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UCAS Clearing & Reference advice |
I was wondering what advice other Colleges and 6th Forms give to leavers and ex-students who get in touch Mid July and ask for a UCAS Reference for their 'independent' application.
Does anyone have a policy about handling applications from 1st July?
Do you produce a reference? And how do you handle this if the Personal Tutor is on holiday.
If not - What do you advise them to put on the Reference section of the Clearing application?
Thanks everyone. I'm looking forward to your replies. |
| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:49 am |
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Re: UCAS Clearing & Reference advice |
It would be very harsh on the individual concerned to refuse to write anything on the reference as some universities will take a blank space there as an ability to find anyone who's prepared to say anything nice about them. That's unlikely to be the case, but you may not feel you know the individual well enough to invest the time in writing something nondescript.
I would strongly urge advisers to try to track down a tutor or someone else who's sufficiently well informed about the individual concerned to write a reference.
If all else fails, I would write in the reference section an explanation of why you can't provide a full reference and add any reflections you can make. I would also tell the candidate that this is the approach I intended to take.
For more information on clearing and UCAS applications, feel free to take a look at www.push.co.uk/get-a-place |
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Re: UCAS Clearing & Reference advice |
Late for this year but for future reference- we treat all applications from our current and recent ex-students as 'our' applications, and a system exists through UCAS for all of them to apply via the College even when they have left. References are dealt with by having a specific policy of requiring tutors to leave a reference on file for all students irrespective of whether they have applied or not. We use a piece of in-house customised software that enables subject teachers to submit their paragraphs and tutors to 'top and tail', and the whole thing can be left
on the system so that authorised senior staff can get access as and when required. |
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Re: UCAS Clearing & Reference advice |
For both the schools I work for, we treat them as our applicant even if they left a few years ago. It's important to keep something on all leavers as they may well resurface in the future.
We seem to have a very similar approach to Jims institution. |
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Re: UCAS Clearing & Reference advice |
Hi Jayne
Yes this is a difficult one and is something that I have experienced on a number of occasions but I do have some suggestions that you may find useful.
Firstly, I don't have a policy as such, but I generally do not allow a student to make an independent application and ask that they apply through our College. This way I can ensure that they do not change the reference. I do try and encourage all students to complete their forms well before 1st July. It takes ages to get a Clearing passport once Clearing has started and I don't have much time to assist the student with all of the sections on the form.
I tend to use the same style format for the references that I write. Although I have other tutors contribute to the reference I oversee the final version. The break down of what I write is fairly simple:
a) Introduction of the student and when they joined the College; also describing previous success of the student's ability if they have achieved good results.
b) Presenting any information that I feel the admission tutors should be aware of; illness, exam phobia, language barriers; added to that; also describing the student character and how they have integrated into the college. Are they suited to their chosen profession- very important!
c) Tutor comments for all subjects studied- can be edited to fit a university style reference.
d) A summary of the students chosen career, highlighting positive aspects and turning negatives into positives.
e) A conclusion....why they are suited to their career....recommending their application for consideration....there are levels of this
In terms of the situation that you are currently in I would see if you can access the student's summer reports or anything that was written about the student in the last 10 months. This will give you a good indication of how well the student has performed during that term. You can also use the comments which can be useful to the admissions tutor making the offer.
Finally, have a read of the students' personal statement as this will give you a good indication of their proposed degree subject and career. Unfortunately, if I am unable to obtain this information from tutors I end up having to write it myself. It is annoying but I have no choice in the matter. You can make comments on how their career idea has come about and how they have developed it further.
As it's so late in the day...in my experience the reference section does not have to include all parts of a-e and you can omit some, but keep in the section about career.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any further queries and I will see if I can help.
Best wishes
Gunter |
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| Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:53 pm |
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Re: Re: UCAS Clearing & Reference advice |
Could I widen this debate a bit, please?
This is the first summer for >25 years when I have not been dealing with UCAS applications, clearing, etc., but I still like to keep abreast of what is going on.
Has anyone any views on the recent decision by UCAS to allow parents/guardians to negotiate with Universities on behalf of there sons/daughters? is this going to make life easier or harder for Careers Advisers ? Speaking for myself, I think I would have found it distinctly "uncool" to have my parents negotiating for me, and I wonder whether by taking this decision, UCAS - while probably bowing to the inevitable - have contributed to the growing "dependency culture " - after all, 18 year olds are adults, and should be treated as such. Year after year, when advising students, I have urged them to make sure that they are at home when results come out in case they have to go into Clearing - now they can simply say to mum and dad, "get me the best offer you can" and then swan off. Wonder what the future effect of this will be on drop - out rates, when students find that parents have chosen the wrong course. |
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