A survey of 113 higher education admissions professionals from over 30 higher education providers shows the average time spent reading a UCAS personal statement is two minutes. Four-in-ten (39%) are read for one minute or less.
In How do Admissions Professionals use the UCAS personal statement? (HEPI Policy Note 48), Tom Fryer and Professor Steven Jones from the University of Manchester also show that, when personal statements are read, they are mainly used to assess applicants’ interest in a course (88%).
Other uses include: gaining contextual information (65%), assessing academic potential (40%) and assessing work experience (29%).
