1.1 - As part of its commitment to the principles of international co-operation and collaboration, the University wishes to continue to attract students from outside the UK. The international element their presence adds to the culture of the University enhances the general educational experience of all students. In common with most UK universities, fee income from overseas students is also an element of Bristol's strategy to maintain financial stability. That said, offers will only be made to those applicants from overseas who are able to demonstrate the high level of academic potential needed to succeed in our demanding programmes of study.
1.2 - The restrictions of the UK Government's current funding regime for Higher Education mean that the University has to set firm limits on the number of UK and other European Union students it admits. Students from outside the EU are not subject to the same quota control, nor are they subsidised by Government funding.
1.3 - For the purposes of these Principles and Procedures an overseas student is defined as a student who, wherever they are educated or whatever their source of funding, is required to pay fees to the University at the overseas rate, in accordance with The Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 and The Student Fees (Qualifying Courses and Persons) (England) Regulations 2007.
2.1 - The University of Bristol aims to:
2.2 - The University will achieve these aims by:
2.3 - The Principles and Procedures through which the University assesses applications and offers places are designed to be:
2.4 - The University will review its Principles and Procedures annually in the light of experience, research and best practice.
3.1 - The Widening Participation and Admissions Strategy Group is responsible for all undergraduate admissions, including those from overseas, and for ensuring that the Admissions Principles and Procedures for Overseas Undergraduates are implemented and kept under review.
4.1 - The University's website and printed publications will make available clear information on admissions Principles and Procedures and criteria for each course or programme. The University will publish on its website advice to applicants on what the University is looking for in personal statements and to referees on the elements that are helpful in a reference.
4.2 - The reports of the Widening Participation and Admissions Strategy Group will be open documents.
5.1 - All Departments/Schools must act in a way consistent with the University's Admissions Aims and must follow the procedures and principles set out in this document.
5.2 - The University acknowledges that procedures will vary to some extent across subject areas. For example, in subjects such as Music and Drama there are issues of performance, while in Medicine and other professional areas there are fitness-to-practise considerations.
5.3 - However, in order to ensure consistency, Departments and Schools are required to submit each year an Admissions Statement, signed by the Head of Department or School, on the entry requirements and local procedures they intend to follow for each course or programme, including joint courses (see below). This will be subject to formal approval by the Widening Participation and Admissions Strategy Group and once approved will be made available to candidates and the general public via the University's website.
6.1 - The Widening Participation and Admissions Strategy Group will require a pro-forma Admissions Statement for each Department/School or group of Departments/Schools admitting overseas undergraduate students. The Department/School will use their statement to seek approval from the Committee for the proposed method by which the Department/School will admit overseas students. Admissions Statements will include:
6.2 - For the first year of their introduction, for 2004 entry, Admissions Statements were submitted by September 1, 2003. For subsequent years of entry, Departments/Schools will be requested to submit their Statements in March, for approval by Faculty Admissions Officers, who will report to the May meeting of the Undergraduate Admissions Monitoring Group. The Widening Participation and Admissions Strategy Group will consider a sample of approved Statements for monitoring purposes at its June meeting. The aim will be to approve all Statements by the end of June (provided they are in line with the principles and procedures in this paper).
6.3 - All applications are considered independently by at least two members of the admissions team (not necessarily both academics).
6.4 - In general, the University does not require overseas candidates to be interviewed. Departments/Schools may choose to interview a candidate from overseas, subject to clearly explaining why and how the interview will be used in assessing the candidates, and to following University-approved procedures. These are:
6.5 - In general, the University does not insist that overseas candidates attend a specified Open Day. Departments/Schools may insist on this subject to ensuring overseas candidates understand the obligation to attend and the nature of any interview or discussion they may have with Departmental staff while they are at the University. Where there is an obligation to attend an Open Day the Department/School will ensure that candidates are offered a choice of possible dates and that arrangements are in place to allow for any exceptional circumstance such as illness or hardship.
6.6 - In general, the University does not require candidates to provide supplementary written work or undertake supplementary tests. Departments/Schools may choose to do so, subject to clearly explaining why and how this will be used in assessing the candidate.
7.1 - Departments/Schools must set criteria that support the University's Admissions Aims and be in accordance with the principles and procedures in this document.
