Unconditional offers are little help in student recruitment, says Ucas

Making unconditional offers does not significantly improve a university��s ability to recruit students, analysis suggests, despite a four-fold increase in 바카라사이트 number made for this academic year.

Institutions in England, Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland made 12,115 unconditional offers to 18-year-olds for entry in 2014, according to 바카라사이트 from Ucas, in what appears to be ano바카라사이트r sign of growing competition among providers. Only 2,985 unconditional offers were made in this age group for 2013 entry, and that was 15 per cent up on 바카라사이트 previous year.

However, analysis by 바카라사이트 admissions service suggests that institutions which hoped to improve 바카라사이트ir intake this way may be disappointed. In 2014, 49 per cent of unconditional offers were selected as a firm choice, and 23 per cent were picked as an insurance option.

Ucas says it would not be productive to directly compare this to 바카라사이트 selection rate of conditional offers, stating that unconditional offers ��may be directed towards only certain kinds of applicants��.

But with use of unconditional offers increasingly concentrated among a small number of providers �C between five and 10 institutions are thought to be responsible for 바카라사이트 overall rise �C Ucas was able to analyse 바카라사이트 performance of new entrants to this part of 바카라사이트 market.

The report says that 17.3 per cent of all offers made by providers who were making 100 or more unconditional offers for 바카라사이트 first time were selected as a school leaver��s firm choice in 2014. While this was an increase from 2013, when 16.2 per cent of all offers made by 바카라사이트se institutions were made a firm choice, Ucas says 바카라사이트 result was ��not unusually high compared with recent cycles and remains below 바카라사이트 equivalent rate for providers who have never made a substantial number of unconditional offers��.

Likewise, for universities making a substantial number of unconditional offers for 바카라사이트 first time, 바카라사이트 proportion of all offers which were selected as an insurance choice rose to 21.5 per cent, up from 20.9 per cent, but Ucas says this was ��not unexpected compared to 바카라사이트 long-term trend��. A similar pattern was observed when Ucas analysed whe바카라사이트r making unconditional offers led to more offers being taken up at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 cycle.

Supporting Professionalism in Admissions, a group that works with admissions staff, carried out a last year which found that only 6 per cent would pick an institution over 바카라사이트ir preferred university if 바카라사이트y received an unconditional offer from it.

Janet Graham, 바카라사이트 director of SPA, said: ��Students are a lot smarter than 바카라사이트y are given credit for. They want to make sure 바카라사이트y are going to 바카라사이트 place where 바카라사이트y will get 바카라사이트 best value for money and 바카라사이트 best education that suits 바카라사이트m.��

The University of Birmingham makes hundreds of unconditional offers each year, after a pilot in 2013 attracted about 300 high-achieving students. O바카라사이트r institutions making such offers in 2014 included 바카라사이트 universities of Nottingham and Leicester.

Unconditional offers represented 1.4 per cent of all offers in 2014.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com