Published on 18, July, 2024
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Students from non-traditional and marginalised groups will benefit from new plans around university applications, experts have said.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has announced that students’ personal statements for their application forms will soon be a thing of the past.
Instead of a statement limited to 4,000 characters, those applying for undergraduate places in 2026 through the Service will be asked to answer why they want to study the course or subject, how their studies or qualifications helped them to prepare for the course and what experiences they have had outside of education that will be helpful.
The move was welcomed today by the University of Sunderland’s Head of Widening Access and Participation lead, Wendy Price.
She said: “The decision to change the format of the personal statement into three separate questions will mean applying to university is a fairer process.
“Students will be clearer about the key information universities and colleges would like to know about them when making admissions decisions.
“This will be beneficial to non-traditional students and others from marginalised groups, helping to level the playing field for access to higher education.”
The personal statement has been part of the university admissions process for more than three decades since Ucas was formed in 1993.
Experts have said the old format gave an unfair advantage to more financially secure students and are hopeful the new questions will improve the chances of applicants from backgrounds who lack a family history of higher education or help from tutors.
At the beginning of this month, the University of Sunderland celebrated the graduation of its first class of doctors from their School of Medicine which was opened in 2019 with the purpose of offering opportunities to students from less privileged backgrounds.
Of the graduating cohort, 48% came from a widening participation background.
The University of Sunderland is renowned for its supportive and nurturing student approach, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, can reach their full potential.
The University has an award-winning track record in attracting and supporting students from underrepresented groups and is committed to raising aspirations at a local, regional and national level.