The Applicant Experience
The applicant experience encompasses all the opportunities or points of interaction between higher education and a potential student. Such experience affects whether or not an individual becomes a higher education student, and indeed whether or not an individual chooses to apply to higher education in the first place.
SPA is conducting a major investigation into the applicant experience and information on the different procedural stages followed in that experience will be published throughout 2010.
- Definition of the applicant experience
- UCAS and Direct flowcharts of the applicant experience
- The Applicant Experience Strategy Map
- The pre-application stage
SPA believes this concept lies at the heart of a fair admissions system and incorporates all aspects of the admissions process. We are seeking to work on case studies of good practice with higher education providers who plan a unified or integrated admissions strategy across all stages of the applicant experience (pre-application; application; post-application; transition) and who include student achievement beyond enrolment as one of the key performance measures of that admissions strategy. Please feel free to disseminate the above papers amongst internal and external colleagues involved in recruitment, admissions, enrolment and retention as we would be happy to receive feedback from as wide a range of practitioners as possible.
If, after reading the applicant experience information on our website, you feel your institution already adopts or plans to adopt an approach similar to this and you would like to share good practice with SPA or wish to work with us as a case study, please contact Dan Shaffer, Senior Project Officer.
Please also contact Dan if you are an education support organisation that works closely with higher education (e.g. on widening participation/access) on activities that enrich the applicant experience. We are particularly interested in how such activities in an individual institution, regionally or nationally are monitored throughout the applicant and student experience and how such knowledge is fed back to shape future activities.
The results of the investigation and case studies will inform national recommendations throughout the UK on admissions and the applicant experience.
Reviewed and updated: December 2009