HEPI Conference - London – December 2005
The Current Admissions Process
and UCAS’ Revised Processes:
Strengths, Weaknesses
and Proposals for Change
Anthony McClaran
Chief Executive
Overview
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Historical perspective
Current application process
Strengths and weaknesses
Revised processes
Future challenges and change
Questions and answers
Historical perspective
 1961 - UCCA formed
 1985 - PCAS formed
 1991 - White Paper:
‘Higher Education – A New Framework’
i. UCCA & PCAS combined to form UCAS
ii. Significant expansion of numbers
iii. Ending of binary line
iv. Underlying purpose:- fair & efficient management of
the admissions process
 Charity status – owned by member institutions
Historical perspective
 1966
 90,900 applicants – 44,500 acceptances
 63 institutions
 2005
 520,900 applicants – 405,000 acceptances
 325 institutions
 GTTR
 NMAS
 CUKAS
Current application process
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Initiated over 40 years ago
Well-established, central and standardised
Applications made to undergraduate full-time courses
Widely used:
i. > 500,000 applicants
ii. > 6,000 schools and application centres
iii. 189 member universities/HE colleges
iv. 136 member FE colleges
Strengths and weaknesses
 Strengths
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Understood and respected
Independent and impartial
Balances needs of applicants, schools and HEIs
Linked, via UCAS, to extensive information sources
Minimises barriers
Provides data and management information
Gives assurance to both applicants and institutions
Strengths and weaknesses
 Weaknesses
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Included aspects of older, legacy systems
Non-uniform information technology standards
Limited opportunity for differentiation
Challenge of market-based competitors
Restriction of student choice
Has to support wide variety of admissions practice
Revised processes
“Technical changes lie ahead. They may eventually
involve the inclusion of the whole contents of the
application form in the on-line traffic with the
universities …. We may also see the development of
on-line exchanges with the schools, perhaps even
with individual candidates, as personal microcomputers
increasingly come into daily use….”
Ronald Kay, General Secretary, UCCA, 1985
Revised processes
 Electronic systems at UCAS
 Old system
i. Over 20 years old with variety of additions and operating
software
ii. Incompatible with more modern systems
iii. Lacked readily available operational and maintenance
expertise
 New system
i. Integrated applicant-facing services
ii. Industry-standard, robust central operating system
iii. Electronic interface with HEIs
Revised processes
What does it mean for applicants?
 Advisers can view progress in completing applications
on line
 Applicants can complete application independently
 Accuracy checks built into the system
 Fast processing of application by UCAS with
acknowledgement letter normally dispatched within
24 hours
 Applicant can ‘Track’ subsequent progress
Revised processes
What does it mean for HEIs?
 Rapid transmission of applications to HEIs
 HEIs can load applicant data straight into their own
systems
 Rapid notification of offers to applicants
 Capacity for considerable additional information to be
submitted and transmitted to HEIs
Revised processes
Benefits for the sector
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Addresses identified weaknesses
Facilitates a ‘joined-up’ application process
Speed
Access to real-time data
Future-proof
(e.g. adaptable to PQA)
 Potential for 100% electronic applications
(Currently running at 98% for UCAS 2006 entry cycle)
Future challenges and change
 Differentiation:
i. New forms of evidence
ii. Unit grades
iii. Admissions tests
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Widening Participation
Professionalism
Tuition fees, bursaries and scholarships
PQA
Percentage of A level Scripts Achieving Grades
100%
95%
A-E
90%
96.2%
85%
80%
75%
30%
25%
A
22.8%
20%
15%
10%
’92
’94
’96
’98
’00
’02
’04
’05
Source: Inter Boars Statistics 2005
Future challenges and changes
i. New forms of evidence
Consultation on contextual data
 Legislation-led data
 Personal circumstances
 Type of school/college
 Social class proxies (postcodes etc)
 ePortfolio information
 Tests
 Customisation
 Feedback
Future challenges and changes
ii Unit Grade Project
 HEIs could use unit grades as part of entry
requirements
 Unit grade information could be provided for all unitbased qualifications in the UCAS Tariff
 Provides another layer of differentiation for selection
 Helpful in determining ‘near-miss’ offers
Future challenges and changes
iii Admissions tests
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BMAT
GAMSAT
HAT
MSAT
MUL
LNAT
STLP
TSA
 SAT?
 UNITEST?
Future challenges and changes
Widening participation
 A working definition:
The raising of attainment and participation among people
from disadvantaged groups who have the potential to
benefit from, but are currently under-represented in,
higher education.
 UCAS involvement:
i. Provides readily accessible information
ii. Provides staff development programmes for schools,
colleges and HEIs
iii. Contributes to work of Aimhigher Partnerships
iv. Proactive in the provision of data on social class and ethnicity
Future challenges and changes
Professionalism
 Strength of traditional practice: holistic assessment
 Academics and administrators
 Emphasis on admission rather than
the admissions cycle
 Challenges to the traditional model
i. Logistical
ii. Training and professional development –
the knowledge base
iii. Need to integrate admissions within ‘SEM’ approach
iv. Consistent decisions on evidence-based criteria
Future challenges and changes
Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA)
 HEFCE funded project
 Based at UCAS
 Programme to identify best practice:
i. Admission tests
ii. Compact schemes
iii. Applications to part-time courses
 Will inform UCAS’ CPD Programme
Future challenges and changes
UCAS CPD Programme
 Response to recommendations made by Schwartz
 Pilot project initially funded by HEFCE
 Developed by representatives from a wide variety of
HE Institutions and agencies
 Programme of personal development opportunities for
student recruitment and admissions staff
 Chance for HE staff to qualify their knowledge and
expertise in an ever changing professional
environment
Future challenges and changes
Tuition fees, bursaries and scholarships
 Tuition fees introduced for 2006 entry
 Bursaries and scholarships provide differentiating
factor in students choice
Need for accurate and comparative data to
be available to students
 UCAS liaising with ‘Aimhigher’, ‘Directgov’ and SLC
to ensure students can make informed choices
Future challenges and changes
UCAS Website Student Finance Page:
 What will going to university or college cost me?
Information about tuition fees and other expenses
 What financial help is available to me?
Information about a variety of financial support options
 Search for courses
Full details of each course, including fees,
bursaries and financial support
Future challenges and changes
UCAS Student Finance Development Project
 net.update
will allow financial information to be updated by HEIs
 Financial comparator
will allow applicants to directly compare financial information
between HEIs
Future challenges and changes
Post Qualification Application (PQA)
 Present system based on predicted examination
results
 Implementation of PQA long-delayed by logistical and
political issues
 Supported by Schwartz
“The Steering Group wholeheartedly supports a move to PQA”
Professor Steven Schwartz - September 2004
 Current consultations – outcomes?
 UCAS response
Future challenges and changes
Post Qualification Application (PQA)
What are we trying to do with admissions?
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freedom
v assurance (mutual commitment)
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institutions’ interest v applicants interest
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‘gathered field’ v ‘first come – first served’
 speed of processing v time for good decision making
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“the need to balance technical against human consideration has been a
continuous theme in our office and committee considerations”
Ronald Kay
General Secretary, UCCA
1985
HEPI Conference - London – December 2005
Any Questions
?
01242 544990
a.mcclaran@ucas.ac.uk
Anthony McClaran
Chief Executive