Admissions Trends and Behaviours
Sally Rutterford, Head of Admissions
The World of HE Admissions
 Reflections 2015
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2016 cycle so far
What’s on the horizon?
Personal statements
Contextual Offers
Questions
Reflections on 2015
 Record number of students placed
in HE in 2015 +3.1% (532,300).
 Record 1.9 million offers made,
with more applications than ever
before getting into their first ‘firm’
choice.
 Growing number of you people
enter with A-Level BTEC combination
(1.1% national increase).
 Gender differences – Women 35%
more likely to enter than men.
Mary Curnock-Cook (Chair of UCAS):
“with further increases in the gap between men and women entering higher
education, we can now see clearly that concentrating outreach efforts on
young men, particularly White men, would make a significant contribution to
diminishing the rich-poor gap.”
Source: UCAS End of Cycle Report 2015
Reflections on 2015
•
Applicants market – Applicants courted with incentivised
offers - unconditional offers based on predictions
- would you like an i-Pad with that?
•
The ethical question – Buyer power/student choice or
pressured sales?
•
Consumer Law – CMA guidance, ensuring applicants receive
clear, accurate and timely information to enable an informed
decision.
2016 cycle so far…Context
 Declining 18 year old population UK
2016 cycle so far…
 0.3% increase in UCAS applications
 UK -0.3% European 6.3% Other Overseas 0.8%
 Decline in English Studies 7%
 Growth in Biological Sciences 9.9%
Source: UCAS (data as of 26 Jan 2016)
The Exeter picture

Home/EU undergraduate applications currently up
7.7%, reflective of 3 year upward trend +7.7% 2015
+10.3% 2014.
 Increases notable in the Biosciences (+19.2%) and
Medical Science (+45.8%).
 Quality of applications on par with previous cycles
(number of applicants achieved/predicted AAA/IB 36
+1%).
Whats on the horizon?
 Falling 18 year old demographic until 2020 – what
impact will migration have?
 EU referendum what will be the consequences for
HE
 Autumn statement 2015 - Spending Review
- Replacing grants with student loans
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Predicted grades and new qualifications. What are
the effects on entry into HE as we all get to grips with
the qualification reforms.
 Changes to UCAS tariff – 2017. More inclusive
approach supporting WP and non UK
qualifications.
Personal Statement
 Sutton Trust Report
Sir Peter Lampl (Sutton Trust chairman) "This research suggests that the personal statement further disadvantages
[applicants] from low- and middle-income backgrounds. Good state schools and colleges already help their most able
students apply for places in leading universities. This should become the norm."
Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group “The
candidate's academic success is therefore considered in a broader
context, and our universities are skilled at assessing applicants
individually and holistically to identify real talent and potential.
We want every students with the qualifications, potential and
determination to succeed at a Russell Group university to have the
opportunity to do so whatever their background. The root causes of
the under-representation of students from poorer backgrounds are
underachievement at school, poor advice on the best choices of Alevel subjects and university degree course and lower aspirations.”
Personal Statement
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How is the personal statement used?
- Individual to each institution.
- Support academic attainment predicted &
achieved.
- Demonstrate an interest in subject and an
ability/desire to study it at degree level.
- Extenuating/mitigating circumstances.
Contextualised Offers
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School Performance
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Socio Economics indicators – LPN
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Supporting Care Leavers
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First generation in Higher Education
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Link Schools/Partnerships (ROP and STAR)
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Extenuating circumstances
Questions?
www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate
Phone: 0300 555 60 60 (UK callers)
+44 (0)1392 723044 (EU/International callers)
Email: ug-ad@exeter.ac.uk