University of Bristol
Bristol
How to get a contextual offer for Bristol university
My college is in Bristol's list of low-achieving sixthforms (bottom 40%), which means that I could qualify for a lower offer.
Does my referee have to mention this in the reference, or will they automatically know?
Thanks.
Does my referee have to mention this in the reference, or will they automatically know?
Thanks.
Scroll to see replies
University of Bristol
Bristol
Last year, I didn't tell them I was in one of the bottom 40% and it wasn't mentioned in my reference, but they knew and gave me a contextual offer anyway.
It would be done automatically, you don't need to do anything specific I don't think.
It's one of the things universities are automatically informed of.
Thank you everyone! 
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by BobbieShamrock
My college is in Bristol's list of low-achieving sixthforms (bottom 40%), which means that I could qualify for a lower offer.
Does my referee have to mention this in the reference, or will they automatically know?
Thanks.
Does my referee have to mention this in the reference, or will they automatically know?
Thanks.
would you mind showing me where i can find this list? i'm curious as to whether my college is in the bottom 40%
Original post by kb_
would you mind showing me where i can find this list? i'm curious as to whether my college is in the bottom 40%
I think under the entry requirements on the course page there was a link to the contextual offer guide or something, and there was a link to the list from there.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Apparently Bristol, Oxford and Exeter are the only unis to make such offers according to the Exeter vice-chancellor last year in a student debate for its student paper
Universities UK blog We are the representative organisation for the UK’s universities
Skip to content
← Contextual data: contributing to social mobility or simply social engineering?
Glimmers of hope in the graduate jobs market →
[h="1"]Contextual data in admissions – It’s the evidence, stupid.[/h]Posted on 21 June 2012 by Professor Sir Steve Smith
Last week, this blog focused on the use of ‘contextual data’ – i.e. considering applicants’ schooling or family background – in the admissions process. The central question was whether universities are engaging in social engineering, or simply striving for excellence by seeking out the best applicants. Like all hotly contested issues, some of the hard facts have been lost in the debate and certain myths allowed to gain currency.
This week, to help dispel some of the myths that have arisen over the last few years around contextual data, the Supporting Professionalism in Admissions Programme (SPA), supported by Universities UK, held a conference to discuss the issue. This provided us with a great opportunity to debate, in a more measured way, the issues making the headlines and to explore the research evidence and views across the education sector. This topic is probably the most sensitive of all those in admissions, and is where there really is a need for evidence-based policy, rather than policy-based evidence or even anecdotal evidence.
Delegates heard from a range of experts including leading academic researchers working in this field: Anna Zimdars from King’s College London and Tony Hoare from the University of Bristol, as well as senior managers working in schools and colleges and in higher education.
As chair of SPA, I was delighted to invite Chris Cook, Education Correspondent at the Financial Times to chair the morning. For those of you who don’t know, Chris has written many interesting blogs that have presented uniquely available evidence about school performance, by school type and student performance at age 16, by socio-economic class.
Chris opened the event by stating that contextual data “is the next big argument in higher education”, and I think this is absolutely right. I am sure that Alan Milburn – currently undertaking a review for government on social mobility – will have a lot more to say on this in his report on higher education due out shortly.
From my perspective, the crux of the case for considering contextual data is that the university degree potential of students from under-represented groups might be underrepresented by their end-of-school academic grades. Unless this is taken into account by higher education admissions staff, the profile of those they admit would not be a fair reflection of those with the academic potential to succeed at their institutions.
Why do I say this? Keeping to my earlier point about having evidence – if we delve into the research, we can see that socio-economic differences in university progression are underpinned by educational inequalities. We only need look at the following statistics on attainment at GCSE level based upon DfE performance data to see the reality of gaps that exists. Although it only covers English schools, it is still quite telling:
However, as was apparent at the conference, views on contextual data continue to differ. In view of this, it is essential that universities have a clear rationale for using it and their own evidence base to inform their decisions.
I would suggest that, as a sector, we need to go beyond this and develop our evidence base about how applicants admitted via contextual offers perform relative to students admitted on standard offers. We also need to understand the reasons for the differences between the various published studies.
Finally, it is essential that applicants understand what we mean when we use contextual data and how it is used.
This was an important point made by Tessa Stone, Chief Executive of Brightside Trust and Chair of the Bridge Group at the conference. All the recent debates and articles over contextual data are not about students or the applicant experience. It’s about politics. Tessa went on to say that none of this has any significance for prospective students. They want to understand what’s on offer, make well informed and appropriate choices and, wherever possible and appropriate, make successful applications and have a successful university experience. I could not agree more. As universities we have a responsibility to ensure the use of contextual data is transparent to applicants and their advisers. We must be clear about what contextual data is used, if any, how it will be used, when it is used and how it was used in previous years.
