order to proofread your work.

Your assignment feedback will inform you of the grading criteria applied. You have access to these to build in the appropriate features of strong work.

Further details about the presentation of your work are available in the Assignment Life Cycle.

Report writing

Any report, regardless of style, is very different from an essay. Reports are designed to be selective in information given, and the correct compilation and layout of a report is arguably as important as the material it contains.

Reports can be read whole or in part. They are often used as the basis for further research. Report writing skills are widely used in industry and are therefore well worth acquiring.

Basic styles in report writing

A report is a style of writing that is both systematic and objective in its presentation of information to the reader.

Some or all of these approaches may be used:

Informative – the result of research, and predominantly the presentation of fact.
Persuasive – recommending a course of action or maybe a change of opinion, reinforcement of an idea or concept.
Explanatory – to present possible reasons for problems and situations.
Historical – to record an event or verbal agreement.

Stages in report writing

1. Decide the task to be undertaken

2. Compile a plan of action and prioritise set tasks

3. Collect evidence or material

4. Organise, evaluate and analyse material

5. Write the report

6. Review and proofread draft script

7. Make amendments

8. Make final evaluation

Preparation

Careful thought and preparation is the key to presenting successful reports. It is well worth taking some time to think about what you aim to achieve from your efforts and also who the reader may be.

Plan of action

Often with report writing there are many tasks to be done. In group work it may be appropriate to allocate tasks between group members. Whatever the situation, try to think ahead and plan your strategy, bearing in mind the time limit that you have to work within.

Collecting evidence/material

Information for a report can come from a variety of sources: questionnaires, books/periodicals, journals, personal interviews, internet sources. Evidence may be divided into either primary or secondary information – primary evidence is evidence that you have collected yourself and is characterised by being new and original. This is sometimes referred to as empirical research; secondary evidence is already published information from books, articles, specialist magazines or Internet sources.

Organisation and evaluation of material

1. Identify the main purpose of the report and state clearly what you hope to achieve by the end.

2. Choose a title which is appropriate and relevant and is closely linked to the main purpose of the report.

3. Plan the layout of your material. All reports should have an introduction, main body, divided into sections, a conclusion and, sometimes, recommendations. Information which is not directly relevant to your discussion but worthy of inclusion for follow-up purposes should be placed in the appendices.

4. Use clear headings and subheadings. Make the report as easy and interesting to read as possible.

5. Consider the use of diagrams and illustrations to clarify points raised and to make the report more interesting to the reader.

Writing the report

Your report should be structured as follows:

Title page – The title must say something about the work, showing for whom the report was written, by whom and when, and it should also arouse the reader’s interest.
Table of contents – Detail each stage of the report with headings and subheadings as required. Include a table of any diagrams or illustrations used in the main text.
Summary/terms of reference – Description of the scope and purpose of the report.
Introduction – To include methodology
Main body/findings
Conclusion/discussion
Recommendations (where applicable)
Appendices – List the contents of this section on a separate sheet.

Additional notes for guidance

Avoid the FIRST PERSON singular or plural i.e.: ‘I’ or ‘we’. Instead use the passive tense for example:- ‘Evidence suggests…’ or ‘On investigation…’ or ‘This report was researched…’
Choose your wording carefully. Avoid colloquial expressions, e.g. ‘due to the fact that’ when no factual evidence is provided, archaic or foreign words or indeed any phrases the reader may be unfamiliar with. Technical jargon, abbreviations, slang and clichés should also be omitted, unless appropriate technical language is essential to meaning.
If the tables, diagrams and illustrations you wish to use are directly relevant to your discussion include them in the main text. If not, use them as supporting evidence in your appendices.
Some lecturers who set scientific or practical reports may require a slightly different format. If you are in any doubt about what is required from you, please ask the module leader concerned.
As you research or read for your report, keep a note of all the books, newspapers and magazines, websites or journal articles that have helped you. You should record all your included sources when you come to prepare your references (see below).
If you are in any doubt about any aspect of your report, CASE will be happy to offer advice on request.
Begin your report in good time so that amendments can be made prior to submission.
Keep to the given word limit. Part of the skill in report writing is to know what to leave out as well as include. You may lose marks if your report is too long or too short.
Avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own. See the section on plagiarism.

Further details about report writing are available in the Assignment Life Cycle.

Assignment Life Cycle

It is important that all UCB referencing conventions are followed. The UCB Referencing Guide is available on the HE Library Toolkit (on Canvas), and via the Library and CASE portal pages.

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How to write an essay

Essay writing is an inevitable part of the student experience. To achieve top grades on these assignments, discover how to compose a well-written essay

You might think you know how to write a good essay from your time at school but writing an essay at undergraduate level is a whole new ball game. Taking the time to properly plan your work can lead to higher marks, with lecturers welcoming a logical structure that clearly demonstrates your understanding of the subject.

However, knowing where to begin and how to go about completing the assignment is not always easy - especially if you're still adjusting to university life and you haven't written at undergraduate level before.

'There is an art (and a bit of a science) to every type of writing,' says Dr Rushana Khusainova, lecturer in marketing at the University of Bristol. 'By mastering the art of academic essay writing, you'll also be mastering the skill for writing general and business emails, reports, etc. Overall, it's a vital skill to have.'

Katherine Cox, professor and head of department for humanities and law at Bournemouth University agrees. 'Getting feedback on your development is a key part of developing as a student. Essay writing is an excellent opportunity for formal feedback on your progress, and like any skill it needs practice and polish.'

Here we'll cover the seven main points of planning and executing a well-written essay:

understanding the question
researching and gathering helpful resources
putting together an essay plan
writing the essay
tackling the introduction and conclusion
reviewing what you’ve written.

Mastering how to write an essay early on will also help you prepare for writing your dissertation in your final year.

Understand the question

The first step in tackling an essay is to make sure that you understand what is being asked of you.

'I recommend that you read and re-read the essay question,' advises Dr Khusainova. 'With each time, the question will feel clearer.' Break it down into its component parts and pay particular attention to instruction words, for example, 'explain', 'discuss', 'outline' - what do these mean in practice? What are you being asked to do? Be aware that essays take several different forms and a 'compare and contrast' essay requires a different approach to an analytical ('analyse') or argumentative ('critically examine') essay.

