FREE New UCAS Personal Statement Lesson | 3 Questions Explained | Sixth Form Tutor Time Session 1

The UCAS personal statement is no longer one essay. Applicants now answer three set questions in a single 4,000-character limit, and many students (and tutors) are still working from old advice.

This free, ready-to-teach tutor time session explains the new format in 20 minutes, with no preparation needed.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Session 1 of The New UCAS Personal Statement: “The new format, decoded” (PowerPoint)
• Full speaker notes on every slide: what to know, how to run it, model answers and what to watch for
• Matching student planner pages, including a one-page knowledge organiser
• One complete annotated example statement (Business Management applicant, CTEC route)

WHAT STUDENTS DO

• 2-minute Do Now: what does a university want from a personal statement?
• True or false: myth-busting the new rules (the 4,000 characters are shared, 350 minimum per answer, question text doesn’t count)
• Sort the evidence: which question does a book, an EPQ, a part-time job or volunteering belong to?
• Character budget: choose an academic-heavy, balanced or experience-led split
• Know your deadline: 15 October (Oxford, Cambridge, most Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary courses) and the main January deadline

WHO IT’S FOR
Sixth form tutors, heads of year, careers leads and subject teachers supporting Year 13 UCAS applicants. The speaker notes are written for non-specialists, so any tutor can deliver it confidently.

WANT THE FULL PACK?
The complete version takes students from the first idea to a checked, final statement:

• All 6 tutor time sessions (Q1, Q2, Q3, drafting and cutting, peer review and final checks)
• 13-page student planning template
• 12 annotated example statements, including Business Management, Accounting and Finance, Economics, Law, Medicine and more
• Tutor checklist with a 15 October fast track for Oxbridge and Medicine applicants
• Excel application tracker with a priority list, one-page student summaries, deadline flags and a dashboard

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13590679

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