ucas personal statement scrapped

• Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
• Non-Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
• Oxford PPE 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Economics 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Modern Languages 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Land Economy 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Psychology 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge English 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Human Sciences 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge History 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Geography 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Philosophy 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Classics 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Architecture 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge HSPS Programme 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Biomedical Sciences 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Engineering 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Natural Science 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Maths 24/25 Entry
• Oxbridge Computer Science 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Physics 24/25 Entry
• Oxford PPL 24/25 Entry
• Cambridge Veterinary Science 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Chemistry 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Biology 24/25 Entry
• Oxford Biochemistry 24/25 Entry
• Non-Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
• Non-Oxbridge Dentistry 24/25 Entry
• IMAT Medicine 24/25 Entry
• Can’t Find Your Subject?
• Law Interview Programme
• PPE Interview Programme
• Economics Interview Programme
• Oxbridge Medicine Interview Programme
• Natural Science Interview Programme
• Engineering Interview Programme
• Maths Interview Programme
• Dentistry Interview Programme
• Medicine MMI Interview Programme
• Our Guarantee

Our Students

Student Success Stories

• University Access Scheme
• New Tutor Application Form
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Free Expert Consultation
• +44 (0) 208 068 0438
• [email protected]

SCIENCE PROGRAMMES (25/26 ENTRY)

HUMANITIES PROGRAMMES (25/26 ENTRY)

GET STARTED

Can't find your subject?

OXFORD TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

CAMBRIDGE TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

MEDICINE TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

View Our Free admissions guides & resources

How UniAdmissions Cracked The Oxbridge Formula

Applying for Oxbridge is an opportunity seldom approached correctly. So how do you enter the top 16% of a strong cohort of applicants that get an offer? Discover how UniAdmissions get 2/3 of our students in.

When Do 2024 Medicine Offers Come Out?

When do UK Medical School Interviews start and when do they release their final offers to applicants? Find out all the dates for 2024 medical school admissions in this helpful guide.

Inside The UniAdmissions Portal: The UA Advantage

UniAdmissions students have access to the world's first dedicated Oxbridge admissions preparation platform, and this guide will help you discover exactly how the Portal will help you get your offer.

Discover all guides

ABOUT UNIADMISSIONS

Learn about who the world's first Oxbridge prep school are.

Learn about the Portal; the heart of our Programmes.

UniAdmissions' Foundation

The Foundation is our charitable arm to support disadvantaged students.

Students & Tutors

Discover who a UniAdmissions student is and our admissions criteria.

Learn about our high-performing Oxbridge tutors.

We're proud of our alumni. Read about their journey with UniAdmissions here.

Admissions Resources

Free Admissions Guides

Visit our Learning Centre and read our in-depth free guides.

We are the world's biggest Oxbridge application publisher. Learn more here.

Teachers Learning Hub

Learn about how to help your students get their place at Oxbridge.

Get Started

• Access Student Portal
• Oxbridge Programmes
• Open Day Webinar
• Tutor Application Form
• Common Questions
• Download Our Prospectus
• Book Consultation
• UCAS Personal Statements Are Changing in 2025

Last Updated: 16th January 2023

Author: Matthew Amalfitano-Stroud

Table of Contents

It was announced by UCAS in January of 2023 that traditional Personal Statements will be removed from the university application process in the UK. 

Since 1993, UCAS has required university applicants in the UK to submit a 4,000-character Personal Statement during the application process, which would then be accessed by university admissions teams to assist in the shortlisting process. 

However, it has been confirmed by UCAS that this process will be changing as soon as 2025. Here, we dissect the announcement, discuss what we currently know about this change and explain how this could affect your university application. Let’s begin:  

In short, this is what you need to know:

• UCAS Personal Statements are being replaced by a multi-question survey that gives applicants the chance to explain various aspects of their application.
• This change could be implemented as early as the 2025 admissions cycle for 2026 Entry in the UK.
• This will affect all applicants, both home and internationals, looking to attend a UK university in 2026 and beyond.
• Students will need to learn how to take on these new questions rather than traditional Personal Statement writing.
• Teachers will need to be prepared to do research on this new system and provide support for students in order to maximise their chances of success.
• We at UniAdmissions are keeping a very close eye on the situation and will update this guide as new information surfaces. We will also ensure that our support systems are up-to-date and effective at helping students through these changes.

What are Personal Statements Being Replaced with?

With the announcement that the current system for UCAS Personal Statements will be getting replaced, it is only natural to be asking what will be replacing it. Thankfully, we have already been given some idea of what to expect. 

Unlike the other major shake-up to the 2024 admission process, the removal of various admissions tests including the BMAT , the official announcement has provided us with an explanation of what UCAS is seeking to implement instead of traditional Personal Statements. 

Put simply, the current format of providing a 4,000-character piece of writing will be replaced with a series of specific questions which applicants must answer. These questions will still allow you to write your answers out, but you will be answering set questions instead of having to plan and structure a full statement from scratch. 

The specifics of this system have not been announced yet, including the number of questions and the character limits. We also don’t know what the questions will be yet as they are still being developed. However, we do know the key areas that these questions will focus on (all points are taken directly from the UCAS report): 

• Motivation for Course – Why do you want to study these courses?
• Preparedness for Course – How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses?
• Preparation through other experiences – What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful?
• Extenuating circumstances – Is there anything that the universities and colleges need to know about, to help them put your achievements and experiences so far into context?
• Preparedness for study – What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
• Preferred Learning Styles – Which learning and assessment styles best suit you – how do your courses choices match that?

Of course, this is all subject to change as UCAS is still actively working with universities to determine what they want most from applicants. However, it seems that they are aiming to cover the same ground as traditional Personal Statements while also allowing applicants to discuss more personal factors such as motivation, preference and extenuating circumstances. 

At UniAdmissions, we ensure all of our students receive the most up-to-date support.

At UniAdmissions, we’re working tirelessly to ensure that our tutors, curriculum and resources are ready to get our students through these changes. You can join them today and ensure you get the support you need to make it through the 2024 admissions cycle . 

Discover our Oxbridge Premium Programmes below and find out how you can enrol and triple your chances of success .

When Are UCAS Personal Statements Being Replaced?

The initial announcement stated that these reforms to the Personal Statement system will be introduced in the 2024 admissions cycle for 2025 entry. However, UCAS have since gone back on this and delayed the change to as early as 2025 (for 2026 Entry). However, this change could also occur the following year for 2027 Entry. 

UniAdmissions contacted UCAS directly to confirm if a date had been set for the implementation of the new Personal Statement format. The representative stated the following: 

The current discussion around the Personal Statement changes are to improve the application process for all applicants. At the moment the earliest this change would take place is in the 2026 application cycle. There won't be any changes this year. UCAS Representative

It’s worth mentioning that these plans have been in place for a fair amount of time, with discussions of reforming the application process starting in April 2021. However, this change still won’t be implemented for another year, so applicants applying for 2025 (and potentially 2026) Entry will still need to submit a traditional Personal Statement. 

Why Are UCAS Personal Statements Being Removed?

The announcement of these reforms was made on January 12th 2023 via a blog post on the official HEPI website. This post highlights the amendments being made to the Personal Statement process and the research that was conducted to influence this change.  