For example, the question, 'Compare and contrast the representation of masculinity in two James Bond films from the 1960s and 2000s', can be classified like this:

instruction (i.e. compare and contrast)
topic (i.e. the representation of masculinity)
focus (i.e. in two James Bond films)
further information (i.e. from the 1960s and 2000s).

'Take coloured pens and highlight each sub-question or sub-task within the essay brief,' explains Dr Khusainova. 'Write bullet points for all sub-questions of the essay. I would recommend using pen and paper. Research suggests that when we use pen and paper to write down our thoughts, our brain structures information in a more efficient way.'

Ask yourself:

What is significant about the question and its topic?
What existing knowledge do you have that will help you answer this question?
What do you need to find out?
How are you going to successfully address this question?
What logical sequence will your ideas appear in?

If you still don't understand the question or the complexity of the response expected from you, don't be afraid to ask for clarification from your lecturer or tutor if you need it. If you have questions, speak up when the essay is set rather than leaving it too late.

Gather resources

With so much information available, it's vital that you only look for directly relevant material when researching. Decide where the gaps in your knowledge and understanding are, and identify the areas where you need more supporting evidence. Make a list of keywords that describe the topic and use them to search with.

Useful resources include:

course material
lecture notes
library books
journal articles

Engage in active reading and keep organised with effective note-taking. Once you've done your research, create a mind map. Carefully note the key theories, information and quotes that will help you to answer all components of the question. Consider grouping these into three or four main themes, including only the most significant points. You must be ruthless and exclude ideas that don't fit in seamlessly with your essay's focus.

Create an essay plan

'You can write an essay without planning, but I'm not sure you can write a good essay without planning,' says Katherine.

When you have an idea of the points you're going to address in your essay, and a rough idea of the order in which these will appear, you're ready to start planning. There are two main ways to do this:

Linear plans - useful for essays requiring a rigid structure. They provide a chronological breakdown of the key points you're going to address.
Tabular plans - best for comparative assignments. You'll be able to better visualise how the points you're contrasting differ across several aspects.

Scrutinise the notes you've already made - including those from your evaluation of relevant materials from your literature search - and ensure they're placed into a logical order.

There are different approaches to planning an essay. Some students might prefer a step-by-step, structured approach, while others might find it helpful to begin in a more fluid way - jotting down keywords and ideas that they later develop into a more structured working plan. Essay planning can take several forms, 'for example, you might try a mind map, a collage, or use headings. You might prefer to plan in written form or online. You'll also turn ideas over in your head - just remember to jot down these insights,' adds Katherine.

'In my experience most students find it helpful to start by writing an essay skeleton - a bullet pointed structure of the essay,' says Dr Khusainova.

'I also advise taking an inverted pyramid approach to the storyline. This is where you start broad and slowly narrow down your focus to the specific essay question.'

Write clearly and concisely

Most university essays are set with a word count and deadline in place. It's therefore important that you don't waste time or words on waffle. You need to write clearly and concisely and ensure that every sentence and paragraph works towards answering the essay question.

Aim to write a first draft where you cover everything in your plan. You can then refine and edit this in your second draft.

'A successful essay is one that answers all parts of the essay question,' explains Dr Khusainova. 'Also consider elements such as the level of critical thinking and whether it's written in a suitable style.

'One of the most important (and coincidentally, the most challenging) elements of essay writing is ensuring your assignment has a logical storyline. Make sure no idea is coming out of the blue and that the discussion flows logically.'

Also consider your method of referencing. Some institutions specify a preferred citation style such as The Harvard System. Whatever referencing system you're using ensure that you're doing so correctly to avoid plagiarism. It should go without saying that your writing needs to be your own.

If you need help Katherine points out 'you can turn to your tutors and your peers. Perhaps you can you organise a study group and discuss one another's ideas? It's tempting with new and emerging artificial intelligence technology to turn to these resources but they are in their infancy and not particularly reliable. A number of universities advise you to avoid these resources altogether.'

Carefully consider the introduction and conclusion

Starting an essay and writing an impactful conclusion are often the trickiest parts.

It can be useful to outline your introduction during the early stages of writing your essay. You can then use this as a frame of reference for your writing. If you adopt this approach be aware that your ideas will likely develop or change as you write, so remember to revisit and review your introduction in later stages to ensure it reflects the content of your final essay.

While the conclusion may not be the first thing you write, it's still helpful to consider the end point of your essay early on, so that you develop a clear and consistent argument. The conclusion needs to do justice to your essay, as it will leave the greatest impression on your reader.

On the other hand, if you're unsure what shape your argument may take, it's best to leave both your introduction and conclusion until last.

Evaluate what you've written

Once you've written and edited your essay, leave it alone for a couple of days if possible. Return to it with fresh eyes and give it a final check.

'Reading an essay out loud works well for some students,' says Dr Khusainova. 'Swapping drafts with a classmate could also work on some modules.'

Don't skip this step, final checks are important. This is when you can pick up on formatting and spelling errors and correct any referencing mistakes.

Check that your introduction provides a clear purpose for your essay.
Ensure that the conclusion provides a clear response to the essay question, summarising your key findings/argument.
Check the structure of your paragraphs for clear topic and link sentences. Are the paragraphs in a logical order with a clear and consistent line of argument that a reader can follow?
Read your essay slowly and carefully. Writing has a rhythm - does your writing flow and is it correctly punctuated?
Remove unnecessary repetition.
Review the examples and evidence you've used. Is there enough to support your argument?

'Receiving feedback can be an emotional experience - so be honest with yourself,' advises Katherine. 'What is the feedback telling you - what are your strengths? What areas could you improve?'

Find out more

Struggling with your workload? Here are 5 ways to manage student stress .
Discover how to revise for exams .
Take a look at 7 time management tips for students .

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Essay writing: Formatting

Introductions
Conclusions
Analysing questions
Planning & drafting
Revising & editing
Proofreading
Essay writing videos

Jump to content on this page:

Essays are formal documents and should look professional Advice from the Skills Team

Whilst there are no hard rules about how you format essays, there are some conventions and common practices that are best to follow. If you use the settings on this page, you will produce an acceptably formatted essay.

Document layout

Visual display of the information on this page.

Margins - between 2 cm and 2.54 cm (1 inch) all around.

