Joint statement from Professor Melveena McKendrick, University of Cambridge Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Education, and Dr Geoff Parks, Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges, in response to the final report from the Admissions to Higher Education Review (the Schwartz report):
Joint statement from Professor Melveena McKendrick, University of Cambridge Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Education, and Dr Geoff Parks, Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges, in response to the final report from the Admissions to Higher Education Review (the Schwartz report):
"Professor Schwartz and the Steering Group have produced a detailed, well-researched and insightful document, which identifies the admissions challenges facing higher education institutions (HEIs) right across the sector. It also highlights the best practice needed to achieve a fair system that offers all applicants access to the education that best meets their needs and abilities, regardless of their school or social background.
"Cambridge has long taken an 'holistic' approach to admissions and we welcome the report's recommendation that applicants should be treated as individuals and judged on an overall assessment of their abilities as an endorsement of our current practice.
"We agree that it is important to contextualise an applicant's achievements - we have been doing this for many years, for example through the Cambridge Special Access Scheme for students whose education may have been disrupted or disadvantaged in some way. It is also important, though, that the information that enables such contextualisation is made available on a consistent basis. For instance, at present there is a considerable difference between the information publicly available about the quality of English schools and colleges and that available on schools and colleges in the rest of the UK.
"We are particularly pleased that the report has recognised the current difficulties many HEIs have in differentiating between the large numbers of applicants who, on the face of it, might appear to be equally well-qualified, and the contribution that common, subject-specific admissions tests, such as the Bio-Medical Admissions Test (BMAT), can make in this respect.
"We welcome the recommendation that a post-qualification applications system be introduced as soon as possible and look forward to participating in discussion about implementing such a system."
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