Interestingly, the data quoted in this post states that the majority of applicants surveyed were happy with the current Personal Statement process, with 72% feeling positive about it. However, the same survey indicated that 83% of applicants found the process stressful and 79% felt unable to complete theirs without support. This is the data that most likely influenced the changes. 

The post’s writer, Kim Eccleston, states that they are aiming to provide better support for both applicants and universities, creating “a more supportive framework” that allows applicants to write about what the universities need to know in a less restrictive way. It is also stated in a more detailed outline of the announcement that both students and teachers preferred the use of specific questions instead of free-form writing. 

However, a previous post released in November 2022 provides even more insight into the reasoning behind this decision. Based on data featured in HEPI Debate Paper 31 , various industry professionals had commented on the challenges facing applicants of certain background when it comes to the current style of Personal Statement. 

Within the quotes featured here, the traditional UCAS Personal Statement was described as “ambiguous” , “unfair” and “barometers of middle-class privilege” . These comments may potentially be in reference to the current importance of work experience, which can be difficult to obtain without connections in certain industries, as well as additional experiences which may not be available to all applicants.  

Therefore, this new system should presumably reduce the barriers for disadvantaged applicants by shifting focus to each individual’s own interest and abilities within their chosen subjects. 

Other Changes being Made by UCAS

Personal Statements are only one of five key areas being altered by UCAS, as highlighted in the blog post. This is certainly the most significant action taking place, but other changes to the application process include: 

• Academic references are being reformed, moving from a free-text approach to a set of three questions, similar to the Personal Statement reforms.
• The 'Entry Grade Report' will be created, which allows applicants to see grade profiles that have been accepted for courses over a five year period.
• A 'Course Recommendation Tool' is being created to provide applicants with personalised suggestions for courses based on their current grades and preferences.
• A 'Fair Access Programme' is being created to encourage widening access and participation.

Overall, it seems these changes all have the same intent; to level the playing field and make university applications more achievable for everyone. 

How will this affect my university application?

As previously stated, if you are applying to university this year for 2025 Entry, you will not be affected by these reforms and will need to submit a traditional Personal Statement to UCAS like previous years. 

For applicants applying for 2026/27 Entry and beyond, your application will follow this new process, meaning you won’t have to submit a full Personal Statement but will instead need to answer a series of questions relating to your application and abilities for your chosen course. 

When hearing that the whole process will be changing, this typically instils a feeling of dread as you’ll be treading new ground that no one else has experienced before. However, it’s important to understand that UCAS states these changes are being made for the benefit of both the applicants and the universities. 

As we’ve already discussed, a key part of the reason this change is being implemented is that a high percentage of applicants found writing a traditional Personal Statement stressful, which is counterintuitive to what UCAS is trying to achieve. By providing applicants with a strong framework, in the form of specific questions, this new process should allow more applicants to provide better quality statements for universities. 

This change is also set to be particularly beneficial to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, as the process will allow them to better express their ability regardless of any areas that may be lacking due to factors out of their control. Essentially, the new process should allow more people to stand a better chance of making a good impression despite limitations. 

How Can I Start Preparing?

If you’re starting your preparations early, the main barrier you’ll face at this stage of preparation is not knowing what the questions will be, as they have yet to be announced. There are no resources available currently that cover this system, so you’re going to have to be independent with your preparation here.

Since we have a rough outline of what the questions to focus on, you should still be able to practice your responses. Although they won’t be as relevant any more, it would still be helpful to check out Personal Statement guides and examples as these can help you pin down the language and writing style you use. 

With all this information now available to us, you should be able to get a sense of what to do for your application in the coming years. The initial introduction of this system in 2024 will act as a test of its effectiveness, so elements could be changed in the years following. However, the important thing is that you understand how things are changing from the current system and how you can make the most of the new system. 

If you are applying for university in 2023 for 2024 Entry, you will need to make sure you’re ready to write your Personal Statement. Thankfully, UniAdmissions have plenty of resources to help you through it, including our Ultimate UCAS Personal Statement Guide and our collection of successful Oxbridge Personal Statements . 

If you’re looking for more in-depth support that covers the whole application process for Medicine, Law and Oxbridge courses, them find out how you can enrol in one of our Premium Programmes .  

Start your Oxbridge application journey in the best way possible with effective support from our Oxbridge Tutors . 

Regardless of what changes are made to the Oxbridge admissions process, we will be ready to provide you with the very best support for your application. Our students have access to expert Oxbridge tutors, comprehensive online courses, intensive preparation events and so much more. 

Find the right Oxbridge Premium Programme for you and discover how you can triple your chances of success when you enrol . 

UniAdmissions students placed at Oxford And Cambridge

Continue learning about Oxbridge...

Ai writing & ucas personal statements: what you need to know.

When it comes to writing in the 2020s, AI-Generation has become one of the most important issues for many industries,…

Cambridge Announces the ESAT to replace the NSAA and ENGAA

In 2023, it was announced by the University of Cambridge that many of their established admissions tests would stop being…

Oxbridge Personal Statements: A Complete Teacher’s Guide

As a teacher, you will support students with their UCAS Personal Statements every year, but what about Personal Statements for…

Changes to Oxford Admissions Tests in 2023

It has been announced that a series of admissions tests used by the University of Oxford will no longer be…

Successful Personal Statement For Economics & Management At Oxford

Writing an Economics and Management Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we…

Successful Personal Statement For Computer Science At Oxford

Read through a successful Computer Science Personal Statement for Oxford with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why…

The Secrets to Oxbridge Admission.

• We cracked the Oxbridge formula . Find out what we discovered here.
• Looking for application support? Don't work with a random tutor. This is what you need to know first.
• Get up-to-date Oxbridge advice with our webinars. Follow our Open Days led by our experts and stay updated.
• Begin your Oxbridge journey with UniAdmissions through our programmes of support by clicking here.

How would you like to speak to an Admissions Consultant?

News | Education

UCAS ditching personal statement for university entry

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service ( Ucas ) will no longer require students to write a personal statement when applying for university .

The change comes amid claims that the personal statements favour middle-class students who may have better access to “high-quality advice and guidance”, according to Ucas.

The 4,000-character essay will be scrapped and replaced with a series of questions about the higher education course they are applying for.

Ucas announced in February 2022 that it was considering changes to university applications.

At the time, Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, said “I have always felt that personal statements in their current form favour the most advantaged students.

“So I’m pleased that Ucas have confirmed that reform of the personal statement is in their plans so that personal statements work to the benefit of all students.”

Ucas consulted with 1,200 students, 170 teachers, and more than 100 universities and colleges before making the reforms, as reported by The Times.

According to Ucas , although 72 per cent of respondents surveyed felt positive about the personal statement, 79 per cent agreed that writing the statement is difficult to complete without support, and 83 per cent said they found the process of writing a personal statement stressful.

The structured questions aim to  “bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support”.

Students will be asked questions about their motivations for studying courses, what they have done to prepare, and any extenuating circumstances.

Kim Eccleston, head of strategy and reform at Ucas, said in a Higher Education Policy Institute blog post: “We believe this will create a more supportive framework, which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making.”

The changes to the admission process will be introduced no earlier than 2024 for students applying to begin university in 2025.

And in the future, Ucas said that it would consider moving away from written text to multimedia submissions.

Clearing Universities & Courses

Clearing advice.