Line spacing - either 1.5 or double-line spacing.

Paragraph spacing - either 1 clear line between or at least 8 pt space after each paragraph (more if double-line spaced)

Alignment - left aligned (fully justified with a straight right-edge is not recommended as this reduces readability and accessibility). Some longer essays may require subheadings which should also be left-aligned.

Indents - no indents on first lines of paragraphs are needed.

It is also good practice to put your student number and module number in the header of the document and a page number at the bottom of the page.

Text formatting

Font - the default font that comes with MS Word (currently Calibri) is fine for academic work. You may see persistent advice in handbooks that suggests you should use Times New Roman or Arial. If you prefer these, you can change it - but this is no longer a requirement.

Font size - fonts should be 11 or 12 point.

Font style - headings and subheadings, if they are required (most essays will not use them), are usually formatted in bold and should be at least 2 point sizes larger than the standard text. Underlining should be avoided as this is seen as rather dated. Some text can be formatted in italics - see our page Italics, when to use them , for guidance.

Shorter quotations in the text do not need to be italicised and should have double-quotations marks "like this" to indicate they are direct quotations. Longer quotations (what counts as this differs depending on your referencing style) should be created in their own paragraph, single spaced and indented by 1cm from both left and right margins:

For example:

Graduate attributes for employability are described as:

a set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that makes graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy. (Yorke, 2006)

The main change in this definition compared to the earlier definition of graduate attributes from Bowden (2000) is that that the attributes are no longer ...

UoH Harvard/APA

Your reference list should be in alphabetical order (by author surname) and single line spaced. There should be a clear line space (or at least 6 pt space) between each reference. All references should be left-aligned with no indentation. For information about how to format individual references, see the Harvard Hull Referencing Guide.

UoH Footnotes

Your reference list should be in alphabetical order (by first author surname) and single line spaced. All references should be left-aligned and have a hanging indent (all but the first line are indented by approx. 1cm). For information about how to format individual references, see the Footnotes Hull Referencing Guide.

Other referencing styles

Please see your individual departmental guidance.

We provide here a Microsoft Word template that can be used for your essays. It has the correct layout and formatting, including useful styles.

Essay template

Download this template to somewhere you can access easily. When you click to open it, it will open a new document based on the template , leaving the original intact.

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You need to have top grades to study at the University of Cambridge.

You'll need to check the entry requirements for your course before you apply . You may need to have qualifications in a particular subject and achieve certain grades. The entry requirements for your course may differ between Cambridge Colleges.

Our course pages refer to our A level and International Baccalaureate requirements. You can find out more about how we consider A level and IB qualifications and the other qualifications that we accept on our qualifications page .

Check the course pages for entry requirements

You also may need to:

check that we accept your qualifications , if you aren't studying A levels or IB. There may be qualification specific requirements you need to meet
have English language qualifications if you are not from a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UK Home Office)
be over 18 to study some courses , for example Medicine
check how to apply if you want to transfer from another UK university

Making an offer to study at Cambridge

Offers above the minimum requirement.

The minimum offer level and subject requirements outline the minimum you'll usually need to achieve in your qualifications to receive an offer from Cambridge.

In some cases you’ll receive a higher or more challenging offer.

Colleges set higher offer requirements for a number of reasons. This could be because:

there is strong competition for places on the course. In this case, we may make more offers and make them more challenging. This gives more applicants a chance to prove themselves through their exam performance, rather than not being made an offer
you have taken some exams early. We need to ensure you will achieve the highest grades in your remaining exams. This helps us to assess whether you will be able to manage the academic challenge of sitting exams in a single exam period, which is how we assess students at Cambridge
you have a less common combination of subjects or we want to encourage you to continue with the best combination of subjects
you performed less well in some parts of the application process

Where we set more challenging offers this is to better ensure that you will be able to cope with the academic level of the course and thrive at Cambridge.

English language requirements

If you're not from a majority English speaking country ( as defined by the UK Home Office ), your English language skills must be good enough for you to:

take part in an academic interview
study a Cambridge course that is taught and examined in English

Cambridge offers that include an English language condition

Offers from Cambridge may include an English language condition either as part of any visa requirements or if there are any concerns raised during your application.

We’ll assess you on:

your qualifications
written assessment or pre-submitted work
interview performance
educational background

The Cambridge College that makes you an offer will decide what the condition is. The condition may be based on your grade in a high school qualification or an approved English language test.

As a guide, you would be expected to achieve a good C1 standard within the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR) in all four competencies by the time you start at Cambridge University. Commonly, this is demonstrated by one of the qualifications listed below.

Minimum English language requirements

IELTS Academic – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element
TOEFL Internet Based Test (IBT) – normally a minimum overall score of 110, with 25 or above in each element
EU students – competence in English at C1 standard in the appropriate component of a school-leaving exam (for example, the Abitur)
Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency – accepted with a minimum overall score of 200, with no element lower than 185
Cambridge English: C1 Advanced – accepted with a minimum overall score of 193, with no element lower than 185, alongside other evidence of competence in English

If you have followed the Singapore Integrated Programme (SIP), contact your chosen College admissions office for advice.

Visas and Secure English Language Tests (SELT)

For some visa types, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as 'IELTS for UKVI (Academic)'. However, under UKVI policy, as a Higher Education Provider (HEP), we can accept other English language qualifications when sponsoring a student visa.

If you take an approved English language test to meet the English language requirements:

the test is only valid for visa purposes for two years from the date of the exam
the results should still be valid on your first day of your Cambridge course
the component scores should normally be achieved in a single sitting of the test.

If you’re under 18 when you start at Cambridge

If you’ll be under 18 when you join us, you should talk to a College Admissions Office as early as possible to discuss your application.

If you’re considering Medicine, you should also read the advice about age requirements on the Medicine course page .

If you'll be under the age of 16 on admission, you may need to meet additional requirements and restrictions to comply with legislation.

Transferring to Cambridge from another UK university

We normally do not consider applications from students enrolled on a degree course at another UK university.

We’ll only consider this if:

you have exceptional circumstances
you want to change the subject you're studying
need strong support from your course director
need a written reference or letter of support to the Cambridge College you apply to
be assessed in the same way as any other applicant

If you transfer to Cambridge from another UK university, you will need to start your chosen Cambridge course from the beginning (first year). It is not possible to transfer credit to Cambridge from another university.

