This book will help aspiring undergraduates through the competitive admissions process for some of the world's top universities. It will help prospective candidates answer a very specific question: what makes a successful personal statement? Using a collection of real-life personal statements from students recently accepted into Cambridge University across all subjects, the authors provide a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to be admitted into a top academic institution. The result is a book that offers a rare insight into the often opaque and complex thought-process that goes into accepting or rejecting a candidate and provides a benchmark for all students looking to study at top universities around the world.