It's an "unfortunate necessity" as one student puts it, and we couldn't sum it up better ourselves. The phrase "personal statement" is enough to fill you with dread and horror at trying to explain yourself in 4,000 characters.
It's basically like a really long tweet which your whole future rests on. No biggie.
So we breathed a sigh of relief when Which? University made a video for us with A-level students sharing their stories, tips and worries on writing their statements.
Make sure to check out the rest of our advice, tips and information on Skills Space.
Luckily, Which? also penned a 10 things to put in your personal statement list, covering everything from explaining your reasons for wanting to study the course, how you're right for the course, what you've done outside the classroom and how to show you're a critical thinker.
If you've got tips to share, then why not tweet us @HPUKStudents or contact us at ukstudenteds@huffingtonpost.com
Good luck!