Please be aware that if you have previously studied at another university, this may impact your eligibility for student finance and/or a student visa.

Cambridge Admissions Office

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UK and US University Applications: The Key Differences

An increasing number of UK students are looking to the US for undergraduate study, and it’s not hard to see why.

The experience of living and studying abroad can be life-changing, and with so many of the world’s top universities located in the US – and no language barrier – it’s naturally an attractive place for the prospective undergraduate. If you’re thinking of applying to some US universities this year, there are some fundamental differences between the UK and US university admissions processes that you need to know about; unfortunately, the same application form will not suffice for both. Even if you’re not applying to a US university, you might still find this article useful because it will explain the key differences between a UK and US university application; lured by misconceptions perpetuated by popular culture, some students write American-style university applications to UK universities and wonder why they don’t get many offers. With this guide, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to tailor your application appropriately. Let’s start by looking at what the differences are; at the end, you’ll find a summary of things to remember when you’re writing your applications for either side of the Atlantic.

Different people assessing your application

Image shows a group of people having a meeting.

One of the first things to remember when applying to a US university versus a UK one is that the groups of people assessing your application in each are very different. In the UK, it’s the university’s academics who have the say on which applicants gets given a place: your application will be assessed by a member of academic teaching staff in the department to which you’re applying. These are the people who would be teaching you if you were to be given a place. In the US, it’s the admissions office for the whole university that makes the decisions – mere admin staff. In the UK, those admin staff would only be there to support the academics in making their decision. The result of this difference is that you have two very different audiences to appeal to. In the UK, you’re writing your personal statement to appeal to people who are experts in their field; you must impress with your knowledge of the subject and the opinions you’ve formed about it (they know their stuff, so they will notice anything that’s factually incorrect or misunderstood), and perhaps try to show them your awareness of more obscure scholarship or topics within your subject. Being experts, they will spot your appreciation of less well-known areas of the subject. In the US, on the other hand, you’re writing for people who won’t necessarily have much subject-specific knowledge, but who will instead be focusing more on what would make you a valuable member of the university community.

Different level of focus on the non-academic side

Image shows a painter with an easel set up looking over San Francisco.

Perhaps because of this difference in who assesses your application, there’s a big difference in the level of emphasis placed on the non-academic parts of your application. In the UK, much emphasis is placed on the academic side of a student’s application. Extra-curricular activities are merely the icing on the cake to an application that primarily focuses on academia. Such activities are good to have on your application because they demonstrate that there’s more to you than your subject, and show that you’ve achieved your impressive academic results despite doing other things with your life; but they’re certainly not the most important aspect of the application or a factor that will swing the decision in the student’s favour. In the US, on the other hand, extra-curricular activities and other non-academic virtues are considered much more important, and crucial for providing context to your academic achievements. Remember, it’s not the academics who are deciding the fate of your application, it’s the admin staff – and they’re trying to create a community of students who will actively contribute to the life and soul of the university. Talent in sports, music and other extra-curricular activities will therefore be admired, as will part-time jobs, leadership roles and volunteer work. What’s more, they’ll look at your background. If you have a diverse family background and/or a relative who’s been to that university before you, you stand a better chance of getting in. It may not seem fair, but if you have a relative who’s donated money to the university, you’ll have an even better chance (though this probably isn’t going to be the case for an international student).

Different academic expectations

The UK and US have very different approaches to higher education, a fact that’s reflected in the different expectations universities have from students’ applications. In the UK, universities expect students to be quite specific in their academic specialities, valuing students who are exceptionally talented in one particular subject and who have put their efforts into growing their knowledge and skills in this specific discipline. In the US, universities are happy for students to fall into either end of the academic spectrum: either very specialised and incredibly good at one specific subject, or an all-rounder – someone who’s knowledgeable about many subjects, but to a lesser degree. This is because the American university system allows for a wider breadth of subjects, rather than the singular focus you see in UK universities. US degrees last four years rather than the three standard in the UK, and though you’ll have a main focus – your “major” – you’re also likely to take classes in a number of additional subjects not related to your main one. In fact, you don’t usually decide what your main focus is going to be until the end of your second year at a US university, and, having studied a variety of subjects, your focus may end up being completely different to what you might have been anticipating when you initially applied. In the UK, the situation is very different, as you focus exclusively on one subject right from the word go. To summarise, UK universities value depth of knowledge, while US universities value breadth.

Entry to the university versus entry to the subject

UK university applications focus on your desire to study a particular subject; you write the personal statement with no mention of which universities you’re applying to, and then it gets sent to all of them via UCAS. In the US, your applications are tailored to each university you apply to. You explain in detail why you are applying to that particular university and why you’re a good fit for that specific institution – so there’s a university focus, not a department focus. This means you have to be extra careful to ensure that you’re sending the right application to the right university! Arguably, this way of doing things encourages you to think even more carefully about which university you’re applying to; rather than simply filling spaces on a UCAS form, you have to outline exactly why you’ve chosen a particular university and why you’d be right for it. You’ll need to do your research very thoroughly to be in with a chance of writing compellingly about your reasons for applying.

A-levels versus the SAT

Image shows an exam hall with papers on the tables.

Another difference between UK and US university applications is the way in which your academic credentials are assessed. In the UK, your academic record consists of your GCSEs and A-levels, with A-levels the primary means of ascertaining the academic level at which you are operating. You might have to sit an entrance exam for some subjects at top UK universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, but these are few and far between. In the US, you are assessed by means of an exam called the SAT, or “Scholastic Assessment Test”. This is a compulsory part of the admissions process for most US universities, no matter what subject you apply for, and it tests your abilities in writing, mathematics and “critical reading”. Again, this reflects the difference we mentioned earlier in the breadth of US university education compared to the depth of the UK equivalent; the admissions test focuses on more general academic skills, rather than testing the aptitude for specific subjects demonstrated by A-levels. As an international student, you have to pay $91 to take the SAT, and the test lasts three hours and 45 minutes. You’ll find more information about the SAT in our article SAT Tips and Advice: How to Do Your Absolute Best.

The personal statement versus the College Application Essay

Having taken into account these differences, then, let’s recap what the major differences will be between your personal statement for UK universities and your “College Application Essay” for US universities. If you were hoping to be able to use the same text for both, think again!

