What’s new at UCAS?
Alan Jones
Professional Development Executive

Session outline
 2013 changes and enhancements
 2014 and beyond
 UCAS IA strategy

Course Finder

Preparing the Professionals

My future
 Discussion points
 Questions

 Apply 2013 will be available from 12 June
 It is anticipated that over
100,000 applicants will register with UCAS by third week in July 2012

Apply 2013 – changes / enhancements
Cost of applying
▪ The cost of submitting an application in the 2013 cycle will increase by £1
▫ £23 full entry fee (up to 5 initial choices)
▫ £12 single entry fee

Apply 2013 – changes / enhancements
Commercial mailings opt-in / opt-out
▪ Additional information / explanation

Apply 2013 – changes / enhancements
Improved data integrity
▪ Additional cross-field validation will be added to the data items captured in Apply to improve data integrity
▫ e.g. country of birth, nationality, dual nationality)
▪ Reduction in the number of ‘unknown’ options
▪ Consistency in password rules between Apply and Track
▫ both will be case sensitive

Apply 2013 – changes / enhancements
Key Information Dataset
▪
In support of the introduction of the Key Information Set
(KIS), UCAS has agreed with HEFCE to make changes to the collection from institutions of course-level fee information for the 2013 cycle

How KIS might be presented online

Apply 2013 – changes / enhancements
Change to the Oxbridge Rules of combination
▪ Oxford and Cambridge are further restricting their rules of applying to both Oxford and Cambridge
▪ This will now only be permissible to post graduate applicants applying to fast track medicine

Apply 2013 – changes / enhancements
Student finance (data sharing)
▪ A process will be introduced to allow applicants who are resident in Scotland, to agree to share their UCAS applicant data with the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)
▪
This will complement the existing process whereby applicants resident in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can agree to share their UCAS applicant data with the SLC

ABL 2013 – changes / enhancements
Hope BTEC results to be collected and provided via ABL
▪ 2012: e-provision of overall grades followed by paper printout of module scores
▪ For the future it is hoped that it will be possible to provide full results electronically

Confirmation and Clearing
Plan to move towards a more structured Confirmation and Clearing
▪ Aim to have a more structured process and procedures
▪ May be incremental across 2013 and 2014

Course Collect
New data collection system for HEIs to replace web-link
Institution and Courses Data (Net.update)
 http://www.ucas.com/he_staff/coursecollect/
 Familiarisation site available from August 2012
 Live version launch October
2012
 Net.update decommission
November 2012
 User guide and (updated) FAQs
 Survey to inform further population of help text

IA strategy
▪ Context
▫ traditional support networks for IAG work disbanded (Aimhigher / Connexions)
▫ responsibilities passed to schools to provide guidance / progression activities
▪ UCAS plans to provide:
▫ a structured and supportive journey to applicants as they progress into HE
▫ useful IA products and services at all stages of the process

Overview - Course Finder
▪ UCAS Course Search has not had any significant development in the last decade
▫ Users expect more intelligent results
The Course Finder tool will initially be a
▪ Data has become richer, users need this allows:
Filtering

Comparison

▪ Usability will be central to development of
Course Finder

Market Intelligence – Course Finder

Market Intelligence – Course Finder
▪ Functionality top 3
▫
Click through to Institution 91.7%
▫
Use search filters ( distance from user postcode ) 91.3%
▫
Compare one course against another 85%

Usability approach
 Users at the heart of development
 Usability Lab engaged
 26 semi-structured interviews undertaken with target users, each lasting 30 minutes
 Respondents included pre-applicants, parents of pre-applicants, school staff, international agents
 8 personas identified

Usability approach
▪ Iterative development cycles
▪ Use of wire frames
▪ Continued usability sessions with users

Course Finder demo

Sneak peek at Course Finder second release
▪ Free registration to access My UCAS features:
▫
Bookmarking of their favourite courses
▫ Ability to compare up to 5 courses side by side
▫ Manage their Course Finder account settings
▪ Welsh language version deployed
▪
Release 2 will be live very soon!

Sneak peek at Course Finder second release

Preparing the Professionals
 Summer 2011 6 events held across the UK
 Over 300 professionals attended or received packs of UCAS materials
 Over 90% of our member universities involved
 Phase 2 – The ‘professionals portal’ is in final stage of development!

