Personal Statement:Natural Sciences 25

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

A timetable of purely mathematics and sciences meant I never had a lesson in a subject I regretted taking and continued the subjects I wished to explore further, making my two years in Sixth Form the best two years of my life. I don't want to change this, so Natural Sciences is the perfect course for me.

I realised I couldn't discontinue studying maths following my final lesson. All the maths teachers gave speeches on how dedicated to maths my fellow Further Mathematicians and I were, and presented us with certificates and mathematical books, reducing me to tears. I was given Ian Stewart's 'The Great Mathematical Problems', which I avidly read. I've been fascinated by all the work that mathematicians put into these problems, in particular the efforts required to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, and the many mathematicians who attempted it, which was further shown by the Horizon programme on the theorem.

Chemistry has been a favoured science since my first AS lesson where I was told that everything I learnt at GCSE was "a lie". Being taught the orbital structure of the atom and its relation to the different bonding properties of periods of the Periodic Table suddenly put everything into place for me, and pushed me into learning more. Reading 'Why Chemical Reactions Happen' allowed me to dive deeper into the mechanics behind atoms, with particular interest in factors that determine the rates of reactions, including how the energy levels of intermediates affect the overall activation energy and how transition states are formed in reactions with barriers.

My interest in Biology was sparked during a lecture on the biochemistry of mitochondria at a Cambridge Master Class on Genetics and Biochemistry. The maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and its ability to be traced through generations intrigued me, with the identification of King Richard III's remains using mtDNA giving a prime example of the real life applications of biochemistry. The lecturer mentioned that research has shown that mice with mutated mtDNA age prematurely, due to the impact mitochondria have on apoptosis and necrosis. I was driven to reading Lane's 'Power, Sex, Suicide', which explained that a faulty mitochondrial enzyme was 'knocked into' the mice, leading to early onset of age-related conditions and shortened life spans.

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

Through a research project on macromolecules as part of 'Experience Cambridge: Biological Sciences', I enhanced my knowledge of organic molecules, part of both my Biology and Chemistry studies. The crossover between those subjects (and Physics) in many areas has shown me that it is important to study all sciences, to fully appreciate all of their aspects. For example, studying, in Chemistry, the interactions of functional groups of organic molecules due to intermolecular forces helped me to understand the need for different macromolecules in cells, by linking the impact of each molecule to studies of cells in Biology. Or that studying photons in Physics gave me a deeper understanding of the light dependent stage of Photosynthesis, due to my knowledge of the duality of light.

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

I promoted my passions through my role as Maths and Science Prefect, which involved leading talks to parents, running master classes at primary schools, and developing extra-curricular activities through founding a Cryptography Club and Maths Society. I've also spread my knowledge through tutoring, an activity I am continuing with this year.

I balanced my four A2 subjects with extra-curricular activities, the highlight of which was representing Great Britain as Vice-Captain of the GB SPORT (U18) team; a role which involved substantial commitment and the ability to motivate and lead. This year I'm training for the Premier GB team, hoping to take part in the World Championships next MONTH. I'm filling the rest of my time with a full time job and further exploration of my favourite academic topics, ready to study them as part of Natural Sciences.

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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