Writing about supercurricular activities in your UCAS personal statement
Supercurricular activities are one of the most powerful tools you have in your personal statement. They show admissions tutors that you’re not just engaging with your subject in the classroom, but actively seeking to expand your knowledge and test your ideas.
But here’s the catch: doing supercurriculars isn’t enough. What matters is how you write about them. Too many students fall into the trap of listing everything they’ve done without explaining what they gained from the experience.
In this guide, I’ll break down how to write about supercurriculars so they make a real impact on your personal statement.
Why supercurricular activities matter
As discussed in my previous posts, supercurricular activities bridge the gap between what you’ve learned at school and how you’ve pursued your subject independently. They signal to tutors that:
You’re genuinely curious and motivated.
You can think critically about ideas.
You have the initiative to go beyond the curriculum.
Think of them as evidence. Anyone can say they’re passionate about a subject, but supercurriculars prove it.
Step 1: Use the “What? Why? How?” framework
This simple structure keeps your writing clear and reflective. For each supercurricular activity you write about, ask yourself:
What did you do?
e.g. “I read The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.”
Why did you choose to do this?
e.g. “I wanted to understand how the principles of genetics that I was learning about in my A-Level biology course interacted with behavioural factors.”
How did this activity develop your thinking?
e.g. “Dawkins’ explanations of the role of genetics in culture evolution made me rethink the simplistic model of genetics I had been taught and understand how vast and complex this field truly is.”
The final question is the most important, since this is where your reflection and learning shine through. Good phrases to include when answering this question are those that link back to your academic development. For example:
“This made me realise the importance of…”
“This challenged my assumption that…”
“As a result, I became more confident in analysing…”
Step 2: Show progression and connections
Strong personal statements often show how one activity led to another, since this builds a narrative of genuine curiosity. Try to include 2-3 paragraphs, each following a specific area of interest, with a few activities in each that you discuss using the framework outlined above.
For example, if you’re a mathematician, one of your paragraphs might follow the following narrative:
You read an article on cryptography in Plus Magazine.
This sparked your interest in the field and led you to reading The Code Book by Simon Singh.
You then pursued and solidified your interest in number theory by participating in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge.
This kind of progression shows depth: you didn’t just do a random collection of activities, you followed your interests thoughtfully.
Step 3: Prioritise quality over quantity
A common myth is that more supercurriculars make a better personal statement. In reality, admissions tutors don’t want to skim through a list of ten different books and lectures. They’d much rather see you unpack a few interests in detail.
Final thoughts
Supercurricular activities should be included in your personal statement to show initiative, curiosity and growth. Don’t just tell admissions tutors what you did, show them how those experiences deepened your understanding of your subject.
If you’d like expert, personalised feedback on your personal statement draft, you can book a free 15-minute chat with me using the button below to discuss how I might be able to help you.