Recommended Clearing Universities

Popular Course Categories

Course search & discover.

Start the search for your uni. Filter from hundreds of universities based on your preferences.

Search by Type

Search by region.

Recommended Universities

Ravensbourne University London

London (Greater) · 88% Recommended

City, University of London

London (Greater) · 92% Recommended

University of Surrey

South East England · 98% Recommended

Search Open Days

What's new at Uni Compare

University of Sunderland

Unlock your potential at one of the world’s best young universities (THE, 2023).

Surrey has been shortlisted for the University of the Year 2023 - find out more here!

Ranking Categories

Regional rankings.

More Rankings

Top 100 Universities

Taken from 65,000+ data points from students attending university to help future generations

About our Rankings

Discover university rankings devised from data collected from current students.

Guide Categories

Advice categories, recommended articles, popular statement examples, statement advice.

What to include in a Personal Statement

Personal Statement Tips

Ucas personal statements are changing: here’s what you need to know.

Personal statements are set to become a thing of the past. The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has introduced a new process for university applications.

Personal statements are set to become a thing of the past. The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has introduced a new process for university applications from 2025, meaning that the process will change in 2024 ready for 2025 entrants.

Personal statements have always been an essential part of the university application process. However, UCAS has decided to scrap personal statements in their traditional form. They will now be replaced by a new three-question structure.

If you are preparing to apply for university right now, then you don’t need to worry too much. This new structure isn’t coming into play until 2025, when students are applying for 2026 entry.

What is the new application process?

The new application process differs from the original university application process. Initially, university students were required to write a personal statement, which would be uploaded to UCAS Hub . Universities would then read the personal statement as part of your original university application and make their offers from there.

Under the new process, it will work differently. Under the new university admissions policy, you will no longer be required to write a detailed personal statement but will need to answer questions related to three key areas.

Current key themes are:

• Motivation for course: Why do you want to study the course?
• Preparedness for course: How has your learning thus far helped you to be prepared for your course?
• Preparation through other experiences: What else have you done to help yourself prepare? How and why are these experiences so useful?
• Extenuating circumstances: Is there anything the university needs to know about you? (optional)

These questions allow students to present themselves in their own words but with more structure. Teacher references will also change, allowing for more objective comments.

Depending on user feedback, these questions may change in the future.

• Preparedness for study: What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
• Preferred learning styles: Which learning and assessment styles suit you best?

Following extensive consultation, UCAS scrapped the latter three. This is because UCAS discovered that the themes would be too difficult to universities that have different teaching and assessment styles. The extenuating circumstances question will have a different section to be answered, but not everyone will need to answer it.

When does this new process start?

This new process will be introduced in 2025 and take effect for 2026 applicants. Those applying to university for 2023, 2024 or 2025 will still need to write a personal statement for their application in the current format.

This means the new process will be coming in after January 2025 (October 2024, if you are applying to Oxbridge ).

A personalised tool will also launch later this year. This tool will provide applicants with entry-grade reports that will give students a range of the profiles accepted onto similar courses over a five-year period, using UCAS data.

Why is the process changing?

UCAS has decided to change the university application process based on student feedback. This process will now offer greater support for applicants from different academic backgrounds.

UCAS has recently published their own report on current applications, called the Future of Undergraduate Admissions report. This research discovered that, out of 13,000 polled students, as many as 83% found writing a personal statement to be too stressful, while a further 79% found the statement too difficult to write without appropriate support.

Personal statements were not unpopular, however. 72% of students found that personal statements were essential parts of the university application process. Personal statements allowed students to stand out as more than just application numbers and their grades. However, the question format s will allow students to continue to stand out from other applicants.

How are teacher references changing?

Teacher references are changing to allow teachers to make more objective comments regarding students. Students can pick current or former academic referees, such as teachers, tutors or head teachers; these referees will then write a full reference to their career goals, work experience and predicted grades.

This process is set to change slightly for 2026 applicants. Under the new system, the referee will instead answer three structured questions. In these questions, teachers will include a general statement about the student’s school or college, any extenuating circumstances that could affect the student’s exam performances and any other circumstances the teacher feels the university should be aware of.

undergraduate Universities

Undergraduate uni's.

Ravensbourne

245 courses

Uni of Surrey

437 courses

Uni of Kent

417 courses

Uni of Roehampton

268 courses

ARU Writtle

104 courses

West London IoT

Uni of Bedfordshire

336 courses

Uni of Leicester

267 courses

Uni of Chester

399 courses

Goldsmiths, UOL

273 courses

Northeastern Uni

Middlesex Uni

469 courses

Uni of Suffolk

109 courses

Uni of Bradford

197 courses

Cardiff Met Uni

304 courses

Uni of Sunderland

200 courses

Uni of East London

317 courses

Uni of Winchester

161 courses

528 courses

Leeds Arts University

Kingston Uni

378 courses

Uni of Hertfordshire

419 courses

238 courses

Coventry Uni

445 courses

Uni for Creative Arts

323 courses

Leeds Beckett Uni

327 courses

Heriot-Watt Uni

208 courses

Staffordshire Uni

272 courses

414 courses

Swansea Uni

780 courses

Anglia Ruskin Uni

460 courses

Uni of Westminster

UWE, Bristol

249 courses

Uni of Essex

797 courses

Uni of C.Lancashire

438 courses

Wrexham Uni

168 courses

355 courses

Uni of Huddersfield

458 courses

Escape Studios

Uni of Portsmouth

542 courses

Uni of Brighton

253 courses

Bath Spa Uni

295 courses

Edge Hill Uni

243 courses

Uni of Hull

Nottingham Trent

539 courses

Edinburgh Napier

184 courses

Uni of Reading

393 courses

Queen's Uni

411 courses

Want to learn more about a university?

Get your questions answered by sending them an enquiry now.

Accessibility Links

Ucas scraps personal statements for university hopefuls

A video message could soon replace the personal statement, the university admissions body said as it announced it was scrapping the written essay.

Candidates have a blank space on university application forms which they can fill with up to 4,000 characters. Ucas said that from 2024 they will instead respond to questions that will guide them to support their application in the right way.

Social mobility experts have campaigned for change and said personal statements were “barometers of middle-class privilege” because wealthier teenagers had tailored help. Numerous companies offer their services and private school sixth forms have specialists to help pupils.

Ucas is making the changes after a consultation with 1,200 students, 170 teachers and more than 100 universities and colleges. It said this paved

Related articles

• Write for us

Cambridge welcomes UCAS plan to scrap personal statements

Sam Lucy, Director of Admissions at the University, said the change will ‘mean that less well supported students can engage more effectively with the process’

by Nabiha Ahmed

This article is 1 year old

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on WhatsApp

Personal statements are to be replaced with a set of questions for university hopefuls, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) have announced this month.

The change will pave the way for bigger amendments to the application process such as multi-media submissions, says UCAS, with The Times reporting that video applications could be introduced.

Sam Lucy, Director of Admissions at the University, told Varsity that she welcomes the revisions, adding that “providing a more structured framework and better guidance to the expectations of universities will give Admissions Tutors more useful information, and will mean that less well supported students can engage more effectively with the process.”

The Future of Undergraduate Admissions report by UCAS, published on 12th January, detailed concerns over support for students writing personal statements being “not universal”. In the same report, UCAS acknowledged that the personal statement has been criticised “as a mechanism to ‘widen the gap’” between students.

