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Do you have any idea why many Universities don’t verify information?

If you work in university admissions or just have a general idea about why this could, could you please explain why many of the universities that I have contacted (including Oxbridge, Bristol, UCL etc) have stated that they don’t verify UCAS references or extenuating circumstances forms from doctors/schools/psychologists etc?

I asked because I needed to supply a letter from my doctor for the purposes of extenuating circumstances and because on here I’ve heard of the difficult some students have of obtaining UCAS references as independent candidates.

So, couldn’t some fake a letter of reference or fake a letter from their school through editing or using a PDF filler? Why wouldn’t universities check this?

Reply 1

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

Hi, admissions staff here.

Academic references are verified.

Supporting docs for mitigating circumstances are verified if needs be. If it’s not going to make any material difference, then it would be a waste of time.

“So why not just just fabricate XYZ”. Same reason you don’t lie elsewhere on the app. It risks being removed from the application cycle for little or no benefit.

Reply 2

m_040106

Original post

by Admit-One

Hi, admissions staff here.
Academic references are verified.
Supporting docs for mitigating circumstances are verified if needs be. If it’s not going to make any material difference, then it would be a waste of time.
“So why not just just fabricate XYZ”. Same reason you don’t lie elsewhere on the app. It risks being removed from the application cycle for little or no benefit.

But I wonder HOW they are verified. Is it just a case of checking if they look alright or is every single UCAS referee phoned/emailed or every single doctor who wrote a note phoned/emailed? Or, is it only with suspicious cases?

Reply 3

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by m_040106

Well I’m not going to publicly detail how or why items are verified.
But bear in mind a good portion of applicants are via a buzzword so refs are verified automatically. It’s only independent apps that need to be scrutinised.

Reply 4

anonycatt

Are you still planning on faking parts of your application?

Reply 5

anonycatt

I have a feeling if you go ahead with it and try to fake anything in your application it might end up badly for you.

Just don't do it, it's not going to be worth it, you had plenty of time to get your references (you still have almost a month). It might be a better use of your time for you to seek those reference out then think about how to fake them.

Reply 6

anonycatt

Original post

by m_040106

Also I'm concerned by the fact that you are willing to share how you plan to cheat in your application... I don't know you, so I don't want to make any assumptions. But at this point I almost feel like you are trolling.

If you are not I apologise for the accusation, but still... I feel like a cheating mastermind wouldn't want people to know what they are doing on doing by sharing their process and plans on a public forum.

Oh well, let us know how things go.
At this point it sound like you are not really willing to listen to the advice, judging by previous threads, multiple people have given you in good faith (and by the way when the advice people need to give you is "do not cheat" you might want to reconsider things here...)

From a fellow student on a gap year my advice would be to not waste this precious time concocting a plan to cheat on your application (which will probably fail and end really badly for you) instead focus on revising for your resits if you want to achieve those 3A* you mentioned you were predicted. And focus on making your application the best it can be, no need to commit fraud, you still have time to get your references 😃.

Consider finding new hobbies, maybe look for ways to make end save money.

I don't know what you hope to achieve, but I hope you look after yourself and your future.