Personal statement

Image shows a young man sitting on a roof, working on his laptop.

A strong personal statement for a UK university demonstrates the following key traits.

It’s subject-focused, showcasing your interest in the subject, your academic knowledge and your ability to think in the right way about it.
It shows what you’ve done to pursue your interest in the subject beyond the classroom.
It explains your desire to study the subject and how it fits in with your long-term aims.
It avoids humour and clichés.
It contains no mention of university name, focusing instead on the subject.
It’s a maximum of 7,000 characters.

College Application Essay

The “College Application Essay” is the name given to the US equivalent of the personal statement, and it’s designed to demonstrate your writing abilities as well as your personality. Universities will give you two or three essay questions to respond to in your essay, and will set their own word limits. One tends to focus on you as a person, and another on your academic achievements, and often another on “why us?”. There may also be a “creative” question, which will be designed to test students’ ability to think in the right way, and to write engagingly on an intellectual topic. This essay has the following key differences from UK personal statements:

It showcases far more of the student’s personality, background and non-academic accomplishments, showing the student to be likeable and the sort of person that the university would want among its student body.
It demonstrates interest and aptitude for a range of subjects.
It’s entertaining and interesting, displaying more self-confidence than a UK personal statement (and to the UK student, this may feel more arrogant than they’re used to).
It often offers anecdotes and narratives to reveal the student’s personality and motivations, relating specific episodes in the student’s life and giving insights into their feelings; it might even talk about how the student has overcome some kind of adversity. Specific details are recommended to add colour to these stories – names, places, emotions and so on.
It focuses on why you want to study at that named institution.
The word count is set by the individual university.

The weighting given to this essay relative to other aspects of the application (such as academic results and references) varies from one university to another, but it’s certainly important enough that a good one could swing a decision in your favour, so it’s worth devoting the time to getting it right. You won’t be able to copy and paste your personal statement from a UK university application to a US one, as the expectations are very different. You may, however, be able to reuse some aspects of it but adapted to an American audience, with the differences outlined in this article in mind. A US university education is very different from a UK one, and this difference is naturally reflected in the admissions process. Being aware of these different ways of doing things is essential if you want to make a good an impression across the pond as you do here in the UK.

Image credits: banner ; meeting ; painter ; lecture ; Oxford ; exam ; writing ; Waldo .

University of Kentucky
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Incoming Freshmen Scholarships

Fall 2024 freshmen.

Students whose completed admission applications were received by December 1 are being reviewed and identified to ensure that, considering this record-breaking enrollment year, the University of Kentucky is offering as many academic scholarships as possible, within the confines of our general scholarship fund/budget. While most applicants have received information about their academic scholarship offer, we are continuing to review applications to make additional offers, when fiscally possible.

The University of Kentucky offers renewable academic, competitive and selective scholarship opportunities for incoming first-time freshmen. Completed admission application and all supporting documents, including high school transcript, must be received as soon as possible, but by no later than December 1, 2023, for scholarship consideration. Once admitted, eligible students are automatically considered for academic scholarships. Combined test scores (superscore) are not considered. For all scholarships listed, students may receive only one award.

The University of Kentucky is committed to making scholarship opportunities available to students who qualify, whether they apply with or without test scores. The University of Kentucky is a national leader in using extensive data assessment beyond test scores to evaluate students for scholarship awarding, including heavily weighing a student’s unweighted high school GPA. All eligible students who apply by the Early Action deadline of December 1, 2023, regardless of applying with or without an ACT/SAT test score, will be considered for academic scholarships. For fullest consideration, we urge students to apply as soon as possible and prior to December 1, 2023. For more information regarding our test-optional for admission policy, visit  go.uky.edu/testoptional .

Kentucky Residents

SCHOLARSHIP	TYPE	TRADITIONAL CRITERIA (UNWEIGHTED GPA)	TEST OPTIONAL CRITERIA (UNWEIGHTED GPA)	ANNUAL AMOUNT
Provost	Academic	3.30 & 26 ACT/1230 SAT	3.50	$2,500
Provost	Academic	3.30 & 28 ACT/1300 SAT	3.75	$5,000
Presidential	Competitive	3.50 & 31 ACT/1390 SAT	4.00	Full in-state tuition
	Competitive	3.80 & 33 ACT/1450 SAT	4.00	Full in-state tuition + housing stipend*
Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Presidential**	Competitive	3.50 & 31 ACT/1390 SAT; completion of Governor's Scholars, School for the Arts or School for Entrepreneurs program.	4.0; completion of Governor's Scholars, School for the Arts or School for Entrepreneurs program.	Full in-state tuition
Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Provost	Selective	Completion of Governor's Scholars, School for the Arts or School for Entrepreneurs program	Completion of Governor's Scholars, School for the Arts or School for Entrepreneurs program	$2,500
Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Provost (Continued)	Selective	3.30 & 28 ACT/1300 SAT; Completion of Governor's Scholars, School for the Arts or School for Entrepreneurs program	3.75; Completion of Governor's Scholars, School for the Arts or School for Entrepreneurs program	$5,000

*Housing stipend of $10,000 per year is available for Singletary Scholars living on campus in a UK residence hall during the first two years of enrollment only.

**Applicants for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar/School for the Arts/School for Entrepreneurs Presidential Scholarship must complete the competitive section of the admission application to have their application reviewed for this highly competitive scholarship as a limited number of scholarships will be offered.

Non-Residents

SCHOLARSHIP	TYPE	TRADITIONAL CRITERIA (UNWEIGHTED GPA)	TEST OPTIONAL CRITERIA (UNWEIGHTED GPA)	ANNUAL AMOUNT
Bluegrass Spirit	Academic	-	3.00	$5,000
		3.00 & 25 ACT/1200 SAT	3.50	$8,000
		3.50 & 25 ACT/1200 SAT	3.60	$10,000
		3.50 & 30 ACT/1360 SAT	3.80	$12,500
Presidential	Competitive	3.50 & 31 ACT/1390 SAT	4.00	Full out-of-state tuition
	Competitive	3.80 & 33 ACT/1450 SAT	4.00	Full out-of-state tuition + housing stipend*

Academic Scholarships

Students who meet the traditional or test optional minimum criteria, apply for admission and submit all supporting documents, including high school transcript, as soon as possible, but by no later than December 1, 2023, will be considered for academic scholarships. Once admitted, eligible students are automatically considered for academic scholarships. No additional application is required.

