Should the uni admissions system change?

My interpretation of that, correct me if I'm wrong, is that they are saying that predicted grades might actually be slightly better for under-represented groups (mainly because state schools are far more lax with the predictions they make, I suspect), therefore they are "fair"?

Seems a very interesting definition of fair doesn't it?! My understanding is that predicted grades are horribly inaccurate. That alone makes them 'unfair', and is sufficient to make every effort to get rid of them!

Predicted grades are a total waste of time.

As many students get over-predicted +5 grades as get under-predicted by 1 grades.

75% of students get inflated predictions, and only 8% are under predicted (and these are almost always straight A/A* students) (and 16% get the correct tariff predicted).

https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/8409/Predicted-grades-accuracy-and-impact-Dec-16/pdf/Predicted_grades_report_Dec2016.pdf

It is the reverse in my school as more than 90% of people in my school did much better than predicted, with the average student in my class being under predicted by 2.1 grades per subject.

Well these are national statistics, but even still volatility is more evidence that they are a waste of time.

What year did you finish A-levels?

I meant in AS. My class got mostly B-D predictions in A levels, but we got a big bunch of As in AS, and are expected to do the same in A levels. I finish A levels in 2021.

So solve the time problem by bringing back national service basically

There's just no way that could work though right. Uni admissions departments couldn't handle it (least of all those who actually make an effort with admissions tests and interviews - medicine, Oxbridge, handful of other courses). And that rather limits the solutions 2 + 3 as well.

Not without a major restructuring of when people are admitted in relation to exams anyway - uni could start in January after exam results in August, I guess?



Need to bring back AS. It was ridiculous that they were scrapped, seemingly just because one man thought it was time for a bit of a change? And it hasn't even been fully implemented, seemingly? Some people still do AS? What on earth were they thinking!?

I quite like the idea of basing all uni admissions off of AS. Main problem is what motivation would students have to do well at A2. Uni credit maybe?! Dunno.


You'd have to simplify student loans. Giving everyone the same loan regardless of income, which would be fairer anyway, would be a good start! Then all they need to process is proof of identity and bank details.

Agreed.

The whole idea of grades is just a dumbing down so that Joe Public doesn't have to deal with actual numbers, isn't it?

So you're proposing dedicated admissions tests for all subjects for all unis?

Problem is, most unis really just don't care enough about their admissions to want to pay for this. Their budgets are tight enough as it is, and selecting slightly better students doesn't actually gain them any extra funding, and it doesn't impact the grades they can award.



This is an interesting idea - getting people to number their choices before they apply. It basically removes power from applicants (as they have to decide earlier) in favour of making it simpler for unis, as they could be told their offer has been rejected far quicker. That might allow an extra uni choice or two, maybe?

I think you are also hinting here that you'd just let people apply to as many unis as they want? Definitely wouldn't be for that. It would make running admissions selection far harder and they'd have to resort to far more arbitrary measures. For example no way Cambridge could interview ~80% of its applicants if it were getting 20 applicants per place rather than 4.

I think the results speak for themself...

Just like Teens can increase grades drastically between a couple of months, teenagers can easily change their mind and the education system needs to accept that.

I'm still a kid!, what I enjoyed 3 months ago is entirely different from what I enjoy now.. and I can guarantee by summer ill be interested in something else...

but ur kind of using the marginal case of not getting predicted well. Teachers want students to succeed. Id even go as far to say state schools are more lenient that independent/grammar schools when coming to predicted grades, but its just that students aren't achieving them so what's the point?

There is far more incentive for Independent schools to over-predict as they have to keep up a reputation for excellence and getting students into top universities, otherwise people aren't going to pay the fees.

I don't get why so many people have voted PQA. Like that means you would probably have to take a gap year because there's no way that unis could answer all applications between august and september.

That doesn't stand up to the facts though - private school predictions are most accurate, and state comps/FE colleges over-predict the most.

"All three studies found the most exactly accurate predictions and the least overpredictions for applicants from independent and selective/grammar schools."

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/879605/Equality_impact_assessment_literature_review_15_April_2020.pdf Page 11.

As someone that got sh*fted by their state school (and knows lots of other people at diff schools who were the same) this really isn't true. State schools only get decent amounts of funding when they're improving or require improvement, so there's a need at state schools (esp those who aren't part of academies which can shore up the gaps) to keep grades high enough to get decent applicants, but low enough to claim that the school still needs more money for improvement. There is far more incentive for Independent schools to over-predict as they have to keep up a reputation for excellence and getting students into top universities, otherwise people aren't going to pay the fees.

I think it would be great if it was normal to take a gap year before going to university and govt facilitated jobs in community service, in health, food banks, outdoor things like path building in national parks, military, big company sponsorships (which used to be common for engineering), classroom assistant jobs, so a bit like National Service. People could apply to university from their gap year. It would mean people were not rushed into a degree which might not be the right subject for them, but could get their results and some world experience before deciding what they really wanted to do next.

Honestly, I think this is the best solution. Post-qualification applications just can't work in the current time frame, and I think a lot of people would benefit from getting out of education for a year.

Does it have to be a year?