university personal statement plagiarism

Plagiarism Checker

Detect accidental plagiarism with
 scribbr’s free plagiarism checker.

What you get with a premium plagiarism check

Catch accidental plagiarism with high accuracy with Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker in partnership with Turnitin.

AI Detector

Detect AI-generated content, like ChatGPT3.5 and GPT4, with Scribbr’s AI Detector.

AI Proofreader

Find and fix spelling and grammar issues with Scribbr’s AI Proofreader.

* Only available when uploading an English .docx (Word) document

Rely on the most accurate plagiarism checker of 2023

Scribbr’s plagiarism checker, in partnership with Turnitin, detects plagiarism more accurately than other popular tools — particularly when texts are edited. This makes it the go-to plagiarism checker for students in the UK.

See test results

Find out if your writing contains potential plagiarism

The free plagiarism checker, in partnership with Turnitin, will give you a heads-up if your writing is similar to the content in our database.

View your top 5 matching sources

The Sources Overview shows you the top five sources that match your writing. You can see the domain, database, and the number of matching words for each source. It’s important to cite these sources!

Identify spelling and grammar issues in your document

In addition to checking for plagiarism, powerful AI software scans your English text for spelling and grammar issues. The free check gives an overview of the issues per category.

Submit your paper with confidence, knowing it’s free of plagiarism

Make your writing plagiarism-free with the premium plagiarism checker.

Get a precise similarity percentage

The premium plagiarism checker provides you with an accurate similarity score that tells you what percentage of your paper is not original.

Review highlighted text snippets for missing citations

Similarities in your document are highlighted for quick and easy reviewing. Each color corresponds to a source in the Sources Overview.

Compare your writing to the original text side by side

Use the comparison feature to see how similar your writing is to the original without leaving the plagiarism checker report.

Check for self-plagiarism by uploading previous assignments

Upload previous assignments or a classmate’s paper to catch (self-)plagiarism that is otherwise difficult to detect by regular plagiarism checkers.

Review your spelling and grammar corrections in Word

Writing issues are corrected automatically when you upload a Word document. To review the corrections, you can download a Word document with Track Changes.

Price per document

Prices are per check, not a subscription

Volume pricing available for institutions. Get in touch.

Request volume pricing

Institutions interested in buying more than 50 plagiarism checks can request a discounted price. Please fill in the form below.

Name * Email * Institution Name * Institution’s website * Country * Phone number Give an indication of how many checks you need * Please indicate how you want to use the checks * Depending of the size of your request, you will be contacted by a representative of either Scribbr or Turnitin. * Required

Excellent Review score

Scribbr’s plagiarism checker is rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 3,946 reviews.

Privacy guarantee

Submissions will never be added to our content database. Therefore, no other plagiarism checker will see your text.

Scribbr's plagiarism checker is perfect for you if you:

• Are a student writing an essay or paper
• Value the confidentiality of your submissions
• Prefer an accurate plagiarism checker
• Want to compare your work against publications
• Can benefit from an AI Detector

This plagiarism checker is not for you if you:

• Are a copywriter, SEO, or business owner
• Need to check lots of documents for plagiarism

Start for free

The go-to plagiarism checker for students and academics

University applicants

Ace your personal statement for your university application.

Compare your UCAS personal statement against billions of webpages, including other essays.

• Avoid having your personal statement flagged or rejected for accidental plagiarism.
• Make a great first impression on the admissions officer.

Submit your assignments with confidence.

Detect plagiarism using software similar to what most universities use.

• Spot missing citations and improperly quoted or paraphrased content.
• Avoid grade penalties or academic probation resulting from accidental plagiarism.

Take your journal submission to the next level.

Compare your submission to millions of scholarly publications.

• Protect your reputation as a scholar.
• Get published by the journal of your choice.

You don't need a plagiarism checker, right?

You would never copy-and-paste someone else’s work, you’re great at paraphrasing, and you always keep a tidy list of your sources handy.

But what about accidental plagiarism ? It’s more common than you think! Maybe you paraphrased a little too closely, or forgot that last citation or set of quotation marks.

Even if you did it by accident, plagiarism is still a serious offense. You may fail your course, or be placed on academic probation. The risks just aren’t worth it.

Scribbr & academic integrity

Scribbr is committed to protecting academic integrity. Our plagiarism checker, AI Detector , APA Reference Generator, proofreading services , and free Knowledge Base content are designed to help educate and guide students in avoiding unintentional plagiarism.

We make every effort to prevent our software from being used for fraudulent or manipulative purposes.

Ask our team

Want to contact us directly? No problem. We are always here for you.

• Chat with us
• Email [email protected]
• Call +44 (0)20 3917 4242
• WhatsApp +31 20 261 6040

Frequently asked questions

Extensive testing proves that Scribbr’s plagiarism checker is one of the most accurate plagiarism checkers on the market in 2022.

The software detects everything from exact word matches to synonym swapping. It also has access to a full range of source types, including open- and restricted-access journal articles, theses and dissertations, websites, PDFs, and news articles.

Scribbr’s  Plagiarism Checker is powered by elements of Turnitin’s Similarity Checker , namely the plagiarism detection software and the Internet Archive and Premium Scholarly Publications content databases .

The add-on AI detector is powered by Scribbr’s proprietary software.

Your document will be compared to the world’s largest and fastest-growing content database , containing over:

• 99.3 billion current and historical webpages
• 8 million publications from more than 1,700 publishers such as Springer, IEEE , Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, and Taylor & Francis

Note: Scribbr does not have access to Turnitin’s global database with student papers. Only your university can add and compare submissions to this database.

At the moment we do not offer a monthly subscription for the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker. Plagiarism checks can be bought separately — prices depend on the size of your document.

Your writing stays private. Your submissions to Scribbr are not published in any public database, so no other plagiarism checker (including those used by universities) will see them.

The free report tells you if your text contains potential plagiarism and other writing issues. The premium report gives you the resources you need to review issues in detail and resolve them.

Generating your (free or premium) plagiarism report takes between 1 and 10 minutes, depending on the document size.

In that time, your document is compared to the world’s largest content database, with over 99 billion webpages and 8 million publications.

Scribbr’s plagiarism checker offers complete support for 20 languages, including English, Spanish, German, Arabic, and Dutch.

The add-on AI Detector and AI Proofreader are only available in English.

The complete list of supported languages:

If your university uses Turnitin, the result will be very similar to what you see at Scribbr.

The only possible difference is that your university may compare your submission to a private database containing previously submitted student papers. Scribbr does not have access to these private databases (and neither do other plagiarism checkers).

Luckily, many papers, theses, and dissertations are also published in public databases that Scribbr does have access to.

How to Write a UCAS Personal Statement [With Examples]

James is senior content marketing manager at BridgeU. He writes and directs content for BridgeU's university partners and our community of international schools

What are the big challenges students should be aware of before writing their UCAS Personal Statement?

• The essential ingredients for writing a great Personal Statement
• How to write the UCAS Personal Statement [with examples]

Final hints & tips to help your students

Join 10,000 other counsellors & educators & get exclusive resources delivered straight to your inbox.

The UCAS Personal Statement can sometimes be a student’s only chance to impress a UK university. Read our in-depth guide to helping your students plan & write a winning application.

There are hundreds of articles out there on how to write a UCAS Personal Statement that will grab the attention of a UK university admissions officer.  

But if you’re working with students to help them perfect their Personal Statement in time for the  relevant UCAS deadlines , we can sum up the secret to success in three words.

Planning, structure and story. 

The UCAS Personal Statement is a student’s chance to talk about why they want to study for a particular degree, course or subject discipline at a UK university. 

As they set about writing a personal statement, students need to demonstrate the drive, ambition, relevant skills and notable achievements that make them a  suitable candidate for the universities they have chosen to apply to . 

But the UCAS Personal Statement requires students to write a lot about themselves in a relatively short space of time. That’s why lots of planning, a tight structure and a compelling story are essential if a student’s Personal Statement is to truly excel. 

As important deadlines for UK university applications grow closer, we at BridgeU have put together a guide, outlining some of the strategies and techniques to help your students to write a personal statement which is both engaging and truly individual.

Handpicked Related Content

Discover the simple steps that will boost the confidence of your native English speaking & ESL students alike in  University Application Essays: The 5 Secrets of Successful Writing .

As they begin to plan their Personal Statement, students may feel intimidated. It’s not easy to summarise your academic interests and personal ambitions, especially when you’re competing for a place on a course which is popular or has demanding entry requirements. In particular, students will likely come up against the following challenges.

Time pressure

Unfortunately, the Personal Statement (and other aspects of university preparation) comes during the busiest year of the student’s academic life so far.

Students, and indeed teachers and counsellors, must undertake the planning and writing of the personal statement whilst juggling other commitments, classes and deadlines, not to mention revision and open day visits!

Because there is already a lot of academic pressure on students in their final year of secondary school, finding the time and headspace for the personal statement can be hard, and can mean it gets pushed to the last minute. The risks of leaving it to the last minute are fairly obvious – the application will seem rushed and the necessary thought and planning won’t go into  making the personal statement the best it can be . 

Sticking closely to the Personal Statement format

The character limit which UCAS sets for the personal statement is very strict – up to 4,000 characters of text. This means that students have to express themselves in a clear and concise way; it’s also important that they don’t feel the need to fill the available space needlessly.  Planning and redrafting of a personal statement is essential .

Making it stand out

This is arguably the greatest challenge facing students – making sure that their statement sets them apart from everyone else who is competing for a place on any given course; in 2022 alone, UCAS received applications from 683,650 applicants (+1.6k on 2021) students. In addition, UCAS uses its own dedicated team and purpose built software to check every application for plagiarism, so it’s crucial that students craft a truly  original personal statement which is entirely their own work .

The essential ingredients for writing a great UCAS Personal Statement 

We’ve already mentioned our three watch words for writing a high quality Personal Statement.

Planning. Structure. Story. 

Let’s dig deeper into these three essential components in more detail.

Watch: How to Write a UCAS Personal Statement with University of Essex

Planning a ucas personal statement.

It might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s vital that students plan their Personal Statement before they start writing it. Specifically, the planning phase could include: 

• Students thoroughly researching the UK university courses they plan on applying to. 
• Deciding on what relevant material to include in their Personal Statement (we’ll cover this in more detail later on). 
• Writing an unedited first draft where they just get their thoughts and ideas down on paper. 

Structuring a UCAS Personal Statement

As we’ve discussed, the UCAS Personal Statement requires students to be extremely disciplined – they will be required to condense a lot of information into a relatively short written statement. This means that, after they’ve written a rough first draft, they need to think carefully about how they structure the final statement. 

A stand out Personal Statement will need a tight structure, with an introduction and a conclusion that make an impact and really help to tell a story about who your student is, and why they are drawn to studying this particular degree. 

This brings us nicely to our third and final ingredient…

Telling a story with a Personal Statement

The UCAS Personal Statement is a student’s opportunity to show a university who they are and how their life experiences have shaped their academic interests and goals. 

So a good Personal Statement needs to offer a compelling narrative, and that means making sure that a student’s writing is well-structured, and that every sentence and paragraph is serving the statement’s ultimate purpose –  to convince a university that your student deserves a place on their subject of choice. 

How to help your students start their UCAS Personal Statement

In order to ensure that a personal statement is delivered on time and to an appropriate standard, it’s essential to plan thoroughly before writing it. Here are some questions you can ask your students before they start writing:

How can you demonstrate a formative interest in your subject?

It may sound obvious but, in order for any UCAS personal statement to have the necessary structure and clarity, students need to think hard about why they want to study their chosen subject. Ask them to think about their responses to the following questions:

What inspired you to study your chosen subject?

Example answer:  My desire to understand the nature of reality has inspired me to apply for Physics and Philosophy

Was there a formative moment when your perspective on this subject changed, or when you decided you wanted to study this subject in more detail?

