Applicants back admissions overhaul

THE MAJORITY of young people who applied to university this year think it would be fairer to overhaul the system so students only submit an application once they have received their final grades, a survey suggests.

Working- class applicants are more likely to say they would have applied to a more selective university if they had known their A- level results when making decisions, according to Sutton Trust research.

The report suggests most applicants received a place at their top university this year, but workingclass students are less likely to have done so compared to their middle- class peers.

Two in three of university applicants said they favour a move to a post- qualification admissions ( PQA) system rather than university offers based on predicted grades, the poll found.

“The wake of this year’s exam results controversy provides an important opportunity to take another look at reforming the system,” the report says.

This summer, final grades were awarded on the basis of school assessments, or the results of an Ofqual- developed algorithm, after exams were cancelled due to Covid- 19.

Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust, and who was raised in Barnsley, said: “The utter chaos of this year’s university admissions exposed major flaws with the system that are due principally to our reliance on predicted grades. PQA would benefit high achieving low- income students as their grades are often underpredicted.”

Universities UK spokesman said the organisation was nearing the conclusion of a review of admissions and he said the review group, which has school, college, student, university, and Ucas representatives, would report later.