Updated January 2025
For students applying to university for 2026 entry, the personal statement format will change from one long piece of text to three separate sections that applicants must answer. UCAS explains that the aim of the change is to give all students a level playing field for articulating their journey, aspirations and potential. Discover more tips on what to put in each section of your UCAS personal statement.
The new questions are:
Why do you want to study this course or subject?
How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
When does your UCAS personal statement have to be in?
Each year the exact deadline date changes, but you can check the UCAS website to be sure. January is the national deadline for universities that aren’t October entry such as Oxbridge.
Who will read your personal statement?
Personal statements are read not only by course leaders but also by admissions tutors. The increase in applications to universities means that it is more important than ever to stand out from the rest.
Personal statements are compared student to student. Some courses face 1,000 applicants for 30 positions.
What to do if you’re applying for different courses
If the courses are related in some way this may not be so hard. However, if you are applying for two completely different courses then you need to be careful as generalising will be too vague.
Follow the Questions
With the new UCAS personal statement format, everyone will be answering the same questions. Make sure you stick to the question that is asked and avoid tangents. This makes it easier for the person reading it to pick out hyper-relevant sections that make you stand out. Discover more helpful insights for each section of your statement here.
Get feedback on your final statement.
Always get a critical friend – careers advisor, teacher or parent – to look over your application. Ask them to imagine being the admissions tutor and whether it would get you through to an interview or acceptance.
It’s your time to shine, use it wisely.