7.2 - Admissions staff are expected to use professional judgement in assessing the academic potential of individual candidates, taking a number of factors into consideration, including educational and social context. In exercising their judgement, admissions staff must operate in a way that is consistent with the University's Admissions Aims.
7.3 - Actual and/or predicted performance in public examinations is a key indicator of academic potential for degree-level study. Departments/Schools will recognise that a level of performance which is exceptional in its context may indicate outstanding ability, motivation and potential, and will take this into account in assessing the varying performance of candidates.
7.4 - Educational context may be evidenced in a variety of ways, depending on an individual applicant's circumstances. These may include quantifiable evidence of educational disadvantage as defined in para 7.5 or more generic evidence drawn from the applicant's personal statement or reference (see paras 7.9 and 7.11).
7.5 - The University will seek to refine its definition of educational disadvantage on an annual basis. Currently, educational disadvantage is defined as attendance at a school or college where, in the previous year the school or college was ranked in the bottom 40 per cent of all schools and colleges in relation to the average score per ‘A’ Level entry, the average score per ‘A’ Level entrant or the percentage of students applying to Higher Education. For selection purposes, candidates from low performing schools/colleges may be given a lower offer in relation to those from other schools/colleges. There is no ‘blanket’ discrimination in favour of candidates from any particular type of background and each case is considered on its individual merits. Information about the relative performance of English schools is readily available. The Recruitment, Access and Admissions Office will endeavour to provide Departments/Schools with information on the performance of schools and colleges outside England, where not all of the above information is readily available.
7.6 - In assessing the weight to be given to academic qualifications over and above 3 A levels and 8 GCSEs (or equivalent), Departments/Schools will recognise that not all schools offer this as an option.
7.7 - Departments/Schools may set minimum entry requirements and may insist on specified performance in a particular subject at GCSE, A level or other examination. They must declare what weight, if any, they will give to qualifications in areas such as General Studies. The Undergraduate Admissions Office provides advice on acceptable non-A level equivalents, including overseas qualifications. An offer to a candidate without a recognised qualification requires the prior approval of the Undergraduate Dean of the Faculty.
7.8 - Departments/Schools must be confident that the candidate has the proficiency in the English language necessary to succeed in the chosen course or programme. In some cases candidates will be required to take an English language test as part of the condition of an offer. The Widening Participation and Admissions Strategy Group will set an appropriate standard requirement for performance in IELTS or other tests. Departments/Schools may set slightly different requirements for specific courses. Please see the University’s English Language Entry Requirements Policy for further information.
7.9 - The Personal Statement and Reference provide important supplementary indications of ability, motivation and potential, as well as information about personal circumstances and social and cultural context. They are read carefully and taken into account in reaching a decision. Criteria for assessing the Personal Statement may include, for example:
7.10 - Admissions staff will take into account the candidate's response to the opportunities and challenges faced, in the understanding that these are not the same for all.
7.11 - Allowance will be made for any candidate (from whatever educational sector) with verified exceptional circumstances or who has faced difficult challenges in a positive way, where these are made known to the University (eg illness, death of a parent, poverty, disrupted education, refugee status). The Department/School may decide to offer a place to a candidate whose academic performance appears to have been affected by such circumstances and who might otherwise have been expected to do better.
7.12 - In their holistic assessment of the broader context of a candidate's academic achievement, admissions staff may take into account indicators of social context where supported by clear evidence that these may have adversely affected academic achievement. This may include time spent in Local Authority care, information about which is provided on the applicant’s UCAS form. It should be noted that the University does not take the following into consideration when making admissions decisions: the socio-economic group of an applicant, whether an applicant’s parent has any experience of higher education or the type of school attended by the applicant.
7.13 - Candidates are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, disability or age.
7.14 - Consideration of applications from students who declare a disability is based on the same criteria and principles as other candidates. The University is seeking to reduce any barriers that might confront a student with a disability seeking to study at Bristol. A decision may need to take into account any overriding health and safety concerns, barriers relating to professional requirements, or the University's ability or inability to make any necessary adjustments. Such cases will be addressed on an individual basis. Implementation of the Admissions Principles and Procedures will be sensitive to the different experiences of disabled applicants, and will take into account their response to the opportunities and challenges they have encountered, on the understanding that these may be individual to the applicant. Applicants with a disability are encouraged to disclose this to the University, to enable any necessary adjustments to be planned in support of their education. Failure to do so may impact on the ability to make any necessary reasonable adjustments.