Competitive Scholarships

Students must meet the traditional or test optional minimum criteria, apply for admission, complete the competitive scholarship section of the admission application and submit all supporting documents, including high school transcript, as soon as possible but by no later than December 1, 2023, to have their application reviewed in this highly competitive program. A limited number of awards will be offered. Selected applicants may be invited to campus for interviews. Please note, these scholarships are highly competitive. The University of Kentucky received over 2,600 competitive scholarship applications for the 2023-24 incoming freshman class and awarded 50 Presidential scholarships and 25 Otis A. Singletary scholarships.

Selective Scholarships

Students must have completed the programs listed, meet the traditional or test optional minimum criteria, apply for admission and submit all supporting documents, including high school transcript, as soon as possible, but by no later than December 1, 2023. Once admitted, eligible students are automatically considered for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Provost Scholarship. No additional application is required.

All scholarship offerings are subject to change each year.    

Additional Opportunities

William c. parker belonging scholarship .

The William C. Parker Scholarship Program (WCP) directly supports the  UK Strategic Plan  goal to bring together many people as one community with a broad range of lived experiences to create and sustain a community of inclusion, understanding and belonging. For more information, visit William C. Parker Belonging Scholarship .

College and Department Scholarships

Several colleges and departments at UK administer their own scholarship programs. Students who have chosen an academic program are encouraged to contact their college/department regarding scholarship opportunities. Requirements vary. Some UK colleges are now utilizing ScholarshipUniverse for departmental scholarship applications, but please check with your respective college regarding their specific scholarship procedures and deadlines. Contact information and webpages for the various UK colleges can be found here . 

ScholarshipUniverse

The University of Kentucky Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships is excited to offer  ScholarshipUniverse  as a resource for our students!

ScholarshipUniverse (SU) is an online scholarship platform that matches students to relevant, vetted external scholarship opportunities, as well as internal scholarships offered by the university. Each external scholarship opportunity a student sees on SU has gone through an extensive vetting process to ensure the scholarship is offered through a reliable and authentic source.

SU is available for currently enrolled UK students and admitted prospective students who have a linkblue account. Students can login to complete the student profile and search and apply for external and internal scholarship opportunities. The external scholarship opportunities are available through sources outside of the University of Kentucky.

Some UK colleges are now utilizing ScholarshipUniverse for departmental scholarship applications, but please check with your respective college regarding their specific scholarship procedures and deadlines. Contact information and webpages for the various UK colleges can be found at studentsuccess.uky.edu/financial-aid-and-scholarships/academic-scholarships/college-departmental-scholarships . 

Institutional awards are not guaranteed. All students are considered based on timing of application, meeting requirements for admission, and doing so by established deadlines. Institutional aid programs are evaluated each year and are provided based on the availability of funds.

Important Information
Phone	(859) 257-3172
Email	[email protected]
Address	127 Funkhouser Building
School Code	001989

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Student Handbook 2023/24

10. assessment, 10.8. course essay.

The word count for essays will vary. You can go 10% +/- the word limit without penalty, markers will not mark anything that is beyond 10% of the word count.

Every word submitted is counted, with the only exception is a bibliography.

Examples of items which are included in the word count are:

table of contents
wording under a diagram
words in graphs
tables and diagrams

This is not an exclusive list, consequently you should keep in mind that all words count- use them wisely.

Whilst we appreciate it is difficult to reach exactly the required word count, you should aim to reach as close to this as possible without going over.

At Masters Level, we would expect students to be able to edit their own work to produce an essay within the maximum word count.

There is no minimum word count. However, essays that are considerably shorter than the maximum word count may fail to fully address the topic and will be marked accordingly.

Your submitted course essay should have a top sheet which should include the following information only.

Module number (i.e. SOLMxxx)
Module Title
Final Word count
Student I.D number (this is not username lcxxx, check your MySiS or Student I.D card)

There is no official style guide for the essays. However, although there are no specific requirements regarding format or font size, we recommend you use a 12 point font in a common font style, double space the main text and use margins of at least 2 cm. Footnotes should be no smaller than 10 point, normally in the same font as the main text.

Your name should not appear anywhere on your essay. There are no further rules with regards to the title page; you may use colour or graphics if you wish.

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How to Write the University of Kentucky Essays 2020-2021

University of Kentucky is a public research institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. It prides itself on being one of only eight institutions in the US with the full complement of liberal arts, engineering, professional, agricultural, and medical colleges on one contiguous campus. UK has a total enrollment of around 30,500 and its acceptance rate hovers around 90%.

University of Kentucky applicants have the choice of applying via the Common Application, Coalition Application, or a UK-specific application. Students applying to the Lewis Honors College or the UK’s competitive academic scholarships must use either the University of Kentucky-specific application or the Common Application, and respond to an additional prompt. Want to know your chances at University of Kentucky? Calculate your chances for free right now.

Want to learn what the University of Kentucky will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering UK needs to know.

University of Kentucky Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants, think of a time when you were dealing with a challenge (personal, academic, work related). how did you handle that did you seek support and if so who did you seek support from (250-650 words), for lewis honors college and competitive scholarship applicants only.

Who are three people that you feel have made a significant impact on the world in the last 100 years? Who are they and why did you select them? How would you want them to be recognized or memorialized (for example, with a day, a celebration, or a monument, etc.)?

For All Applicants

This prompt asks you to address your self-awareness and response to adversity. The challenge you choose to discuss does not have to be something large-scale or grand to effectively answer the prompt. Instead, your topic should allow you to fully answer the questions posed. Try to choose a time when you faced a unique challenge or reacted in a way that brought out your strengths; avoid hackneyed topics about grades or losing a sports game.

For example, an essay that discusses struggling to get a good grade in calculus would not be as effective as an essay that focuses on what it took to develop the mental fortitude to become a runner despite being highly unathletic. A challenging class is simply too common of an experience, and is not considered a substantial enough challenge If you do choose an academic topic, be sure that it is distinctive and significant enough to give admissions a better picture of who you are. For more tips, check out Collegevine’s guide to writing to an overcoming challenges prompt .

