Rules of the Game: Disadvantaged Students and the University Admissions Process

This report reviews literature on both sides of the Atlantic to study the admissions process, specifically focusing on elements of the process which may prove to be particular barriers to disadvantaged students--including the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS) form, course choices, predicted grades, and personal statements--and looks for evidence of 'best practices' which may help equalise the chances of access to university among able students from different backgrounds. It also includes quantitative research examining the predicted grades system, and which applicants may be negatively impacted by this process. It concludes by examining the small body of research that has focused on activities within the university admissions offices, shedding further light on how universities make the decisions that affect thousands of young people each year. The evidence implies that disadvantaged students lack the information, advice, and guidance around the many parameters involved in choosing their universities. They have also been shown to be less well prepared than their counterparts when researching universities. Moreover, the UK's unique applications system means that students must make their university choices based on their predicted grades, rather than their actual exam results. Empirical research reveals that high attaining disadvantaged students are more likely to have their grades under-predicted than their richer counterparts. All of these factors could result in disadvantaged students applying to universities which are less selective than their credentials would permit.