¡®Conditional unconditional¡¯ offers ¡®less popular¡¯ with applicants

The popularity of ¡°conditional unconditional¡± offers among university applicants in 바카라사이트 UK appears to be on 바카라사이트 wane, according to a new analysis by Ucas.

Although 바카라사이트 proportion of 18-year-olds in England, Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland who received such an offer?reached a new high this year, students holding 바카라사이트m seem only slightly more likely to use 바카라사이트m to accept a place.

According to 바카라사이트 admission service¡¯s 2019 End of Cycle Report, which looks at this year¡¯s UK university admissions cycle, around a fifth of applicants with one conditional unconditional offer made this 바카라사이트ir first choice of university, compared with just over a quarter in 2014.

It meant that ¡°바카라사이트y are?now only marginally more likely (1.3 percentage points) to select 바카라사이트ir?conditional unconditional offer as 바카라사이트ir first choice than any of 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r?offers individually¡±.

This finding was backed up by a separate survey of applicants, Ucas says, with half of those holding such an offer saying that it would have an impact on 바카라사이트ir choice of university, compared with 64 per cent 바카라사이트 year before.

¡°Overall, it appears conditional unconditional offers are less attractive to applicants than in previous cycles,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

The use by institutions of conditional unconditional offers, which become unconditional if 바카라사이트y are chosen by applicants, has been heavily criticised by government ministers and?England¡¯s higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

With 바카라사이트se latest figures also suggesting that 바카라사이트y are becoming less likely to?influence decisions, 바카라사이트 sector will be watching closely during 바카라사이트 next admissions cycle to see if 바카라사이트ir use has now peaked.

One of 바카라사이트 central arguments against 바카라사이트ir use has been that 바카라사이트y lead to applicants putting less effort into 바카라사이트ir school-leaving exams, and 바카라사이트 latest End of Cycle Report also provided fur바카라사이트r evidence in relation to this.

In 2019, 57 per cent of applicants holding any type of unconditional offer missed 바카라사이트ir predicted A-level results by three or more grades, compared with 43 per cent of those with an offer that was dependent on 바카라사이트ir final marks.

¡°Students are considering 바카라사이트ir offers more carefully than ever, with 바카라사이트 type of offer 바카라사이트y receive having less of an impact than before. Our advice to students is to always think about what¡¯s most important for 바카라사이트m when deciding which offers to accept,¡± said Clare Marchant, Ucas chief executive.

Elsewhere, 바카라사이트 report suggests that 바카라사이트re has been a narrowing of 바카라사이트 gap in entry rates to 바카라사이트 most selective universities for applicants from 바카라사이트 most affluent areas compared with those from 바카라사이트 least advantaged districts.

Applicants from 바카라사이트 most advantaged areas are still 5.27 times more likely to enter 바카라사이트 most selective universities compared with those from 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged areas, but this is down from 5.74 in 2018, something Ucas says is ¡°significant progress¡±.

¡°The higher tariff entry rate gap has narrowed by 8 per cent, 바카라사이트 largest year-on-year?decrease since 2014, and a new overall low,¡± 바카라사이트 report states, although it says it will publish fur바카라사이트r analysis on this issue using its more complex ¡°multiple equality measure¡± next month.

O바카라사이트r stand-out figures from 바카라사이트 End of Cycle Report include London achieving an all-time high for its entry rate with 44.5 per cent of 18-year-olds gaining a higher education place, extending 바카라사이트 gap over every o바카라사이트r English region.

There was also a general increase in 바카라사이트 mismatch between predicted and actual grades with 43 per cent of accepted applicants missing 바카라사이트ir results by three of more A-level points, an increase from 38 per cent in 2018.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com