Sutton Trust - admissions

19 December 2017

Commenting on the publication of a new report by the Sutton Trust on access to university for disadvantaged students, Russell Group head of policy Sarah Stevens said:

“We are determined to ensure bright students from more disadvantaged backgrounds have the opportunity to study at a leading university.

“The idea of moving to a post-qualification admissions system has been floated in the past but real concerns remain as to whether this would end up doing more harm than good to the prospects of disadvantaged high attainers.

“In our view, the answer lies in helping this group of young people to better understand and navigate the university admissions process. That’s why our members have created Advancing Access, a series of free online resources that recognise the vital role teachers play in supporting students, especially those from under-represented groups, to progress to university. This includes supporting students to write personal statements and to make university and course choices. Our Informed Choices guide is also providing invaluable advice to students about their post-16 subject choices so they have the best possible chance of gaining a place at the university and on the course that is right for them.

“Russell Group universities have been using contextualised data for many years and we agree that the process needs to be clear and transparent. All of our members publish information about their contextualised admission policies and practices on their websites.”

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