Tone is crucial in answering this question. This prompt asks you to reflect on a challenge, so do not be afraid to admit that you struggled at first. Humility is key to successful self-reflection. However, your tone should also not be overly self-critical – resilience is an equally important value.

So if you were to write about going from hating running to becoming a varsity runner, you could begin with descriptions of your thoughts mid-race before you came to appreciate running. “A mile in and my breath grew ragged; my feet dragged as if I were wearing shoes made of lead. ‘I just can’t wait to finish the season and be done with running forever,’ I thought as I stared at the runner in front of me.”

The first portion of this prompt asks how you handled your challenge. You do not need to focus on only one solution if you relied on multiple mechanisms. Often, there isn’t just one magic solution to our problems. However, you should provide clear methods that you used to address your challenge.

For example, saying you had a change of heart and suddenly loved running does not explain how you handled the problem in enough detail. What were your methods? Were other people involved in the change? Who were they and how did they help you? Go through the concrete steps and internal processes that led you to a resolution.

Support systems — both peer and faculty-based — will become crucial during your college years. Success during a challenge can largely depend on your ability to know where and when to ask for help. This prompt asks you to explain how you use the support systems in your life. Your challenge should at least be partially addressed by an effective use of your support system. Let’s return to the running example. In that case, you could discuss how you were inspired by an older teammate, or how your coach became a mentor.

Note that your support systems do not need to be official organizations or people in authority. Your friends and family can also serve as a support system. Your support system also doesn’t need to provide you with something tangible, so long as they can provide you with emotional support or good advice.

Who are three people that you feel have made a significant impact on the world in the last 100 years? Who are they and why did you select them? How would you want them to be recognized or memorialized (for example, with a day, a celebration, or a monument, etc.)? (500 words)

Before you begin to consider your response to these questions, it would be beneficial to briefly assess what Lewis Honors College stands for and why you would like to attend this program (if applicable). If you are applying to Lewis Honors College, you should be prepared to demonstrate your commitment to the College’s values, either directly or indirectly, in your response to this essay prompt. Lewis Honors College’s mission is “to better the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the world by helping students to explore their purpose, develop intellectually, and lead with integrity.” As you can see, leadership is one of the College’s foremost values, and the admissions office wants to understand how you think about leadership and who has been a model of leadership to you.

Another related aspect of the prompt is your values. The prompt itself is asking you to consider who and what you value (within leadership), and then come up with three people who represent those values from the last century. What do you consider a “significant impact”? Is it scientific, humanitarian, athletic, intellectual, political, artistic?

You should select people whose contributions span a few different areas you value or are interested in. The people you choose do not have to be universally popular or known; the only requirement is that they have made a significant impact on the world in your view. For example, if you’re scientifically inclined, you might choose Rosalind Franklin, the chemist who discovered that DNA has a double helix structure. Or maybe you believe the Percy Jackson series changed the world, in which case you might choose Rick Riordan. As long as the person represented or directly created change on a global scale in the past century (and you can back it up), they’re a valid choice.

This prompt then goes a step further by asking you to discuss how you would choose to commemorate each person. In last year’s honors prompt, applicants were asked to create a “new Mount Rushmore” with four different individuals. This year’s prompt challenges you to think critically about what memorialization means and come up with your own means of recognizing your chosen figures. There are a few suggestions embedded in the prompt – a day, a celebration, or a monument – but don’t feel like you must choose one of these options. Think creatively: what is the best way to remember your chosen figures? Here are a few ideas:

Time – Is this person best remembered by setting aside time? Perhaps a moment of silence, a day, a week, or a month dedicated to remembrance of this figure. Is there a specific time (in the day or year) during which this person has special significance?
Object – Is this figure best remembered with a permanent object? For example, a monument, a museum, or a cenotaph. Is there something about this person’s contribution that can be permanently displayed?
Event – Is this person best represented by a social act or gathering in their name? Possibly a celebration, a vigil, a ritual, or a festival. Is there something about this person’s achievement or path to re-enact, enjoy, or grieve in conjunction with others?

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UK Core Requirements

Course Listings
Equivalences/Transfer Info
Policy Statements
Historical Documents
Assessment Plan (2021-2025)
Evaluation Rubrics
Evaluation Data

Students must take one course from each of the areas listed below in order to complete the UK Core. A course taken to satisfy a requirement in one area of the UK Core cannot be used to satisfy a requirement in another area, even if a specific course is present in more than one area (e.g., some courses are designed to meet the learning outcomes in more than one area).



Natural/ Physical/ Mathematical
Social Sciences
Humanities
Arts and Creativity

Composition and Communication I (CIS or WRD 110)
Composition and Communication II (CIS or WRD 111)

Quantitative Foundations
Statistical Inferential Reasoning

Community, Culture and Citizenship in the USA
Global Dynamics

*Some UK Core courses may be more than 3 credit hours

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University of Kentucky
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University of Kentucky

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Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at University of Kentucky?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

University of Kentucky’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Common app personal essay.

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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Rice University

Essay requirements.

Academic Requirements

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All first-year applicants will write one Common App essay (choosing one prompt) and provide responses to the Rice Supplemental (Rice supplemental essays). The Rice Supplemental also includes a unique image question called “The Box.”

Common App Essay Prompts

Choose one.

250 to 650 words

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Rice Supplemental

Responses are required for prompts 1 and 2, and for one of the two sub-prompts for prompt 3.

Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected.

Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you?

3. A. (Choose A. or B.)

A) The Residential College System is at the heart of Rice student life and is heavily influenced by the particular cultural traditions and unique life experiences each student brings. What life experiences and/or unique perspectives are you looking forward to sharing with fellow Owls in the residential college system?

3. B. (Choose A. or B.)

B) Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice?

Helpful Resources

How To Answer The “Why This College” Essay Prompt

We’ll go over the best ways to approach the 'Why This College" essay and provide helpful tips to help you write an effective essay that impresses admission officers.

How To Format & Structure Your College Application Essay

Your essays are a chance for admissions officers to get to know you beyond your grades, test scores, and ECLs. But how do you craft essays that reflect who you are AND impress the admissions officers?

