With the majority of the UCAS form the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate their suitability to be accepted onto their favourite undergraduate courses. Through all the evidence of their time at school, the courses they have taken, the results they have earned, the interests that they have formed and their ability to convey their passion for the subject in their personal statement it is up to the student to show exactly why they deserve a place. There is however one section that rests with the academic professionals charged with educating the student. The reference.
Every university that the applicant selects will be able to view the reference that has been submitted by the school currently teaching the student. The degree to which each admissions team weights the schools reference varies but suffice to say it is considered important by most universities. To an extent the school must carry out the reference writing process impartially and without students being aware of how it is being done. And one important caveat to raise is that every school and sixth form college in the UK and overseas will carry out this process in a different fashion.
But I would like to explain how you can help make your reference as strong as possible.
The first thing you should be aware of is that whilst every institution has a slightly different way of producing a reference most take a fairly similar approach. Firstly the reference is typically not written by the Headmaster since they are generally too busy and do not know the students well enough. Instead, depending on the size of the school, it is written by the Head of Sixth Form of Programme (e.g. A levels) or even more likely by the students Personal Tutor. The personal tutor is someone that normally works with the student throughout their two years at A level and is able to form an accurate view on their academic and personal traits and strengths. As an act of leverage to encourage you to work harder it is quite common for the lead author of your Reference to declare that fact to you on a regular basis. “Work hard for me because I’m the one writing your UCAS reference” is a phrase often heard throughout classrooms in the UK. If however you do not know who is writing your reference I would recommend it to be a good idea to find out. If you ask in a polite and supportive manner, asking who it is that you can seek guidance from in terms of showing your qualities in your reference most schools will be happy to explain the process to you.
The author of your reference is tasked with impartially explaining to universities what are your best qualities as a potential applicant for your course. This means highlighting areas of knowledge, particularly in essential courses e.g. Chemistry for Medicine, but also skill, both specific to the subject and more generic that equip the applicant to succeed at university. As such the reference collates and builds a coherent narrative based on the advice and contributions of the subject teachers that have worked with the student in their time at the school. So it is important that you are impressing all of your teachers all of the time.
But would you like me to help you a little bit? Maybe give you a secret that will really help you?
Ok. The universities have created a list of all the most important qualities that they will like to see in an applicant. If the school is clever they will have tried to work out if you and all your peers have any of the following: Essay writing ability, communication, problem-solving skills, capacity for analysis and teamwork skills. So if I was you I would write these five core skills down and try to demonstrate them each day that you are in school. You can even ask your teacher – can you read this extra essay I’ve written? How can I improve my capacity for written and oral communication? Can you set me a relevant problem-solving challenge to develop this skill? Not only are you improving the skills that universities are looking for but you are also reminding your teachers of your mature approach to your studies and highlighting real examples of your capacity for each of the key skills an undergraduate needs.
So that’s my advice on how to secure a great reference!
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