How do Universities and Colleges reach decisions about your UCAS application?

If you’ve just submitted your UCAS applications you may be wondering how your chosen university/college actually makes its decisions. Every university and college is different however most will consider your qualifications, your personal statement and your reference. 

A University will have a general admissions team plus subject-specific admissions teams who will together when viewing applications. Have a look at their website as they may have a page explaining their admissions process. If not you can always contact them to ask. Remember, they probably will not be able to discuss your individual application but they may be able to give you an overview of the admissions process. 

Qualifications 

One of the first things the admissions teams check is if you meet the entry requirements including exam grades, UCAS Tariff Points and subject knowledge. 

They will also check your predicted grades for the subjects you are currently studying and have still to sit exams for. 

Personal Statement 

Your personal statement also plays a key part in deciding whether to offer you a place. 

Here are some of the things that university/college admissions look out for in a personal statement: 

• Spelling/Grammar mistakes. Sadly, personal statements that contain poor spelling or grammar will not be looked upon very favourably. Some universities are known to discard applications if the personal statement contains spelling or grammar errors. 
• Passion for the subject. Universities and colleges will look for potential students who show a genuine interest in the their chosen subject. They will want to see that you have widened your knowledge about the subject and how studying the subject further (at degree level) will benefit you in the future.  
• Extracurricular Activities. Universities and colleges will be interested to learn about any non-academic activities you have taken part in especially if they relate to the course applied for. This is because it demonstrates how you have applied your skills and knowledge in a setting outside of school. Further, pupils who engage in extracurricular activities when at school are more likely to take part in extracurricular activities whilst at university/college thus contributing to student life. 
• Are you a good student? Universities and colleges will look for students who demonstrate a willingness to work hard and engage positively with their course. Ideally, students should be able to work well both independently and as part of a team. This is because you will undertake a mixture of group work and individual work when at university/college. 

References 

The admissions team will also consider your reference which you will have included as part of your UCAS application. 

Your reference will explain: 

• What makes you a suitable candidate for your chosen course 
• Your achievements, grades and any other experience whilst at school that will help prepare you for your course
• What skills and qualities
• Your attitude and motivation towards your chosen course

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