UCAS, the central application hub for UK universities, has introduced changes to its undergraduate reference requirements for the 2024 entry. In this blog post, we’ll delve into these changes and provide guidance on composing a compelling academic reference tailored to US students for UK universities.
The reference is a third critical component of a student’s application, helping universities assess whether you have the potential to thrive in their academic environment. Here’s why a reference can play a significant role in a student’s application:
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Ensuring the Right Fit: The reference assists admissions tutors in evaluating the alignment between the student and their chosen course(s). This ensures that your academic journey aligns seamlessly with the university’s offerings.
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Contextual Insights: Through the reference, universities gain valuable insights into a student’s academic background, including school performance, course selection, and any factors that may have affected their educational experience, such as changes in staff or other relevant events.
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Clarifying Academic Predictions: The reference also provides universities with information on how well you are doing in class, which could be explained by submitting your predicted grades (AP exams), as well as explanations for any disparities between your prior grades and predicted outcomes.
Not sure what predicted grade are? Read here.
Now, let’s explore each section of the reference in more detail:
Section 1: Overview of Your School
In this section, the referee will provide an overview of your school and educational context.
For US High Schools:
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Describe your high school, highlighting academic performance, extracurricular activities, and any notable achievements.
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Share your curriculum, including advanced courses or unique offerings. Emphasize your qualification offerings and any restrictions on course selection. If your school does not offer AP exams, this is where you should include this information. Mention if your school offers college level classes and if you will be taking them.
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Discuss policies or processes related to grade predictions, including any differences from the typical US grading system.
Section 2: Extenuating Circumstances (If Applicable)
This section is optional but important if the students has faced any unique challenges that impacted their educational journey. Provide insights into factors such as disability, illness, bereavement, or personal circumstances. Additionally:
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Explain any disparities between the student’s past academic performance and their predicted grades.
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Describe any limitations on the student’s choice of subjects or course load.
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Suggest support measures that the university should consider implementing to ensure your success (with the student’s consent).
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For those with extensive backgrounds that exceed the 4,000-character limit, you can submit additional information via email to the relevant Admissions Team, mentioning this in Section 2 of the reference.
Section 3: Showcasing Your Achievements
This section allows you to provide a supporting statement and highlight additional information about the student’s achievements. Use a format that best conveys the information you wish to share:
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Discuss the student’s preparedness for their chosen degree subject and how their previous coursework aligns with their future academic pursuits.
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Highlight successes in subjects relevant to the student’s intended course.
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Comment on the student’s learning competencies, including independent study skills and collaboration.
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Validate claims made in the student’s personal statement, such as extracurricular achievements, competitions, or community contributions.
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Confirm both academic and non-academic accomplishments.
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Offer insights into how the student compares to their peers and the impact they’ve made within your educational community.
Share noteworthy contributions to your community or any outstanding personal attributes.
Include predicted grades if they haven’t been provided elsewhere in your UCAS application.
Last but not least, UCAS has character limits for each section. Below are the following for each section.
Character Limits:
Section 1: Up to 1,000 characters
Section 2: Up to 500 characters
Section 3: Up to 2,500 characters
How The UK Study Expert Can Help You
Looking to find your best match UK university? Lucky for you, the UK Study Expert has taken the guesswork out of figuring out what each university requires with our handy dandy search tool. Or you can find your best university by taking our free UK University Quiz Match.
Need to speak to an advisor about studying in the UK? Check our Services webpage to see what the best available options are for your needs.
