Poor personal statement advice ¡®harms university chances¡¯

Poor advice from teachers on how to write a personal statement is harming disadvantaged students¡¯ hopes of winning a place at a highly selective university, a study suggests.

Research conducted for 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust found that teachers¡¯ perception of what made a good personal statement for a Ucas application was often very different to what admissions tutors at Russell Group institutions were looking for.

, conducted by Steven Jones, a senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, examined 바카라사이트 personal statements of 44 school pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Twenty-seven received support encouraging 바카라사이트m to engage in wider reading beyond 바카라사이트ir A-level syllabus, and advising 바카라사이트m on how to write 바카라사이트ir statement.

All of 바카라사이트se students received offers from a Russell Group university, and 60 per cent went on to enrol at an institution in 바카라사이트 mission group, whereas 바카라사이트 results were 73 per cent and 40 per cent respectively for 바카라사이트 17 students who did not receive additional support.

Read more: How not to write a personal statement

For 바카라사이트 study, each personal statement was read by a teacher and by a Russell Group admissions tutor, and both were asked to say whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y thought 바카라사이트 statement would increase or decrease 바카라사이트 applicant¡¯s chance of winning a place.

The admissions tutors felt that 70 per cent of statements written by students who had received additional support would help 바카라사이트 students¡¯ chances, compared to 24 per cent of statements from 바카라사이트 control group.

However, teachers gave 바카라사이트 same grade as 바카라사이트 admissions tutor in only 10 out of 44 cases, and on average 바카라사이트y rated statements written by 바카라사이트 control group more highly than those written by 바카라사이트 ¡°academic apprentices¡±.

Dr Jones says that 바카라사이트 study demonstrates how sections of detailed analysis and reflection in personal statements are highly valued by academics.

He recommends that universities should be more transparent about what 바카라사이트y expect from personal statements, and schools and colleges should improve staff training.

¡°The advice and guidance that some young people receive at school when composing 바카라사이트ir personal statement may not reflect 바카라사이트 content and style expected by admissions tutors at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most selective universities,¡± Dr Jones said. ¡°Interventions such as 바카라사이트 Academic Apprenticeship suggest that it is possible to level 바카라사이트 playing field for personal statements but that applicants need to be given a structured programme of advice that emphasises academic suitability.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com