7.15 - Applications from mature and other students who are not applying directly from, or within a year of leaving, school or college, who have non-standard qualifications or who wish work or life experience to be taken into account as part of their application, will be considered on an individual basis, in line with the general aims and principles of the Admissions Principles and Procedures.
7.16 - Attending a non-accredited preparatory course or summer school provided by the University or other agency can help students prepare for university life, but does not in itself guarantee a place, though it may be taken into account as an indicator of motivation and commitment.
7.17 - Where an applicant has a previous criminal conviction, a decision on whether to offer a place will be made by a group convened by the Academic Registrar, according to the procedure set out in our guidelines for the recruitment of students with a criminal conviction.
7.18 - The University reserves the right to exclude a candidate who is considered on justifiable grounds to be unsuitable for a place on a particular course or for attendance at the University in general.
7.19 - The University of Bristol is not prepared to admit applicants on the strength of information believed to be either fraudulent or plagiarised, and reserves the right to reject or cancel an application under these circumstances, as outlined in the University statement of policy on fraudulent applications.
8.1 - Wherever possible, all candidates are contacted with a decision on their application within 3 weeks of their application being received.
8.2 - Departments/Schools will inform the Widening Participation and Admissions Strategy Group in their Admissions Statement of their offer range and criteria. The levels of the conditional offers made must normally be in line with published entry requirements and may not vary substantially from these.
8.3 - Offers are made only to candidates judged to have the academic potential to succeed in their chosen course of study, including the required level of proficiency in the English language. Candidates must also be able to satisfy any necessary immigration requirements and be able to satisfy the University as to the source of funding for tuition and any accommodation fees for the full period of study
8.4 - Overseas students are not competing for Home/EU places. The level of any conditional offer made to them may therefore differ from those made to Home/EU students. Different levels of offer are not made on the basis of the educational sector from which the candidate is applying. There are no quotas or targets for different types of school or college.
9.1 - Confirmation is the name given to the period in August each year when the University receives A level and other UK and international qualification results for any applicants who have accepted conditional offers. On the basis of these results, applicants who achieve the grades required by their conditional offer have their place confirmed. Applications from those students who have not quite met the required grades are reviewed and their places may be confirmed if there are places still available on their course.
9.2 - In order to carry out the Confirmation process described above, the University relies on its computer systems receiving and processing electronic results data from UCAS, for results of A level and some other UK qualifications. In turn UCAS relies on receiving and processing electronic results data from the A level and other UK qualification examination boards. All bodies also rely on the appropriate staff being available to process the examination results. These activities normally have to be accomplished within a tight timescale of three to four working days.
9.3 - The University has contingency plans in place to enable it to cope with failure of these processes (for example, localised computer systems failure, loss of power). However, in the event of some very exceptional circumstances beyond its control (e.g., extensive computer systems failures, mass staff unavailability affecting either students’ ability to sit school leaving examinations or the University’s ability to process results within the necessary time constraints), the University reserves the right to use alternative methods including, but not limited to, use of Admissions Tutors’ prior assessment and/or scoring of UCAS application forms, or any other method(s) deemed most appropriate, to decide which CF (Conditional Firm) applicants to admit to the University’s undergraduate degree programmes for the forthcoming academic year.
9.4 - Should such exceptional circumstances occur, the University will make every possible effort, once normal service is resumed, retrospectively to offer places to CF candidates who had achieved the terms of their offers but who had not been allocated a place under the emergency procedures. Depending on the timescale and availability of places, it might be necessary to offer a place for the following (i.e., deferred entry) academic year.
10.1 - The University currently receives an average of 12 applications per place, which unfortunately means that we have to disappoint many applicants. We aim to send a letter or email to unsuccessful applicants, in order to explain the outcome in general terms by providing contextual data about competition levels, and the admissions procedures followed. The letter/email will be sent at the time the decision is sent to UCAS. Guidance on requesting further feedback is provided in the applicant feedback and complaints procedures.
10.2 - The University will correspond about a decision only with the candidate. There is no right of appeal, and the decision will not be reviewed. However, concerns that the University's admissions principles and procedures have been incorrectly implemented may be investigated under the applicant feedback and complaints procedures.
Last updated by the Office of Student Recruitment, Access and Admissions, 10th December 2009.
Further information and advice on implementing these procedures can be obtained from the Head of Undergraduate Admissions.
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