Rise in unconditional offers

UCAS figures show that 23% of 18yr olds received an unconditional offer this year, in 2016 the proportion was 13%. The rise is attributed to the lifting of the numbers cap and the rise in tuition fees, giving universities a huge incentive to recruit more students. In response to the findings, the University and College Union repeated its call for an overhaul of university admissions to allow students to apply after receiving their exam results. Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said, “The proliferation of unconditional offers is detrimental to the interests of students and it is time the UK joined the rest of the world in basing university offers on actual achievements instead of guesswork.”

Do "points always make prizes"?

On the day that Year 13 students across the nation are opening the envelopes that many see as containing their destinies, it's worth considering some statistics published by the Independent Newspaper earlier this year ...

And of course remembering that while three or four letters in an envelope may well record a candidate's effort, ability and the support they received from teachers, family and friends, they can never be a measure of the "whole person" and rarely convey an individual's personal qualities and those all-important employability skills ...

UCAS Personal Statements advice

As it's "that time of year again", it might be useful to revisit the UCAS list of Top 10 overused and cliched phrases students use in their Personal Statements.

From a young age I have (always) been ...

For as long as I can remember I have ...

I am applying for this course because ...

I have always been interested in ...

Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed ...

Reflecting on my educational experience ...

XX is a very challenging and demanding (career/profession/course) ...

Academically, I have always been ...

I have always wanted to pursue a career in ...

I have always been passionate about ...

UCAS has released the information to encourage applicants to "convey a connection with the subject" in language that made them stand out. Their chief executive, Mary Curnock Cook, said: "The Personal Statement is supposed to be personal. Learning to write about yourself in a compelling way is a vital skill when applying for jobs; using hackneyed phrases is not the best way to stand out.

Predicted grades system questioned

A study by the University and College Union says no other developed country uses forecasts of results for university admissions and that in 2016 only 16% of predictions for three A-levels or equivalent were accurate. UCAS says that the most recent figures suggest that predicted grades are usually higher than the actual results, with 73% of applicants doing less well than forecast. The UCU report calls for an 'urgent overhaul' of the application system, so that pupils would know their actual exam grades before making their final applications. 

Do video lectures work?

A study from Kings College of a BSc course before and after it offered video capture for lectures, found that attendance plummeted and grades went down. The study found that the number of students missing classes doubled to 40% and those who did not attend had significantly lower coursework grades. 

Rise in First Class degrees awarded

Recent figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that in 2016-17, 26% of students gained a First Class degree, compared with 18% in 2012-13. At Wolverhampton University, the number of "Firsts" has risen from 5% in 2006-7 to 28% in 2016-17; at Liverpool University they rose from 12% to 27% in the same period. Surrey students are evidently the brightest in the UK, as 41% of them received a First Class degree last year, compared with only 33% at Oxford and 32% at Cambridge.

Millennials are reluctant to switch careers

A survey by of 1,000 young workers by Teach First has found that 53% of the "millennial generation" (those born between 1980 and 1999) have remained in the same job sector, with 3 out of 10 not moving on as they worry about starting at entry level in a new sector, or they fear that a career change will not work out. The charity said that the survey disabuses the stereotype of’ "footloose millennials" constantly swapping careers, rather than opting for a job for life and suggests young workers have more in common with prior generations.