This information is designed to provide advice
for those staff in schools and colleges who
have the responsibility to write the UCAS
Academic References for applicants. It
provides general information and is not
intended to be a comprehensive document. It
is important to note that different universities
apply different criteria for assessing
applications and you should ensure that you
and your students are aware of any particular
requirements for courses and universities that
they are applying to. We hope, however, that
this document will help you address some of
the issues in writing an appropriate reference
for entry to higher education.
Writing a UCAS
Academic Reference
“The UCAS Academic Reference plays a
very important role in our decision making
process. We use it to assess not only the
student’s current achievements but also their
future potential. We receive more applications
than we have places and our aim is to make
offers to those applicants who are best suited
to studying at Manchester. This is a difficult
and complex judgement which involves
assessing which students best meet our
selection criteria, and which students have
the potential to benefit most from their
chosen course, and to contribute both to the
Academic School and the wider University.
The UCAS Academic Reference, by giving us
a strong sense of the individual student, plays
an important part in helping
us make that judgement.”
Dr Michael Sanders
Director for Admissions and Recruitment
& Senior Lecturer in Victorian Literature,
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
What is a UCAS Academic Reference?
A student’s UCAS Academic Reference is designed to provide universities
and colleges with an informed and academic assessment of the applicant’s
suitability for their chosen course.
The importance of the UCAS Academic Reference
The UCAS Academic Reference is important
for a number of reasons:
• the UCAS Academic Reference is one tool used by universities and colleges
to help determine whether to offer a student a conditional or unconditional
university place
• it is the only part of the application that the applicants do not write themselves.
As you know your students and universities and colleges don’t, universities
and colleges rely on it to demonstrate the real potential of the student
• it will be read and may be scored to assess whether the applicant has
the necessary skills and academic ability to study the stated course
What are universities looking for?
UCAS states that Universities are looking
for an informed and academic assessment of:
• their academic performance in their post-16 education
• their potential for academic success in higher education
• why their chosen course is suited to them
• any personal qualities which will benefit them at university, such as skills,
aptitude, enthusiasm
• what they can bring to the university, such as extra-curricular activities
and interests
The University of Manchester perspective
At The University of Manchester we are looking for the UCAS Academic
Reference to be written by a member of staff who knows the candidate and
his/her performance, and places the candidate and their actual/predicted
results in context. It should support the student’s personal statement and
give an honest, fair and relevant assessment of the candidate’s potential to
succeed at a higher level in the chosen subjects.
The Process
This will be different at different schools,
but we suggest …
• Students could be invited to provide information about themselves
(pro forma and/or discussion) and to compile grade predictions.
• Subject teachers provide specific comments and predicted grades.
• Personal tutor may provide a statement on personal qualities and
assemble the reference, editing it to include an introduction and
conclusion ensuring consistency and that it ‘reads well’.
• Completed references should then be added to the online application
form, before final checking and submission by the senior authorised
UCAS contact.
Predicted Grades
It is helpful if referees are honest and clear about
particular subjects students are having difficulty
with. If a low predicted grade is accompanied by a
glowing reference it can be difficult to see the
relationship between the two. Therefore it is
useful if referees are able to say in the reference
why a student is achieving this grade, whether a
higher grade is within their grasp and whether
they have the potential and/or motivation to
reach this higher grade. This can help universities
and colleges take into account a student’s
potential as well as their previous performance.
Each pending qualification that the applicant has
entered on their application will be listed in the
reference section.
Predicted grades should be clear and
unambiguous, and need to consider:
• Do they match the entrance requirements of the courses chosen?
• Are they consistent with the past academic performance of
the student?
If ‘No’ to any of the above, then you need to provide an explanation
in the reference.