Example answer:  My interest in philosophy was awakened when I questioned my childhood religious beliefs; reading Blackburn’s “Think”, convinced me to scrutinise my assumptions about the world, and to ensure I could justify my beliefs.

Can you point to any role models, leading thinkers, or notable literature which has in turn affected your thinking and/or inspired you?

Example answer :  The search for a theory of everything currently being conducted by physicists is of particular interest to me and in “The Grand Design” Hawking proposes a collection of string theories, dubbed M-theory, as the explanation of why the universe is the way it is.

Asking your students to think about the “why” behind their chosen subject discipline is a useful first step in helping them to organise their overall statement. Next, they need to be able to demonstrate evidence of their suitability for a course or degree. 

How have you demonstrated the skills and aptitudes necessary for your chosen course?

Encourage students to think about times where they have demonstrated the necessary skills to really stand out. It’s helpful to think about times when they have utilised these skills both inside and outside the classroom. Ask students to consider their responses to the following questions. 

Can you demonstrate critical and independent thinking around your chosen subject discipline?

Example answer :  Currently I am studying Maths and Economics in addition to Geography. Economics has been a valuable tool, providing the nuts and bolts to economic processes, and my geography has provided a spatial and temporal element.

Are you able to demonstrate skills and competencies which will be necessary for university study?

These include qualities such as teamwork, time management and the ability to organise workload responsibly.

Example answer:  This year I was selected to be captain of the 1st XV rugby team and Captain of Swimming which will allow me to further develop my leadership, teamwork and organisational skills.

How have your extracurricular activities helped prepare you for university?

Students may believe that their interests outside the classroom aren’t relevant to their university application. So encourage them to think about how their other interests can demonstrate the subject-related skills that universities are looking for in an application. Ask students to think about any of the following activities, and how they might be related back to the subject they are applying for.

• Clubs/societies, or volunteering work which they can use to illustrate attributes such as teamwork, an interest in community service and the ability to manage their time proactively.
• Have they been elected/nominated as a team captain, or the head of a particular club or society, which highlights leadership skills and an ability to project manage?
• Can they point to any awards or prizes they may have won, whether it’s taking up a musical instrument, playing a sport, or participating in theatre/performing arts?
• Have they achieved grades or qualifications as part of their extracurricular activities? These can only help to demonstrate aptitude and hard work. 

How to write the UCAS Personal Statement [with examples] 

If sufficient planning has gone into the personal statement, then your students should be ready to go!

In this next section, we’ll break down the individual components of the UCAS Personal Statement and share some useful examples.

These examples come from a Personal Statement in support of an application to study Environmental Science at a UK university. 

Watch: King’s College London explain what they’re looking for in a UCAS Personal Statement

Introduction.

This is the chance for an applying student to really grab an admission tutor’s attention. Students need to demonstrate both a personal passion for their subject, and explain why they have an aptitude for it .  This section is where students should begin to discuss any major influences or inspirations that have led them to this subject choice. 

Example :  My passion for the environment has perhaps come from the fact that I have lived in five different countries: France, England, Spain, Sweden and Costa Rica. Moving at the age of 15 from Sweden, a calm and organized country, to Costa Rica, a more diverse and slightly chaotic country, was a shock for me at first and took me out of my comfort zone […] Also, living in Costa Rica, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, definitely helped me realize how vulnerable the world is and how we need to take care of it in a sustainable manner. 

This opening paragraph immediately grabs the reader’s attention by giving the reader an insight into this student’s background and links their academic interests with something specific from the student’s personal backstory. 

Discussing Academic Achievements 

The next paragraph in this Personal Statement discusses the student’s academic achievements. Because this student has had an international education, they frame their academic achievements in the context of their personal background. They also cite useful examples of other curricula they have studied and the grades they have achieved. 

Example : 

Throughout my academic life I have shown myself to be a responsible student as well as a hard working one, despite the fact that I have had to move around a lot. I have achieved several other accomplishments such as a high A (286/300) in AS Spanish at age 15, and also completed a Spanish course of secondary studies for ‘MEP’(Ministerio de Educacion Publica), which is a system from Costa Rica.   

You’ll notice that this student doesn’t just list their achievements – their strong academic performance is always linked back to a wider discussion of their personal experiences. 

Showcasing Extracurricular Activities

As well as discussing academic achievements, a good Personal Statement should also discuss the student’s extracurricular activities, and how they relate back to the student’s overall university aspirations. 

By the third/fourth paragraph of the Personal Statement, students should think about incorporating their extracurricular experiences, 

Another valuable experience was when my class spent a week at a beach called ‘Pacuare’ in order to help prevent the eggs of the endangered leatherback turtle from being stolen by poachers who go on to sell them like chicken eggs. We all gained teamwork experience, which was needed in order to hide the eggs silently without scaring the mother turtles, as well as making it more difficult for the poachers to find them. 

When the poachers set fire to one of the sustainable huts where we were staying, not only did I gain self-awareness about the critical situation of the world and its ecosystems, I also matured and became even more motivated to study environmental sciences at university.

This is a particularly striking example of using extracurricular activities to showcase a student’s wider passion for the degree subject they want to study. 

Not only does this Personal Statement have a story about volunteering to save an endangered species, it also illustrates this applicants’ wider worldview, and helps to explain their motivation for wanting to study Environmental Science. 

Concluding the UCAS Personal Statement

The conclusion to a UCAS Personal Statement will have to be concise, and will need to tie all of a student’s academic and extracurricular achievements. After all, a compelling story will need a great ending. 

Remember that students need to be mindful of the character limit of a Personal Statement, so a conclusion need only be the length of a small paragraph, or even a couple of sentences. 

“ After having many varied experiences, I truly think I can contribute to university in a positive way, and would love to study in England where I believe I would gain more skills and education doing a first degree than in any other country.  “

A good Personal Statement conclusion will end with an affirmation of how the student thinks they can contribute to university life, and why they believe the institution in question should accept them. Because the student in this example has a such a rich and varied international background, they also discuss the appeal of studying at university in England. 

It’s worth taking a quick look at a few other examples of how other students have chosen to conclude their Personal Statement. 

Medicine (Imperial College, London) 

Interest in Medicine aside, other enthusiasms of mine include languages, philosophy, and mythology. It is curiously fitting that in ancient Greek lore, healing was but one of the many arts Apollo presided over, alongside archery and music.   I firmly believe that a doctor should explore the world outside the field of  Medicine, and it is with such experiences that I hope to better empathise and connect with the patients I will care for in my medical career. 

You’ll notice that this example very specifically ties the students’ academic and extracurricular activities together, and ties the Personal Statement back to their values and beliefs. 

Economic History with Economics (London School of Economics)

The highlight of my extra-curricular activities has been my visit to Shanghai with the Lord Mayor’s trade delegation in September 2012. I was selected to give a speech at this world trade conference due to my interest in economic and social history. […] I particularly enjoyed the seminar format, and look forward to experiencing more of this at university. My keen interest and desire to further my knowledge of history and economics, I believe, would make the course ideal for me.

By contrast, this conclusion ties a memorable experience back to the specifics of how the student will be taught at the London School of Economics – specifically, the appeal of learning in seminar format! 

There’s no magic formula for concluding a Personal Statement. But you’ll see that what all of these examples have in common is that they tie a student’s personal and academic experiences together – and tell a university something about their aspirations for the future.

Watch: Bournemouth University explain how to structure a UCAS Personal Statement

Know the audience

It can be easy for students to forget that the person reading a personal statement is invariably an expert in their field. This is why an ability to convey passion and think critically about their chosen subject is essential for a personal statement to stand out. Admissions tutors will also look for students who can structure their writing (more on this below). 

Students should be themselves

Remember that many students are competing for places on a university degree against fierce competition. And don’t forget that UCAS has the means to spot plagiarism. So students need to create a truly honest and individual account of who they are, what they have achieved and, perhaps most importantly, why they are driven to study this particular subject.

Proof-read (then proof-read again!)

Time pressures mean that students can easily make mistakes with their Personal Statements. As the deadline grows closer, it’s vital that they are constantly checking and rechecking their writing and to ensure that shows them in the best possible light. 

Meanwhile, when it comes to giving feedback to students writing their Personal Statements, make sure you’re as honest and positive as possible in the days and weeks leading up to submission day. 

And make sure they remember the three key ingredients of writing a successful Personal Statement. 

Planning, structure and story! 

Book a free demo

Learn how BridgeU can help deliver better outcomes for your students and improved results for your school

How to write a personal statement

Finding the right words to include in your personal statement can be tricky, but we're here to guide you through it.

Writing a first-class statement

You know we’re a good match, now all you’ve got to do is tell us why. Your personal statement is an opportunity to tell us everything about you and how special you are but finding the right words can be tricky. If you’re tired of sitting in front of a blank page for hours on end, searching for the best way to describe yourself, you’ve come to the right place. Here are our top tips for writing a personal statement.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement forms part of your application to study at university. It’s your chance to articulate why you’d like to study a particular course or subject, and what skills and experience you possess that demonstrate your passion for your chosen field. Your personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever is shorter.

What to write about in your personal statement

You! No one knows you better than you know yourself. You need to tell us why you’re the perfect candidate for the course and what makes you stand out from the crowd.

A helpful way of ensuring you strike the right balance is by splitting your statement into sections:

• At least 75% of your personal statement should be related to what you want to study, and why you want to study that subject. Be genuine and refer to topics you've already studied and your wider interests in the area. It's also worth reflecting on any reading that you’ve done on the subject or relevant work experience.
• The remaining 25% of your statement should cover any other achievements. This is where you show us that you’ve taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to you. Are you on a school sports team? Have you conducted any charity work? Do you have a part-time job? Include relevant examples that demonstrate you have the skills needed during your time at university. It’s time to boast about how brilliant you are! 

However, getting these details down isn't always easy, and some people find it helpful to make notes over time. Carrying a notebook with you or setting up a memo on your phone can be useful. Whenever you think of something useful for your personal statement, jot it down.

Top Tip: It’s important to remember that you only write one personal statement – it remains the same for each course you apply for. So, avoid mentioning any universities by name. If you’re applying for more than one subject (or it’s a combined course) it’s crucial to include common themes or reference the overall skills needed for all subjects.

How to write your personal statement

Just like you, your personal statement should be unique, so there’s no specific format to follow when it comes to putting pen to paper. That said, we have compiled some general guidelines for you to follow:

• Write simply and naturally – don’t use complex language to impress, it often doesn’t read well 
• Be enthusiastic and excited – we want to see your genuine passion (and enjoy reading about it) 
• Structure your personal statement to reflect the skills and qualities universities value most – read the course descriptions for inspiration 
• Read it aloud – this can help you spot any potential mistakes and provides an opportunity to edit the text to make the statement sound more natural 
• Don’t copy – UCAS runs your personal statement through plagiarism software to make sure your statement is original 
• Overwrite then edit – when working on your first draft it’s important to get down as much information as you can, you can refine the copy to suit the character count later 
• Don’t settle on draft one – come back to your statement a few days after completing your first draft, you’ll likely want to redraft certain sections after coming back with ‘fresh eyes’ 
• Ask for advice – get your teachers, advisors and family to take a look and don’t be offended if they offer suggestions or changes, they want to help you succeed 
• Run your statement through a spell-checking programme – then double-check the spelling, punctuation and grammar and correct

We recommend you write your personal statement first, then copy and paste it into your online application once you're happy with it. Make sure you save it regularly, as it times out after 35 minutes of inactivity.

Need more application tips?

Life is full of opportunities and studying at the University of Nottingham could be your biggest yet! If you’re looking for more application guidance, head over to our 'Applying' hub.

