Business and management degree personal statement example (2m)

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

The refusal of my parents to supply me with pocket money as a child first sparked my curiosity in business. Constantly searching for an income stream to buy the things I wanted led me to manage my own small business through various distribution channels. To me, business holds an intrinsic value in every individual’s lives; even something as simple as turning the tap on involves invention, supply, manufacture and innovation. The elements of risk and competitiveness are themes which excite me the most due to the fact that actions have consequences and hence, the responsibility of decision making is a dominant factor in my enthusiasm for Business Management. Increasing globalization puts me at an advantage having lived in 3 different capital cities: Seoul, Doha and London. Attending an American international school in Qatar opened my eyes to different cultural norms and methods of conducting business on a local, national and international scale. The different nationalities I have been exposed to have provided me with contrasting perspectives of the world economy. I was fascinated to find out how integral efficiency is to Korea’s business philosophies and I quickly took this up as a motto for my studies. Through speaking both Korean and English, being bilingual enables me to express myself with a unique viewpoint. Since studying Mandarin at GCSE, I have continued to educate myself as I would like to become fluent. I trust that it will be of huge benefit when conversing and negotiating in Business Management. I am truly eager to expand my knowledge of Business Management at a degree level as it will enable me to further develop my potential in the business world.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I enjoy ownership of a project and seeing things through from beginning to end. I discovered this in Art and I continued to take the subject as an A Level. My studies in Maths have provided me with logical and strategic problem solving methods along with reinforcing my views that improvements can be made to businesses through implementation of mathematical formulas in key areas. Studying English Language aids my ability to communicate clearly and concisely which is a vital skill in negotiation and presenting chains of arguments articulately. Over the course of my A Levels, I have endeavoured to advance myself in the field of public speaking and debating. Participation in the Model United Nations conference as well as being a prefect at my college supported me in those particular areas. Additionally, as part of my academic programme, I am researching the rising role of women in the business world for my EPQ course.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I recently attended a workshop run by IBM in which teamwork was involved to present creative ideas in the improvement of ‘smart communication’. This was challenging considering the acceleration in technological advancements. My team and I agreed on a virtual reality of the layouts in hotels and real estate as a form of advertisement and efficiency in communication. I have completed the Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh award which has increased my confidence in leadership and ability to interact easily with new people. Within school, I was a keen member of the choir and have achieved a Merit in Grade 6 Piano. I find sports almost therapeutic thus, in my spare time I go running and have joined a rowing club. My work experience at Hill Dickinson Law Firm helped me to better understand the workload and importance of contracts throughout any business. I found that the ability to present sides of an argument and knowing how to draw conclusions was imperative. I could see that innovation in technology allow information to be networked and automated to provide a competitive advantage. I believe that I have proven myself to be a dedicated student with the capability to perform well across the many aspects of management.

Universities applied to:

• King's College: Business Management
• University of Southampton: Business Management
• University of Nottingham: Management
• City University of London: Management
• UCL: Information Management for Business

Grades achieved:

• Maths (AS) - Grade A
• English Language (AS) - Grade A
• Art (AS) - Grade A

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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