What studies say about writing effective UCAS personal statements

How do admissions staff use the UCAS personal statement? 

The first study involved a survey of admissions staff in 2023, focused on people whose day-to-day job involved assessing applications. This was a non-random sample of staff recruiting for 68 courses across a range of universities. We found: 

• The majority of personal statements are read, at least in cases where candidates meet entry grade criteria.
• Admissions staff tend to read the UCAS personal statement quickly—the average time reading was 90 seconds for Russell Group universities.
• The UCAS personal statement is primarily used to assess applicants’ interest in the course, with 88% of admissions staff using the personal statement in this way. All other uses of the personal statement were used in a minority of cases: academic potential (40%); work experience (29%); extra-curricular activities (28%); transferable skills (22%). There was some variation by course-type—vocational courses were more likely to assess transferable skills (37% versus 6%) and less likely to assess academic potential (30% vs 52%).
• Admissions staff tend to agree that decisions are primarily made on the basis of grades, however the personal statement was said to have a significant impact on admissions decisions in around 50% of courses.

These findings demonstrate a variety of approaches across the sector, which can be understandably confusing for teachers, advisors and students. Clarity from individual institutions that is easy for students to find would be useful for all involved in the application process. We investigated the prevalence of this clear guidance in our second study.  

How transparent are university websites about UCAS personal statements? 

The second study compared the survey responses of admissions staff with public information on university websites. Our key findings include: 

• There is a mismatch between how admissions staff use the UCAS personal statement and information on university websites. University websites tended to advise applicants to include a variety of material in their UCAS personal statement, even though admissions staff did not assess these when making admissions decisions. For example, 78% of websites recommended applicants demonstrate their transferable skills when this was not actually assessed by admissions staff.
• Most universities did not provide course-specific information about UCAS personal statements. Instead, university websites typically included generic guidance about UCAS personal statements. This partly explains the mismatch, with university guidance aiming to support applicants with personal statements for a range of courses, as well as when applying to other institutions.   
• There are some examples from the sector which demonstrate a clear approach to assessment for admissions, such as the University of Bristol’s admissions statements, which provide a clear framework for how each application is assessed on a subject-by-subject basis. 

This study recommended that all universities follow best practice, providing transparent and accessible information about the UCAS personal statement and how it is used in course-specific admissions processes. 

To what extent are teachers/advisors aligned with admissions staff? 

Our third study investigated the alignment between teachers/advisors and admissions staff on what makes a high-quality UCAS personal statement. This work used baseline data from a training module run by Causeway Education with 409 state school teachers. We found: 

• There is considerable misalignment between teachers and admissions staff. Within our sample, when asked to give feedback on example personal statement paragraphs, there was agreement between teachers and admissions staff in only 56.5% of cases.
• We found a number of pervasive myths regarding the UCAS personal statement. Teachers had a dual tendency to: (a) advise for the incorporation of personal content that aimed to demonstrate a holistic view of the applicant rather than course-related competencies; and (b) suggest reducing content that demonstrated course-related knowledge and skills.

This evidence suggests that providers of information, advice and guidance for students applying through UCAS are not only unaware of what admissions staff are looking for, but may be actively providing feedback that weakens an application. These findings underscore the need for transparent guidance from universities, as well as the need for interventions by outreach staff to support teachers and advisors to recognise what is valued in personal statements. 

Takeaways and resources

Given the research above, there are a number of key takeaways for teachers/advisors:

• The UCAS personal statement is primarily used to assess applicants’ interest in their course, as well as evidence of further exploration of course-related topics. However, there are a range of other course-specific uses.
• Generic guidance on university websites is not a reliable indicator of how personal statements are used within specific courses. This generic guidance should not be treated as a checklist of things for all applicants to add in their statements.
• High-quality UCAS personal statements evidence an applicant’s interest and course-related competencies through detailed academic discussion of a course-related topic or experience. There is rarely a need to provide a holistic view of the applicant as a person. 

From 2025-26, the UCAS personal statement has changed to three structured questions. Although this blog has not aimed to provide specific advice related to these changes, the above lessons apply to this reformed format. 

For teachers and advisors based in state schools, we recommend Causeway Education’s free to access OSCAR platform, which provides a structured way to support students*. 

*Interest Statement: The authors of this blog have been involved in a UKRI-funded project to support Causeway Education adapt their service for the 2025-26 reforms to the UCAS personal statement.