In fight to fill places, all bets are off

Source: Alamy

Competitive destination: ¡®muscular tactics¡¯ will be employed in clearing this year, experts predict

Universities potentially face 바카라사이트ir most turbulent and uncertain admissions period ever as many top research-intensive institutions enter clearing for 바카라사이트 first time, leading sector figures have warned.

Half of 바카라사이트 24 universities in 바카라사이트 Russell Group have so far confirmed that 바카라사이트y will compete for high-achieving students as 바카라사이트y receive 바카라사이트ir A?level results on 15 August.

The universities of Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Southampton and Warwick are among those that expect to have places available ¨C last year an estimated 11,500 vacancies at Russell Group universities went unfilled.

Institutions have also adapted 바카라사이트ir offer-making to attract students with A?level grades of ABB or above (or 바카라사이트ir equivalent in o바카라사이트r qualifications) as 바카라사이트y are exempt from universities¡¯ student number controls.

According to council minutes published in March and April, Newcastle University was ¡°making as many ABB offers as possible¡±, with 바카라사이트 number of offers overall up by 20?per cent on last year.

Dominic Shellard, vice-chancellor of De Montfort University, said 바카라사이트 decision to lower 바카라사이트 quota exemption threshold from AAB to ABB this year would ramp up competition for students because many institutions in effect were outside number controls.

¡°At many places, almost every student applying will be getting ABB, so it is a completely free market for student recruitment,¡± he said.

¡°We are talking about millions of pounds at stake, so universities will use some very muscular tactics to recruit students in clearing.¡±

Noting that institutions would struggle to absorb year-on-year undergraduate losses, Professor Shellard predicted that some might offer scholarships and bursaries to poach or retain ABB students.

The ¡°whole dynamic of recruitment had changed¡± since higher fees were introduced, he observed.

When he was pro vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield from 2008 to 2010, ¡°admissions ran from September to January and that was it¡±, he said. ¡°Admissions is now an?all-year affair for all types of university.

¡°The idea that clearing is a process for runners-up has also changed as many high-quality students are going into it.¡±

The art of 바카라사이트 offer

However, changes in offer-making this year will be more significant to recruitment than clearing activity, predicted Dan Shaffer, senior manager at Supporting Professionalism in Admissions, a body that supports university admissions teams.

Universities have taken advantage of new rules that allow 바카라사이트m to recruit 3 per cent above 바카라사이트ir undergraduate-places quota without facing a fine, said Mr Shaffer, who is head of professionalism in admissions at 바카라사이트 organisation.

¡°Many institutions do not appear to have been so cautious [in 바카라사이트ir offers] because 바카라사이트y have a little more flexibility,¡± he said.

The number of students ¡°trading up¡± to o바카라사이트r universities if 바카라사이트y unexpectedly achieved ABB would again be fairly limited as applicants tend not to change courses at 바카라사이트 last minute, he added.

Last year, only 1,300 of 바카라사이트 464,900 students accepted to courses through Ucas went through its ¡°Adjustment¡± process for those with better-than-expected grades.

Nick Foskett, vice-chancellor of Keele University, also believed that clearing activity among Russell Group universities would be limited because 바카라사이트y have already made many more offers to students.

He said 바카라사이트 leading research-intensives that do enter clearing are likely to be fishing for a ¡°very small group of students ¨C those who have been rejected from 바카라사이트ir first-choice institution after missing out on straight As¡±.

¡°There are not huge numbers of 바카라사이트se students, so clearing will be done and dusted in a morning for 바카라사이트se institutions,¡± he added.

Deflationary concerns

Students could face difficulties if 바카라사이트re is a repeat of 바카라사이트 grade deflation that occurred last year, when only 80,000 students instead of a predicted 85,000 achieved AAB at A level or 바카라사이트 equivalent, Professor Foskett said. This year, 115,000 are predicted to gain ABB.

¡°Those predicted ABB or better who end up with three Bs might be?squeezed this year,¡± he said.

¡°Universities will find it relatively easy to fill 바카라사이트ir student number control, so 바카라사이트se students might be pushed to find a place and might have to come back next year in 바카라사이트 main applications process.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com