The New UCAS Personal Statements
As of the beginning of the new university application cycle for September 2026, UK university applicants will now have a different task when writing their personal statements.
What was the former system for UCAS personal statements?
Before the changes, hopeful applicants would write a long-form, unstructured essay describing their background, motivations and dreams up to a maximum of 4,000 characters (around 550-1000 words with spaces).
Why is the UCAS personal statement system changing?
UCAS have decided to change their system after conducting a large amount of polling among students. After polling 13,000 students, UCAS found that, though the personal statement was considered an ‘essential part of the UK university application process’ by 72% of those polled, 83% found the process overly stressful and 79% felt that the process of writing a personal statement was too difficult and favoured students with higher levels of support within their school.
What is the new UCAS personal statement system?
The new UCAS personal statement process will still ask prospective students to write about their motivations for applying to university and their specific motivations for applying for their course. It will also maintain the 4,000-character limit. The difference in the new system is that, instead of the old, less structured essay, students will now be asked to provide answers to three questions that have been set by UCAS in order to avoid some of the less relevant content that students are sometimes tempted to include- often resulting in them selling themselves short by lack of relevant inclusions.
What are the 3 questions UCAS ask on the personal statement?
·Why do you want to study this course or subject? – This question aims to get to the heart of the prospective student’s passion for their chosen subject. A good answer to this question will demonstrate the applicant’s enthusiasm for the course, as well as showing some pre-existing knowledge and a desire to learn more.
How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course? – This question asks the prospective student to reflect on their education so far and gives them an opportunity to describe their own academic achievements and capabilities, whilst drawing links between their past and their future education.
What else have you done outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful? – This question gives the prospective student a chance to describe their life outside of academia, giving the university admissions team a more rounded view of the applicant. A good answer to this question will demonstrate that the prospective student has passions, interests and hobbies- all things that university admission teams look for when deciding whether a student will succeed at their institution or not.
How can a tutor help with writing a personal statement?
Tutors, like teachers and even university admissions boards, are used to seeing lots of personal statements. As a result, tutors can be an invaluable resource for a student who is in the process of writing one. Knowing what makes a prospective student’s statement stand out from the crowd can make writing a personal statement so much easier and put less pressure on the applicant in what can already be a stressful time for them. Having an expert tutor to guide you through the writing process and offer proofreading at every step of the way can make the difference between a good personal statement and a great one.
By Matthew, 2025