Admission mistake

Making offers to applicants before they receive their results sets England’s university admissions system apart—and threatens to leave its higher education system behind.

Across the world, constructing higher education admission systems is becoming a more complex task than ever before. Higher numbers of applicants, the desire to include different kinds of students entering through more diverse pathways, and the need to ensure that students complete their studies and enter graduate employment are all placing increasing pressure on these systems.

A report by the Higher Education Policy Institute predicts that up to 300,000 more student places will be needed by 2030 in English universities to keep up with demand. And while England is no exception when it comes to growing numbers of aspiring students, it does face an extra problem that no other nation has to deal with: its unique system of pre-qualifications admission.