Recently viewed

{{ item.faculty }}

{{ item.duration }}

{{ item.courseTitle }}

Entry requirements {{ item.entryRequirementCode }}

UCAS code {{ item.ucasCode }}

{{ item.category }}

{{ item.title }}

Ask us anything.

Our webpages contain detailed information about all processes in your student journey. Check them out alongside our student enquiry centre to find the information you need. If you’re still struggling, head to our help page where you can find details of how to contact us in-person and online.

We value your privacy

We use cookies to allow this site to work for you, improve your user experience, and to serve you advertising tailored to your interests. Let us know if you agree to all cookies. You can manage your preferences at any time

Your Privacy

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

The shortcut to your shortlist

Make your university search faster and less stressful. Get a personalised shortlist by selecting what matters to you.

• CHOOSE ONE OR MORE

Popular universities

• University of Kent
• University of East Anglia UEA
• University of Chester
• Coventry University
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Portmouth
• Nottingham Trent University
• University of Sunderland
• London Metropolitan University
• London South Bank University
• University of East London
• BROWSE ALL UNIVERSITIES

Course search

Popular undergraduate courses.

• Computer Science
• LLB Bachelor of Laws
• Biomedical Sciences
• Physiotherapy
• Sports Science

Open days search

Upcoming open days.

• Keele University
• Wiltshire College and University Centre
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• University of Portsmouth
• BIMM University

Article search

Popular articles.

• What is UCAS Extra?
• Replying to offers
• What's a university open day
• Student finance and funding
• Types of degree in the UK
• BROWSE ALL ARTICLES

Popular topics

• Choosing what to study
• Choosing where to study
• Applying to university
• League tables
• Student life - after you start

Tips for writing your personal statement

How to write a personal statement it's difficult to know where to begin. get hints and tips on structure, content and what not to write from a university expert..

• An insider's view
• What admissions tutors look for

Structuring and preparing your personal statement

What to write in a personal statement, examples to avoid, an insider’s view .

Personal statements may seem formulaic, but they can be critical to the decision-making process, and admissions tutors do read them.

If you’re applying for a high-demand course, your personal statement could be the deciding factor on whether or not you get an interview.

The Director of Marketing and Student Recruitment at the University of Gloucestershire , James Seymour, shares some top tips on how to write a personal statement.

What makes a good personal statement?

This is your chance to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment and show us what value you can add to a university. In the vast majority of cases, universities are finding ways to make you an offer, not reject you – the personal statement is your chance to make this decision easier for them!

First, you need to explain why you want a place on a course. Take a look at James’ tips on what you should include:

• Explain the reason for your choice and how it fits in with your aspirations for the future
• Give examples of any related academic or work experience
• Show you know what the course will involve and mention any special subjects you’re interested in
• Demonstrate who you are by listing any positions you’ve held, memberships of teams or societies, and interests and hobbies
• Show consistency in your five UCAS choices. It may be difficult for an admissions tutor to take you seriously if your other choices, and references to them, are totally different. If your choices are different, you should explain this in your statement. The UCAS form is blind. Admissions tutors don’t know the other universities you’ve applied to, or your priorities, but you should still be consistent
• Keep it clear and concise – UCAS admissions are increasingly paperless – so most admissions tutors/officers will read your statement onscreen

Explain what you can bring to a course and try not to just list experiences, but describe how they have given you skills that will help you at university.

Don’t just say: I am a member of the college chess club. I also play the clarinet in the orchestra.

When you could say: I have developed my problem-solving skills through playing chess for the college; this requires concentration and analytical thought. I am used to working as part of a team as I play clarinet in the college orchestra and cooperate with others to achieve a finished production.

• Applying to university and UCAS deadlines
• Applying and studying in the UK
• University interviews

What will admissions tutors look for in your personal statement?

To decide if you’re the right fit, universities and colleges are interested in how you express your academic record and potential. This should be backed up by your reference.

Those working in admissions look for evidence of:

• Motivation and commitment
• Leadership, teamwork and communication
• Research into your chosen subject
• Any relevant key skills

Admissions tutors aren't seeking Nobel laureates. They’re looking for enthusiasm for the course being applied for, and self-reflection into why you’d be suitable to study it. What value could you add to the course? Where would you like to go once you graduate?

Ben, the Admissions Manager for Law at the University of Birmingham , shared with us what he expects applicants to tell him in their personal statement:

The personal statement is not only an excellent opportunity to showcase applicants individual skills, knowledge, and achievements, but it also provides us with an insight into the type of student they aspire to be and how they could fit into the academic community. Ben Atkins, Law Admissions Manager at University of Birmingham

Real-life example: the good

Real-life example: the not-so-good

• How to make your personal statement stand out

You could have excellent experiences, but if they’re arranged in a poorly-written statement then the impact will be reduced. So, it’s important to plan your statement well.

A well-written personal statement with a clearly planned and refined structure will not only make the information stand out, but it’ll demonstrate you have an aptitude for structuring written pieces of work – a crucial skill needed for many university courses.

You can use it for other things too, such as gap year applications, jobs, internships, apprenticeships and keep it on file for future applications.

There's no one ‘correct’ way to structure your personal statement. But it’s a good idea to include the following:

• A clear introduction, explaining why you want to study the course
• Around 75% can focus on your academic achievements, to prove how you’re qualified to study it
• Around 25% can be about any extracurricular activity, to show what else makes you suitable
• A clear conclusion
• How to start a personal statement

Your personal statement is your chance to really show why you deserve a place on your chosen course. 

Remember to keep these in mind:

• Be clear and concise – the more concentrated the points and facts, the more powerful
• Use positive words such as achieved, developed, learned, discovered, enthusiasm, commitment, energy, fascination…
• Avoid contrived or grandiose language. Instead use short, simple sentences in plain English
• Insert a personal touch if possible, but be careful with humour and chatty approaches
• Use evidence of your learning and growth (wherever possible) to support claims and statements
• Plan the statement as you would an essay or letter of application for a job/scholarship
• Consider dividing the statement into five or six paragraphs, with headings if appropriate
• Spelling and grammar DO matter – draft and redraft as many times as you must and ask others to proofread and provide feedback
• For 2022 – 23 applications, refer to the challenges you've faced during the pandemic in a positive way

Don’t 

• Over-exaggerate
• Come across as pretentious
• Try to include your life history
• Start with: "I’ve always wanted to be a..."
• Use gimmicks or quotations, unless they're very relevant and you deal with them in a way that shows your qualities
• Be tempted to buy or copy a personal statement – plagiarism software is now very sophisticated and if you're caught out you won’t get a place
• Make excuses about not being able to undertake activities/gain experience – focus on what you were able to do positively, e.g. as a result of coronavirus

For further details, read our detailed guide on  what to include in a personal statement  and the best things to avoid.

Note that if you decide to reapply for university the following year, it's a good idea to consider making some changes to your personal statement. Mention why you took a year off and talk about what skills you've learnt. If you're applying for a completely different subject, you'll need to make more changes.

James gives us real-life examples of things to avoid:

I enjoy the theatre and used to go a couple of times a year. (Drama)

I am a keen reader and am committed to the study of human behaviour through TV soaps!

I have led a full life over the last 18 years and it is a tradition I intend to continue.

I describe myself in the following two words: 'TO ODIN!' the ancient Viking war cry. (Law)

My favourite hobby is bee-keeping and I want to be an engineer.

My interest in Medicine stems from my enjoyment of Casualty and other related TV series.

I have always had a passion to study Medicine, failing that, Pharmacy. (A student putting Pharmacy as her fifth choice after four medical school choices – Pharmacy can be just as popular and high status as Medicine.)

Some final advice

Above all, remember that a personal statement is your opportunity to convince a university why it should offer you a place. So, make it compelling and there’s a much higher chance they will.

Related articles

Study Artificial Intelligence, why & how to study

With Artificial Intelligence (AI), you can construct intelligent systems that support our...

Study Nursing, why & how to study

Read about studying Nursing and what it’s like to be a nurse – to see if it could be the...

Study Manufacturing & Production Engineering, why...

If you enjoy both analytical thinking with a creative approach, read on to see how...

Is this page useful?

Sorry about that..., how can we improve it, thanks for your feedback.

Admissions guide on plagiarism of personal statements

1. definition.

“Plagiarism” can be defined as:

“the submission of material (written, visual or oral) originally produced by another person or persons, without correct acknowledgement, in such a way that the work could be assumed to be the student’s own.”

1.2 Plagiarism may involve the unattributed use of another person’s work, ideas, opinions, theory, statistics, graphs, models, paintings, performance, computer code, drawings, quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words, or paraphrases of another person’s spoken or written words.

2. The UCAS Similarity Detection Service

2.1 The UCAS Similarity Detection Service reviews all personal statements within incoming applications. These are checked against a library of all personal statements previously submitted to UCAS and sample statements collected from a variety of web sites and other sources including paper publications.

2.2 Each personal statement received at UCAS is added to the library of statements after it has been processed.

2.3 If a personal statement shows 60% or more of plagiarised matter, the application will be considered by Admissions but the applicant will be informed of the detected plagiarism and the seriousness of this offence. Applicants will be advised to ensure that they understand what plagiarism is and how to consult sources of information when they become students.

2.4 In cases where the statement contains over 80% of plagiarised matter, it may lead to a rejection decision.

Related pages

Admissions policy.

Our admissions policy for taught courses.

Governance and structure

Read about the University's governance committees and councils.

Academic regulations

The regulations, policies and procedures which underpin the governance and management of all courses offered by the University.

We use cookies to ensure the best experience on our website.

By accepting you agree to cookies being stored on your device.

Some of these cookies are essential to the running of the site, while others help us to improve your experience.

Functional cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility.

Analytics cookies help us improve our website based on user needs by collecting information, which does not directly identify anyone.

Marketing cookies send information on your visit to third parties so that they can make their advertising more relevant to you when you visit other websites.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing the Personal Statement

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories:

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms.

2. The response to very specific questions:

Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

• What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?
• What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?
• When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?
• How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
• If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth?
• What are your career goals?
• Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?
• Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life?
• What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics?
• What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
• Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants?
• What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?

General advice

Answer the questions that are asked

• If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar.
• Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked.

Tell a story

• Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.

Be specific

• Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.

Find an angle

• If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

• The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.

Tell what you know

• The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgment.

Don't include some subjects

• There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).

Do some research, if needed

• If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.

Write well and correctly

• Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.

Avoid clichés

• A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

For more information on writing a personal statement, see the personal statement vidcast .

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Reading Research Effectively
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Generative AI and Writing
• USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
• Bibliography

According to USC's Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards , plagiarism is:

• The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the student's own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near-verbatim form.
• The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style.
• Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays or papers.

Avoiding Allegations of Plagiarism

An allegation of plagiarism is intent-neutral . In other words, the reader cannot discern whether the absence of a citation was done deliberately or you simply forgot to add a citation or accidentally cited to the wrong source. Therefore, it is important to proofread your paper before you submit it to ensure you have listed all sources used during your research. This is also why it is important to keep track of everything you have used during the course of writing your paper so you can easily assess whether all your sources have been cited.

With this in mind, credit must be given when using one of the following in your own research paper:

• Another person's idea, opinion, or theory;
• Any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings, or other non-textual elements used or that you adapted from another source;
• Any pieces of information that are not common knowledge;
• Quotations of another person's actual spoken or written words; or
• Paraphrase of another person's spoken or written words.

To introduce students to the process of citing other people's work, the USC Libraries have created a useful online tutorial on avoiding plagiarism . It describes what constitutes plagiarism and offers helpful advice on how to properly cite sources. In addition, the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards has also published, "Trojan Integrity: A Guide for Avoiding Plagiarism." This guide provides a comprehensive explanation for how to defend yourself against allegations of violating the university's policy on academic integrity.

