UCAS Personal Statement changes

UCAS recently announced that students would no longer have to write an essay-style personal statement in their UCAS applications after the admissions body made the decision to change the process. The 4,000-character essay will be scrapped and replaced with a series of questions about the higher education course they are applying for. The main reason for this change is that people believe that personal statements currently favour the most advantaged students.

Over the past year, UCAS received opinions from 1,200 students, 170 teachers and over 100 universities and colleges, before deciding on the changes so they would have a balanced and fair verdict. From their research, they found out that 72% of people said they felt positive about the personal statement but 79% agreed that writing the statement is difficult without any support. Finally, a further 83% of people interviewed said they found the process of writing their personal statement very stressful. These changes will come into place in 2024 for students who are applying to start a course in 2025.

What will the personal statement be replaced with?

The personal statement will be replaced with a series of questions, the questions will ask about their motivations for studying the chosen course, what they’re doing and what they have done to prepare for the course. It will also contain questions about any uncontrollable situations that they have faced in the build-up.

These changes are believed to make the application less stressful and slightly easier for applicants. 

Still need to write your personal statement? Check out our handy blog with some tips on how to write a great personal statement! 

Read more