University staff read applicants’ personal statements for two minutes, study finds

University applicants’ personal statements are read for just two minutes on average, a report has suggested.

The majority of higher education admissions professionals said decisions about which applicants should be offered a university or college place are primarily made on the basis of grades, a survey found.

Nearly two in five (39%) said the personal statements written by university applicants were read for just one minute or less, according to the report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank.

It comes as Ucas plans to reframe the personal statement into a series of questions covering six themes.

Currently, applicants have to write a personal statement – which can be a maximum of 4,000 characters – setting out their skills and experiences, and why they would like to study at a university or a college.

In November last year, Hepi argued that the current long-form, free-response nature of the personal statement creates unnecessary pressure for applicants, hinders transparency and exacerbates inequalities.

The survey, of 113 higher education admissions professionals from more than 30 higher education providers, found 51% said the Ucas personal statement impacts significantly on admissions decisions.

The Ucas personal statement is more likely to be considered important for admissions decisions in vocational or highly selective courses, the report suggested.

Tom Fryer, the report’s lead author, said: “The fact that four-in-ten Ucas personal statements are read for one minute or less underlines the importance of reform in this area.

“The Ucas personal statement is a stressful, ambiguous and lengthy process for many applicants, and this simply cannot be justified if the majority of statements are skimmed quickly by admissions staff.”

Steven Jones, co-author of the report, said: “We have long known that the Ucas personal statement provides an opportunity for some applicants to gain an advantage over their less privileged peers.

“While Ucas’s reform is welcome, this survey highlights that the proposals should focus on a limited number of short-response questions, to avoid imposing an unnecessary burden on applicants.”

Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said: “This report shows personal statements are sometimes not read at all and, when they are, they are typically digested very quickly. Moreover, they are used more for some courses than others.

“Shining a spotlight on the use of personal statements was always going to be useful to applicants and those who advise them, but doing it now helps inform the important reforms that Ucas are currently planning.”