If you have any doubts about whether to cite a particular source concerning an argument or statement made in your paper, protect yourself by citing the source or sources that helps the reader determine the validity of your work. Note that not citing a source not only raises concerns about the academic integrity of your paper, but, more importantly, it tells the reader that you did not conduct an effective or thorough review of the literature in support of examining the research problem. It also inhibits the reader's ability to review the cited source to obtain further information about what is being discussed in your paper.

Academic Integrity. The Writing Center. University of Kansas; Avoiding Plagiarism. Academic Skills Program, University of Canberra; How and When to Cite Other People's Work. Psychology Writing Center, University of Washington; Proctor, Margaret. "How Not to Plagiarize." University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Plagiarism. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Plagiarism. The Writing Center. Department of English, George Mason University. Avoiding Plagiarism. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University.

• << Previous: 11. Citing Sources
• Next: Footnotes or Endnotes? >>
• Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024 10:51 AM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

Does UCAS Check for Plagiarism?

In University by Think Student Editor October 22, 2023 Leave a Comment

The UCAS application is the main part of the application process to university in the UK. It takes a lot of time, effort and thought to make the best application you can. This includes everything from carefully filling out personal details, to researching and deciding on the best course and universities for you, to the dreaded personal statement. It can be really daunting to try and show universities why they should accept you in so few lines.

Many students read example personal statements, perhaps from school or older siblings, to help them get an idea of what to write. However, it is really important that your own personal statement is original – both to stand out to universities, and to avoid plagiarism. But what exactly counts as plagiarism? And what is the UCAS policy on it?

UCAS does indeed scan every single personal statement for plagiarism using a service known as Copycatch. The Copycatch software works by scanning every personal statement against previous personal statements that have been submitted, to check for similarities. If more than 30% of a personal statement is regarded as similar, this would be flagged as a potential plagiarism issue. This may even result in the whole application being withdrawn.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about plagiarism in a UCAS application, including how it is checked and what happens if you are found to have plagiarised.

Table of Contents

Does UCAS check for plagiarism?

Yes, UCAS does check your application for plagiarism, specifically, the personal statement.

Plagiarism involves copying someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. The personal statement is intended so you can tell universities about your unique skills and experiences which make you as an individual suitable for this course.

Therefore, plagiarism, as well as being morally wrong, defeats the purpose of the personal statement in the first place! This is why UCAS has a strict policy to make sure any plagiarism is detected.

UCAS uses a service called Copycatch to scan personal statements, comparing them to previous personal statements from their archive. You can read more about how, exactly, this process works in this document from the UCAS website.

It is worth being aware that, as of 2023, there is discussion about replacing the personal statement with a set of questions for future application cycles. You can read more about this on this page of the UCAS website.

However, it is likely that whatever form the personal statement takes, it will still be scanned for plagiarism. It is really important that UCAS makes sure students don’t get an unfair advantage by copying good personal statements or using other people’s words as their own.

What does UCAS check for plagiarism?

There are lots of different parts to the UCAS application. However, it is only the personal statement that is scanned for plagiarism.

Of course, they don’t need to scan things like your name and course choice for plagiarism – you can’t steal these and pass them off as your own! The other part of the application that people sometimes wonder about is the teacher reference.

The reference is often a lesser-known part of the application, as students are not really involved in it. It is generally written by your teacher and is less important to universities than your personal statement. In fact, most students never see their references – have a look at this article from Think Student for more.

In short, UCAS does not scan the teacher reference for plagiarism. There are a few reasons for this. For instance, teachers are generally writing similar things about the majority of students. Additionally, the universities already know this isn’t the student talking about their own experiences – they don’t need a plagiarism checker to confirm.

What counts as plagiarism in a UCAS application?

It can be hard for software to tell between someone who is actually copying another personal statement, and someone who is just using common words and phrases.

UCAS regards 30% or more of a personal statement being flagged up as similar as a potential plagiarism issue, according to this document from their website. This is a relatively high percentage, so it is likely that anything showing up on these checks is intentional, rather than a few similar words.

Additionally, the software does not include common words like ‘and’ or ‘the’ in their checks, as well as common personal statement phrases like ‘Duke of Edinburgh’. This makes it even more likely that the statements that are flagged up are actually cause for concern, not just accidental.

Another worry that some people may have is if they have applied through UCAS before. Generally speaking, you can reuse your personal statement – which you can read more about in this article from Think Student.

This isn’t something to worry about. If you are applying with the same name, you won’t be checked against your previous applications , so you won’t be pulled up for plagiarism – you can’t plagiarise from yourself.

If you have changed your name since your last application and are using the same or a similar personal statement, it is worth getting in contact with UCAS to make sure they are aware of this.

Ideally, do this before you send off your application. You don’t want to wait until you have been flagged for plagiarism, because the software doesn’t know it is the same person applying as before.

How do you make sure you don’t accidentally plagiarise in your UCAS application?

Some students get worried that they will accidentally plagiarise, by using common phrases, or unconsciously copying a nice sentence they read in a friend’s statement.

This isn’t something to be concerned about. As we’ve discussed, it is highly unlikely that the service will flag up anything that is just due to accidental similarity.

You won’t get ‘caught’ for plagiarism just by using common phrases such as ‘I am extremely interested in’, or ‘I want to study this course because’. That being said, it can be good to branch away from these widely used openings – just because it makes you stand out to universities more! Check out this article from Times Higher Education for advice on writing an original personal statement.

If you are pulled up for plagiarism, and know it was not intentional, it is worth checking over the similarity report you will be sent to see what exactly has caused this. There is more information about this report in the FAQs from UCAS, linked here .

If you are still worried about accidental plagiarism, there are plenty more tips for avoiding it in this article from The Uni Guide.

What happens if you are pulled up for plagiarism on your UCAS application?

If the software detects your personal statement as potentially plagiarised, you will be notified and sent a similarity report, and your university choices will also be told.

At this stage, it is a good idea to contact the universities and get their advice for next options. It may be that they don’t use the personal statement as much in their admissions process – perhaps they use interviews instead.

On the other hand, they may have a very strict policy, and reject your application. This decision is up to the university that you have applied to and so it is best to look at their policies on their website or to contact them directly to learn more.

Ultimately, it is never worth trying to pass off someone else’s work as your own.

You have plenty of experiences and talents to help convince universities you are right for their course. Use your own words to talk about these, and you will not have to worry about UCAS’s plagiarism checks. Best of luck with your application!

Procedure for UCAS applications flagged by the Similarity Detection Service

Introduction.

Since September 2007, all personal statements in UCAS applications have been passed through the similarity detection software, Copycatch. Each incoming Personal Statement is compared against a library of personal statements already in the UCAS system, and a library of sample statements collected from a variety of websites and other sources, including paper publications. After it has been processed, each new personal statement is added to the library.

Any personal statements showing a potential level of similarity of  10% or greater  are reviewed by members of the  UCAS Similarity Detection Service . Universities are notified where there are reasonable grounds to suspect plagiarism and the percentage of similar sentences are given. Where a significant number of sentences have been identified from one source, this is indicated in the report. Applicants are also notified that the UCAS Similarity Detection Service has identified a significant number of copied sentences in their personal statement.

The Loughborough Approach

It would seem somewhat unjust to deem an application unsuccessful solely on the grounds that the Personal Statement contains non-original work. We understand that in some cases, Year 13 students may not be fully aware of the seriousness of  plagiarism , and how important it is that their Personal Statement should be 100% their own work. It is accepted that students are likely to compare Statements with peers, which may also lead to some similarity in content. In addition, many schools and colleges provide help and advice to students, sometimes in the form of Personal Statement templates, which may inadvertently lead to their Statements being picked up by the Similarity Detection Service.  However, plagiarism is a serious matter within Higher Education , and the University wishes to impress this seriousness upon prospective students and therefore adopts the following procedure with applicants whose application has been flagged up by the UCAS Similarity Detection Service.

You can find detailed guidance on the UCAS Similarity Detection Service .

Updated 10th March 2022

Personal Statement Plagiarism: Avoid It In 5 Simple Steps

Plagiarism in personal statements isn’t common, but being accused of it is often a worry for applicants.

When readers detect plagiarism, it is likely that it will detrimentally affect the application, with rejection being a very real outcome .

With so much depending on a successful application, how can you avoid being accused of plagiarism in your personal statement?

Personal statement plagiarism can be avoided if you focus on writing original content and you acknowledge your sources and quotations throughout. By doing your own research, relating personal experiences to your application and writing your own statement, you will create original, unique content.

I’ve broken down the details of each of these elements below. They’ll give you a fuller understanding of how to avoid being accused of deliberate deception in your personal statement.

If you’re concerned about falling foul of the UCAS plagiarism checker, you can download the UCAS guidelines on fraud and content verification, along with other relevant documentation here .

Do not use Content Created by Other People

As you begin writing your personal statement, the chances are that you will be presented with a range of pre-existing examples, ‘model’ responses and extracts all designed to help you understand the kind of style and content you are aiming for.

There are numerous examples of model personal statement examples here .

When you have immediate access to a range of well-written content, the danger is that sometimes it seems better than anything you believe you can create for yourself.

This is where some applicants can be tempted to copy and paste unoriginal content into their personal statements.

Aside from the fact that this will almost certainly result in a weaker personal statement, as it doesn’t genuinely reflect your experiences and ambitions, there is a high chance that including already published material will flag your work to an online plagiarism checker.

It is also worth bearing in mind that if you are given unpublished examples of effective personal statement content at school or college, the chances are that previous applicants may have used similar content, and that your peers might use it too.

Levels of similar content from as little as 10% have flagged ucas plagarism software in the past, so writing content from scratch is the only way to be certain of creating an original personal statement that won’t flag any alarms.

If you want to search for a range of resources to help you develop your academic writing, check out the deals on these writing guides .

Acknowledge Your References and Quotes Throughout

Using quotations in your personal statement can be a highly effective way to convey authority, research and depth of knowledge. You can learn more about exactly the right ways to use quotes in personal statements in this post .

However, when it comes to beating a plagiarism checker, it is important that you make sure you acknowledge quotes or references that aren’t your own words.

Look at the quote below. It might be similar to something you have read in an industry publication or heard in a lecture. Let’s imagine that it encapsulates the way you feel about Economics as a field of study, and you think it would be a valuable piece of content for your personal statement.

Having a command of both programming and systems analysis is crucial when in pursuit of a higher level of understanding of international commerce. Sandra MacKenzie, Senior Investment Partner at Hoff Finance

A suitable way to incorporate this into your personal statement without plagiarising the content would be as follows:

A similar passage, but one which would be an example of plagiarism, might look like this:

Relate Personal Experiences to Your Application

Another important way to avoid trouble with a personal statement plagiarism checker is to make sure that you write from your own personal perspective. It is vital to link each point you make with clear, valid examples that illustrate to the reader that you are a unique applicant.

If you use pre-written formats or templates, or use generic phrases and examples, the chances are that your content will not only fail to help you stand out, but will match the content written by other applicants.

Admissions teams look for evidence of original perspectives and ambitions, and the more you can evidence the connections between your personal experiences, your skills and the specific demands of the course, the stronger your personal statement will be.

Equally, there is no chance of it containing content plagiarised from another source. This post shows you exactly how to come up with an original, compelling set of unique ideas for your personal statement .

Take Time to Write Your Personal Statement Yourself

There are two key elements here. Firstly, you should make sure that you plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to research and write your personal statement.

One reasons that applicants become tempted to use generic or plagiarised content is due to time pressure; a deadline looms, and in a panic, they mix their own content with a version they have found online. Inevitably, this will lead to charges of deception and unoriginality, and there is a high chance that your application will be rejected.

By facing the challenge positively, and following the advice here , you’ll avoid falling into this trap.

