How we use the academic reference
At Bath we have a thorough admissions process in which we consider all aspects of each application in detail, including the academic reference. Every application will be read by at least two of our Admissions Selectors, who each specialise in a set of specific undergraduate courses.
With the exception of our Pharmacy and Social Work degrees, we make admissions decisions for most applicants based wholly on their UCAS application rather than through an interview. The academic reference therefore provides important context to help us assess your student's suitability for our courses.
When reviewing both the academic reference and the student's personal statement we are looking for relevance to the course that the student is applying for. Details of predicted grades, relevant mitigating circumstances, and additional contextual information are also key areas.
What to include
First paragraph
It is helpful if you can write a short introductory paragraph that may include information such as:
- a URL to your school or college website. The reference should be about the student and not the school, but a school overview might include relevant details such as availability of academic routes, or social context. To save space use a link to a web statement on school context and curriculum if possible, and then highlight any factors relevant to the application e.g. Further Maths A level is not offered.
- general contextual information about your school or college performance in recent years
- information about staffing, especially if there has been disruption to a relevant subject area
- details of the typical pattern of qualifications taken by your students e.g. 3 A levels and an EPQ
- details of any subjects that are not available to your students
Academic information
To help us assess the academic performance of your student please include details of:
- prior attainment, predictions, and details of any gaps in study
- reason for chosen subjects or qualifications
- a summary of performance in each subject, and how this supports the predicted grades of the student
- notable performance in recent tests, exams, or independent projects (e.g. the EPQ)
- how performance is matched against peers
- comments on any project qualifications
- aptitude for study at a higher level
- academic skills and qualities
General information
It is also helpful if you can tell us about:
- the student's general motivation, attendance, contribution, and attitude
- notable experiences that don’t fit in the personal statement, such as extra responsibilities in school/college
- the impact of any disability or learning need
- any relevant details of the student’s career goals
School closures and educational disruption during the Coronavirus outbreak
Given the global nature of the Coronavirus update, we are aware that your student will have experienced significant disruption to their studies and home life. Therefore, although you will not need to include information relating to any general disruption, should the school or their studies have been specifically disrupted a small amount of information may be included in the reference.
Mitigating circumstances
Please include information about any individual or specific circumstances which may have affected your student’s academic performance. We publish our approach to mitigating circumstances and we would encourage you to carefully read through the guidance on this webpage. If you feel it is relevant, additionally arrange for your student to complete and return a mitigating circumstances form.
With the student's consent, sharing relevant extenuating circumstances in the reference will ensure universities give additional consideration to the applicant both when deciding whether to make an offer and potentially at confirmation if an offer is made but the student does not meet the offer requirements.
Circumstances that directly impact exam performance should also be notified to the relevant exam board at the earliest opportunity.
Information to avoid
- Focus on skills irrelevant for your students chosen course
- Incorrect qualifications being listed
- Repeated material for lots of students
- Information about the wrong student
- Mismatching description and predicted grades
Further useful information about applying to Bath can be found via our Applying for Undergraduate study in 2021 webpage
Ensuring the reference complements the student's personal statement
Involve the student by creating a student and teacher checklist to ensure an effective and seamless application without duplication between the personal statement and reference. SOME EXTRA INFO HERE!