The intention to introduce a form of post qualification application (PQA) for entry to UK universities has provoked considerable interest, debate and controversy, not least over its impact on diversifying the intake of undergraduates gaining entry to the allegedly most prestigious universities and courses. We review the arguments and evidence…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a case study that identifies the practical issues and implications of employer engagement through course design, delivery and employee commitment in a higher education course delivered in the financial services sector. Design/methodology/approach: Using a case study the paper draws on the course…

This paper presents the facts and figures of the whole UK higher education sector in 2009. The data is derived from a variety of sources, and is updated on a yearly basis.

With the increase in student numbers and political concern to ensure fair access to higher education, universities have been reviewing their admissions processes in order to improve their transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. The process contains relatively discrete activities--applications and admissions--in which both the applicants and…

Advocates uniformity in college applications--a centralized application system in which candidates would supply the required academic, personal, and financial information and a rank-ordered listing of their target universities or colleges. Target colleges would segmentially evaluate the applicant as a first-choice candidate until the applicant was…

Registrars and admissions officers across the U.S. will have noticed a gradual but definite increase in students bearing qualifications from CIE--University of Cambridge International Examinations. Most already recognize the Advanced Level (A Level) and Ordinary Level (O Level) qualifications; many are less familiar with IGCSE (International…

British high school students (n=178) who used the Universities and Colleges Admission Service for college application mostly used a wide range of sources and the help of a career counselor when available. However, most felt that colleges and employers were not interested in the national Records of Achievement. (SK)

Examines the role of the new Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) in the United Kingdom, created in 1993 when British polytechnics and other institutions achieved university status. It focuses on the application strategies of prospective university students, the increased volume of applications, and the effect on universities. (MDM)

A survey investigated the feelings and beliefs of British university applicants at one point in the application process: after the application is acknowledged but before offers or examination results are available. Results suggest many see the process as straightforward, helpful, friendly, but a sizeable group consider it slow and complex. Many…

In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…

There is a growing demand for admissions tutors in UK universities to use more rigorous and systematic decision-making methods in recruitment processes. A key barrier to achieving this goal is the lack of a coherent and definitive body of knowledge upon which such methods can be built. The yardstick used for the majority of applicants is A2-level…

The paper presents empirical research that investigated significant dependent relationships between "type" of influencer, e.g., parent, sibling, friend and total number of influencers, and levels of satisfaction within the context of an extended service buying process, i.e., application to an institution of higher education. The type of…

Ireland's computerized, national system of university admission, which assigns all students to institutions simultaneously, and Britain's system using a single set of admissions forms and centrally coordinated admissions, suggest that centralization can be an efficient and cost-effective method of linking students with colleges in the United…

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the information sources used by school leavers when selecting a university at which they wish to study and the perceived reliability of these sources of information. Design/methodology/approach: Using data from 306 pupils studying at various schools in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland it was revealed that…

Much marketing information can be obtained for admissions policy formation and forecasting from existing data sources, including course perceptions, the nature of the competition, and the admissions policies of the competition. The British university application system would benefit by exploiting computer applications of this concept. (MSE)