When your child begins the university application process through UCAS, one of the key steps they need to take is filling in their personal statement.

This is a key section of their application and helps them demonstrate to their prospective universities how they're suitable for the course and the institution. Getting it right helps them stand out amongst their fellow applicants.

UCAS recently announced some big changes to the personal statement. These changes are being made, according to UCAS, "to better serve applicants and broaden participation". This is a big shake-up to a system that has been consistent for years, so we're here to break down the changes for you.

This guide will take you through all the upcoming changes to the UCAS personal statement for 2026 university applicants. With this information, applicants can put themselves in the best position to secure entry to their preferred university.

What is the UCAS personal statement?

The UCAS personal statement is a written element of the UCAS application that allows prospective students to explain why they're applying for that specific course and university and why they're suitable for it.

In the statement, pupils can also address how they've prepared for study at university, from co-curricular activities to community involvement. Pupils should use this statement to highlight what makes them stand out from other candidates.

What’s changing in the UCAS personal statement?

For applications submitted from September 2025 onwards (for courses beginning in 2026), the personal statement element will be changing. Instead of one long freeform essay, students will instead answer three focused questions.

Each answer will require a minimum of 350 characters, while the total maximum character count remains unchanged at up to 4,000 characters including spaces.

The three questions are:

1. Why do you want to study this course or subject?
2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful?

This new format applies for the 2025-26 cycle (i.e., applications submitted in the 2025 UCAS application cycle to start university in 2026).

It's important to note that students will still be submitting content in the same areas. Universities will still be assessing academic interests, co-curricular activities, work experience and your child’s readiness for higher education. Instead, the introduction of three questions allows your child to focus their answers more easily instead of answering multiple strands in one long essay.

In short, your child will still need to craft a thoughtful personal statement, but the structure will be clearer and segmented.

Why the change?

The aim behind the new personal statement format is:

• making the application process more accessible and equitable for all students, including those from under-represented backgrounds
• helping applicants focus on demonstrating the relevance of their experiences and studies
• assisting admissions teams in comparing applicants more fairly – the structure means every applicant answers the same questions rather than some statements being long, some short, some unfocused
• reducing stress for students and allowing them to focus their answers more tightly.

The change ultimately means prospective students can plan their application more strategically. They know in advance the questions they must answer and can align their work experience, co-curricular activities and passions accordingly.

Tips for writing a UCAS personal statement in 2025 and beyond

This new question format for the UCAS personal statement makes it easier for prospective students to keep their application focused and ensure they meet all of the criteria of both UCAS and their universities. It can still be helpful to have guidance around writing the personal statement, so here are some of our top tips.

Start early and plan around the questions

The new personal statement format encourages pupils to think about each of the three questions early:

For the first question, students should reflect on their academic interests, why the course appeals to them and what sparked the interest (perhaps a research project, a strong skill in the area or other subject-specific activities).

For the second question, applicants should highlight how their GCSEs and further education courses have prepared them for studying their chosen course. It's important to focus on how they've helped them develop relevant skills – for example in classroom-based learning, project work, teamwork skills or critical thinking. In this section, students can also highlight strong GCSE results and predicted grades in A-levels (or equivalent) to demonstrate their competency in the subject.

When answering the third question, applicants should highlight how they've developed skills outside of core lessons, which can include work like:

• extracurricular activities
• work experience and industry experience
• summer school
• research projects
• volunteer work
• the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Keep to the character count and format

Although applicants can draft their statement in a Word document or use a personal statement builder tool, they must adhere to the maximum UCAS character count (4,000 characters including spaces) and minimum per section (350 characters including spaces. They should use a character counter as they go and check how their text will appear in the online form.

Don't over-rely on AI

Many students are using AI tools to write their entire personal statements, which can leave them reading as inauthentic and flat. This is so common that UCAS has released specific guidance on using AI in personal statements.

UCAS states that statements must be written by the applicants and not other methods, including friends, family or generative AI tools. However, the charity also offers tips on using AI to brainstorm ideas, structure your application and check its readability. UCAS stresses that AI can help you formulate ideas for your statement, but it cannot write it for you.

Some universities, particularly those in the Russell Group, are using similarity detection systems to weed out AI-generated applications. A flagged application may be immediately rejected, or it could be flagged for further investigation.

Ultimately, the personal statement or responses to the three questions should be the student’s own work, referencing academic references, predicted grades, GCSE results, work experience and other extracurricular activities in their own voice.

How parents can support the application process

If you're a parent reading this, chances are you want to know how to support your child in their university application. There are a number of ways you can support your child in writing their UCAS personal statement while still helping them stick to the rules of writing and submitting the statement themselves.

• Encourage early reflection: discuss why your child wants to study their chosen course, what attracted them and what they have done to prepare.
• Help plan deadlines: the UCAS application cycle has set deadlines; help keep your child on track to ensure they don't miss them.
• Build a portfolio of experiences: if possible, support them in securing relevant work experience, volunteering work or research project opportunities.
• Review drafts: read through their answers to the three questions and ask probing questions. You can also proofread their content to ensure their application is error-free.

Example outline and checklist

Here is a simple outline that applicants can use to build their personal statement, aligned with the three separate questions.

Section 1 – Why this course or subject?

• Hook/brief introduction into your passion for this course.
• How the topic has appealed (e.g., a lecture, summer school, research project).
• What future ambitions they have and how this course supports them.

Section 2 – How have your qualifications and studies prepared you?

• Key relevant GCSE results, predicted grades, subject-specific skills.
• Examples of classroom-based learning, group work, research assignments, analytical or practical tasks.
• Use of subject-specific personal statement guides or independent reading (super-curricular activities).

Section 3 – What else have you done outside education?

• Extra-curricular activities (sports biomechanics club, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, inclusive teaching project).
• Work experience or virtual work experience with industry or sector relevant to the course.
• Summer school, research project, volunteering, teamwork skills developed.
• Reflection on what these experiences taught and how they support readiness for higher education.

Final checklist

• Character count: up to 4,000 characters including spaces.
• Minimum of 350 characters per section (for the new format) if applicable.
• Does the statement avoid generic language and show concrete evidence and reflection?
• Does it align with the chosen course and show degree match?
• Does it avoid copying examples submitted by others or relying too much on generic phrases?
• Is it written in the student’s own voice and checked for clarity, grammar and spelling?
• Have predicted grades, GCSE results and academic reference been factored into the broader application?
• Has a teacher or adviser reviewed it?

Frequently asked questions

When do the changes to the UCAS personal statement come into effect?

The new three-question format applies to applications submitted from September 2025 onwards for courses beginning academic year 2026.

Is the maximum character count changing in the new personal statement?

No, the maximum remains 4,000 characters including spaces. The difference is that the content must be split across three questions rather than one long essay.

Can my child write different statements for each university choice?

No, under the UCAS system, your child submits one set of responses (or one personal statement) that applies to all five choices in the application.

Do students still need to list work experience, extra-curricular activities and virtual work experience?

Yes. These remain relevant and, in fact, the new format emphasises the need to show what the prospective student has done to prepare both inside and outside the classroom.

Can applicants use AI to write their UCAS personal statement?

No, UCAS and educational institutions recommend against using AI to write the UCAS personal statement, and some will reject an AI-generated statement. While AI tools can be helpful for brainstorming, the student’s voice and genuine reflection matter.

What is a personal statement builder?

UCAS, plus many schools or career services, provide a personal statement builder tool online to help structure responses, check character count and organise drafts. This can be helpful ahead of pasting into the UCAS form.