Admissions

At least a quarter of the “access gap” for “top” universities in three countries cannot be explained by academic achievement, a new report says

Preliminary findings of major study revealed

2013-14 figures assuage fears of course closures

The accuracy of predicted A-level grades may be much worse than feared, research suggests.

Applications for early-deadline university courses have generally risen compared with last year, though Northern Ireland has seen a 10 per cent drop.

Internal papers show 3 per cent decline in firm acceptances for University of Central Lancashire

Institutions struggle as the pool of potential students shrinks

KwaZulu-Natal leader unveils controversial ‘equity index’ measuring universities’ performance on ethnicity and gender equity

Hefce figures show disparities between young people from the capital going to university compared with those from English regions

State school pupils do better at university than those from private schools with the same grades, according to a new report which recommends the increased use of contextual data in admissions.

University hails no-strings pilot’s success

Plans to overhaul A-levels will have “tragic consequences” on fair access efforts, the University of Oxford’s admissions head has said.

Move would level playing field for state school applicants

A youth mentor has defended Oxbridge against charges of racial bias in admissions, earning a standing ovation at the Conservative Party conference.

By Michael Stratford, for Inside Higher Ed

New universities may gain most from policy change, argues GuildHE head

End of racial affirmative action may not be bad news for minorities, study shows

Reform must go all the way, argues Bill Rammell

A cross-party group of MPs has launched an inquiry that will look at the black and minority ethnic community’s interaction with higher education.

Independent Commission on Fees sounds warning over applicant numbers

Winners emerge in tug-of-war for ABB students

University rethinks stance after claim that the demand discriminated against poor students

The Russell Group will only need to revamp two A-level subject areas after a review said just minor changes were needed to most qualifications.

Fewer 18-year-olds and rise in BTECs could leave highly selective universities vulnerable, says Ucas chief

Quintin McKellar discusses clearing, post-qualifications applications and tuition fees

Universities are seeking alternatives to race-conscious admissions policy

The Russell Group has warned that private school pupils are more likely than state school counterparts to choose science and languages subjects at GCSE, which could give them an advantage in university entry.

High fees prove no object to demand, but student standards may invite scrutiny

Undergraduates ‘reproduce social inequality’, paper argues

The upturn in students accepted into university this year could disguise big falls at some institutions, a vice-chancellor has warned.

The number of students accepted on to university courses is up 9 per cent despite a fall in the number of top grades awarded at A level.

Will Michael Gove’s reform plans endanger the traditional values he seeks to promote? Jack Grove investigates

Oxford and Cambridge agreement could amount to breach of competition law, say experts

But data show that grades in each subject may be rather more equal

Students who apply to university after receiving their A-level results are almost twice as likely to be dissatisfied with their course, a survey says.

Observers predict admissions turmoil as Russell Group members join clearing

British universities may benefit from local clubs’ international exposure

The pass rate for Scottish Highers has risen again, while more Scottish students have also won places at universities or colleges in the country.

Three universities have joined a national scheme to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain places at highly selective universities. 

Revamped IT systems are ready for admissions deluge, states Mary Curnock Cook

Jon Marcus asks whether British universities would be wise to emulate the US elite

A greater proportion of Asian and black state-school pupils are entering higher education than their white peers, according to data released today

The proportion of 18 year olds applying for non-European language degrees has fallen by more than a third in three years, according to new research

Offa data another blow to ministerial claims of ‘competitive pressure’

Paul Temple celebrates the report that widened access as never before

Ministers should focus more resources on explaining the student finance system to parents to avoid children being put off university by debt, a thinktank says

Girls are outperforming boys in the sciences but are still not choosing to take such subjects ahead of university, a study on vocational qualifications has found.

Students entering university from state schools perform better than expected when securing a job after graduation compared with the privately educated, a new report says.

Offa chief: £150m committed by universities now part of access agreements

Universities aim for credit at bank of mum and dad in high fees era

Dramatic falls in part-time and mature student numbers must be tackled to ensure people from poorer families have the chance to go to university, access head Les Ebdon has warned.

The Medical Schools Council has announced a project to widen participation in medicine and improve university selection processes in the subject.

The new chancellor of the University of South Wales tells David Matthews that the word deters poor pupils

The sector will be damaged if integrity in recruitment is lost, says Janet Graham

The National Scholarship Programme is to be cut by £100 million and made postgraduate-only, as part of savings announced in the coalition’s spending round.

A landmark case on the use of affirmative action in university admissions has ended up without a clear winner after a ruling by the US Supreme Court.

State school children from London and other cities in England are more likely to go on to university after A levels than those from more rural districts, new figures suggest.

THE Leadership and Management Awards charity IntoUniversity in vanguard of outreach

A firm grasp of written English and a passion for a chosen course subject are the most desired attributes in university applicants aside from exam grades, according to a survey of admissions officers, but their social background does not figure so highly.

The proportion of students entering Russell Group universities who are state-educated has fallen in the last decade, a report from a government commission on social mobility has said.