Confessional

What the university admissions officer really thinks of you

WHEN I started work in the Nineties, students were expected to apply, turn up to open days and deal with admin themselves. Now, they are accompanied by parents every step of the way.

Open days are tricky. We are available to talk to students, most of whom are nervous, but it’s impossible to get beyond mums in Boden wrap dresses asking about accommodation (‘he doesn’t want a shared bathroom’) and dads demanding proof of future career prospects. The idea that you might allow your 18-year-old to make their own plans seems unthinkable. But students, too, are very entitled. I call it ‘X Factor Syndrome’. Everyone thinks they’re special.

What shocks me is the number who drop out. Often, I think it’s because they don’t expect to have to work hard. It’s not their fault, though. Many middleclass parents indulge them and don’t expect them to get holiday jobs or manage their own time. I worry for them — but it’s a sign of the times.