UCAS TO REPLACE PERSONAL STATEMENTS WITH A SERIES OF QUESTIONS FOR 2024 ADMISSIONS

On 12 January, UCAS released Future of Undergraduate Admissions, a report that contained details of five upcoming reforms. One of the key ideas proposed by UCAS is to reform the free-text personal statement into a series of structured questions.

The UCAS report cites that a free text opportunity for students to promote themselves, the statement is seen by some commentators as a mechanism to “widen the gap”. Feedback shows fears that students who do not have access to high-quality advice and guidance will not be able to use the statement to shine in the same way that their more advantaged peers can.

In an attempt to ensure that students from all backgrounds get an equal opportunity by reducing the need for support in their statement writing process, the UCAS suggests an alternative approach by introducing structured questions that bring focus and clarity to students. The UCAS report makes an initial proposal of six questions across the following topics:

1. Motivation For Course – Why do you want to study these courses?
2. Preparedness For Course – How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed in these courses?
3. Preparation Through Other Experiences – What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful?
4. 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?
5. Preparedness For Study – What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
6. Preferred Learning Styles – Which learning and assessment styles best suit you – how do your course choices match that?

Other key areas of reforms include grades on entry, references, widening access and participation and creating personalised recommendations for students.