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What do admissions tutors actually do?

I was thinking about my Application, and i was wandering what Admissions tutors actually do when they consider giving you an offer, how do they deduce whether or not ure the right student for a chosen subject

Reply 1

Fluffy

15

They usually have a checklist of things they look for on your UCAS form and you need to get a certain amount of 'points' to get an offer/interview.

Reply 2

Freckles

12

And a lot depends on whether they like your statement, right?

Reply 3

Fluffy

15

Well - most of the variables they look for will be in your PS and ref

To give an example: Student has demonstrated an interest in the field [of the degree applied for] outside of the classroom.

Reply 4

Fire Point

12

Every little thing matters.

Reply 5

Ribbons

12

PQ

for some courses and some universities - right

for other courses and other universities they're more interested in GCSE grades, AS grades, predictions, references, which subjects you're studying etc etc etc etc etc

what courses do they really take into consideration GCSEs?

Reply 6

Iscariot

11

I've heard some universities (by word of mouth from an admissions tutor) no longer take much interest in your personal statement, because they've realised so many people get so much help with their personal statement that's barely any longer what the student has to say, but what someone else has told them to say.

Reply 7

Ribbons

12

PQ

I'm afraid my crystal ball is broken at the moment.

Unfortunately without it I can't read the minds of the 100+ admissions tutors at the 170 different universities in the UK.

Most admissions tutors use GCSEs for one of three reasons -

1.

they think GCSEs are a better predictor of A level success than AS level results

2.

they think GCSEs are a better predictor of who will do well on the university course than AS or A level results

3.

they've got too many AAA applicants and not enough time to filter based on reference/PS material so use GCSEs to narrow down the field a little

Dammit!...well, even without it, you have told me enough to be scared...very scared!

Reply 8

Multiplexed

18

I wish i could be an admissions tutor, it would be so funny & cruel.

Reply 9

Ribbons

12

Multiplexed

I wish i could be an admissions tutor, it would be so funny & cruel.

hehe.....would you let me in if i be nice to you here on TSR? :flutter:

Reply 10

MonsieurE

1

I think that most admissions tutors build giant bingo machines. They then give the thousand or so applicants each an individual number/ball. They then start the bingo machine and whichever applicants come out first they give offers to. :biggrin:

Reply 11

Ribbons

12

EamonnHF

I think that most admissions tutors build giant bingo machines. They then give the thousand or so applicants each an individual number/ball. They then start the bingo machine and whichever applicants come out first they give offers to. :biggrin:

atleast now i wouldnt be surprised if i did see a bingo machine hidden under the tutors' desk on an interview :biggrin:

Reply 12

Ribbons

12

PQ

It's a crap job.

Generally admissions tutors are full time researchers and/or lecturers and have to fit in all their admissions and recruitment work into a couple of hours a week or use their free time. They usually get no extra money for doing the extra work and not usually much support or respect for the important job they do.
This is all supposed to be changing but it'll be a good few years yet before it's a decent job.

thats a bit unfair on the tutors..no matter how horrible they are to interviewees...

Reply 13

Ribbons

12

PQ

yup

If I'd known the amount of hard work and effort admissions tutors put in when I was applying I think I'd have been a lot more grateful towards them than I was.

just wondering...are you a graduate, or at uni?

Reply 14

Elusive Moose

1

And I thought that was their only job! Doing administration and admissions, etc. I'd say that knowing the effort they put in and how much they have to do would make me more patient when waiting for offers... But we all know that this would be a blatant lie :P

Reply 15

LeeC

15

I read in the UCAS magazine that they look at your grades, your PS, other achievements, in that order.

Reply 16

~nat~

1

I found out recently that a relative of mine is an admissions tutor (for quite a major uni and course, but before it creeps into anyone's mind, no I've not applied to the uni and/the course he's the tutor for!) - he says it's a laborious job, but well worth it when he's face to face with the students actually teaching them - for him I think it involves sorting applications into sections of criteria by checking if they've got certain required grades and predicted grades, etc then credit for extra-things, great reference, by a sort of points/credit system. Quite a general description, but I don't know the ins and outs in detail!

As for admissions tutors going on one particular part of your application, well it really does depend on the subject and the uni you're aplying for. Many unis have a points system, as already mentioned, others really concentrate on grades, and some courses focus on the more personal aspect of the application (i.e. reference and PS).

Simple conclusion: everyone's in the same boat - make every part of your application as good as possible, (if one part's 'weaker' than the other, e.g. not so great grades, then make sure the rest is spot on) and then hope for the best! :smile:

Reply 17

yo_dude

there's nothing you can do once you've applied.. just kick back, have a milkshake.. and enjoy the ride

Reply 18

Diminutive

2

As everyone else said it really depends on the actual university!

I know that i saw that Aston (my firstest choice!) said they especially consider the reference on their website.
I had a dream that the admissions dude at aston let me in because i share his surname :wink:

weird dream! all this ucas business is driving me potty! STILL awaiting my teacher to write the darn refernence >.>

Reply 19

gianthead

12

Iscariot

I've heard some universities (by word of mouth from an admissions tutor) no longer take much interest in your personal statement, because they've realised so many people get so much help with their personal statement that's barely any longer what the student has to say, but what someone else has told them to say.

that's so unjust to people who really write their own alone and unaided, like I did mine! :mad:

What do admissions tutors actually do?

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