Getting someone else to write your personal statement for you is unethical. It’s a bit like copying someone else’s essays and handing it in with your name at the top. Lucy Parsons, Life More Extraordinary

The quote above, from Lucy Parsons , clearly justifies the requirement to write your own personal statement. Partly because to not do so is unethical and potentially fraudulent, but also because writing the personal statement successfully is a key indicator to a university (and to the applicant) that they are well suited to the demands of the course.

If you persuade or pay someone else to write it for you, you are unlikely to know whether that person is themselves committing an act of plagiarism. You might find that they have copied the content they send you from a previous application, and your application might be rejected on that basis.

Working alongside a reputable expert, and making use of the support services provided on this site can be valuable, because the aim is to get the best out of the applicant through guidance, advice and collaboration. Asking someone else to write your personal statement from scratch certainly ticks the plagiarism boxes.

Structure Your Story Clearly and Don’t Write Lists

Order your content in a way that seems appropriate to you, that takes the reader logically through your motivations, experiences and ambitions, and develops compelling arguments in a way that promotes your application. You can find out more about how to structure the paragraphs in your personal statement here .

Creating an original structure will help you avoid plagiarism as the form and content will all speak with your own original voice.

Quite a lot of plagiarised content available online and in hardcopy has been created to meet a range of imagined ‘tick boxes’ of the kind of content that is assumed to be required. As such, it can often read like a list of accomplishments, skills or opinions, without offering any personal connections or a sense of logical development.

To avoid writing in this way, use a wide range of sentence starters , content and ideas to keep your personal statement original and effective.

Good luck with your personal statement, and don’t forget to contact me if you’d like some 1-1 support.

You’ve got this! D

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet.

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

Recent Posts

Postgraduate Personal Statement Example: Environmental Policy

Studying examples of personal statements can be a valuable strategy when applying to a university or college.  That’s because personal statement examples can teach you how to write and...

Postgraduate Personal Statement Example: Technology Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Examples of personal statements can be valuable to reference when applying to a university or college course.  That’s because personal statement examples can teach you how to write and...

Using ChatGPT to help write a great personal statement for your university application 

With the meteoric rise of Chat GPT and other AI tools, it makes sense that you might want to use them as a power-up to write a great university application. While we absolutely recommend against copying and pasting a personal statement directly from an AI tool straight into your application, there are ways you can use it ethically and to give you a boost. Here’s our advice for using Chat GPT and other AI tools to write a great personal statement that enhances your uni application.

Posted 21 December 2023

How can AI help with writing my personal statement?

AI, or artificial intelligence, is massively changing the world of work, research and content creation. As these tools develop, they’re helping students in many different ways, including writing personal statements for university applications. 

There are many AI tools out there, but  Chat GPT is making the most noise. This tool, when asked the right questions, can generate human-quality text across a wide range of topics. 

When writing your personal statement, Chat GPT and other AI tools can: 

• Brainstorm ideas – come up with ideas that are related to the subject you want to study, your interests or your experiences. 
• Help with structure – AI tools are brilliant for suggesting a strong structure and can help organise your thoughts and ideas into a tight and persuasive narrative.
• Proofread – they can check through your statement for spelling and grammar errors, plus suggest some ways you could improve your writing and style. 
• Detect plagiarism – use the tools to ensure you haven’t copied anyone else’s words or taken anyone’s intellectual property.

Other AI tools

There are lots of other AI tools you could use to help write your personal statement, here are just a couple of alternatives: Google Bard , Grammarly (great for proofing), Bing AI ,  Open AI Playground

How to use Chat GPT and other tools effectively (and ethically)

Use them as a starting point.

AI tools can help you get started. No one likes staring at a blank page and they’re a great way of getting your creative juices flowing. While they may be able to write “human-quality text” an AI’s writing is no substitute for human creativity and originality. You’ll have your own unique way of writing, and the personal statement is your first chance to show a university your personality, who you are and why you care. 

Check your work

If you are using tools to suggest ideas and you’ve worked with AI to generate your personal statement, be sure to check through your work carefully and ask “Does this sound like me?”. Often, text generated by AI can read a little oddly and won't convey your tone of voice or writing style.

Get feedback 

Once you’ve finished writing your personal statement ask for a teacher, mentor or someone who knows you well to read it for you and give suggestions. Getting feedback from other people is a great way to improve your personal statement and could help make it more emotive or relevant. 

How to avoid plagiarism 

While it’s pretty tempting to have ChatGPT or another AI tool write your whole personal statement, the ethics of that aren’t great and universities really don't like plagiarism. In a world where the use of AI is on the rise, admissions departments and UCAS are hot on spotting if it’s not your own work (UCAS have a tool to check for AI plagiarism). Also, you don’t want to get into bad habits before starting at university, when you’ll probably be writing a whole lot more. 

Your personal statement is a chance to show a university who you are. While an AI tool can write a generic personal statement, it can’t take on your personality and it definitely can’t go out and get work experience for you. Universities want to hear your authentic voice and find out what interests, hobbies and skills you have.

Here are some tips for avoiding plagiarism when using AI:

• Don’t copy and paste directly from the platform  – if the tool has suggested some text, use that as a jumping-off point, or ask it for short bullet points or ideas rather than writing the full text for you (like we have with this article).
• Check for plagiarism  – once you’ve written your personal statement, run it through a plagiarism checker to ensure you haven’t used someone else’s words.

More help with your application

We recommend checking the  UCAS website  for the latest advice and guidelines about using AI for your personal statement . But, if you’re worried about applying for university, have a look at our advice for your application. You can find loads of advice on how to get started and what to include.

Google Bard was used to generate ideas for the structure and content of this article, and Grammarly was used to check the spelling and grammar.

What should you do next?

Download your free personal statement guide.

Get even more advice on starting, writing and checking your personal statement. Plus, be inspired by real personal statement examples from our students!

Come to an Open Day

If you're applying to study with us, then visiting us at an Open Day will give you the chance to see what your life could be like as a BCU student.

Find out what happens next

If your application is ready to go, then what comes next? Find out what happens after you submit your UCAS application.

Recent searches

We won't record your recent searches as you have opted out of functional cookies. You can change this on our Manage Privacy page should you wish to.

Popular searches

• Scholarships
• Postgraduate Guide
• Student Finance
• Student Support

Suggested searches

• Life in Birmingham
• Graduate Scholarship

•   My Account My Account

Plagiarism is something the University considers a very serious breach of discipline. It's important that you know what it is and what might happen if you are accused of it.

In this section

• About The Advice Centre
• Academic Appeals
• Bullying & Harassment
• Essay Writing Services
• Fitness to Practise
• Grades & Feedback
• Guide to Effective Complaining
• Jury Service
• Late Submission of Coursework
• Progress After the Re-sits
• Student Conduct Procedures
• Student Support Policies
• Withdrawing from study
• Accommodation
• Health and Wellbeing
• Out of Hours Support
• Cost of Living Support
• GBV Counsellor

The SRC can give you advice if you have been accused of plagiarism, which is the offence of passing off someone else’s work as your own.

What is plagiarism?

• Artificial intelligence and plagiarism

What if I am accused of plagiarism?

Personal statement, what happens at the meeting, what questions will i be asked, what will happen to me.

• Can i appeal the decision?

How can the SRC help?

What other resources are there.

The University’s Plagiarism Statement (see  section 32 of ‘Fees and General Information’ in the University Regulations ) defines plagiarism as follows:

“Work may be considered to be plagiarised if it consists of: a direct quotation; a close paraphrase; an unacknowledged summary of a source; direct copying or transcription. With regard to essays, reports and dissertations, the rule is: if information or ideas are obtained from any source, that source must be acknowledged according to the appropriate convention in that discipline; and any direct quotation must be placed in quotation marks and the source cited immediately.”

Plagiarism can also mean:

• Submitting the same work, or a substantial part of the same work more than once for the purpose of assessment. This is the case even if this was all your own work initially as it could be deriving double credit for a single effort.
• Submitting work written by someone else, but passing this off as your own work.
• Submitting work purchased from  essay-writing services .  Students are encouraged to report the use of any commercial essay-writing services to the University's Student Conduct Team. Students should be extra vigilant when asking for assistance from anyone other than a member of University staff.
• Submitting exam or essay questions to online solution websites which provide you with content you then submit as your own work. You should also avoid submitting exam or essay questions to these sites, even if you have already submitted your paper to the University, as the Univeristy can consider this to be collusion which is a breach of the Code of Student Conduct.

So please be careful when asking a proof-reader to check your work, or asking someone else to edit your work, whether or not they are paid to do so. Students can seek assistance on essay writing from the Student Learning & Development team at the University.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and plagiairsm 

The university has produced extensive guidance for students on using AI at this page . This walks through what students should and should not be doing when using AI, in particular Generative AI.   

If you are accused of plagiarism in an essay, dissertation, exam or other piece of work, your case will be investigated by either your School or the Senate Assessors for Student Conduct. The severity of the plagiarism and/or your level of study is usually the basis for who carries out the investigation.

If the investigation is carried out by your School, you will usually be asked to attend a meeting to discuss this in more detail, and your School will be responsible for applying any punishment.

If investigated by the Senate Assessors, a more formal process will commence. You will be sent an email which will have attached a copy of your work, plus usually an Urkund or Turnitin report, copies of sources in question and a referral document from your School outlining the allegation.  The Student Conduct Team will also provide you with the date of a proposed meeting with the Senate Assessors, that you will need to attend.

Before any meeting with your School or Senate Assessors, you may wish to consider writing a personal statement that will help those conducting the meeting to understand the facts and decide whether you deliberately cheated or made an honest mistake. This statement is usually a word document including:

• An explanation of how you studied and researched the piece of work
• What your understanding of plagiarism has been, and what this understanding was based upon (for example, academic practice learned from another country’s education system)
• What guidance you received from your School on plagiarism and research methods, and how you interpreted this advice
• Assistance you have sought (for example from the Student Learning Development team at the University) since you became aware of the accusation
• As you see it, the mistakes you have made and lessons you have learned about research techniques and referencing
• What any potential punishment could mean for you.  For example, if you are a Masters student, and the work makes up 75% or 100% of your course credits, a severe punishment may mean you are unable to reach the threshold to gain your degree.
• Any other mitigating factors that you feel may have contributed to the situation e.g. ill-health

Your statement should be factual, giving dates and details of the above points, and should not simply be an emotional or apologetic discourse. It should also be brief — we would generally recommend no more than two sides of A4. You should submit it to your School office or the Student Conduct Team (depending on where your case has been referred) no later than the day before your meeting.

If your meeting is with the School, this will typically be less formal, usually with one academic member of staff asking you a series of questions to understand better what has actually gone wrong and why. Another member of staff may also be there to take notes. Once it becomes clear what has happened, you will be advised whether any punishment will take place and what this will be.

If your meeting is with the Senate Assessors, there is a more formal structure in place. You will meet with two Senate Assessors for Student Conduct, with another member of staff taking notes. On occasion, there may be a specialist member of academic staff present if the accusation of plagiarism is more complex (for example, involving computer coding). The Senate Assessors will have familiarised themselves with the accusation, range of source material and your work.

Everyone will be introduced and you will then be asked to outline what has happened and why. You may be asked a series of questions to gather more information about the work and explore any mitigating circumstances that you may have presented within your statement. You will then be asked to leave the room for a short period while a decision is made. On return, you will be made aware of the decision and any punishment being applied. If you are not happy with the outcome you may be able to challenge this later (not at this meeting).

It is crucial that within this meeting and your personal statement, you highlight  all  relevant factors that you believe contributed towards your work having plagiarised content. If you do not present all the relevant information at this stage, it is highly unlikely that you will get another chance to do so. If, for example, you appeal the outcome, you will only be able to present new information if you have a clear and valid reason as to why you could not have presented this information at your meeting.

If you are not able to attend the meeting on the date and time you have been given you can ask for this to be rearranged.  If you are out of the country and unable to attend any meetings, you can submit your personal statement and your case will be dealt with in the absence of a meeting.