The personal statement will be replaced by a series of questions covering six key areas: motivation for the course, preparedness for the course, preparation through other experiences, extenuating circumstances, preparedness for study, and preferred learning style.

UCAS hopes that the questions will “bring focus and clarity for students” and “reduce the need for support”.

The Future of Undergraduate Admissions report also revealed that 83% of students find the process of writing a personal statement stressful and 79% believe that the statement is difficult to complete without support.

Cambridge applications fall for second year in a row

These statistics are supported by a report by The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) from November, which found that the task is an “unnecessary burden” on disadvantaged students and accused the 4,000 character essay of “contributing to inequalities in higher education access”.

Academic references will also be replaced with three structured questions for referees to answer. This comes after schools told UCAS that the ambiguous nature of the academic reference section – usually completed by an applicant’s form tutor or careers advisor – made it challenging to compare applicants against each other.

Alongside these changes, UCAS will introduce ‘Entry Grade Reports’ for applicants. This personalised tool will display the range of grade profiles that have been accepted for entry to courses over a five-year period, aiming to help students evaluate their options and consider courses they previously may not have.

Aside from Entry Grade Reports, which launches this year, all changes are set to be introduced in the 2024 application cycle, for those applying for 2025 entry onwards.

Support Varsity

Varsity is the independent newspaper for the University of Cambridge, established in its current form in 1947. In order to maintain our editorial independence, our print newspaper and news website receives no funding from the University of Cambridge or its constituent Colleges.

We are therefore almost entirely reliant on advertising for funding and we expect to have a tough few months and years ahead.

In spite of this situation, we are going to look at inventive ways to look at serving our readership with digital content and of course in print too!

Therefore we are asking our readers, if they wish, to make a donation from as little as £1, to help with our running costs. Many thanks, we hope you can help!

• Latest stories
• Most Shared

Sponsored Links

• Limo Hire in London
• The Mays Anthology

Partner Links

• Sustainable events

Ucas to scrap personal statements for student applicants

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Linkedin
• Share via email

Image: Tero Vesalainen, via Shutterstock

Admissions body pitches reforms to make admissions process fairer

Students will no longer have to write an essay-style personal statement in their Ucas applications, after the admissions body announced an overhaul to the process.

Ucas said in a report published 12 January, Future of Undergraduate Admissions, that students would answer a series of questions about their reasons for choosing a course instead of writing a personal statement.

There have been concerns that the personal statements disadvantage students who do not have access to good guidance and support when writing the essays, which some feel could “widen the gap” between applicants.

The change comes after scrutiny from the Department for Education on the admissions process. The DfE carried out a consultation on whether to switch to a system of post-qualification admissions in 2021, although it ultimately decided not to continue with the changes.

Writing in a Higher Education Policy Institute blog on 12 January, Ucas head of strategy and reform Kim Eccleston said that “most students are in favour of personal statements” as it gives them the chance to “demonstrate achievements beyond their grades”.

But more than 80 per cent said they found the process of writing the statement stressful, and 79 per cent said the statement is difficult to complete with no support.

Eccleston said the replacement questions will prompt students to write about six areas, including their motivation and preparation for the course and for studying at a higher level, how other experiences have helped to prepare them for university, any extenuating circumstances and their preferred learning style.

“We believe this will create a more supportive framework which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making,” she said.

Once the questions have been finalised, they will replace the personal statement from 2024-25.

The report also revealed that Ucas will introduce reports showing students the range of grades that have been accepted for their chosen course in the past, and it will replace the free text option for referees to comment on students with a series of questions.

It will try to offer students more personalised guidance on what their post-secondary options are, and will launch an Outreach Connection Service designed to help universities and employers in their efforts to improve access and participation.

Ucas consulted with 1,200 students, more than 170 teachers and advisers, 100 universities and colleges and government representatives when creating the report.

In her blog post, Eccleston stressed that “reform is an evolving process”, and she said that Ucas would “keep engaging with the sector to help us shape the delivery of these reforms”—particularly the changes to the personal statement.

UCAS to scrap personal statement requirement for student applicants

T he Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has said that students will no longer be required to write a personal statement when applying for higher education.

In a report titled Future of Undergraduate Admissions , which was published on 12 January, UCAS said that students would now answer a series of questions about their reasons for choosing a particular course.

Once the questions have been finalised, they will replace the statement from 2024-25.

It detailed concerns that support for students writing personal statements was “not universal”, and that it favoured privileged students. As a result, UCAS wrote that the personal statement has been criticised “as a mechanism to ‘widen the gap’” between students.

Analysis by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) in November last year found that writing a statement is an “unnecessary burden” on disadvantaged students, and it said that the 4,000-character essay was a factor “contributing to inequalities in higher education access”.

The personal statement will be replaced by a series of questions covering six key areas: motivation for the course, preparedness for the course, preparation through other experiences, extenuating circumstances, preparedness for study, and preferred learning style.

UCAS said that it hopes that the questions will “bring focus and clarity for students” and “reduce the need for support”.

The report found that 83% of students find the process of writing a personal statement to be stressful , and 79% believe that the statement is difficult to complete without institutional or external support.

UCAS consulted with 1,200 students, more than 170 teachers and advisers, 100 universities and colleges, and government representatives when creating the report.

In February 2022, UCAS announced that it was considering making changes to the application process.

Michelle Donelan, the Universities Minister at the time, said: “I have always felt that personal statements in their current form favour the most advantaged students.

“So I’m pleased that UCAS have confirmed that reform of the personal statement is in their plans so that personal statements work to the benefit of all students.”

The report also revealed that academic references are to be replaced with three structured questions for referees to answer, in order to make it easier to compare applicants against each other.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

US University Admissions Support

Successful US College Applications

US College Admissions Calculator

Personal Essay Topic Generator

A-Level to GPA Converter

IB to GPA Converter

SAT/ACT Converter

SAT Practice Tests

ACT Practice Tests

Summer Programme Directory

UK University Admissions Support

UK University Admissions Calculator

European University Admissions Support

Academic Research Programmes

US College Sport Recruitment

Work Experience Programmes

Online Tutoring

Tours & Residential Programmes

Graduate School Admissions

Crimson MBA

What Is Crimson?

Your Local Team

Our Student’s Success

Our Mentors

Crimson Access Opportunity

Careers at Crimson

Webinars & Events

+44 7380 329108

Go back to all articles

UCAS to Scrap Personal Statements from Next Year | This Week in Admissions News

The world of college admissions is ever-changing and for students with top university ambitions, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest developments. This week, UCAS announced that it will be scrapping the long personal statement as part of its wider reforms to admissions testing, while Harvard Medical School pulled out of the US News rankings. Check back next week to see what’s new and noteworthy in university admissions!

Ucas to scrap personal statements from next year.

Applications to Cambridge are set to change from the 2024 admissions cycle as UCAS has announced they will be scrapping the personal statement. The 4,000-character essay will be scrapped and replaced with a series of questions about the higher education course a student is applying for. The change comes amid claims that the personal statements favour middle-class students who may have better access to “high-quality advice and guidance”, according to Ucas, the Evening Standard reported.

The structured questions aim to “bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support”. Kim Eccleston, head of strategy and reform at Ucas, said: “We believe this will create a more supportive framework, which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making.”

