Sussex University Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to University of Sussex. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities.

Politics and International Relations Personal Statement Example 1 *****
Politics can be seen as essentially a convention inextricably linked to the birth of diversityand conflict,but it can also be seen as a willingness to co-operate and act collectively.Mypassion to study politics further is unrelenting...

Biomedical Science Personal Statement Example 3
I find that science subjects suit my inquisitive personality; I enjoy experimenting and understanding how the world works. For my Biology independent study module I chose to explore the process of organ transplantation, specifically the medicines that make it possible...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 7
Keeping up to date with world news online, aroused my interest in psychology . I was particularly captivated by the articles about abnormal behaviour such as self-harm; one of the reasons for this being the alarming rise in the number of victims over the years, which made me curious about its causes ...

Anthropology Personal Statement Example 1
Completing my sixth form education at a multicultural boarding school has allowed me to experience a wide social and cultural diversity that I never would have expected in a school environment, in great contrast to the subtle ethnocentrism of my previous schooling...

International Relations Personal Statement Example 2
I'd like to study international relations because I am concerned about the rapid rise of great powers such as the resource-rich Gulf States. I would like to understand how states engage at the national level and how they leverage power...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 11
“If she’s smart she will study Medicine.” This is an unwritten rule in my culture - all Nigerian parents want their children to become doctors. What becomes of the aspiring psychologist in the family? I met a junior doctor, at an educational conference, who wanted to specialise in psychiatry...

English Language and Linguistics Personal Statement Example 1 ***
Language is common to all people. By its nature, it is something that links us all together, yet our use of language is a major factor in defining us all as individuals. For something that comes so naturally to all of us, language can hold great power and influence...

Geography Personal Statement Example 4
All through my academic life I have found Geography extremely interesting because of the vast range of topics involved with it and how it relates to every subject in one way or another. I have a particular interest in the physical side of Geography and especially the topics of: climate change, coasts, hazards and the environment...

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) Personal Statement Example ****
Upon the opening of any quality newspaper, one would find that economic and political news dominate the headlines, but upon deeper reading it can be seen that the foundations of all human thought and actions have been shaped by philosophical theories...

French and Italian Personal Statement Example 2 ***
Before I participated in a French Exchange to Montelimar in 2005, I had found French interesting but didn't particularly think that it would be important in my longer term career aims. However, whilst in Montelimar, I found myself fully immersed in French culture and began to realise the breadth and beauty of the language and the importance of being able to express myself effectively in another language...

Physiology and Medical Sciences Personal Statement Example
The human body is arguably the most complex life form that has ever existed. Studying how the body works helps us to comprehend the many processes that maintain health and find better treatment for diseases...

English Personal Statement Example 26
Growing up reading Roald Dahl, I saw elements of myself in Matilda, as ever since I can remember, I have loved reading. My passion for English could be seen by those around me, as a child, having taught myself to read and write by the time I was 4 years old, and there was never any doubt that I would go on to pursue a career in English...

Postgraduate Linguistics Personal Statement Example
My interest in linguistics was gradually shaped throughout my life by all the different ways in which I have experienced languages: as a learner, translator, and as a teacher. However, it was the times spent living in Russia and later in the UK that made me fully understand that language can be a means of conveying much more than just our thoughts...

History Personal Statement Example 34 *****
“I have conquered an empire but I have not been able to conquer myself.” This quote by Peter I came to mind when I had to write this statement because is sums up my interest in History; here a great leader of men expresses his human weakness...

Environmental Engineering Personal Statement Example
Nowadays, Environmental Engineering plays a vital role in the world as the environment is being put under constantly increasing pressure. As I am fascinated by Science and Mathematics and feel that the environment is incredibly important, I decided to study this course...

Geography Personal Statement Example 16
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" is an ever recurring question asked to me by many individuals, including myself. I have come to the conclusion that I will never come up with a final answer, as I have many ambitions and aspirations...

English Literature & Spanish Personal Statement Example
For me, the most captivating part of English literature is the way great writers are able to influence the reader's imagination through the manipulation of language. The A-level topic of World War One literature was especially affecting because it showed me the importance of world events and their effect on contemporary literature that still inspires us today...

English Language/Literature Personal Statement Example 1
It is my belief that the most important part of anybody’s personality is the way that they exhibit it to the world. This idea of self expression is the basis of everything that I most enjoy and feel passionate about in life, which is why I am applying to study English...

Politics and Sociology Personal Statement Example 3
International relations and political science always attracted my attention and I clearly remember how impressed I was after the very first lesson on political science. Our teacher briefly explained us how political science had become an independent science and how it developed from a number of other disciplines: philosophy, history, economics, law...

Biology Personal Statement Example 22 ****
Although my fascination with Biology is rooted in my academic study, its seeds were planted long before. I still recall the simple childhood awe I felt travelling down the River Nile, or the exhilaration of passing through valleys of dipterocarp forests in my father's native Malaysia...

Law Personal Statement Example 70
Law is ever changing, whether parliament is passing new legislation, existing legislation is being rewritten or the courts are interpreting laws in different ways. In the case of Anthony Bland the distinguishing of earlier precedents was vital...

Biomedical Sciences Personal Statement Example 36
What I love about science is that it has yet to offer the 'best' way for anything. Man will always find ways to do things better than before, quote: "Wherever the knowledge takes us, it will empower us to do more...

Neuroscience Personal Statement Example 2
The application of scientific knowledge to understanding how humans, and the creatures around us, function and react with each other has always been a source of wonder to me. The opportunity to combine a scientific understanding of processes and structure of the nervous system and brain with knowledge of applications relevant to our own behaviour, including those of a clinical kind, makes neuroscience such an attractive prospect to me...

American Studies Personal Statement Example 1 *****
Barack Obama once said, “I’m so overexposed, I make Paris Hilton look like a recluse.” This epitomises my whole fascination with North America, and why I wish to study it in depth at University. The main aspect of the U...

Business/Human Resources Personal Statement Example
In a turbulent economic and social climate, business remains of core importance. It is a crucial element of our lives, working as a catalyst for innovation, which is why I wish to study it at undergraduate level...

Biology/Natural Sciences Personal Statement Example *****
I do not have to look far to find the source of my love of science. Just glancing around my living room my eyes fall upon a whole host of fascinating different organisms, seen and unseen they create a brilliant miniature ecosystem with billions of tiny processes and reactions for me to sit and unpick...

Media Studies Personal Statement Example 2
When I was nine years old, I would secretly read a Lord of the Rings book after bedtime with a flashlight with all the enthusiasm of, well, a child. Nobody was more excited than I when we went to watch the film adaptation, and, needless to say, I was mesmerized - not only by the effects, but also by the design of its posters, websites and trailers that all did justice to the film...

History Personal Statement Example 43
I have always wanted to be part of an open-minded society and live in a country where originality is rewarded, so the UK came to my mind as being the best country to read my degree. My passion for the English language has developed over years of studying English at school, where I have been successful in every written and oral exam...

English Personal Statement Example 30
English is not simply the study of humanity, or society, or history or the written word; it is all of those together and it is this versatility that makes it so appealing to me. The link between literary criticism and psychoanalysis is a great interest of mine...

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