Everything You Need To Know About The Supplemental Essays

Supplemental essays are required by many highly selective institutions in addition to the personal essay included in your Common Application. You can learn all about what they are and why they’re important here.

Get Your Essay Reviewed

Feel confident when submitting your college application essay by getting it reviewed by a professional admissions expert..

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Essays

COMMENTS

Freshman
Admission Requirements. Completed applications include an official high school transcript, application fee ($50 domestic/$60 international) and official ACT/SAT score (optional - the University of Kentucky is test-optional for admission and scholarships through the 2028-29 academic year). Learn More.
How To Write Your Undergraduate Personal Statement
Just start by showing your enthusiasm for the subject, showcasing your knowledge and understanding, and sharing your ambitions of what you want to achieve. Avoid cliches! Remember, this opening part is simply about introducing yourself, so let the admissions tutor reading your personal statement get to know you. Keep it relevant and simple.
Subject Guides: Academic writing: a practical guide: Essays
These resources contain advice and guides to help you structure your work: Tips for structuring an essay. A checklist of essay-writing tips. Structure in academic writing. General advice for creating clear, well-structured writing that guides the reader through your argument. You can use these templates to help develop the structure of your essay.
Admission Checklist
An official transcript from the college or university must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admission. A college transcript is necessary for credit to be awarded even if the credit also appears on a high school transcript. Contact 859-257-2000 for more information. Search the College Credit Equivalency Database.
The differences between a UK personal statement and a US admissions essay
Structure and length. UK: The UK personal statement is typically limited to a specific word count (often around 4,000 characters or 47 lines), requiring concise and focused writing. Each word should contribute to showcasing the applicant's academic suitability. US: US college essays vary in length and format.
Essay Writing
An essay is a continuous piece of writing in which ideas, propositions, research and justifications are put forward and analysed in the form of a series of paragraphs. The structure is different from that of a written report (see Report Writing below), which is separated into sections by numbers and headings: in the absence of such guidance for ...
How to write an essay
Here we'll cover the seven main points of planning and executing a well-written essay: understanding the question. researching and gathering helpful resources. putting together an essay plan. writing the essay. tackling the introduction and conclusion. reviewing what you've written.
Formatting
Typical layout for an essay is as shown here: Margins - between 2 cm and 2.54 cm (1 inch) all around. Line spacing - either 1.5 or double-line spacing. Paragraph spacing - either 1 clear line between or at least 8 pt space after each paragraph (more if double-line spaced) Alignment - left aligned (fully justified with a straight right-edge is ...
Essay and dissertation writing skills
A PDF providing further guidance on writing science essays for tutorials is available to download.. Short videos to support your essay writing skills. There are many other resources at Oxford that can help support your essay writing skills and if you are short on time, the Oxford Study Skills Centre has produced a number of short (2-minute) videos covering different aspects of essay writing ...
Writing an Academic Essay
An academic essay follows a basic, formal structure of introduction, main body and conclusion. There are many different types of academic essay but most follow the same layout. (You will usually be given a word-count, it is best not to exceed this.) Briefly, the introduction addresses the question or topic you have been asked to study and gives ...
Essay Writing Service
Samples of our work Sample essays. Prices from. £124. Approximate costs for: Undergraduate 2:2 • 1000 words • 7 day delivery. Order an essay. Delivered on-time or your money back. Request a call back +44 7723 488 955. (314 Reviews) Written to Standard.
UKEssays
20 Years in Business. Ever since we started trading in 2003, we've led the industry, setting trends and smashing expectations. We were the first company in the world to offer you guaranteed 2:1 and 1st class work, and have extensive experience supporting British students and international students enrolled at university in The United Kingdom.
Entry requirements
Minimum English language requirements. IELTS Academic - normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element. TOEFL Internet Based Test (IBT) - normally a minimum overall score of 110, with 25 or above in each element.
UK Essays
Corporate information hub for UK Essays / UK Essay - providing academic assistance to students in higher education. Fair Use Policy; Customer Login; UKE ssays.co.uk Trusted by students since 2003. ... timely delivery and will meet all your requirements. Their website is easy to navigate and you know what is going on with your order.
UK and US University Applications: The Key Differences
The challenges of writing a personal statement are different to those of writing an application essay. A strong personal statement for a UK university demonstrates the following key traits. It's subject-focused, showcasing your interest in the subject, your academic knowledge and your ability to think in the right way about it. ...
Incoming Freshmen Scholarships
The University of Kentucky offers renewable academic, competitive and selective scholarship opportunities for incoming first-time freshmen. Completed admission application and all supporting documents, including high school transcript, must be received as soon as possible, but by no later than December 1, 2023, for scholarship consideration.
Student Handbook 2023/24: Course Essay
There is no official style guide for the essays. However, although there are no specific requirements regarding format or font size, we recommend you use a 12 point font in a common font style, double space the main text and use margins of at least 2 cm. Footnotes should be no smaller than 10 point, normally in the same font as the main text.
How to Write the University of Kentucky Essays 2020-2021
University of Kentucky is a public research institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. It prides itself on being one of only eight institutions in the US with the full complement of liberal arts, engineering, professional, agricultural, and medical colleges on one contiguous campus. UK has a total enrollment of around 30,500 and its acceptance ...
UK Core Requirements
UK Core Requirements. Students must take one course from each of the areas listed below in order to complete the UK Core. A course taken to satisfy a requirement in one area of the UK Core cannot be used to satisfy a requirement in another area, even if a specific course is present in more than one area (e.g., some courses are designed to meet ...
University of Kentucky's 2023-24 Essay Prompts
Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.
Princeton University Essay Requirements
Essay Requirements. In addition to the Common Application or the QuestBridge Application, Princeton University requires the Princeton Supplement. Depending on which degree you wish to pursue (A.B., B.S.E. or undecided), you will answer one of the two academic prompts, as well as three additional sections. Princeton also requires you to submit a ...
Industry Leading Guarantees
Our guarantees to you. We're backed by over 20 years of experience in delivering high quality essays, assignments, dissertations and much more. We've helped thousands of students with their studies, providing much needed support and assistance across every subject imaginable.
Rice University Essay Requirements
Learn about Rice's essay requirements and gain insight into how to craft a compelling essay that showcases your unique voice and perspective. Our expert guidance can help you stand out in the admissions process and take the first step towards your dream education.

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