I’m happy to see these changes coming to the UCAS application system that are designed to help students that have less guidance and support at their schools. The key changes include removing the application fee to apply to up to 5 schools if the student is part of a free lunch program at their school (this change is already in effect), and changing the format of the personal statement (this change will take place in 2025 for students entering university in 2026) from one where students simply enter their statement into a free text box to one where there are three prompts to reply to. These are ‘Why do you want to study this course or subject?’, ‘How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?’, and lastly, ‘What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful?’. I had the chance to work as a UCAS Coordinator at two international schools where the students would receive a high degree of assistance and consultation as they worked on their applications, but this is clearly not the norm across the UK, and these changes should have a significant and positive impact with students needing some additional support.
