UCAS to remove Personal Statements from Uni Applications

Photo Courtesy: UCAS

The Admissions service cited differences in support quality as the reason for its decision

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) announced two weeks ago that it will no longer require applicants to submit the traditional 4,000-character personal statement when applying to Universities.

The changes are set to be put into effect in 2024; ready for students applying for entry in 2025. 

According to UCAS, the personal statements have, in the past, favoured middle-class applicants, due to the disproportionate access to “high-quality advice and guidance” they may have over others.

In a 2022 Applicant survey carried out by UCAS, 83% reported the process of writing was stressful, with 79% mentioning it was difficult to complete without support, Yet,72% of respondents felt positively about the Personal Statement.

This isn’t the first time that changes to the admission process have been made. As recently as last November, Cambridge University announced it would be withdrawing from several admission exams, effective 2024/25, including the BMAT (medicine) tests.UCL was also one of seven UK universities to organise “alternative arrangements” to the BMAT around the same timeframe.

Moving forward, it seems education providers are transitioning from the traditional model of applications. Important factors for applicants, such as motivation, preparedness, or extenuating circumstances, will now be judged through direct “structured questions”.Multi-Media submissions - involving video or audio files to support applications - have also been considered for the future, with the aim of bringing “focus and clarity for students, reducing the need for support”.