Admissions in a competitive market

Lee Hennessy, University of Bath

Issues and Challenges

• Impact of 14-19 reforms:Changes to A-level assessment

Extended Project Diploma qualifications Baccalaureates and Pre-U

• Admissions Tests • Possible changes to UCAS process• Variable tuition fees• Employability• Recession and government cuts in HE spending

ArchitectureEconomicsEngineering (Mechanical)MathsPoliticsPsychologySports Science

Competitive Programmes at Bath

Typical Offers at Bath

Qualification Requirements

GCSE Psychology :An A grade in Mathematics and English if not offered at AS or A2 levelArchitecture: An A grade in Mathematics if not offered at AS or A2

A level Architecture: prefer arts & humanitiesin traditional subjectsPolitics: anyPsychology : AAA - One or more in the natural and/or social sciences

IB Architecture:36-38 points overall with 6 in MathematicsPsychology:38 points overall with 7,6,6, at Higher Level

Preference for applicants who show a strong interest in the subject demonstrated by:• relevant extra-curricular activity

• evidence of study in addition to core subjects such as additional AS level or an extended project

What Else?

English at Exeter

AAA – AAB or equivalent (in practice all offers made at top) 1529 applications for 226 places Seeking to make 820 offers (3.6 offers for one place) 1090 (72%) at AAA or higher 270+ AAA students will be unsuccessful

SO….. No preference for A* or more than 3 As GCSE’s – preference to A/A* English Lang and Lit – plus others? Enthusiasm for subject/Personal Statement/Reference Other contextual factors – eg illness or school performance? May make alternative offer – different course or campus?

Selecting on competitive courses?

How else can/should we filter for competitive subjects?- Preferred/non preferred subjects at A level?

(could discourage creativity and diversity)- Additional Level 3 qualifications?

(Extended Project, additional A level)- Controversial A* at A level- Elite qualifications e.g. Cambridge Pre-U, AQA Bacc- Diversity of other qualifications e.g.BTEC- Subjectivity of Personal Statement

Clarity of criteriaBeing prescriptive versus transparency?

Parity of qualificationse.g IB versus A levels

Gathered field (Decisions not conveyed to October applicants until end of January? )

Constructive Feedback to applicants?

The Dilemmas

Recent news headlines

University budgets slashed by £449 mill in 2010/11 - 1.6% reduction (£215 mill) in teaching funding - 16.9% cut in capital funding

UCAS publishes application stats next week - reports of increases in applications

Deficit of some 6000 places in Summer 2010? (Universities UK predict 1.5 applicants per place – compared to 1.3 in 2009)

Further threats of fines for over-recruitment

What does this mean?

Certainly:• Diversity of intake = less reliance on Gov’t funding• Universities are constrained by threats of financial penalty

Maybe:• Growth of international and postgraduate markets?• Fewer places available for Home/EU applicants to

undergraduate courses?• Fewer places available in the arts/humanities?• Rising entry requirements/standards particularly for competitive

courses