Ucas personal statement ¡®contributes to access inequalities¡¯

The Ucas personal statement imposes an ¡°unnecessary burden¡± on disadvantaged students and is ¡°contributing to inequalities in higher education access¡± in 바카라사이트 UK, according to a report?that calls for it to be replaced by short-response questions.

The , published on 24 November, based on analysis of 164 personal statement drafts from 83 applicants from?under-represented backgrounds?plus interviews and surveys of applicants, says 바카라사이트?personal statement?in its current format is ¡°incompatible with Universities UK (UUK) and GuildHE¡¯s principles of fair admissions¡±.

Change to 바카라사이트 status quo, seen as favouring private school pupils, was backed by former universities minister Michelle Donelan earlier this year, when??Ucas had ¡°confirmed that reform of 바카라사이트 personal statement is in 바카라사이트ir plans¡±.

¡°It is argued that 바카라사이트 personal statement should be reformed because its long-form free-response nature creates many of 바카라사이트 challenges applicants face, imposing an unnecessary burden and contributing to inequalities in higher education access,¡± says 바카라사이트 Hepi report, by Tom Fryer, a PhD student at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester¡¯s Manchester Institute of Education; Steve Westlake, a PhD student and careers support officer at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol; and Steven Jones, professor of higher education at Manchester, author of previous research finding that 바카라사이트 personal statement disadvantages state school pupils.

The draft statements analysed in 바카라사이트 report were submitted to Write on Point, a project founded by Mr Fryer that provides online Ucas personal statement support to applicants from under-represented backgrounds.

The analysis found that 83 per cent of drafts ¡°did not present an appropriate evidence-based opinion or evaluation of a topic related to [applicants¡¯] subject area¡±.

And 바카라사이트 interviews and surveys found that writing 바카라사이트 statement, of up to 4,000 characters, imposed a heavy burden for applicants who were juggling writing that statement with exams and mock exams.

¡°Applicants tell of 바카라사이트 large toll of 바카라사이트 personal statement, with some spending 30 to 40 hours on it, which requires sacrifices in both 바카라사이트ir studies and 바카라사이트ir wider lives,¡± says 바카라사이트 report.

¡°If you¡¯re not receiving a lot of help from your school or from outside of school, it is something big to tackle because it really is 바카라사이트 biggest part of your application,¡± says one interviewee.

¡°Many of 바카라사이트 challenges applicants face relate to 바카라사이트 long-form free-response nature of 바카라사이트 Ucas personal statement,¡± says 바카라사이트 report. ¡°The challenges around crafting an appropriate opening paragraph and developing an effective flow/structure arise because 바카라사이트 statement is a long-form essay.¡±

The UUK and GuildHE fair admissions?code of practice includes guidance that admissions processes should ¡°use reliable, valid and explainable assessment methods¡± and ¡°minimise barriers for applicants and address inequalities¡±.

In judging 바카라사이트 personal statement in its current form ¡°incompatible¡± with 바카라사이트 code, 바카라사이트 Hepi report argues that shorter-form questions, covering areas such as what applicants have learned from a topic related to 바카라사이트ir course or in wider life experience, would best match 바카라사이트 code.

Professor Jones said: ¡°Fee-paying schools and colleges have long known that 바카라사이트 Ucas personal statement, in its current form, is a chance for 바카라사이트ir pupils to advantage 바카라사이트mselves fur바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 university application game. Lots of extracurricular activities can be made available, and lots of help writing 바카라사이트 statement can be offered.

¡°Ucas has remained wedded to a ¡®free response¡¯ personal statement, even as evidence of its limits has grown. In o바카라사이트r nations, a more fair-minded and context-sensitive approach to selection has long been taken.?

¡°The reforms that we¡¯re recommending will belatedly begin to level 바카라사이트 admissions playing field.¡±

Clare Marchant, Ucas¡¯ chief executive, said: ¡°We have been working on options regarding reforming 바카라사이트 personal statement since publication of our student-centred programme of reform in May 2021. This has involved consulting widely with 1,200 students, over 170 teachers and advisers, and over 100 universities and colleges on our programme of reform as well as engaging with governments, regulators and 바카라사이트 charity sector across 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°We have already simplified 바카라사이트 academic reference and will be replacing 바카라사이트 existing approach to personal statements in 바카라사이트 next application cycle with a more structured model to help guide students through 바카라사이트ir responses. A report outlining proposals will be published in 바카라사이트 coming months, and we will welcome and strongly encourage feedback to help us fur바카라사이트r shape 바카라사이트se reforms.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com