We can’t predict exactly what you will be asked at a plagiarism hearing, but we have compiled a non-exhaustive  list of examples  to give you an idea of the areas that are likely to be covered.

Sanctions available to the University could range from:-

• in minor cases, a reprimand, reduction in marks or an opportunity to resubmit a piece of work.  The grade for any re-submitted work is usually capped at the pass mark.
• in more serious cases, having a grade of ‘H’ (zero) applied to the work with no chance to resubmit.
• in severe cases, credits can be refused for an entire course or you may be referred to the Senate Conduct Committee, who have the power to administer harsher penalties.

Can I appeal the decision?

Once you have been told the outcome of the Senate meeting you wil have an opportunity to appeal against this decision.  You have 10 working days from the date of the letter you are sent confirming the full outcome to submit your appeal. 

The 3 grounds you can appeal on are:-

• You have new evidence that you were unable, for valid reasons, to provide at the meeting
• Procedures were not followed correctly
• The outcome was clearly unreasonable

If you are considering an appeal, we would always suggest that you speak to a member of staff in the Advice Centre to talk this through. These discussions allow us to be upfront with you on the realistic chance of your appeal being successful, support you in articulating your key arguments and suggesting any supporting documents you might want to include. 

The  SRC Advice Centre  can assist you in a number of ways, such as:

• Helping you understand the accusation made against you
• Giving you guidance on writing a personal statement prior to a hearing
• Accompanying you to, and supporting you at, any meeting with the School or Senate Assessors for Student Conduct
• Explaining the Plagiarism Statement and pointing you towards other sources of help
• Advising and assisting you with an appeal, if appropriate.

If you need any help, just telephone, email or pop in during our opening hours.

The Student Learning Development service — a team within the University who provide workshops and guidance to students on a variety of learning issues, such as study techniques or research methods. They can help you better understand the University’s definition of plagiarism and how it might apply to any of your work. Via their website you are able to book an appointment to have a face to face meeting with a member of their team to discuss academic practice in more depth.  For students who are being accused of plagiarism and have a poor understanding of academic practice, it is highly recommended that you try to obtain an appointment with SLD to talk this through

Your School — should issue guidance in your course handbook, and often in class, about the risks of plagiarism and how to properly reference. Make sure you read this information, and seek assistance from staff in the department or your Adviser of Studies if you are unclear about it.

For international students in the College of Social Sciences, the College has  International Student Learning Officers  for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.  These staff run classes and offer advice and support, including how to avoid plagiarism, and how to write critically and use source materials effectively.

• University Plagiarism Statement
• Student Learning Development
• College of Social Sciences International Student Learning Officers
• University Code of Student Conduct
• Senate Online Exam Guidance

Quick links

Our courses

Sorry, we couldn't find any courses that match your search. Try searching for something else.

Our research

Search our website

Popular searches

Your search term has returned 0 results

• Accommodation
• Fees and Finance

Writing your personal statement - undergraduate

A personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your ambitions, skills, and passion for your course..

Our pages include information for international students

All undergraduate applicants are required to complete a personal statement.

For undergraduate applications, you can do this via the UCAS website which offers a handy guide on  how to write your personal statement  and even a  widget  to help you.

Postgraduate applicants who need to complete a personal statement are asked to do so as part of their application to the University.

The UCAS form allows for a total of 4,000 characters, around 700 words, so you need to think carefully about the points you want to put across.

Remember that what you write could be used to decide between you and another candidate for the final place on your dream course.

What is a personal statement? Let’s start with the obvious. It’s personal. Other candidates might have the same grades as you but they are not you. They don’t have the same interests, experiences and personality.

Be positive and enthusiastic. Start with your strengths, focus on your passion for the subject and talk positively about yourself.

Stand out from the crowd. Avoid clichés. Don’t just say that you’ve always wanted to be a journalist/engineer/surgeon. Say why you want to be one. Tell the story.

Check your spelling and grammar. Avoid waffle – every sentence must tell the reader something about you. If it doesn’t, strike it out!

Never copy anyone else’s work. UCAS uses sophisticated software to detect plagiarism. If you are found to have copied content, your application will be cancelled immediately.

A good starting point can be a ‘mind-map’. Take a pen and paper and start jotting down your relevant experiences, activities, skills and attributes.

Look for how these link to your course and highlight the most significant. This should give you some good ideas on how to structure your statement.

There are some important questions that you will need to answer. Why do you want to study the course? What is it that interests you about it?

Equally importantly, say what you will bring to the course. Show that you understand what it entails and demonstrate how you’ve pursued your interest in your chosen subject.

Write about any relevant books or articles you have read or films or documentaries you have seen. Give your views and opinions on them - don't just write a list.

Write about your relevant experiences, such as volunteering, work experience and summer schools, and focus on what you’ve learned from them.

University is all about being able to think independently and analytically so try to show how a school project or assignment has made you think more critically.

And don’t forget transferable life skills like your ability to work independently, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, leadership and organisational skills.

If you have a long term goal, write about how the course will help you achieve it. But if not, that’s fine. Talk about what you’re looking forward to about the course and university life.

Mention your gap year plans if you’ve made a firm decision to take a year out. Most courses are happy for you to take a gap year – but they will want to know how you plan to spend it.

Lastly, be honest. It’s your voice that the admissions tutor wants to hear. Don’t forget your personal statement will need to stand up to scrutiny if you’re invited for an interview!

Pre-sessional English Language Course Applicants 

If you are applying for a pre-sessional English Language course only a short, clear statement is required (around 100 words) where you explain why you wish to take the course and your plans for further study covering the above points. 

Applying through UCAS – Additional Information 

If you are applying for your course through the UCAS system they offer some good guidance and video clips .

If you are applying via UCAS to more than one university or college we will not expect you to name The University of Hull specifically in your personal statement as it needs to be relevant for all choices.

Next steps and related information

• How to apply
• Interviews, audtions and portfolios
• How we process your application
• E: [email protected]
• T: +44 (0)1482 466100

Browser does not support script.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Columbia president assailed at highly charged antisemitism Congress hearing

Minouche Shafik appeared beleaguered as House members grilled her over reported upsurge in antisemitism on campus

The head of a prestigious US university clashed with members of Congress on Wednesday in highly charged hearings over a reported upsurge in antisemitism on campus in the wake of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University, appeared beleaguered and uncertain as one Congress member after another assailed her over her institution’s supposed inaction to stop it becoming what one called “a hotbed of antisemitism and hatred”.

Wednesday’s hearing follows months of rising tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the Columbia campus, amid disputes over what constitutes antisemitism and controversy about whether it should encompass anti-Zionism and opposition to Israel as a Jewish state.

The hearing of the House of Representatives’ education and workforce committee is being staged under the emotive title of “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Anti-Semitism”. A group of Jewish academics at the university denounced the hearing in advance as heralding “a new McCarthyism”.

At the hearing Shafik was repeatedly asked to explain the continued presence of one faculty member, Joseph Massad, after he had reportedly praised Hamas’s attack last October that left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead.

In one particularly aggressive line of questioning, Elise Stefanik, a Republican representative from New York, pushed Shafik to commit to removing Massad as chair of an academic review committee.

Stefanik also pressed a harried Shafik, who became Columbia’s president last July, into changing her testimony after she earlier told the Democratic representative Ilhan Omar that she was not aware of any anti-Jewish demonstrations at the university.

Pressing relentlessly, Stefanik effectively drove a wedge between Shafik and her three fellow senior Columbia colleagues, David Schizer, Claire Shipman and David Greenwald – all members of the university’s antisemitism taskforce – by leading them to testify that there had in fact been aggressive and threatening antisemitic statements in campus demonstrations.

Earlier, Shafik – trying to straddle between condemning antisemitism and permitting statements that some defined as free speech – struggled when confronted by Lisa McClain, the Republican representative from Michigan over the slogan “from the river to the sea” and support for a Palestinian intifada (uprising).

“Are mobs shouting from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free or long live the infitada [sic] …antisemitic comments?” McClain asked.

“When I hear those terms, I find them very upsetting,” Shafik responded.

“That’s a great answer to a question I didn’t ask, so let me repeat the question,” McClain persisted. Shafik answered: “I hear them as such. Some people don’t.”

“Why is it so tough?” McClain pressed. In answer, Shafik said: “Because it’s a difficult issue because some hear it as antisemitic, others do not.”

She eventually appeared to fold under pressure, answering “yes” and laughing nervously after McClain posed the same question to the president’s fellow Columbia staff, all of whom agreed that it was antisemitic.

The hearing was something of a reprise of the committee’s previous cross-examination of the heads of three other elite universities, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, last December.

That hearing led to the resignation of the University of Pennsylvania’s president, Elizabeth Magill, after she gave what were deemed to be over-legalistic answers to pointed questions from Stefanik over whether her institution’s rules on free speech permitted slogans that supporters of Israel interpret as calling for genocide.

It also intensified the pressure on Harvard’s then president, Claudine Gay, whose responses to Stefanik were similarly criticised. Gay survived the immediate outcry over the hearing but stepped down weeks later over plagiarism allegations.

Columbia has set up a taskforce on antisemitism but its members have declined to establish a firm definition.

Rightwingers have painted the university as a hotbed of antisemitism, while opponents have accused the institution’s authorities of disproportionately punishing pro-Palestinian students who criticise Israel. The university last year suspended two groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, over their protest activities.

Shafik – an Egyptian-born, British-American economist and former deputy governor of the Bank of England – had reportedly prepared assiduously for Wednesday’s event in an effort to avoid the pitfalls of her fellow university heads.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal on the eve of the hearing, Shafik said legitimate expression should occur “within specific parameters”.

“Most of the people protesting do so from a place of genuine political disagreement, not from personal hatred or bias or support for terrorism,” she wrote.

“Their passion, as long as it doesn’t cross the line into threats, discrimination or harassment, should be protected speech on our campus.

“Calling for the genocide of a people – whether they are Israelis or Palestinians, Jews, Muslims or anyone else – has no place in a university community. Such words are outside the bounds of legitimate debate and unimaginably harmful,” the op-ed continued.

Her remarks appeared aimed at avoiding the criticism drawn by Magill and Gay over their appearance before the committee, when both responded to Stefanik’s questions about theoretical calls for genocide by referring to context.

In an effort to bolster Shafik, 23 Jewish faculty members wrote an open letter published in the campus newspaper, the Columbia Spectator, criticising the premise of the hearing.

“Based on the committee’s previous hearings, we are gravely concerned about the false narratives that frame these proceedings to entrap witnesses,” they wrote. “We urge you, as the university president, to defend our shared commitment to universities as sites of learning, critical thinking, and knowledge production against this new McCarthyism .”

The academics also questioned the credentials of Stefanik – an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump – on antisemitism, saying she had a history of “espousing white nationalist policies”.

As Shafik and her colleagues testified, the unrest that has characterized university life over the past six months was on display on Columbia’s campus, where students set up approximately 60 tents on the campus’s south lawn in the early hours of Wednesday. The tents, many of which were covered in signs that read “Liberated Zone” and “Israel bombs, Columbia pays”, were set up to urge the university to divest its ties from Israel.

The university perimeters were lined with metal barricades and a heavy police presence, and the campus, which is usually accessible to the public, was restricted to Columbia ID holders.

Members of the media were prohibited from entering the university, instead restricted to a barricaded pen near a bus stop outside the campus as student chants could be heard from inside the grounds. “Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here,” some students chanted, according to the Columbia Spectator . A handful of protesters also crowded around the university’s main gates, with many shouting: “We say no to genocide!”

At least 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s latest war against Hamas following its 7 October attack.

This article was amended on 17 April 2024 to correctly identify the school where Elizabeth Magill resigned as president last year. The school was the University of Pennsylvania, not Pennsylvania University.

