The recent announcement by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to reform the traditional personal statement into a structured question format has stirred considerable debate in the academic community. From September 2025, applicants will no longer submit a 4,000-character personal statement but will answer three specific questions to assess their motivations and preparedness for university. This change aims to make the admissions process more inclusive, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Here at Doceo, we’ve been looking at the pros and cons of this reform, drawing insights from various academic studies and expert opinions.
The Pros of Structured Questions
1. Accessibility and Fairness
One of the primary motivations behind this reform is to level the playing field for students from diverse backgrounds. The traditional personal statement often advantages those with access to better support and resources, such as guidance from experienced teachers or private tutors. Jo Saxton, UCAS chief executive, emphasises that the new format will give students “greater confidence” in applying to university by reducing the pressure to produce a polished essay and focusing on clear, targeted responses.
Studies have shown that students from underrepresented backgrounds, such as Black and Asian communities, often face additional barriers in articulating their experiences and ambitions in a free-form essay format. For example, research by Zimdars (2010) highlights how students from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to be admitted to prestigious universities compared to their White counterparts, even when accounting for academic performance. Additionally, a report from UCAS in 2018 found that Black applicants are disproportionately flagged for similarities in personal statements, with 53% of flagged statements belonging to Black applicants, who make up only 9% of the applicant population. This suggests that the current system may inadvertently disadvantage these students.
2. Clarity and Focus
The new questions—“Why do you want to study this course or subject?”, “How have your qualifications and studies prepared you for this course?”, and “What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful?”—are designed to elicit specific information about an applicant’s readiness and passion for their chosen field. This approach aligns with findings that suggest targeted questions can better assess an applicant’s suitability and motivation for a particular course. According to research, intrinsic motivation—when students are genuinely interested and self-driven—is linked to better academic performance, persistence, creativity, and overall well-being. Carefully crafted questions can assess this motivation effectively without revealing the intent, thus providing a more accurate measure of an applicant’s genuine interest and potential for success in their chosen field
3. Reducing Bias
The shift to structured questions may also reduce unconscious biases in the admissions process. Personal statements can sometimes reflect a student’s background more than their potential, leading to disparities in admissions based on social class, ethnicity, and schooling. By standardising the questions, UCAS aims to create a more objective measure of a student’s qualifications and interests.
The Cons of Structured Questions
1. Loss of Personal Expression
Critics argue that personal statements allow students to showcase their individuality and unique voice, which can be crucial for courses that value creativity and personal insight. The free-form nature of personal statements can provide a holistic view of the applicant, capturing nuances that structured questions might miss.
Leesa Chester, a parent who has supported her children through the university application process, contends that the new questions might not significantly differ from the components of a personal statement, thus failing to address the underlying issues of inequality.
2. Potential for Generic Responses
There is a risk that structured questions could lead to formulaic and predictable answers. Applicants might feel pressured to tailor their responses to what they believe admissions officers want to hear, rather than providing a genuine reflection of their experiences and aspirations. This could undermine the goal of understanding the applicant’s true motivation and preparedness for university.
3. Preparation Disparities
While the new format aims to simplify the application process, it does not entirely eliminate the advantage of having access to good advice and preparation resources. Students from privileged backgrounds may still receive better coaching on how to answer the structured questions effectively, perpetuating existing inequalities.
The Future of College Admissions
The UCAS reform to replace personal statements with structured questions is part of a broader trend towards making university admissions more transparent and equitable. As universities worldwide grapple with issues of diversity and inclusion, changes like this reflect a growing recognition of the need to support all students fairly.
In the future, we may see further innovations aimed at reducing bias and increasing accessibility in college admissions. For example:
1. Holistic Review Processes
Universities might focus more on holistic review processes taking into consideration a wider range of student experiences and achievements beyond academic records. This would prioritise assessing students’ resilience, leadership, and community involvement.
2. Technological Integration
The use of technology in the admissions process could enhance fairness and efficiency. For instance, AI-driven tools could help in anonymising applications to reduce unconscious bias or predictive analytics could be used to identify students who might thrive in particular programmes based on a broad set of data points.
3. Continuous Adaptation
As educational landscapes evolve, so too must the admissions processes. Institutions will need to remain flexible and responsive to new research and feedback from students and educators to ensure that admissions practices continue to meet the goals of equity and excellence.
4. Increased Collaboration
Collaboration between secondary education providers like Doceo and universities could improve the alignment of curricula and admissions criteria, ensuring that students are better prepared for the transition to higher education.
By embracing these changes, universities can help to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background. The UCAS reforms are a step in this direction, but ongoing efforts will be necessary to create a truly inclusive and equitable admissions system.
Conclusion
The UCAS reforms represent a bold step towards making university admissions more equitable and focused. While the structured questions offer numerous advantages, including greater clarity and potentially reduced stress, they also present challenges such as limiting student expressiveness and the ongoing need for adequate support. Ultimately, the success of these changes will depend on how well they are implemented and whether they truly help bridge the gap for disadvantaged students. As we move forward, it will be crucial to monitor the impact of these reforms and continue striving for a fair and inclusive admissions process.