University applicants may be told to list family problems

Admission tutors could give special consideration to applicants who outline deprived backgrounds
13 April 2012

Teenagers may be asked to include details of family problems and money worries on their university application forms.

Admissions tutors could give special consideration to those who outlined deprived backgrounds.

But the suggestion from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service prompted warnings that students would use "sob stories" to improve their chances after gaining poor exam results. The idea was condemned as "social engineering".

The proposal emerged at a conference of admissions tutors. Ucas chief executive Anthony McClaran said a working group had been convened to consider "contextual data".

It was looking at "personal circumstances which include illness, interrupted schooling, family problems and home responsibilities, for example applicants who had responsibility for looking after siblings".

Mr McClaran said schools often included details of hardships faced by applicants in their references to universities. The group was considering whether the information could be gathered more systematically.

The move follows an angry debate over a new Ucas question asking applicants if their parents have degrees, in a move aimed at broadening the social mix of undergraduates. Nick Seaton, chairman-of the Campaign for Real Education, last night: "Parents must be wondering where it's all going to end. This new proposal is inviting sob stories to help their youngsters get into university.

"Some students may not want the tutors to know this sort of information and would rather keep it to themselves. This could be seen as intrusive."

Critics fear universities, under pressure from the Government to admit more disadvantaged students, could simply use a points system to rate comparative hardship. They also warn there would be no way of verifying the information.

Geoff Lucas, general secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference which represents elite public schools, warned: "The key thing is that applicants should be looked at as individuals on as many issues as appropriate.

"When they get further away from things that are not in a students' control, that is when we strongly object.

"Someone once told me their pet rabbit had died the night before their exams.

"Once you start making allowances like that you are always going to be on dodgy territory. How many are going to strangle their rabbit just to get the sympathy vote?"

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