Mathematics degree personal statement example (1o) Cambridge offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

From a young age, I have always been interested in Mathematics, and since then, my love for the subject has grown. My favourite topic within A-level Mathematics thus far has been differentiation: I was intrigued to find out that the formulae for the gradients of curves can be so simple.

I chose to study Mathematics at university because I am enjoying A-level Maths, and wish to learn more about this fascinating subject. I enjoy the fact that mathematical problems usually have a clear-cut answer (1 plus 1 will always be equal to 2), but there is often a complex explanation as to why (Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell took 379 pages to prove that 1+1=2 in "Principia Mathematica").

I see mathematical problems as mysteries, and enjoy the gratification of solving them. To understand the origins of the mathematical concepts I have studied, I am currently watching the BBC Four documentary series "The Story of Maths", which details the history of Mathematics from its Babylonian and ancient Egyptian roots to the modern day.

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

I am an independent worker, and have been mostly self-studying the Core, Further Pure, Statistics and Decision modules in my Mathematics and Further Mathematics courses from the textbooks, asking teachers and using other resources for help if required. I have also demonstrated my mathematical ability outside of accredited qualifications by gaining gold certificates in six successive UKMT Mathematics Challenges, gaining a merit certificate in the intermediate-level follow-up rounds, the European Kangaroo and the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad, and qualifying for the British Mathematical Olympiad, the follow-up round to the Senior Mathematics Challenge. I will soon be preparing for the STEP papers, and look forward to the mathematical challenge these will bring.

I have achieved strong UMS marks in my Mathematics modules, gaining 100 out of 100 for C2, C3 and M1, 95 for C1, 92 for S1 and 94 for D1. I also achieved 110 out of 110 UMS marks for one of the more mathematical modules on my Physics course.

Studying Mathematics has also helped me to understand my other subjects. Physics is largely a real-world application of Mathematics, so as well as Maths helping me to understand Physics, Physics helps me to understand why we need to learn Maths in the first place. Earlier in the year, I was selected to be part of the team representing my school in a Physics competition at the University of Surrey, which involved using engineering skills to design a wind turbine, as well as completing a quiz about renewable energy.

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

I am currently a senior prefect in my school. My duties for this involve assisting in guiding visitors at open evenings, as well as managing a lunch queue of hungry Key Stage 3 students once a week. I also held the role of faculty captain in year 11, a position with similar responsibility. Furthermore, I currently participate in my school's student teacher scheme, which involves helping a class of Key Stage 3 students with their studies once a week.

Overall, I feel that I am a hard-working and self-motivated student, and I look forward to harnessing this to further improve my understanding of Mathematics at university.

Universities applied to:

• Cambridge
• Warwick
• Bristol
• Southampton
• Warwick (MORSE)

Grades achieved:

• AAAB
• AABb
• AAB
• ABB

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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