To support this we must do some specific work on busting the myths around widening participation and fair access. Although universities may continue to be criticised for social engineering, the important point is that applicants may lose out while the debate rumbles on. And no-one wants that.
Professor Sir Steve Smith is Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter
Skip to content← Contextual data: contributing to social mobility or simply social engineering?
Glimmers of hope in the graduate jobs market →
[h="1"]Contextual data in admissions – It’s the evidence, stupid.[/h]Posted on 21 June 2012 by Professor Sir Steve Smith
Last week, this blog focused on the use of ‘contextual data’ – i.e. considering applicants’ schooling or family background – in the admissions process. The central question was whether universities are engaging in social engineering, or simply striving for excellence by seeking out the best applicants. Like all hotly contested issues, some of the hard facts have been lost in the debate and certain myths allowed to gain currency.
This week, to help dispel some of the myths that have arisen over the last few years around contextual data, the Supporting Professionalism in Admissions Programme (SPA), supported by Universities UK, held a conference to discuss the issue. This provided us with a great opportunity to debate, in a more measured way, the issues making the headlines and to explore the research evidence and views across the education sector. This topic is probably the most sensitive of all those in admissions, and is where there really is a need for evidence-based policy, rather than policy-based evidence or even anecdotal evidence.
Delegates heard from a range of experts including leading academic researchers working in this field: Anna Zimdars from King’s College London and Tony Hoare from the University of Bristol, as well as senior managers working in schools and colleges and in higher education.
As chair of SPA, I was delighted to invite Chris Cook, Education Correspondent at the Financial Times to chair the morning. For those of you who don’t know, Chris has written many interesting blogs that have presented uniquely available evidence about school performance, by school type and student performance at age 16, by socio-economic class.
Chris opened the event by stating that contextual data “is the next big argument in higher education”, and I think this is absolutely right. I am sure that Alan Milburn – currently undertaking a review for government on social mobility – will have a lot more to say on this in his report on higher education due out shortly.
From my perspective, the crux of the case for considering contextual data is that the university degree potential of students from under-represented groups might be underrepresented by their end-of-school academic grades. Unless this is taken into account by higher education admissions staff, the profile of those they admit would not be a fair reflection of those with the academic potential to succeed at their institutions.
Why do I say this? Keeping to my earlier point about having evidence – if we delve into the research, we can see that socio-economic differences in university progression are underpinned by educational inequalities. We only need look at the following statistics on attainment at GCSE level based upon DfE performance data to see the reality of gaps that exists. Although it only covers English schools, it is still quite telling:
•
Eight schools educate 1,600 pupils of whom 850 get five A* grades or better, compared to 1,900 schools educating 250,000 pupils of whom 850 will get five or more A* grades at GCSE.
•
And, at A-level, according to national statistics produced by the DfE for 2010-11, the percentage of examinations receiving grades A*, A, or B for 16-18 year-olds by type of institution in England are:
Further education college 45%
Maintained 49%
Independent 76%
However, as was apparent at the conference, views on contextual data continue to differ. In view of this, it is essential that universities have a clear rationale for using it and their own evidence base to inform their decisions.
I would suggest that, as a sector, we need to go beyond this and develop our evidence base about how applicants admitted via contextual offers perform relative to students admitted on standard offers. We also need to understand the reasons for the differences between the various published studies.
Finally, it is essential that applicants understand what we mean when we use contextual data and how it is used.
This was an important point made by Tessa Stone, Chief Executive of Brightside Trust and Chair of the Bridge Group at the conference. All the recent debates and articles over contextual data are not about students or the applicant experience. It’s about politics. Tessa went on to say that none of this has any significance for prospective students. They want to understand what’s on offer, make well informed and appropriate choices and, wherever possible and appropriate, make successful applications and have a successful university experience. I could not agree more. As universities we have a responsibility to ensure the use of contextual data is transparent to applicants and their advisers. We must be clear about what contextual data is used, if any, how it will be used, when it is used and how it was used in previous years.
To support this we must do some specific work on busting the myths around widening participation and fair access. Although universities may continue to be criticised for social engineering, the important point is that applicants may lose out while the debate rumbles on. And no-one wants that.
Professor Sir Steve Smith is Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter
Original post by BobbieShamrock
I think under the entry requirements on the course page there was a link to the contextual offer guide or something, and there was a link to the list from there.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
thankyou! turns out my college is on that list as i expected aha, hopefully that means i get a contextual offer
Original post by swanseajack1
Apparently Bristol, Oxford and Exeter are the only unis to make such offers according to the Exeter vice-chancellor last year in a student debate for its student paper
Are you really suggesting those are the only 3 universities that ever give contextual offers?
