THE EVOLUTION OF

OSCAR

THE ONLINE SYSTEM FOR COMPLETING APPLICATIONS AND REFERENCES

Final stage of admissions: “Access Gap”Dr Vikki Bolliver (2013)• Multiple disparities in university offer rates when students from the state and private sectors attain the same grades.

Dr Steven Jones (2013)• Sutton Trust report shows consistent differences between the quality of personal statements produced in the state and private sectors.

Academic Apprenticeship Evaluation (2014)• Participants were 3 times more likely to produce a top personal statement contrasted to comparison group.• 100% of participants received at least one offer from a Russell Group University• 77% of personal statements rated differently by teachers and academics

A

Teacher or Academic?

This part slightly increases the likelihood that the applicant would be offered a place.

“Shows clear enthusiasm for Law and links this to understanding of its role in society.”

B

Teacher or Academic?

This part slightly decreases the likelihood that the applicant would be offered a place.

“This is an empty opening statement with no examples cited to back it up. The weak attempt to define Law wastes space and provides no useful details about the applicant.”

Law applicant

“Captivated by the all-encompassing importance of the law in society, I am amazed at the way crime is moderated, precedents are set and how they construct the nature of the world around us.”

OSCAR

OSCAR: Stage 3 (screen extract)

ReferencesDr Steven Jones “Ensure That You Stand Out from the Crowd”: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Personal Statements according to Applicants’ School Type, Comparative Education Review, 57:3 (2013), pp. 397-423

Dr Vikki Bolliver"How fair is access to more prestigious UK universities?" The British Journal of Sociology, 64.2 (2013): 344-364