Cambridge had announced earlier in the year that they will be making some changes to their admissions testing as they were operationally unsustainable and “to deliver them affordably to students and higher education institutions.” The elite university has seen a drop in enrollment as well as applications over the last couple of years, owing to the Covid pandemic as well as an economic downturn in the UK.

Here are the changes we can expect in the UCAS from the 2024/25 admissions cycle:

• The 4,000-character personal statement essay will be scrapped and replaced with a series of questions about the higher education course a student is applying for
• Several university admissions exams, including BMAT (medicine), ENGAA (engineering), NSAA (natural sciences) and TMUA (mathematical skills) tests, will be discontinued
• The seven UK medical schools that use BMAT tests as part of their admissions process (Brighton and Sussex, Imperial, Lancaster, UCL, Cambridge, Leeds and Oxford) as well as medical and healthcare schools in other countries will put alternative arrangements in place

It should be interesting to see how the spread of AI will affect the college essay and personal statements. All of these changes are set to take effect from the 2024 admissions cycle - the 2023 cycle will continue as before. 

Other top stories in admissions news this week:

• Harvard Medical School announced it will no longer submit data to U.S. News & World Report for its “best medical schools” rankings. The decision was made due to concerns that the rankings create incentives for institutions to report inaccurate data and that the suitability of a medical school for a student is too complex to be reflected in a ranked list. This move follows the withdrawal of Harvard and Yale law schools (among other top schools) from the rankings in November, and is a reflection of the growing trend of elite institutions devaluing the importance of these rankings, which have traditionally played a significant role in shaping the decisions of prospective students.
• According to Times Higher Education , the Biden administration is planning to publish a list of programs/degrees that are considered to have low financial value for students. However, there is currently a lack of consensus on how to determine the economic worth of these programs. Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, managing director of policy and research at Higher Learning Advocates, suggests that the department should consider metrics such as job opportunities for graduates and whether they possess the skills sought by employers when determining the list of programs.
• The PIE News writes on a new report from the Conference Board of Canada that highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy for the immigration and settlement of international students. The report states that despite the priority of Canadian stakeholders to retain international students after their studies, the government currently lacks a plan to effectively coordinate the granting of permits and selection of international students for immigration. The current lack of strategy creates friction for international students, and this problem could worsen as the growth in international student enrollment surpasses the planned increase in permanent immigration.
• English-language skills in China have slipped, according to a global proficiency ranking , especially among young Chinese, and some are blaming rising nationalism. The 2022 English Proficiency Index ranked China at 62, a low proficiency nation, down from a moderate proficiency ranking of 49 in 2021 and 38 in 2020. China lagged behind Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Hong Kong, the latter of which has remained a high proficiency economy over the past three years. According to the report, education reforms in China over the past few years have led to a reduction in the time spent in schools teaching and speaking English.

More Articles

Cornell university admits 5,139 students to class of 2028.

Columbia Admits 3.85% Of Applicants To The Class of 2028

Brown University's Acceptance Results for the Class of 2028

Want to be a top candidate at a leading US or UK university?

Crimson is the world’s leading university admissions support company helping students get into the ivy league, oxbridge and more.

• Applying to Uni

Select Page

UCAS Scraps The Personal Statement: Farewell To An Old Friend

Posted by Naomi | Jan 16, 2023 | | 0 -->

The past few years have represented significant upheaval for anyone involved in education.

For students, that has meant teacher assessment for grades, and heavily disrupted exam periods, not to mention the bulk of their tuition taking place online. Particularly badly affected were the students for whom access to higher education might already have represented a skewed and uneven playing field.

For those students – and in fact, for all university applicants – the news that the 4000 character/47 line UCAS personal statement will be radically overhauled for 2024 entrants onwards has been generally welcomed by students, teachers and universities.

The personal statement has always presented difficulties for students who might be academically able, but who are yet to find their own personal voice.

It has been worse still for those without access – financially or logistically – to the extracurricular activities that stuff the personal statements of their peers. Often from families where they might be the first to go on to degree level study, filling those 47 lines with information about why they are suitable can seem an impossible hurdle.

Other groups who have traditionally had difficulties with the statement are neurodiverse students who might require educational support. The kind of free and personal writing required can seem particularly difficult for students who respond best to structure and clear questions.

The personal statement has naturally favoured those whose families can either advise from personal experience, or who can afford coaching or editing services for the personal statement as well as additional academic support. For those who look to acquire knowledge rather than musical, scouting or volunteer achievements, it can seem to them as if they have nothing to say.

The Universities UK Fair Admissions Code of Practice has found that the statement in its current form is incompatible with its aims to level the playing field for all applicants.

No matter how able the student, over 80% of drafted statements failed to supply opinions backed up by evidence on the student’s chosen academic topics. At least 35% failed to organise their statement with any coherence or effectiveness at all (the skills required for the personal statement tend not to be acquired until the second or even third year of university study).

Grammatical skill also seemed to depart, even amongst the students that would normally score highly in this area. In other words, even those who might be expected to fare well, fared less well than they might think. In an academic year where time is precious – either for study or necessary recreation – an application necessity which can take the time equivalent of a working week to complete is ripe for change.

How were the changes to the UCAS appication process decided?

Ucas consulted with 1,200 students, 170 teachers, and more than 100 universities and colleges before making the reforms, as reported by The Times.

According to UCAS, although 72% of respondents surveyed felt positive about the personal statement, 79% agreed that writing the statement is difficult to complete without support, and 83% said they found the process of writing a personal statement stressful.

The structured questions aim to “bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support”. Kim Eccleston, Head of Strategy and Reform at UCAS, said: “We believe this will create a more supportive framework, which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making.”

What will replace the personal statement?

The personal statement won’t disappear altogether, and nor should it – getting a flavour of the person behind the student is important to admissions officers. Indeed, this is why Studential was set up in the first place - to support students with this exercise and make sure they present themselves in the best possible light to prospective universities .

However, a series of structured questions which require shorter responses, and which by their nature will guide the applicant to a more relevant and revealing demonstration of their suitability for a course of academic study, will help both student and selection panel.

The questions will be about the course the student has applied for, so should present a more equal platform. UCAS have stated that the areas these questions might cover include:

• Motivation for the course
• How prepared you are for the course academically
• How any experiences might have prepared you for a degree
• Extentuating circumstances
• Preferred learning style.

In addition, teachers will receive more guidance on how to write references for students, and several university entrance exams will be scrapped, including those for medicine, engineering, natural sciences and mathematical skills. However, some institutions will maintain the BMAT (medicine) element, so it’s worth checking first.

However, as students find their way back through the disruption of post-pandemic fallout, the introduction of structure into one more area of their academic life can only be welcome.

About The Author

Naomi Lofts

Going through school and applying to university myself in 2002, I know how difficult it can be to make the right choices regarding your academic journey, especially when you're uncertain of where you want to be in the future.

Student Underground was created to provide reassurance to those students currently going through this period, as well as an outlet for sharing extra, up-to-date advice on a range of further and higher education topics.

These include choosing GCSEs and A levels, filling out the UCAS application form, taking a gap year, postgraduate study options, starting a business and more.