• US education
• Higher education
• Antisemitism
• US politics

Most viewed

Campaign Updates Biden jokes about his age and Trump at White House Correspondents’ dinner.

• Share full article

Reid J. Epstein

Along with their jokes, President Biden and Colin Jost delivered the usual odes to a free press and democracy. Biden all but asked the press to take his side in covering this year’s election. Neither man offered jokes on the thorniest subject gripping the White House: Israel’s war in Gaza, which drew throngs of protesters outside the hotel that hosted the event.

Colin Jost, of “Saturday Night Live,” spoke for 23 minutes at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner tonight and told a lot of jokes that justifiably did not get a lot of laughs from the room at the Washington Hilton.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Biden spoke for roughly 10 minutes — a pretty short speech by his standards.

President Biden is making a full-throated pitch for the press to see the 2024 election the way that he does and “ignore the horse race.” Translation: He would like more attention paid to former President Donald J. Trump and his perceived threats, and less to Biden’s personal and campaign shortcomings.

“I give you my word as a Biden — we’re not going to give up until we get them home. All of them,” Biden says of journalists wrongfully detained overseas.

Though he had a couple of gentle jabs about his age, the jokes portion of Biden’s speech was focused not on himself, as has long been the custom at the correspondents’ dinner, but mostly on others. He cracked about Donald Trump, Lorne Michaels and Colin Jost.

Biden delivers some edgy jokes early on. “If Congress we’re theater, they would have thrown out Lauren Boebert awhile ago,” he says. The Republican representative from Colorado was thrown out of a theater last year.

“Age is the only thing we have in common. My vice president actually endorses me,” Biden says, referring to Vice President Mike Pence’s decision not to endorse Mr. Trump.

Biden, who has forbidden his aides from engaging on Trump’s trials, makes a joke about Trump’s trial, saying he is facing “stormy weather,” an allusion to Stormy Daniels, the porn star at the center of the former president’s current criminal trial.

Biden does not waste time launching into jokes about his age or Donald Trump. “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old,” Biden says. “Well, I feel great. I really feel great.”

Kelly O’Donnell, a senior White House correspondent for NBC News, used her remarks at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner to call attention to journalists who have been captured or killed while doing their jobs — including Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia, Austin Tice, who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria, and reporters who have been killed in Gaza.

At the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington tonight, the actress Molly Ringwald is seated next to John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council. Lester Holt, the NBC News anchor, has a seat next to Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff. Mr. Zients stood up briefly to talk to the Rev. Al Sharpton before resuming his chat with Mr. Holt.

Zach Montague

Hollywood is well represented at the White House Correspondents’ dinner tonight. The actress Scarlett Johansson joined the “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost, who will be speaking soon, and popular cable news anchors are dining with the actors Jon Hamm and Sean Penn, among others.

Protesters wearing press vests with the names of more than 100 Palestinian journalists who have been killed in Gaza during the war lay down on Connecticut Avenue in front of the dinner venue. “By putting our human bodies on the street, we create a little discomfort” for the journalists attending the event, said Hazami Barmada, an organizer of the protest.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered in front of the Washington Hilton, where tonight’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is taking place. They are accusing journalists of being complicit in the deaths of more than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, showed up at the Politico-CBS dinner pre-party tonight wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a bow-tie design on its front.

Politicians and journalists arriving at the Washington Hilton for tonight’s annual White House Correspondents’ Association are walking past hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters chanting, “Shame on you!” Some are holding up press vests, shouting about the number of journalists killed while reporting in Gaza. President Biden is set to speak at the dinner, which will be hosted by the “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost.

Kellen Browning

Sam Brown, the Army veteran leading the Republican Senate primary field in Nevada, held a rare public campaign event on Saturday at the opening of his office in Reno. He criticized Senator Jacky Rosen, the incumbent Democrat, saying she had not spent enough time in northern Nevada and was “AWOL,” a military term meaning “absent without leave.”

Chris Cameron

Donald Trump unleashed a broadside on Friday evening against Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate who in recent polls appears to be taking support from Trump. After months of first praising Kennedy and then insisting that his candidacy would hurt Biden more, Trump has now accused Kennedy of being “a Democrat ‘Plant’” designed to help Biden win the election.

Jonathan Weisman

Shawn Fain, the president of the United Automobile Workers, announced late on Friday night a tentative contract at Daimler Truck in North Carolina that appears to have stopped a strike that was scheduled to begin at midnight.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs ,  Minho Kim and Zach Montague

Zolan Kanno-Youngs reported from Washington. Minho Kim spoke to protesters outside the event, and Zach Montague reported from the dinner.

Biden lets the Trump jokes fly at annual roast: ‘I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old.’

President Biden didn’t waste time.

Just minutes into his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, Mr. Biden launched into the issues dominating the 2024 election, including his age and former President Donald J. Trump’s hush-money trial in New York.

“The 2024 election’s in full swing and yes, age is an issue,” Mr. Biden said in a roughly 10-minute speech. “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old.”

“Donald has had a few tough days lately. You might call it ‘stormy’ weather,” Mr. Biden said, an oblique reference to Stormy Daniels, a porn actress who claims to have had sex with Mr. Trump in 2006 and received a hush-money payment in the days before the 2016 election, a deal at the center of his New York trial.

The comments, even as part of a roast, were notable given Mr. Biden has forbidden his aides to talk publicly about Mr. Trump’s legal troubles. But they also came as Mr. Biden has ramped up his attacks on Mr. Trump, sharpening the split-screen between a president on the campaign trail and a former president spending his days in a courtroom.

The annual dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel provided a break to journalists and government officials from their normal jousting for a night of glitz and gossip in celebration of the free press. Mr. Biden, who has held fewer news conferences than his predecessors, extended his roast to the journalists gathered for the dinner.

“Some of you complained that I don’t take enough of your questions,” Mr. Biden said. “No comment.”

“The New York Times issued a statement blasting me for ‘actively and effectively avoiding independent journalists,’” Mr. Biden said. “Hey, if that’s what it takes to get The New York Times to say I’m active and effective, I’m for it.”

Outside the gates of the Washington Hilton, however, outrage over Mr. Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza was evident.

As journalists and politicians arrived at the hotel, many were swarmed by pro-Palestinian protesters chanting, “Shame on you!” Other protesters wearing press vests with the names of more than 100 Palestinian journalists who have been killed in Gaza lay down in front of the dinner venue.

“By putting our human bodies on the street, we create a little discomfort” for the journalists attending the event, said Hazami Barmada, an organizer of the protest.

Inside the hotel ballroom, many journalists wore pins reading “Free Evan” to raise awareness of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia since March 2023 — wrongfully, according to the U.S. government.

Biden Vows to Bring Home Detained U.S. Journalists

President biden took a more somber tone to acknowledge journalists who were wrongfully detained overseas. “we’re not going to give up until we get them home,” he said..

“There are some who call you the enemy of the people. That’s wrong and it’s dangerous. You literally risk your lives doing your job. And some of your colleagues have given their lives, and many have suffered grievous injuries. Other reporters have lost their freedom. Journalism is clearly not a crime, not here, not there, not anywhere in the world. We’re doing everything we can to bring home journalists, fellow journalists, Austin and all Americans, like Paul Whelan. You know, who wrongfully detained all around the world. And I give you my word as a Biden, we’re not going to give up until we get them home. All of them. All of them.” “At The Wall Street Journal, they are counting, for Moscow correspondent Evan Gershkovich, 396 days since he was jailed in Russia. The U.S. government has designated Evan as wrongfully detained. And Evan’s parents and his family are with us tonight. And we are with you, always. We remember Austin Tice, 4,276 days, nearly 12 years since he was kidnapped in Syria. His mother, Deborah, is with us, and Mrs. Tice, we are with you. And Mr. President, again, we humbly ask that you do everything you can to bring them home.

Kelly O’Donnell, a senior White House reporter for NBC News who is also president of the correspondents’ association, used her remarks to call attention to journalists who have been captured or killed while doing their jobs, including Mr. Gershkovich; Austin Tice, who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria; and reporters who have been killed in Gaza.

“Our profession can be perilous,” Ms. O’Donnell said. “Since October, about 100 journalists have been killed, most of those deaths in Gaza.”

Ms. O’Donnell also said the association had wanted to choose both a writer and a comedian when it came to their host this year. Colin Jost, the co-anchor of “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live” — and a former reporter for the Staten Island Advance — spent roughly 23 minutes poking fun at the president.

But Mr. Jost’s speech was relatively light, even supportive of Mr. Biden. He ended it by noting that his grandfather, who recently died, had voted for Mr. Biden in the last election.

“The reason he voted for you is because you’re a decent man,” Mr. Jost said.

Still, Mr. Jost didn’t miss an opportunity to needle the president over his poll numbers.

“My ‘Weekend Update’ co-anchor, Michael Che, was going to join me here tonight — but in solidarity with President Biden I decided to lose all my Black support,” Mr. Jost said, referring to polling that has shown Mr. Biden struggling with Black voters.

Over seared petit filet mignon, celebrities and journalists also had a chance to catch those setting policy that will impact Americans for years to come. Lester Holt, the anchor of NBC News, sat next to Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House chief of staff, who made sure to stand up and speak briefly with the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Not everyone was in a tuxedo or dress — Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, showed up wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a bow-tie design on its front.

Hollywood was well represented at the dinner, with the actress Scarlett Johansson, who is married to Mr. Jost, sitting up front. Popular cable news anchors dined with the actors Jon Hamm and Sean Penn, among others.

Before making their way to their seats, politicians like Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois held court with guests as Biden campaign officials talked about recent polls showing Mr. Biden cutting into Mr. Trump’s lead.

Mr. Biden, too, sounded emboldened. While he rarely mentioned Mr. Trump by name early in his presidency, he has aggressively taunted him as of late and kept it going on Saturday.

“Did you hear what Donald said about the major Civil War battle?” Mr. Biden said. “Gettysburg. Wow. Trump’s speech was so embarrassing, the statue of Robert E. Lee surrendered again.”

“Age is the only thing we have in common,” Mr. Biden, 81, said of Mr. Trump, 77. “My vice president actually endorses me,” Mr. Biden said, referring to former Vice President Mike Pence’s decision not to endorse Mr. Trump.

Mr. Biden also used his speech at the dinner to warn about his political opponent’s threats on democracy — increasingly a focus of his message to voters.

“Focus on what’s actually at stake,” Mr. Biden said. “The stakes couldn’t be higher.”

Neil Vigdor

Trump turns on R.F.K. Jr. amid concerns he could attract Republican voters.

Former President Donald J. Trump is sharpening his attacks on the independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as new polls show an overlap between their core supporters.

In a series of posts on his Truth Social media platform on Friday night, Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, took aim at both Mr. Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan , a wealthy Silicon Valley lawyer and investor.

“RFK Jr. is a Democrat ‘Plant,’ a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Mr. Trump, who had privately discussed the idea of Mr. Kennedy as a running mate , echoed what Democrats have been saying for months about Mr. Kennedy’s candidacy — that it could swing the election. He also appeared to be adopting a new derisive nickname for him.

“A Vote for Junior’ would essentially be a WASTED PROTEST VOTE, that could swing either way, but would only swing against the Democrats if Republicans knew the true story about him,” he said.

Mr. Kennedy fired back on Saturday in his own social media post.

“When frightened men take to social media they risk descending into vitriol, which makes them sound unhinged,” he wrote on X . “President Trump’s rant against me is a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims that should best be resolved in the American tradition of presidential debate.”

Mr. Kennedy further attempted to goad the former president.

“Instead of lobbing poisonous bombs from the safety of his bunker, let’s hear President Trump defend his record to me mano-a-mano by respectful, congenial debate,” he wrote.

