Personal Statements for UCAS
With the summer here, it might be tempting for Year 12s to sit back, watch the grass grow and relax. Yet, now is the time to invest in that all important question: where am I going after final exams? How can I best prepare now for a busy year ahead? This might be in the form of work experience, top-up tuition, or university visits and selection. Or it might be a chance to start drafting that crucial – or dreaded – UCAS personal statement.
As you might know, since September 2025 UCAS brought in changes to the personal statement for students enrolling in 2026 and beyond.
Students applying to university through UCAS are no longer required to write their personal statement in the style of one, long free-form essay with introduction and conclusion. Instead, there are three structured questions guiding students to write on the areas of motivation, preparation and extra-curricular interests. The word limit of 4,000 characters for the total application remains the same, while there is a minimum of 350 characters for each question.
This may come as a relief to some, who find the guided questions enable them to stay focused and direct in their choice of content; while other applicants may find the guidance hampering their creativity or restricting their choice of content. However, the content of the personal statement essentially remains the same as before. You are still being asked to write about your reasons for choosing your subject area and your aspirations for the future, and you can adjust your use of the character account to accommodate your varying length of answer to the three questions. Just remember: all the universities you are applying to will still read the same answers to these questions, and they still want to hear your authentic, genuine motivations and experience. They still want to meet you!
If this, or the writing of it, is something that you’re struggling with, we are here to help. Our mentors can guide you through your reasons or motivations for applying, what preparation you have done or are yet to do, and how your extra-curricular interests and life outside formal education is either supporting your decision or suggesting you may need to reconsider your options. If you are confident in your choices and are ready to draft your personal statement answers, we provide support with feedback, proofreading and redrafting from our team of experienced, talented writers and expert university admissions counsellors.
We believe that every student is unique and we know that your voice matters. Your personal statement is the place to get yourself seen and heard, so taking the time to draft and craft a personal statement that allows you to shine is crucial.
We are here to advise and encourage you or your child to find their voice, share their passion and show their commitment to a course of study that will be an investment for their future. Now is the time to get started. Get in touch today!