We hope you find it useful, and if you have any feedback, please leave a comment or email us directly at: [email protected]. Thank you,

Naomi Lofts,

Managing Director

Leave a comment

More information about text formats

Plain text 2

• No HTML tags allowed.
• Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Buy My Books

Latest tweets

• Early Years & Primary
• FE & Skills
• Higher Education

Ucas scraps personal statements for university applicants

A video message could soon replace the personal statement, the university admissions body said as it announced it was scrapping the written essay.

Candidates have a blank space on university application forms which they can fill with up to 4,000 characters. Ucas said that from 2024 they will instead respond to questions that will guide them to support their application in the right way.

Social mobility experts have campaigned for change and said personal statements were “barometers of middle-class privilege” because wealthier teenagers had tailored help. Numerous companies offer their services and private school sixth forms have specialists to help pupils.

Ucas is making the changes after a consultation with 1,200 students, 170 teachers and more than 100 universities and colleges.

• Legal - Plain English
• Login/Logout
• Cookie Policy
• Today's EdNews
• Privacy Policy
• The Weekly Round-Up
• Historic News Archive

UCAS personal statements create inequality and should be replaced by short-response questions

• 24 November 2022

The UCAS personal statement is a 4,000 character / 47-line essay that applicants submit when applying for UK undergraduate programmes. There is growing recognition that the UCAS personal statement needs reform, including from UCAS itself and from the former Minister for Higher Education, Michelle Donelan.

However, we have a limited understanding of the challenges applicants face and what reforms may be most effective.  

A new paper from the Higher Education Policy Institute,  Reforming the UCAS personal statement: Making the case for a series of short questions  (HEPI Debate Paper 31), by Tom Fryer, Steve Westlake and Professor Steven Jones provides new evidence and analysis to address these gaps.  

The paper provides evidence of the challenges faced by applicants – analysing 164 personal statement drafts from 83 applicants from underrepresented backgrounds. It finds:

• 83% of drafts fail to supply an evidence-based opinion about a relevant academic topic;
• many applicants struggle to organise their statement effectively, with 35% failing to write with cohesive paragraphs in at least one of their drafts; and
• there is a huge toll arising from the personal statement, with some applicants spending 30-to-40 hours crafting their essay. 

These challenges stem from the long-form free-response nature of the personal statement. It is this format that creates inequalities, as more advantaged applicants are better supported to meet the challenge. The long-form free-response nature also places an unnecessary burden on applicants, and does little to aid decision-making.

In its current form, the UCAS personal statement is incompatible with Universities UK and GuildHE’s own  Fair admissions code of practice , which over 100 higher education providers have signed. 

The paper proposes that the personal statement should be reformed to a series of short-response questions. This would address inequalities, remove any unnecessary burden and increase transparency. Two short-response questions are proposed which focus on:

• an applicant’s interest in their course(s); and
• relevant skills.

These questions would assess whether applicants meet certain baseline competencies needed to complete a particular course, and they are compatible with the sector’s own  Fair admissions code of practice . 

The lead author of the report, Tom Fryer, said:

We know the UCAS personal statement is unfair. Our paper provides new evidence on the huge challenges applicants from under-represented backgrounds face. We place the blame on the format of the personal statement. Is it any wonder that an essay without a question, a ‘personal statement’ that’s more ‘academic’ than ‘personal’, generates an ambiguity which allows those with more support to thrive? ‘Universities are currently operating an admissions system that contradicts their own code of practice. The personal statement should be replaced by short-response questions.

Steven Jones, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Manchester and a co-author of the report, said:

Debates about the UCAS personal statement have been rumbling on for too long. The solution proposed here represents a compromise position and offers the first practical way forward for the sector. Baseline competencies would be assessed transparently, but no longer would more advantaged applicants be given free rein to catalogue prestigious work experience and extra-curricular opportunities, or to flex their other cultural and social capitals.

Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, who has called for reforms to statements, said: 

Personal statements have become little more than barometers of middle-class privilege and are no longer fair or fit for purpose in university admissions. This review adds to mounting evidence that reforms are now needed to ensure statements are an effective way of capturing a student’s passion for their subject and their academic potential.

Notes for Editors

• HEPI  was established in 2002 to influence the higher education debate with evidence. We are UK-wide, independent and non-partisan. We are funded by organisations and higher education institutions that wish to support vibrant policy discussions, as well as through our own events. HEPI is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. HEPI Debate Papers are designed to stimulate informed conversations about topical issues but do not represent a fixed HEPI position.
• Tom Fryer  is a postgraduate researcher at Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, focussing on inequalities in graduate outcomes from higher education in the UK, and he is also the founder of Write on Point, which provides students from under-represented backgrounds with UCAS personal statement support.  Steve Westlake  is a postgraduate researcher and Careers Support Officer at the University of Bristol, working within the Department of History and Careers Service respectively, and he also worked as an educational consultant with Write on Point.  Professor Steven Jones  is Head of Manchester Institute of Education and is particularly interested in how the marketisation of English higher education impacts on staff and students. Professor Steven Jones’ is a leading expert on personal statements. His previous research on personal statements, commissioned by the Sutton Trust, can be found  here  and  here .
• The paper assesses draft personal statements from applicants that used Write on Point in 2021/22. This was a project that supported applicants from under-represented backgrounds with their UCAS personal statements by providing tailored feedback through an online platform. The project ran from 2015 to 2022, working with over 1,400 applicants.

Share this:

Co-author of HEPI’s paper Tom Fryer and Prof Lee Elliot Major (quoted above) are among those who will be taking part in a debate (which I’ll be chairing) about whether personal statements should be scrapped at the forthcoming Engineering Professors’ Council Recruitment and Admissions Forum on 7th Dec hosted by Arden University in Leeds. Further details at https://epc.ac.uk/event/engineering-academics-network-recruitment-admissions-forum-2022/

The arguments put forward in their paper by Tom and his colleagues are compelling (and in the debate we will also hear from one university that often doesn’t even read the personal statements). There is good evidence that personal statements entrench inequalities.

On the other hand, many feel that the personal statement in its current form is a unique way of getting students to reflect on their motivations and their commitment that, even if it’s never read, it can be important to their development and preparation for study.

It is also true that the statement is a realistic analogue for writing covering letters for job applications and so may be a good preparation not only for the next few years of study, but for whole careers.

Perhaps, most importantly, personal statements allow HEIs to assess the whole individual and their potential rather than merely their qualifications. Would the compromise solution proposed in the paper do as as well or better? Perhaps more short-form questions are needed about challenges the applicant has faced in order to add context?

There are no simple solutions to keeping the best of personal statements while making them fairer, and also giving consideration about how they might improve admissions and access. I thoroughly welcome this paper driving forward this important discussion and embracing an issue which I know UCAS is already considering carefully. (I’m pleased to say UCAS’s Kim Ecclestone will also be participating in our debate.)

I wonder how many parents pay consultants to help write a ‘unique’ statement? Is there any evidence of how common this is?

https://personal-statement-services.co.uk/?msclkid=86e41dbb9ff416481be67e3a6e64ce47

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Ucas looking at replacing free form university personal statements with series of questions to boost fairness 

Ucas is looking at a more 'structured' approach to university personal statements to balance out the unfairness of middle class students receiving extra support from parents, teachers and tutors.

Ucas is looking at replacing open-ended university personal statements with a series of questions to level the playing field between applicants, i can reveal.

