Currently, a personal statement is a short piece of writing - 4000 characters or 47 lines - which everyone must submit upon applying to university. It gives you the chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase your skills and experiences.
The 2026 changes to personal statements By Milena Bittmar, Education Liaison Assistant at Edge Hill University
What changes are being made? If you wish to start university in 2026 or onwards, your personal statement will look slightly different. You will still have to submit a personal statement that goes to all five of your choices. However, instead of one long piece of writing, you will have to answer three separate questions.
You will have a minimum of 350 characters to answer each question. All three will be looked at collectively by your chosen universities.
Why has it changed? UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) is a company that supports UK universities. You will submit your application and personal statement to UCAS, who then share this with your chosen universities. UCAS wanted to create a more accessible approach to writing and submitting personal statements.These changes will make the whole process easier for everyone.
What are the new questions?
1. Why do you want to study this course or subject? For this question, you should talk about your motivation to study that course, any knowledge you have about the subject, your future plans after studying, and why you think that you’d be a good fit for the university.
2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject? In this section, you can write down information on how your current studies have helped you prepare for your chosen course. Mention any transferable skills you have, and how you gained them. Also, discuss any additional academic experiences you have that make you stand out from the crowd.
3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful? Finally, for the last question, you can write about anything you have completed outside of your education that demonstrates your enthusiasm for the course or subject area. You can include any volunteering, personal life experiences, responsibilities, hobbies, or activities that have prepared you for higher education.
Writing a strong personal statement
• Keep it relevant – you only have a limited about of characters to answer the questions, so stick to short sentences and be precise.
• Give examples – you should detail each of your experiences by giving examples of the skills you mention. • Read aloud – you should take time after completing your personal statement to read it out loud and see how it sounds. This will help you spot any mistakes.
• Check and double-check – check your work thoroughly to avoid missing spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. You could also pass your work to a teacher or a parent/supporter to read with a fresh pair of eyes.
• Be positive! “Instead of one long piece of writing, you will have to answer three separate questions. ”
