4000 characters (including spaces) translates to ~500-700 words. This is really not a lot to play around with, so be prepared to write a very dense account of what it is that makes you the perfect candidate! This would likely require more than one (or two) re-writes and also a couple of rounds of having to endure the pain of cutting content that you would rather not cut out. When you finally reach your final draft, your PS should clearly reflect a few things: 

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o   The subject you would like to study 

o   Why you want to study it/ why it interests you backed up with "evidence" of said interest 

o   Your aptitude for the subject i.e. any relevant experience, independent initiative you have taken to show your dedication and interest in said subject, any competitions, beyond-school level knowledge pursuits

o   Any other interests you may have which essentially allows them to gauge elements of your character, ability to work with others as well as independently, time-management skills, etc.  

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Note that (at least for most Oxbridge applicants) the PS is not the most critical* part of your application; this will most likely be any entrance exams, definitely the interview and also grades. For this reason you will notice that across all of the Engineering, Physics and Physics and Philosophy PS examples you will come across, there is a lot of variation in the amount of depth, content, writing style/ language, etc. Hopefully that eases the pressure slightly! 

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o  Avoid use of over-complicated language (most of us are guilty of doing this and it usually results in needing a re-write)

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o  Don't list things that are already included in other parts of your UCAS application. This includes things like all the subjects you study, your name, school, etc. Remember you have limited space! 

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o  The best way to "show your passion for the subject" is to demonstrate initiative through any extra reading, etc. This does not mean however, that you try to squeeze in everything you have done. Be selective and choose things that will demonstrate broad interest but also allow your PS to flow well.

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o  It is easy to sound arrogant if you are not careful or end up just listing of a bunch of things you have done/ read making it seem like you're just showing off. Remember to link back to why you are writing this PS: you want the opportunity to study and learn from leading experts and academics in your field. Try to incorporate words to that effect at the end of each main paragraph so it doesn't sound like you are just listing your accomplishments.

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o  Do your research! Every university subject page has a "current affairs" type section where they inform readers on their recent achievements and the research that they lead/ are involved in. If your interests align with this, try to see if you can incorporate mentions of these developments into your PS! Don't fixate on this though, it is just a suggestion.

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o  Don't try to educate the admissions team. It may be tempting to start defining and describing terms and concepts which sound complex because using big words always makes things sound cooler (at least from the writer's end) but the academics assessing your PS will not appreciate a terminology lesson and there are more interesting things to talk about. Talk instead about why you find the concept cool and an interesting application you may have come across in a paper/ book/ internship, etc. and how you wish to explore it further.

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o  Write the PS in a formal register but avoid trying to create a literary masterpiece. A good reference would be to imagine you were to present your PS as a formal speech in front of your year group. If it sounds too "much" spoken out loud, you might want to tone it down a notch!

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o 1-2 line intros/ final statements go a long way. They aren't an absolute requirement but often they work kind of like gift wrapping. This is a preference thing though!

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o  Avoid anecdotal phrases if you can. Not the be all and end all but if you want to save yourself the embarrassment for when your PS gets read out in front of other people (like what happens to many in 1st year subject "initiations"), give this one a skip. 

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o  When talking about extra-curriculars, don't linger too much/ be too direct on how this showcases your teamwork skills or the likes. This uses up space and is sort of pointless, people can join the dots there themselves so only expand if you need it for flow but don't present an analysis of how your character can be perceived through your account of your head boy/girl/ team sports/ volunteering or whatever other commitments. 

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o  Don't mention something technical that you don't have any clue about. There will come a time where you'll think to yourself a cheeky mention will do you no harm but come interview, they will pick up on it if it is that specific and if you clearly have no clue what's going on, then that won't look too good. That said you can mention things you have briefly been exposed to e.g. something that was mentioned in a book which you only read one chapter of (if anyone was wondering). As long as you have a vague idea and you don't pretend to sound like you know more than you do, you're good. Just don't name drop just to try to sound smarter - we're sure you're plenty smart without needing to do that! 

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o  Make sure ideally at least 2 teachers have looked through and given you some feedback. Get your family and friends involved too for a second opinion! The more eyes the better!