United Kingdom · Current guidance; 2027 applications not yet open
UCL UPC foundation year personal statement
UCL's Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates are an international foundation year for students preparing for a later undergraduate degree application. The UPC statement is part of the foundation course application, not a direct application to a UCL degree or the UCAS personal statement.
Writing format
Personal statement of no more than 500 words answering four questions
Academic integrity
UCL says generative AI may be used only for spelling and grammar in the personal statement. For interview preparation, it allows general prompts and research but forbids technological assistance during the interview.
What to prepare
- 1Explain the undergraduate degree you hope to pursue and the subject questions that interest you most.
- 2Identify academic or non-academic experiences that shaped that interest and what you learned from them.
- 3Discuss how you would fit the UPC course and what might challenge you during the foundation year.
- 4Describe your single proudest achievement and what it taught you about yourself, others, or the world.
How to approach the writing
- Budget the 500-word total across all four published questions instead of using a generic UCAS statement.
- Keep activity details only where they explain your degree aim; UCL reviews grades and curriculum separately in transcripts and the reference.
Before you submit
UCL has closed 2026 UPC applications and invites interest registrations for 2027. Recheck the statement questions and dates once the 2027 application opens. Architecture degree aims need a portfolio; Media BA and Art and Technology BA aims need a showreel and supporting portfolio.
Read UCL Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates application guidance ↗Official source checked 2026-09-25.