Edge Hill University: University of the Year

Writing a Reference

Edge Hill University

UCAS References are

designed to provide an

informed assessment of

an applicant's suitability

for Higher Education

The reference can be the

deciding factor in a

student being offered a

place at university.

Edge Hill University

• This is a student’s opportunity to make an institution want to choose them.

• Admissions tutors always have the option to interview even if they don’t specify but for many this is their only chance to impress

• The reference should reflect the student’s key messages. If the statements are very different it will be evident to admissions tutors and may have a negative impact on the application.

To understand the importance of the

reference we must first appreciate the role

of the Personal Statement

The Audience

Edge Hill University

Admissions Tutors will read applications for a variety of courses.

Some courses may choose to read their own applications and have Faculty Admissions Tutors.

They will read the Personal Statement and the reference

Applications can be weak where a student has chosen a wide range of different courses, and students may need to be advised about this.

What universities are looking for

• Potential for success

• Fair and contextual assessment of each individual student

• Acknowledgement of the student’s circumstances in school

• Evidence or examples to demonstrate your assessment

School Information

In the changing qualification

landscape, the reference will

provide an increasingly

important role in providing

universities with information.

UCAS and SPA encourage

schools and colleges to

consider including the

following useful information

in an applicant’s reference, in

light of changes to

qualifications and

curriculums across the UK

School Information

Why the school or college chose to offer the provision that it does (e.g. AS Levels) and what the considerations were when deciding this programme

School Information

Where learners may be very new to your organisation at the point of application it can be beneficial to provide an additional reference later in the cycle

If non-subject specialists are delivering courses e.g. a Core Maths qualification being delivered by a non-mathematician

What information is used to determine predicted grades? For example, do you offer internal assessment?

Very brief statement (a few sentences at most) detailing the key information, putting the

reference in context of the school/college

This may include reference to;

• Size and type of school/college.

• Number of students in year group and/or class sizes, and the proportion typically progressing to HE.

• Typical number and patterns of qualifications taken by students, e.g. typical numbers of AS and A level subjects taken by each student, split between BTEC/A-level qualifications.

• Contextual information about the catchment area/family history of attending HE.

• Range of opportunities available to all students.

The reference is limited to 4,000 characters or 47 lines so you can always link to this information

School Information

Student Information

Reference Material

Try to reflect the student’s key messages in their Personal Statement.

Utilise the information available on course prospectus pages and information:

• Entry criteria

• Desirable student attributes

Your personal experience will be essential and you should know the student well enough to comment on their academic abilities and any personal qualities that will help them to succeed at university.

A fair analysis of the student in the context of:

The course

• Skills, abilities and motivations.

• What have they done in school to support their choice.

A particular profession or career

• Have they done their research?

• An understanding of the role

- Have they spoken to professionals?

Suitability of a prospective student

Must be positive but honest: Admissions Tutors are good at reading between the lines

‘*** is capable of hard work’could be interpreted as:

‘*** could work hard if they could be bothered, but they can’t’

Academic Achievement and Ability

• Relevant curriculum enrichment and other activities

• Academic potential and enthusiasm

• Performance in individual subjects, modules, assessments and assignments

• Factors affecting a student’s academic achievement or abilities * you must not give information about an applicant's health or disability without their agreement but encouraging disclosure can help the university support the student effectively.

Motivations and Ambitions

• Attitude, motivation and commitment for HE, their course and their career.

• General background of behaviour

• If you are unsure of the chosen career path of the student, talk about their general suitability for Higher Education.

• Often the reference is split into subject areas.

Skills and Abilities

• Any relevant skills and achievements, especially

those related to the subject(s) chosen.

• Skills such as analysis and independent thinking

skills that will be relevant to Higher Education

Perhaps evidenced by extra curricular involvement

e.g. EPQ

• Make it specific and unique.

“We recommend *** to your institution” //

“*** would make an excellent teacher because of her

ability to interact and engage with younger children

effectively.”

Work Placements

• Relevant work experience, such as work

placements and voluntary work.

• Relevant curriculum enrichment and related

skills.

The more competitive the course the more

important this element will be.

Predicted Grades

• You do not need to input predicted grades onto the reference unless you are making a particular point e.g. improvement in performance

• If the predicted grades / GCSE grades are not a reflection of the student’s potential or abilities, this needs to be explained in the reference.

• Be clear on qualifications e.g. Diploma or Extended Diploma

• We encourage grade predictions to be realistic, but positive – especially if they contribute to encouraging student success. We may monitor any gap between ‘predicted’ and ‘actual’ grade from time to time.

How much weighting does the reference have?

-References are a significant element in our decision-making, particularly now not all students will have AS Levels to demonstrate their ability

The reference is not your only opportunity to provide information about your learners

Universities welcome further dialogue with referees, and would urge schools and colleges to inform them of any changes to the learner’s profile or circumstances which occur after the point of application.

Further Information

Useful Websites

www.edgehill.ac.uk

www.ucas.com

/advisers/online/references

If you wish to discuss an specific applicant or application just contact the admissions department of the university.

Any Questions?

www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentrecruitment

educationliaison@edgehill.ac.uk