Ucas’d a spell on me

What’s the difference between reality and spin in this year’s application data?

It is one of the perennial puzzles of higher education in the UK: why does the university application service Ucas insist on trying to spin good news stories about higher eduction entry data when the available evidence points to the contrary?

It is asking that sort of question that endears Playbook to its readers but may explain why we did not get an invite to the Ucas 30th-anniversary bash on Monday night. Ucas’s actual date of birth was 27 July 1993, but we understand you can’t always book the venue of your choice on the night that you want it.