The planned shake-up by the university admissions body follows concerns that the current system gives an advantage to middle class students, who often receive support from parents, teachers and tutors when crafting their statements.

Currently, students from across the UK applying for university courses via Ucas complete a 4,000-character personal statement.

The process is designed to allow students to sell themselves to admissions tutors by conveying their suitability for their chosen course.

Last month, the higher education minister Michelle Donelan said she believed that “personal statements in their current form favour the most advantaged students and do a disservice to those whose strengths are better tested through other means” . Ms Donelan said that the UK Government was working with Ucas to “reform” the process.

Now, i can reveal that Ucas is looking at a more “structured” approach where applicants would be prompted to talk about certain things.

Clare Marchant, the chief executive of Ucas, said: “Personal statements are a key part of over two million applications each year for students to say why they are a good fit for their chosen course. Many employers will also ask for a form of personal statement when applying for an apprenticeship.”

Ms Marchant said that when Ucas asked students for their views, they made clear they valued “the opportunity the personal statement gives them to express their ambition, skills and experiences”.

But she went on: “We want to simplify the process though, offer greater guidance, and help students from all backgrounds have an equal level of support”.

“We are working with students, teachers, and admissions professionals in universities and colleges to consider what changes might improve both the supporting tools and the statement itself.

“Along with more support, we will consider moving away from the current free text box personal statement to a more structured statement with focused questions to help guide students more explicitly.”

More from Education

Ms Marchant said it would be “critical” to get a “balance between free text and structure” because “we do not want to limit opportunity for people to personalise their statement”.

“It is also important to remember that the personal statement is only one of a variety of pieces of evidence that admissions teams look at when considering a student’s application,” she added.

The news was welcomed as a “step in the right direction” by Lee Elliot Major , a professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, who has called for personal statements to be reformed or scrapped altogether.

Professor Elliot Major said that university admissions had to be seen from the perspective of a “candidate who comes to this who doesn’t have all that experience from their parents, teachers and tutors – is it fair for them?”.

“We still need to do a lot of work to make it fair for applicants that don’t have all that knowledge you need to navigate this quite complex admissions system that we have.”

Reforming the process could help reduce plagiarism and cases where students effectively enlist an adult to write their statement, he said.

“The idea of structured questions means there’s less room for manipulation, gaming and indeed cheating in this process.”

Most Read By Subscribers

Liverpool students have their say on UCAS scrapping personal statements

The change comes under new plans to make applying for university more accessible and level the playing field

• 18:00, 17 JAN 2023

University lecturers and teachers have taken to Twitter to share their reactions to UCAS scrapping personal statements for university applicants.

As well as grades and predicted results, university applicants have traditionally had to write a 47-line personal statement as part of their application. The statement is designed to illustrate their interest in the course they're applying for and highlight non-academic achievements, but it has been criticised by some as a disadvantage to students from low income households.

UCAS has announced that the personal statement will be scrapped no earlier than in 2024 for 2025 applicants, and replaced with a questionnaire. The new plans could go further in a few years and scrap a written statement entirely to be replaced with a video submission.

READ MORE: Home behind private gates on a luxury 'sought after' road for sale

Personal statements have been criticised as some argue better-off students get more help from their families in writing the statement, while many private schools offer specialist assistance. However, one student called the change 'insane', and other criticised the new proposed questionnaire.

Charlotte Jones, an Environmental Sciences student at the University of Liverpool, said: "I didn't particularly like writing my personal statement, I don't think many people did. But in mine I referenced a lot of books I had read that were relevant to my course and stuff like that, which I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. I think my personal statement is part of the reason I got the offers that I did."

Dan Walsh, a Geography student at the University of Liverpool, added: "I did a lot of work outside school to that was relevant to my course, which I put in my personal statement. It's going to be different for different people depending on what course they want to apply for.

"I do think it gives some people an unfair advantage though. My sister went to a school where they had a lot of support for people doing their UCAS applications and helped them write their personal statements, so I got her to help me with mine because my school didn't have anything like that."

Niamh Motley, a Maths student at the University of Liverpool, said: "I think if you got rid of the personal statement completely, a nobody would sign up to NCS or Duke of Edinburgh or anything like that, because loads of people sign up to that because they get told they can write about it in their personal statement.

"I don't think I would have liked doing the questionnaire instead, because I'm the type of person who likes to just have a blank screen and be able to write whatever I want, but some people like having a bit of guidance and stuff."

Stuart Wilks-Heeg, Professor of Politics at University of Liverpool, tweeted: "Replacing the almost universally disliked personal statement on UCAS forms with set questions sounds like a great idea, until you see the questions."

Replacing the almost universally disliked personal statement on UCAS forms with set questions sounds like a great idea, until you see the questions. https://t.co/h55hYsvLgG

— Stuart Wilks-Heeg (@StuartWilksHeeg)

Another student said: "so after hassling and fighting to get my personal statement done last year I wanna tell me they’re scrapping it off of UCAS. please this is insane."

Discover, learn, grow. We are Curiously. Follow us on TikTok , Instagram , Facebook and Twitter .

• Man renovating Bold Street shop stumbled on 'greatest discovery' he thought was 'rat hole'
• Revamped home on street where properties sell for £1m
• What is a 'dodgy box' amid police crackdown on illegal streaming?
• First look inside new Georgian Quarter homes
• Man hires private detective after tradesman 'disappears with £3k'
• University of Liverpool
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Hope University
• Edge Hill University
• University clearing
• Liverpool student
• Most Recent

UCAS scraps personal statements

In an attempt to reform university and college admission procedures, UCAS has announced it will scrap the 4,000-character personal statement that all students had to write. Instead, applicants will answer a series of short questions from the 2024 admissions cycle.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is making several changes to its admissions process from the 2024 cycle. Scrapping personal statements is one of the most significant changes.

UCAS announced in a report published 12 January, Future of Undergraduate Admissions, that students would answer a series of questions about their reasons for choosing a course instead of writing a personal statement.

The change comes after concerns that personal statements disadvantage students who do not have access to guidance and support when writing the essays, which some feel could “widen the gap” between applicants.

Whilst making the decision, UCAS consulted with 1,200 students, 170 teachers, and more than 100 universities and colleges, as reported by The Times.

According to UCAS, although 72% of respondents surveyed felt positive about the personal statement, 79% agreed that writing the statement is difficult to complete without support, and 83% said they found the process of writing a personal statement stressful.

The introduction of the structured questions aim to “bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support”.

Kim Eccleston, Head of Strategy and Reform at UCAS, said: “We believe this will create a more supportive framework, which in turn will help guide students through their responses by removing the guesswork, as well as capturing the information universities and colleges have told us they really need to know from applicants when it comes to offer-making.”

What changes can we expect from the 2024/25 admissions cycle?

• The 4,000-character personal statement essay will be scrapped and replaced with a series of questions about the higher education course a student is applying for
• Several university admissions exams, including ENGAA (engineering) and TMUA (mathematical skills) tests, will be discontinued

So far there is some speculation on what format of testing will replace the exams that are being scrapped.

MACH 2020 and opportunities for manufacturing technology providers

11th December 2018

UKESF Scholarship Scheme: shaping tomorrow’s electronics leaders

27th March 2024 27th March 2024

Crystallisation simulated in much higher resolution

8th November 2019 5th November 2019

• Share on twitter
• Share on facebook

Ucas personal statements ‘read in two minutes’ by university staff

Hepi report says reforms already announced by ucas must go further.