H
ow
to
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te
a
n
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s
truc
ture
the
ref
eren
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e
The structure of the UCAS reference is not set in
stone and will differ from school to school and
candidate to candidate, but should include:
• Background information on the applicant and the school
• Details relating to extra-curricular activities and candidate’s personality
• Subject by subject reports
– Details from subject teacher
– Most relevant or best first
• Extra Curricular activities/Candidates personality
• Suitability for the course and University
It can be useful to include brief details about the
applicant and the school. Information about the
school/college could include:
• Size and type of school/college
• Number of students in student's year group and/or class sizes,
and the proportion typically progressing to HE
• Typical number and patterns of qualifications taken by students
• Information about school policy such as number of A ‘levels taken,
are students able to take 4 AS levels in Year 12?
• Contextual information about the catchment
If the student’s own situation is different to the typical school policy, it is helpful
to give details of this.
If you choose to enter details about the school/college, please ensure that
they are succinct, as the reference should focus mainly on the applicant rather
than the school/college.
Things to mention when giving background
information on the applicant and the school
could include:
• Additional Support Needs
• English as a Second Language
• 16-19 bursary fund
• First generation to Higher Education
• Living in Local Authority Care
• Complex family situation
• Carer or affected by the disability/death of a close family member
• Asylum-seeker/residency issues
• Bullying
These should not be mentioned in the personal statement by the applicant.
It is important to note that you should not give
information about an applicant's health or disability
without their agreement.
Students are asked to state any disabilities or special needs in a separate part
of the application. Students are not obliged to disclose such information on
their application, however, early disclosure gives the universities and colleges
more time to prepare and arrange the support that a student may need. Some
referees may wish to mention the student’s learning difference or disability in
an academic context, such as how they currently cope at school or college.
Academic performance post-16 – subject
by subject reports.
The most important part of the reference is your assessment of the applicant’s
suitability for the higher education courses they have chosen.
Most universities find it useful to have information and details from subject
teachers about the applicant. Ideally your reference should include subject by
subject reports and they should be listed with the most relevant or best
achieving subject first.
We recommend that you consider the
following points:
• Student’s academic performance in their post-16 education – current/past
achievements in the subject(s)
• Potential for academic success - profile of academic and personal qualities
and skills
• Suitability of chosen course/subject area
• What they can bring to the university
• Evaluation compared to other students
• Individual circumstances (if not mentioned elsewhere)
• Explanation of qualifications
Extra Curricular activities, the candidate’s
personality and suitability for the course
and University.
The reference should include a summary of the student’s extra curricular
activities, the candidate’s personality and suitability for the course and
university. Many courses provide details of the selection criteria and attributes
they are looking for in their prospectuses, websites or entry profiles. This may
be helpful starting point if you are constructing a reference for a course that
you have little prior experience in recommending an applicant for. For example,
if they are applying for a demanding course such as Medicine, will they be able
to cope with the pressure?
Areas that should be covered include:
• Discussion of student’s personal qualities
– Maturity, commitment, enthusiasm
– Transferable skills where not mentioned above such as time
management, organisation etc.
• Extra curricular activities and roles of responsibility
• Suitability for the course and university
– Emphasise particular experiences or skills relevant to the course
Background informati
o
n
o
n
the applicant and the school
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL
Royal Charter Number: RC000797
KD185 05.15
Final
thoughts …
Yo
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Be
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Opinio
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Tailored to
the individual
T
a
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a
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a
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Th
e
l
eng
th
o
f
reference
– 4000
character word
limit or 47 lines
(which ever is
shorter)
A
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Remember the
UCAS form
is invisible
of choice
(n
o refer
en
ce should be
m
ade to i
n
di
vi
dual
un
i
ver
si
ti
es)
Link the
reference to
the student’s
subject choice
References are
no longer
confidential –
be open with
students and
their parents
If written early
in the UCAS cycle,
invite the university
to contact you later
for more details
(par
ticular
ly fo
r
Access to HE Students)
Where to find out more:
The University of Manchester For information on how your students can apply, the courses offered
and open day dates
www.manchester.ac.uk
The University of Manchester – Teacher and Adviser Information For information on the activities
and resources available for teachers and advisers
www.manchester.ac.uk/connect/teachers
UMASS University of Manchester Aspiring Students’ Society for application advice and glossary
of terms
www.umass.manchester.ac.uk
