Mathematics degree personal statement example (2a) Oxford application

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Mathematics, in my mind, has always represented how I think about the world. I decided from a young age that it would shape my future career and therefore my degree choice. I realised early on that mathematics and statistics play an important role in every aspect of life. They supply the methods which created the structure of the modern human world and the means by which it is continually being improved. More specifically though, it is the everyday effect that mathematics has on human life that I am intrigued by and that I would most like to study in detail.

I love being supplied with a problem and tasked to solve it. It leads me on a voyage from thinking about the problem through to beautifying the solution - and it is this journey that engages, enthuses and motivates me to study mathematics at university.

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

My love of mathematics really began in primary school when I had the opportunity to take part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. At the age of 10 I achieved a Gold Certificate. From then on I was focused on studying mathematics and committed to achieving in the subject. I took my mathematics GCSE in Year 10, which was unusual in my school. In Year 11 I also won the award for the best overall GCSE results. This shows that whilst I specialise in mathematics, I am versatile and willing to work hard. I always relish being stretched academically and take pleasure in working with new information and techniques.

I was hooked by the first year A Level mathematics and further mathematics courses and the insights they have given me have really engaged me. For example, the manipulation of algebra and spotting opportunities to use methods to make a solution more beautiful, is fantastic. The whole process of gradually improving and streamlining lines of algebra through substitution, factorisation and other methods is highly rewarding, especially when the answer isn't obvious at first.

Calculus is another fascinating part of the course. Learning to differentiate and integrate more complex equations has opened my eyes to additional everyday applications of calculus. I am really looking forward to studying these at university.

I have enjoyed learning how the areas of maths I am studying are applied to real life problems. For example, how the Poisson model helps supermarkets design their checkout sections and staff rotas. Similarly, insurance, banking and gambling sectors use probability to assess risks and logistics companies utilise discrete mathematics and linear programming to minimise expenditure and maximise profit. University will give me the chance to explore these even further.

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

I recognise the value of other aspects of my life. I am enjoying studying Spanish as an A-level choice. I also studied music at GCSE level and since then, through independent study, I have achieved a high merit at Grade 7 electric guitar. I am also independently working towards my Grade 8 bass exam. I qualified as a football referee and officiated for Barnsley FC and Sheffield Wednesday FC Academies. This shows I am trustworthy and responsible and that I have an ability to work individually under a high level of pressure. It also means I can be assertive and stick to any decisions I make that are open to interpretation. As a referee I need to use my good interpersonal skills to resolve confrontation and explain my judgements. I have also volunteered as a music tutor to people aged between 7 and 18 and I am currently teaching an 8 year old on a one to one basis. This requires a lot of patience and the ability to motivate people to continue their practice. Since August 2008 I have been employed by the Co-operative Group as a Customer Sales Assistant. In a recent manager review I was said to show “a level of maturity far beyond [my] years”.

Universities applied to:

• University of Oxford (Mathematics)
• Bristol University (Mathematics)
• University of Bath (Mathematics)
• University of Leicester (Mathematics)
• Keele University (Mathematics)

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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