• Share on linkedin
• Share on mail

Planned reforms to the Ucas personal statement should be updated after a survey revealed that UK admissions professionals spend just two minutes reading them, according to a new report.

The admissions service  announced earlier this year that it is to replace the controversial 4,000 character essay  with a series of questions for students entering higher education from 2025 onwards.

A survey of more than 100 higher education admissions professionals – included in a policy note from the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) – found they spent an average of two minutes reading the essays.

Around four in 10 (39 per cent) of those surveyed – working across dozens of providers – said they spent one minute or less reading them.

The poll also found that, when personal statements were read, they were mainly used to access applicants’ interest in a course, while decisions about which applicants should be offered a place were primarily made on the basis of grades.

After concerns were raised that it was too stressful for students and that it was  contributing to inequalities in terms of access to university , Ucas said the first-person essay would be reformed into a series of questions on six key areas: motivation; preparedness for course; preparedness through other experiences; extenuating circumstances; preparedness for study; and learning styles.

But the Hepi report, published on 15 June, says there was little evidence that “preparedness for study” and “preferred learning styles” were relevant to admissions decisions, nor that “preparedness for the course” and “preparedness through other experiences” warranted two separate questions.

Instead, the policy note proposes two short questions focusing on motivation and academic experiences, and other activities and experiences.

Steven Jones, co-author of the report and professor of higher education at the University of Manchester , said it had been long known that the personal statement provided an opportunity for some applicants to gain an advantage over their less privileged peers.

“While Ucas’ reform is welcome, this survey highlights that the proposals should focus on a limited number of short-response questions to avoid imposing an unnecessary burden on applicants,” he said.

Though experts had previously welcomed the “overdue” changes , they said that much more needed to be done to truly “level the playing field” in university admissions.

The Hepi report also found considerable variation between different disciplines in how the personal statement was used, with admissions professionals in vocational or highly selective courses more likely to consider it important.

Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said the essay was one of the most poorly understood features of the country’s higher education application process.

“This report shows personal statements are sometimes not read at all and, when they are, they are typically digested very quickly. Moreover, they are used more for some courses than others.

“Shining a spotlight on the use of personal statements was always going to be useful to applicants and those who advise them, but doing it now helps to inform the important reforms that Ucas is currently planning.”

Only 51 per cent of respondents to the survey agreed that personal statements significantly affected admissions decisions.

Tom Fryer, the lead author of the report and a PhD student at Manchester, said: “The Ucas personal statement is a stressful, ambiguous and lengthy process for many applicants, and this simply cannot be justified if the majority of statements are skimmed quickly by admissions staff.”

Clare Marchant, Ucas chief executive, said the reforms came about following consultations with students, teachers, universities, governments, regulators and the charity sector – and that Ucas will continue to consult with them to refine the theme for the new personal statement questions.

“Our reform work will ensure personal statements add more value, retaining the space for students to advocate for their achievements in their own words while helping universities and colleges to differentiate between applications amid growing demand for places, with up to one million applicants forecast by the end of the decade,” she added.

[email protected]

Register to continue

Why register?

• Registration is free and only takes a moment
• Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
• Sign up for our newsletter

Or subscribe for unlimited access to:

• Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
• Digital editions
• Digital access to THE’s university and college rankings analysis

Already registered or a current subscriber? Login

Related articles

Poor personal statement advice ‘harms university chances’

Sutton Trust study finds teachers’ perceptions of what makes a good Ucas application are very different to views of admissions tutors

You might also like

Queen’s to launch Canada’s first medical school admissions lottery

In a nation that struggles to get minority students into medicine, Ontario university eyes progress in broader admissions process

‘Local’ students just one in 10 at some elite universities

Durham again found to have lowest proportion of students from its own region, but highlights work to boost north east's low HE participation rate

Tibet’s easier gaokao offer for investors ‘exploitative’

Rights group criticises government’s move to use region’s lower university admissions standards to its advantage

Personal statements scrapped over growing ChatGPT use

Singapore Management University provost Timothy Clark says reforms will push students away from using generative AI in admissions statements

Featured jobs

THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE ST ANDREWS COMMUNITY SINCE 1997

• Feb 2, 2023

UCAS to Scrap Personal Statements

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has announced plans to remove a central part of the application process – the personal statement – and replace it with a series of questions for prospective students. According to UCAS, this change is the start of a broader series of reforms.

The Future of Undergraduate Admissions report, released by UCAS on Thursday 12 January, has revealed changes to the application process after 83% of applicants surveyed reported that the process of writing their personal statement – a free text opportunity for students to demonstrate their skill and passion for the courses they are applying to – was stress inducing.

Furthermore, 79% of those surveyed agreed that the statement was difficult to complete without support, leading some commentators to view the process as a “mechanism to widen the gap”.

As a replacement for the personal statement, UCAS have identified six key areas that admissions departments are interested in: motivation for course, preparedness for course, preparation through other experiences, extenuating circumstances, preparedness for study, and preferred learning styles. These areas will be formulated into targeted questions for students to answer, rather than the current, more generalised approach.

UCAS have confirmed that these areas will continue to be refined with the help of both applicants and education providers.

According to UCAS, both students and providers (both universities and colleges across the UK), have “identified a preference for structured questions that bring focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support. This approach also supports comparability for providers.

Students who have completed the UCAS process in the past have reflected on how these changes would have been beneficial to their own university application experience.

“The personal statement was definitely the most troubling part of the UCAS process,” Luke, a second-year student, told The Saint.

“If [UCAS] had made it more structured, I would have had a lot less stress during the end of schooling”.

International students here at the University of St Andrews are also welcoming the change. “I found the personal statement difficult because it was nothing like what I had to do for applications in my own country,” Emily, a first-year international student, said.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of tutors I found who had done UCAS before. We had regular meetings just to make sure my statement would be competitive. It added a lot of stress”.

The personal statement section is only the start for changes in the UCAS process; references and grade reporting are also being altered based on feedback provided by those involved.

UCAS have announced changes to the academic referee portion of the application, similar to changes being made within the personal statement section. Instead of a free text approach where referees are given the opportunity to promote their students’ prospects, referees are given “three structured questions” to answer, so that providers are more able to find information required for selections.

The three questions relate to the school or college of the applicant, extenuating circumstances that may affect the applicant’s performance, and a final section to provide any information that the referee “thinks that universities/colleges should be made aware of”.

‘Entry Grade Reports’ are also being built into the UCAS online platform. The feature will make it easier for students to locate courses where entry would be achievable based on their secondary school grades. According to the Future of Undergraduate Admissions Report, “these reports will give visibility of the range of grade profiles that have been accepted for entry to courses over a five-year period”.

UCAS are welcoming ongoing input from both students and providers on the proposed changes. Surveys and opportunities for input are available on the UCAS website.

The University of St Andrews declined to comment on the changes to the application process.

Image: Unsplash

Cam With a Plan

SRC Passes Motions on Palestine and Anti-Semitism

New Update on NPH Cinema

It would be difficult for me to write such a personal statement. Quite recently, I asked https://residencypersonalstatements.net/ for help in writing one. And I think I still would.