UCAS to drop personal statements: Here's what UK university applicants will have to do instead

• UCAS has announced university applicants will no longer need to write personal statements from late 2025.
• Instead, they will be asked three thoroughly-researched questions.
• In a recent survey, three-quarters of students preferred the new format.
• The move is one in a series aimed at evening out the application gap between students from different financial backgrounds.

The oft-dreaded personal statement will soon no longer be casting a shadow over the already high stakes university application process.

Previously, British students applying for a university spot had to write a personal statement, summarising their passion for their chosen course of study, their academic achievements and their life experiences in 4,000 characters or less. From explaining why they were interested to why they would be a great student to possible universities, the process was sometimes criticised for lacking structure and guidance.

But last week UCAS - the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service - announced personal statements were to become a thing of the past, a move the higher education admissions service hoped would help level the playing field for disadvantaged students. The new format will roll out in September 2025, for students applying to start university in 2026.

So what will up and coming university hopefuls need to do instead? Here’s what you need to know:

What are personal statements being replaced with?

UCAS has confirmed that instead of one big free text box, students will be asked to answer three questions instead. This heralds a shift to a more structured format, and the questions themselves have been chosen following “extensive research, testing and validation with students, teachers and advisers, and universities and colleges”, it added.

The first question - ‘why do you want to study this course or subject?’ - will relate to what exactly students are applying to study. UCAS says this will be “an applicant’s opportunity to showcase their passion for and knowledge of their chosen subject, to demonstrate to universities and colleges why they are a good fit, and to outline any future ambitions”.

The second is ‘how have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?’ UCAS says: “In this section applicants can describe relevant or transferable skills they’ve gained in education, and demonstrate their understanding of how these will help them succeed in their chosen course or subject area.”

Finally, applicants will be asked: ‘What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful?’ Here they will be able to reflect on their personal experiences, and any extracurriculars or other activities outside of formal education which could help to further demonstrate their suitability for their course of choice.

Why the change?

UCAS said it hoped that the new three question approach would ensure students “from all backgrounds” better understood the key information universities and colleges actually wanted to know about them.

The body’s past research had shown that although 89% of students felt that the purpose of the personal statement was clear, 79% reported that they found writing their statement had been difficult without support. In a survey of potential applicants about to start their personal statement, UCAS also found more than three quarters preferred the three-questions format - while other students they spoke to described the statements as “daunting” and a source of “stress and anxiety”.

The change came alongside the release of new data, which showed that the gap in application rate between the UK’s most and least disadvantaged students remained “stubbornly persistent”. UCAS has a new CEO, Dr Jo Saxton, who has said that she wants to address concerns that progress on encouraging disadvantaged students to apply for university has started to stall.

“My aim at UCAS is to make sure that the doors of opportunity stay open for as many students as possible so that they can benefit from a university education, and find the right course that they will succeed in,” she said. But the application rate gap showed that while positive progress had been made, “there is still much to do”.

Dr Saxton added: “During my time in schools, I saw first-hand how the personal statement can help students really clarify and articulate their ambition, but also how challenging it can be for those with less support. The new approach, with guided questions aims to give greater confidence to those students, as well as their teachers when advising on how to secure their dream course.”

This is not the only change UCAS has made recently to help encourage disadvantaged students to apply for university. Last month, the service announced it would also waive the application fee for students who received free school meals.

If you or a young person you are supporting are applying to university in 2024, you will still need to write a personal statement. For more guidance on what you should include, check out the official UCAS guide online here.