This is the best summary I could come up with:

Instead of a statement limited to 4,000 characters (including spaces), those applying for undergraduate places in 2026 through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) will be asked to answer why they want to study the course or subject, how their studies or qualifications helped them to prepare for the course and what experiences they have had outside of education that will be helpful.

Experts have said the old format gave an unfair advantage to middle-class students and are hopeful the new questions will improve the chances of applicants from backgrounds who lack a family history of higher education or help from tutors.

“This welcome reform strikes the right balance between a more structured approach to deter fabrication, while not limiting the opportunity for applicants to personalise their statement.

I believe it is a significant step in making the university admissions system a little bit fairer for all applicants.”

Ucas made the announcement as its updated figures showed a drop in undergraduate applications by sixth formers in England and Wales for the second year in a row.

Just 42.7% of 18-year-olds in England applied for a place by June this year, compared with 44.9% in 2022, as universities continue to be concerned about lower student numbers harming their financial position.

The original article contains 410 words, the summary contains 210 words. Saved 49%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!