Students applying to universities months too early, says Ucas chief

Increasing numbers of schools encouraging pupils to submit forms as early as September, says Mary Curnock Cook Teenagers are applying to universities several months too early, the head of the university admissions service has said, signalling a potential overhaul of the system. Mary Curnock Cook, the chief executive of Ucas, said many teenagers were applying to institutions to which they had “no intention” of going and had not yet visited because of pressure to complete their application forms at the start of their final year at school. Applicants should send their forms by mid-January to start their degrees in the autumn, but Curnock Cook said increasing numbers of schools encouraged pupils to submit the forms as early as September. Preliminary findings of a Ucas review into the admissions process showed that applicants were applying “earlier and earlier” and that many later changed their minds after they applied, Curnock Cook told the Guardian. Ucas will report the full findings in the autumn. “Giving people the opportunity to make choices later might be a helpful development,” she said. “A couple of terms might make a difference and give people the opportunity to make their choices later. Most visit the universities after they have applied and lots change their minds. Our research shows lots put names on their forms that they have no intention of going to.” Her comments could pave the way for a system in which students apply to university only when they have their final A-level grades. At the moment, teenagers apply with predicted grades. However, such a change would not be for a few years and would mean that exams were moved forward, shortening the school year. The government’s white paper on higher education, published last month, stated that ministers were considering moving to this system, which it said could bring “significant” benefits. Applicants are encouraged to designate one university as their top choice and another as their “insurance”. However, Curnock Cook said, there was considerable misunderstanding among schools and pupils, with the review showing that 40% of insurance choices were for universities that demanded the same or higher grades than applicants’ top choices. She said Ucas was looking into whether it could “design something better”. Curnock Cook said applicants who were “at the lower end of the high ability group” were narrowing their chances by only applying to top-20 universities. “It is not a good strategy for them to put all their eggs in one basket,” she said. “Sixth-form advisers need to make these things much clearer.” On Monday universities will hear whether a quango has approved their targets to improve their mix of low-income and other students from under-represented groups. Universities that want to charge tuition fees of more than £6,000 a year from autumn 2012 have to have these targets approved by the Office for Fair Access (Offa). It will publish each university’s “access agreement” later this week. University administration Higher education Students Colleges Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk

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