PtP Pack
UCAS materials
UCAS PPT
Presentations
UCAS
PPT PDF’s
UCAS
PPT Games
Additional resources
Forms
UCAS PPT
Presentations
UCAS

PPT PDF’s
Apply & Track
 Basics
UCAS
PPT Games
 Basics plus
 Personal Statements
 resources
Research
 Last one standing
 Statistics
 Blockbusters feedback form’
 Example applicant
 Record of Visits letters spread sheet

Preparing the Professionals: phase 3 & 4

Future IA: My Future
 Interactive online pathway tool
 Multiple entry points
 Signed in product
 Partnership working

Future IA: My Future tool
User registers / signs in
Career
Aspiration
Psychometric test
Quals gained or taking
Pathway within
HE
My Future
My Future results
Course suggestions
Career profile
Interests
Pathway outside
HE

Other areas of product development
 Course Collect
 Digital marketing plan
 App & mobile developments
 Customer Improvement Programme

Outcomes from APR

New Admissions Process
 Qualifications Information Review

2014 onwards system changes
 Admission Process Review (APR) findings and recommendations
 http://www.ucas.com/about_us/media_enquiries/media_releases/2012/20120328
 Recommended for implementation


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



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 myUCAS@ web portal to provide improved info to apps
Increase use of mandatory fields and data validation in Apply
Facility to upload supporting docs including portfolios
Extend ABL
Improved terminology
Paperless process for HEIs
Improved feedback facility
Insurance choice HEIs to see conditions of Firm choice offers at Confirmation
Improved info capture and data quality to aid HEI decisions
Secure central data capture and 3 rd party sharing

2014 onwards system changes
 Admission Process Review (APR) findings and recommendations
 http://www.ucas.com/about_us/media_enquiries/media_releases/2012/20120328
 Amended and recommended for implementation




Pop-ups and wizards in Apply
Matching results to conditional offers
Optional personal statement section which will allow choice specific tailoring and additional personal statements in defined circumstances
Pop-ups and wizards to support correct use of Insurance choice
 Other proposals that require further refinement prior to becoming recommendations

Other 2014 onwards changes
 Qualifications Information Review (QIR) findings and recommendations
 http://www.ucas.com/reviews/qireview/
 Consultation on recommendations for a new system of qualifications information launched 9 Feb 2012 and closed
16 April 2012
 Responses being analysed for presentation to UCAS
Board June 2012
 Findings will be published July 2012

QIR recommendations
 Development of UCAS Qualification information profiles (QIPs) and associated database
 Gradual withdrawal of the use of the UCAS Tariff for entry requirements and offer making in favour of the use of qualifications and grades

Development of an HE-validated standardised demand scale (SDS) underpinned by independent criteria for robust comparisons of achievement across different qualifications

A simple qualifications metric for management information

Publication of an annual UCAS report on progression qualifications

If demand from HEIs, development of optional admissions tools
 Remember also consultation on single admissions route for
ITT applications and information through GTTR

Discussion points (3)
How do you deliver IAG at your schools and colleges?

2012 Confirmation, Clearing and Adjustment
 UCAS is utilising cloud technology this summer to prevent recurrence of 2011 problems with Track
 Placed (UF) applicants will receive an email as well as a
Confirmation letter via post
 Adviser Toolkit published on UCAS website
 http://www.ucas.com/advisers/guides/advisertoolkit
 Timings Thursday 16 August 2012:



00.01
Clearing vacancy list published
08.00 Track available
18.00 Add Clearing Choice live in Track

Changes to Student Number Controls (SNC)
 UCAS will be monitoring the effects of SNC changes this summer, for both:

HEIs and

Applicants
 Concerns include:

Near miss non ABB+ equivalent applicants


Numbers that may register for Adjustment
Possible elongation of Confirmation & Clearing

Possible HEI responses to pressure to meet numbers requirement

SNC 2012
International applicants numbers not limited because no UK govt. finance
- 8% with excepts
< 50
SIVs
Spclist recruits
Core numbers Home/EU allocated by HEFCE limited because UK govt. finance required
AAB+ equivalent
M
A
R
G
I
N
20, 000
Places bid for if high quality
< £7,500

AAB+ equivalence
 Limited to equivalences published by HEFCE do not include all qualifications on the UCAS Tariff, or always match
Tariff equivalences e.g. IB
 Cannot combine qualifications on list
 Applicant could be deemed to have achieved AAB + by HEFCE, but still not meet HEI entry requirements e.g. HEI want AAB in 3 A levels excluding General Studies applicant achieves English A, General Studies A, History B
 Can be AAB+ equivalent with a score lower than a B e.g. A*A*C, A*A*D, A*AC, A*A*A at AS level
(remember also A*BB)

Possible implications for applicants / advisers
 AAB + does not equal entitlement / guarantee a place
 Those predicted AAB + may find it more difficult to secure place at F or I choice if ‘near miss’ may wish to bear this in mind when replying to offers
 ‘Near miss’ applicants may need additional support
 Adjustment may see more registrations and movements
 If so, more places may become available in
Adjustment or Clearing and could elongate the process

Questions?
Alan Jones
Professional Development Executive a.jones@ucas.ac.uk