UCAS vs Common App Essay
If you’re applying to universities in either the US or the UK—perhaps both—you’ll be thinking about your all-important application essays. But did you know that there are major differences between the personal statements you’ll be writing for each country?
So, whether you’re aiming for the Ivy League or Oxbridge, or wanting to move to London, New York or California, let’s take a look. What’s the difference between the UCAS and the Common App, in terms of essays? We’ll throw in some handy tips too about how to formulate essays that work to get you into your dream universities.
The Common App Essay
For US applicants looking to get into top schools, like the Ivy League and Ivy+, the Common App essay holds great importance. It’s the core application essay for most students, one that every school using the ubiquitous Common App system sees. It’s a space for you to share what’s important to you and a bit about your character to top US schools. So, what does a good Common App essay look like?
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What is the US Common App Essay? Here’s our definition:
- Personal Stories: The Common App essay should tell a personal, unique story about you. It’s narrative rather than academic.
- Character: This essay is about showing off your personality and helping the admissions officers understand who you are — and, hopefully, charming them along the way.
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What are the qualities of a good Common App essay?
- It shows your development as a student and learner over time.
- It tells a compelling story that admissions officers can connect with.
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How to improve Common App essay
- Spend time brainstorming ideas, even asking your close family members for their thoughts. Consider which life experiences have most shaped you.
- Learn and implement basic principles of narrative writing, such as Show Not Tell and story-planning, to enhance essay quality!
Our consultants’ expert Common App Essay tips
A great personal essay is what pushes an application over the top. So, if you want to get into your dream schools, it’s important that you are ready to write one that exudes individuality and character. If you’re a Singaporean student struggling with your essay, IvyPrep offers signature summer Common App essay workshops to help you start the process.
The UCAS Personal Statement
Are you a UK applicant looking to get into dream universities, including the historic walls of Oxbridge? You will have to think about the UCAS personal statement’s importance. More academically focused than the Common App Essay, the personal statement challenges you to think about your academic outlook and your goals as a thinker.
For UK university admissions, you apply to courses and generally have to decide your major beforehand. Your essay must reflect your choice of study and convince the admissions committee of your commitment to your academic goals.
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What is the UK UCAS Personal Statement? Here’s our definition:
- Academic goals: it is a statement of academic motivation to submit to universities for consideration
- Highly specific: it is necessary to specify what your area of interest is, and talk about why you have chosen it. What inspired your choice?
- Ambitions: You might want to talk about your future plans and how you will use the degree you are pursuing.
- Intellectual passions: Whatever it is you intend to study, show your academic engagement with it in and outside the classrooms. What awards have you won? What related extracurricular activities do you do? What books have you read? What research have you done?
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Qualities of a great UCAS essay
- Convincing account of your academic journey
- A showcase of your interest in your subject of future study
- Clear, concise verbiage that shows how accomplished you are as a thinker
- Proof that you have done extra work to engage deeply with this subject, even outside of school
Our consultants’ expert UCAS tips on personal statements
A great UCAS essay is how you show an academic department that you will belong there, so focus on demonstrating your academic life and make references to readings beyond what’s expected of you at a pre-university level.
Managing both essays: what’s the best dual application writing strategy?
If you’re a student applying both to the US and the UK, make sure you bear these distinctions in mind as you draft your essays. What works in an exemplar UCAS essay may not translate as a theme in a successful Common App essay, for example. You will have to write two essays and manage UCAS and Common App essays simultaneously.
Wishing you the best! Wherever you are in your writing process, we hope and believe that you’ll come up with something brilliant. Good luck in writing a successful university application essay, and we hope you’ve enjoyed these writing tips for UCAS and Common App essay tasks!
FAQ
Generally speaking, yes! Common App requirements differ greatly from UCAS requirements, so we suggest that students come up with a new essay in either case.
The UCAS personal statement is an essay about you as a student, and your reasons for pursuing your academic goals at a particular course in the UK. As, in the UK, you apply to courses and majors, this statement is a great place to show how passionate you are about your future subject of study.
The Common App essay goes out to most US universities, including all the Ivy Leagues. It is a narrative personal essay that aims to showcase your personality and your approach to life. By far, it is the part of the application that requires the most self-reflection.
A good university application essay requires you to dig deep. Whether you are applying via UCAS or the Common App, you will want to share a part of yourself with the admissions committee, be it your passion for a subject, or an interesting story about your life.
Yes! As admissions get more and more competitive, factors like essays are what can really make an applicant stand out amongst a crowd of people with similarly strong academic attributes. Make it count!
