第2280期:UCAS to reform university personal statement

The 4,000-character personal statement has been a part of university application for 30 years. But there's been growing concern it's not fit for purpose. While it's meant to be written by the student alone, research suggests middle class parents and schools influence them.

30 年来，提交一份四千字的个人陈述一直是英国大学申请流程的一部分。但越来越多的人担心它能否继续适用于设计的初衷。虽然个人陈述须要学生本人独立完成，但研究显示许多中等收入的父母及学校也会介入或指导个人陈述的写作。

So, instead, UCAS will replace this unstructured essay with asking applicants to answer three questions: Why do you want to study this course or subject? How have your studies helped you prepare? And what else have you done to prepare outside of education? Students will be expected to write no more than the current personal statement in total.

所以，英国大学及学院招生服务将会用对申请人提出的三个问题来代替这篇非结构化的论文：你为什么想要学习这门课程或专业？你过去的学习经历如何帮你为之做好准备？你在学习之余为了准备这门课程或专业的学习还做了哪些事情？对学生答案的总字数要求将不会超过目前个人陈述的字数要求。

Social mobility academics and charities have advocated for this change. In England, the application rate from students with the most disadvantaged backgrounds has fallen slightly to 25%, whereas for the wealthiest it's 60%. UCAS said it hoped this change would contribute to narrowing that gap.

研究社会流动性的学者和慈善机构对这一变化提倡已久。在英格兰地区，来自最弱势背景的学生申请比例占全部申请的比例略微下降到了 25%，而来自最富裕家庭的申请比例则占比 60%。英国大学招生服务中心希望这项变化能有助于减少这一差距。 

词汇表

personal statement 个人陈述
fit for purpose 适用于自身目的
influence 对…施加影响
unstructured essay 非结构化的论文
social mobility 社会流动性
advocated 提倡
disadvantaged backgrounds 弱势背景
gap 差距