Mr. Trump also took a swipe at Mr. Kennedy’s running mate, Ms. Shanahan, who gave $2 million out of the $5.4 million that Mr. Kennedy raised in March. Until last year, she was married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Mr. Trump referred to her as the “V.P. Candidate that nobody ever heard of” and denigrated her business credentials.

“Her business was doing surgery on her husband’s wallet!” Mr. Trump wrote in a post. “She’s more Liberal than Junior’ by far, not a serious person, and only a Pot of Cash to help get her No Chance Candidate on the Ballot … ”

Mr. Trump’s barbs signaled a potential change in strategy by the former president, who Democratic allies of President Biden and political observers have for months suggested could benefit from having Mr. Kennedy, the liberal scion, in the race.

But several recent polls have undercut such a scenario, including a survey released on Wednesday by Quinnipiac University that showed that Mr. Kennedy’s supporters were more likely to favor Mr. Trump in a two-way race. Forty-seven percent would vote for Mr. Trump, and 29 percent would vote for Mr. Biden.

In a hypothetical five-way race that included third-party and other independent candidates, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden were deadlocked at 37 percent, with Mr. Kennedy receiving support from 16 percent of registered voters.

Two other recent polls — by Marist College and NBC News — showed that Mr. Biden performed better in multicandidate races featuring Mr. Kennedy.

Filmmakers accuse Gavin Newsom’s PAC of plagiarism in abortion-access ad.

The plots of the movie and the political ad appear to mirror each other: Two women drive anxiously toward the state line, and during a traffic stop, the police demand a pregnancy test.

Two independent filmmakers say that is more than just a coincidence, and have accused the Campaign for Democracy , a PAC created by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democrat of California, of plagiarizing their 2023 short film, “ Roed ,” in its new ad about abortion access .

The film’s producers, Dawn Lambing and Tara Bissett, sent a letter to Mr. Newsom on Thursday that was obtained by The New York Times, requesting to be credited in the group’s ad, which is called “ Fugitive ” and debuted on Monday in Alabama.

Writing that while they were “on the same side” as the governor in opposing “draconian” restrictions on abortion, “on a shot-by-shot basis virtually the entire ad is a direct recreation of our work.”

“We are dismayed to see our work essentially copied without any recognition or attribution to us, much less our permission having first been sought and obtained,” the filmmakers wrote.

Lindsey Cobia, a spokeswoman for the Campaign for Democracy, said in a statement on Saturday that the parallels between the ad and the film were unintentional.

“We were not aware of the film, but we applaud it,” Ms. Cobia said. “Our spot was independently derived based on a common trope.”

There are some differences between the PAC’s ad, which is 30 seconds long, and the film, which runs just under 10 minutes. The ad takes place in Alabama, and the woman driving is the one seeking abortion services. She is forced to take a pregnancy test, and the ad ends with her arrest by a patrolman, who places her in handcuffs.

In the film, both the driver and her passenger are required to take pregnancy tests on the side of the road in an unspecified state by two police officers, one of whom draws a gun. The officers let them go after the tests come back negative. What they don’t see is another woman hidden in the car’s trunk — the one seeking an abortion.

The ad is running for two weeks on broadcast and cable television, as well as online, in Alabama, where Republicans have called for prosecuting women who travel elsewhere for an abortion. The state’s abortion ban, one of the nation’s strictest, outlaws the procedure at all stages of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

“Roed” won the award for best short film at last year’s ACTRA Montreal Short Film Festival and will be shown later this spring at the Brooklyn Film Festival.

“As independent filmmakers, reputation is everything, and the unmistakable similarities between the ad and our work threaten the perceived authenticity and integrity of our original idea, concept and execution,” they wrote.

Mr. Newsom has emerged as a key surrogate for President Biden while harboring White House ambitions of his own. He has regularly skirmished with Republican governors , Republican-led states and conservative news media over abortion access, immigration, crime and other issues.

Alabama’s attorney general, Steve Marshall, a Republican, has clashed with the Justice Department and abortion assistance providers over whether the state has the authority to prosecute individuals or groups that help women leave the state to have the procedure.

Last month, Republicans introduced a bill in the Alabama House of Representatives that would make it a misdemeanor to harbor or transport a minor to seek abortion services.

In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos were people with rights, casting a cloud of uncertainty over in vitro fertilization. The state later passed a law giving I.V.F. clinics criminal and civil immunity, but it did not address whether embryos have the legal status of human beings.

Republican Party asks the Secret Service to move protesters away from its convention venue.

The Republican Party sent a letter to the Secret Service on Friday urging the police agency to keep protesters farther away from the venue for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July.

The three-page letter, signed by Todd R. Steggerda, counsel to the Republican National Committee, objected to the placement of an area where protesters would be allowed to demonstrate. Mr. Steggerda argued that convention attendees would be forced to pass by the protesters on their way into the venue, raising the potential for confrontations.

“As recent college and university campus clashes make plain,” Mr. Steggerda wrote in the letter obtained by The New York Times, “forced proximity heightens tensions among peaceful attendees and demonstrators of differing ideologies and increases the risk of escalation to verbal, or even physical, clashes.”

Hundreds of people have been arrested in a recent wave of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses , but there have been no reports of significant violence by those demonstrators.

Under the security plan proposed by the Secret Service, according to the letter, protesters will be confined to Pere Marquette Park , a small public park on the bank of the Milwaukee River about a quarter of a mile from Fiserv Forum — the arena that is home to the Milwaukee Bucks of the N.B.A. and that is hosting the convention. The letter adds that the two main routes to the arena designated by the Secret Service are adjacent to the park, which would force those heading to the convention to pass by it.

“Packing demonstrators into a park essentially boxed in by the two streets that thousands of attendees will be using to enter the convention site will only serve to heighten — rather than prevent and diffuse — any tension,” Mr. Steggerda wrote.

Alexi Worley, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service, said in a statement that the agency “is not formally in receipt” of the letter, adding, “If a letter is received, the Secret Service will respond through appropriate channels.” The copy of the letter obtained by The Times was addressed to Kimberly A. Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, “via hand delivery.”

Ms. Worley added that security plans for events like the Republican National Convention are “developed and approved through an executive steering committee made up of representatives from the Secret Service, as well as supporting federal, state and local agencies.”

The R.N.C. did not propose an alternative location for the demonstration zone in the letter, instead suggesting that the Secret Service expand the security perimeter to move protesters away from the area.

Peter Meijer, who voted to impeach Trump, has withdrawn from the Republican Senate primary in Michigan.

Peter Meijer, a Republican who voted to impeach former President Donald J. Trump when he was a member of the House, announced on Friday that he was dropping out of the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate in Michigan.

“The hard reality is the fundamentals of the race have changed significantly since we launched this campaign,” Mr. Meijer said in a post on Facebook , adding that he did not have a “strong pathway to victory.”

He was facing a crowded primary field featuring another high-profile Republican: Mike Rogers , who served seven terms in the House and rose to become the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

The Secretary of State’s office confirmed Mr. Meijer’s withdrawal from the race and said he would not be on the ballot on Aug. 6.

The move comes five days before Mr. Trump, who endorsed Mr. Rogers for the seat, returns to the battleground state for a rally in Freeland, Mich. Mr. Rogers is expected to attend the rally, his campaign said.

“Continuing this campaign only increases the likelihood of a divisive primary that would distract from the essential goal — conservative victories in November,” said Mr. Meijer, who did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on Friday.

The seat is being vacated by Senator Debbie Stabenow, the state’s senior senator and a Democrat, who announced last year that she would not seek a fifth term . That teed up a crowded field of Republicans vying to flip the seat in a general election contest that could decide control of the narrowly divided Senate. The Republican nominee is likely to face Representative Elissa Slotkin, the most prominent Democrat seeking to succeed Ms. Stabenow.

Mr. Meijer’s departure does not void the primary of Trump critics, however.

Justin Amash, who was the only sitting Republican member of Congress to support Mr. Trump’s first impeachment, remains in the race. He left the party in 2019 while facing attacks from Mr. Trump and did not run for re-election in 2020. But he is running as a Republican again now.

Mr. Trump’s upcoming visit to Michigan — planned for one of the few days next week when he will not be attending his criminal trial in Manhattan — is his latest foray to the same battleground state where an investigator disclosed this week that the former president was an unindicted co-conspirator in a plot by his allies to assemble a slate of fake electors during the 2020 election.

Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, lost the state to Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020, a major blow to his re-election bid in the Midwest bellwether that had helped propel him to the White House in 2016. Several of his allies are facing criminal charges in the fake electors scheme.

In Michigan, the former president’s grip on the G.O.P. remains strong: He swept the Republican delegates at the state party’s convention in March, just days after dominating its primary under the party’s hybrid nominating system.

Mr. Meijer, the scion of the Meijer supermarket empire and an Army Reserve veteran who served in Iraq, was ousted from his House seat during the 2022 midterm elections by a far-right challenger endorsed by Mr. Trump, after serving just one term. A Democrat, Hillary Scholten, then flipped the seat in the general election that year.

Pete Hoekstra, the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and a former longtime House member himself, said in an interview on Friday that there had been rumblings about Mr. Meijer’s exit from the race.

“Peter’s a young guy, got a good résumé, and I think has aspirations in the future and just kind of decided that this was not the year to go to the wall,” Mr. Hoekstra said.

A seemingly looser Biden takes his act to the White House Correspondents’ dinner.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. unrestrained?

In the weeks since his rowdy State of the Union speech , riding a modest bump in the polls , President Biden has shown a looser, more comfortable version of himself — cranking out memorable wisecracks, heartfelt moments and cringe-worthy gaffes in equal measure.

He has needled his Republican rival , former President Donald J. Trump, with increasing frequency, presented his softer side on talk radio and repeatedly spun tall tales about driving an 18-wheeler truck , being arrested at a civil rights rally and having an uncle who might have been eaten by cannibals . In one memorable episode this week, Mr. Biden read aloud his teleprompter instructions, asking a crowd to imagine what he could do with “four more years … pause.”

The annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night could be another opportunity for Mr. Biden to be in the moment, in what might be the perfect setting for him to continue roasting Mr. Trump, his once and future presidential rival.

It will be the last such dinner before the 2024 election, giving the president and members of the press a brief respite from the campaign trail as they participate in a Washington ritual designed to celebrate a free press.

That doesn’t mean that there won’t be politics. Mr. Biden will almost assuredly make jokes at Mr. Trump’s expense and poke fun at the Washington press corps. Like seemingly every president before him, he has been irritated by unfavorable coverage of his administration, and has made no secret of that at previous dinners.

But Mr. Biden could also take a victory lap for a spate of good news in recent days. On Wednesday, the president earned yet another crucial union endorsement, this one from North America’s Building Trades Unions, in large part for his signature bipartisan infrastructure package . That same day, he signed another consequential piece of legislation — a $95.3 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that came after months of false starts and brutal congressional infighting.

On Thursday, Mr. Biden promoted a $6.1 billion grant to a chip manufacturer that he said would bolster the nation’s supply of semiconductors, contributing to what he has labeled “the great American comeback story.”

And on Friday, Mr. Biden made a surprise visit to “The Howard Stern Show,” hosted by America’s best-known shock jock. The president spoke at length about deeply personal events, showing an emotionally vulnerable side to Mr. Stern’s large audience of middle-class Americans. And, in a notable shift, he said he would debate Mr. Trump.

The former president, in contrast, has had a bruising two weeks, kept from campaigning in key battleground states by his felony criminal trial in New York. Though the trial is adjourned until Tuesday, Mr. Trump has appeared exhausted by the proceedings, complaining in brief daily remarks to the press that he has to sit in court “day after day after day.”

“This is eight days that we’ve all been sitting in this courthouse,” Mr. Trump said on Friday, adding: “There’s no case here. There’s no case whatsoever. It’s a disgrace.”

Advertisement