Original post by SlowlorisIncognito
Are you really suggesting those are the only 3 universities that ever give contextual offers?
Leeds for one would be hopping mad at such a suggestion, followed by Manchester and just about every other university I know of, too.
I don't know but that was what the vice chancellor of Exeter said in the debate. If you look at Bristol and Exeter's entry requirements for most subjects they show A*AA to AAB. A*AA being the normal offer and AAB is the contextual offer. This was one of the justifications used for student loans needing to be increased while the NUS president stated they shouldn't. His argument was so compelling that even though most of the students present supported the NUS view at the start of the debate they voted in support of his view after the debate
Original post by swanseajack1
I don't know but that was what the vice chancellor of Exeter said in the debate. If you look at Bristol and Exeter's entry requirements for most subjects they show A*AA to AAB. A*AA being the normal offer and AAB is the contextual offer. This was one of the justifications used for student loans needing to be increased while the NUS president stated they shouldn't. His argument was so compelling that even though most of the students present supported the NUS view at the start of the debate they voted in support of his view after the debate
He's lying about contextual offers, though. Lots of universities offer them and lots of universities express their entry grades as a range. Even more universities will vary their offers for individual extenuating circumstances.
I'm not sure why the vice chancellor said this, and if he meant something very specific when referring to contextual offers- however repeating it without context on this website is pretty much spreading misinformation and isn't helpful.
1) Please remember that all Universities handle Contextual offers differently. There is no consistent or universal policy.
2) A Contextual Offer and Mitigating/Extenuating Circumstances are two entirely different categories. They may not result in the same concessionary offer, even at the same Uni.
2) A Contextual Offer and Mitigating/Extenuating Circumstances are two entirely different categories. They may not result in the same concessionary offer, even at the same Uni.
Original post by swanseajack1
Apparently Bristol, Oxford and Exeter are the only unis to make such offers according to the Exeter vice-chancellor last year in a student debate for its student paper
Oxford and Bristol (excluding Royal Agricultural College) are the top two or three for high private school admissions regardless, I think Exeter isn't far off either.
Original post by EmmDubya
Oxford and Bristol (excluding Royal Agricultural College) are the top two or three for high private school admissions regardless, I think Exeter isn't far off either.
Perhaps because private schools encourage their students to go for these unis more than state schools?
My college didn't even know Bristol did contextual offers, so that could be a reason why they're not encouraging students to apply there.
The reason they have brought in different offers depending on your school is to redress the balance. There is evidence to show that state school pupils especially in disadvantaged areas are far less likely to achieve the A* grade than those in affluent areas. Because of this Bristol and Exeter have started offering lower grade offers AAB instead of A*AA to pupils in schools where the results are in the bottom 40%. This is a controversial policy as some argue that the same grades you should apply to everyone
Original post by swanseajack1
The reason they have brought in different offers depending on your school is to redress the balance. There is evidence to show that state school pupils especially in disadvantaged areas are far less likely to achieve the A* grade than those in affluent areas. Because of this Bristol and Exeter have started offering lower grade offers AAB instead of A*AA to pupils in schools where the results are in the bottom 40%. This is a controversial policy as some argue that the same grades you should apply to everyone
No offence but everyone here probably knows this plus it's kinda digressing from the original question...
Posted from TSR Mobile
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Contextual offer debate
- bristol uni contextual offer
- deleted
- Should I change my 5th choice
- Does anyone feel contextual offers at bristol are unfair?
- year 11-13 contextual offers thread
- contextual offers
- Contextual Offer Likelihood
- Is it worth submitting an appeal for a university?
- Is it worth writing an appeal in response to a rejection?
- Law offers - 2024 entry
- is Bristol university contextual offer guaranteed?
- question about bristol contextual offers
- Law Offer 2024
- bristol law applicants 2024
- Do I still need to meet the standard entry requirements if eligible for a contextual
- Contextual offers
- GCSE for uni & contextual admissions
- Do Russell Group unis consider offers lower than the entry requirement? (for Law)
- Uni mitigating circumstances
Latest
Trending
Last reply 11 hours ago
Official University of Bristol Offer Holders Thread for 2024 entryLast reply 13 hours ago
Official University of Bristol Applicant Thread for 2024Last reply 1 week ago
Does anyone feel contextual offers at bristol are unfair?Last reply 1 week ago
Uni of Bristol north village vs west village accommodation - pls helpTrending
Last reply 11 hours ago
Official University of Bristol Offer Holders Thread for 2024 entryLast reply 13 hours ago
Official University of Bristol Applicant Thread for 2024Last reply 1 week ago
Does anyone feel contextual offers at bristol are unfair?Last reply 1 week ago
Uni of Bristol north village vs west village accommodation - pls help
