1. Adjustment
Why applicants use/don’t use it & how
they make these decisions
Kyla Steenhart

3. Methodology
Sample
501 UK/EU 2012 university applicants
Screening questions to ensure respondents:
- Were waiting on results on 16th August
- Had a conditional firm choice offer
- **Achieved grades higher than those required for their firm choice offer**
Fieldwork dates
Thursday 16th – Saturday 18th August

4. Grades achieved
280 UCAS points 260 UCAS points or
(e.g. BBC) below (e.g. BCC)
4% 5%
300 UCAS points
(e.g. BBB)
6%
320 UCAS points
(e.g. ABB)
8%
360+ UCAS points
(e.g. AAA+)
340 UCAS points
63%
(e.g. AAB)
13%
Q2 What grades (or equivalents) did you achieve?
Base: All respondents (501)

5. Biggest concern when choosing a university
The course 42%
Location 24%
Grades required to get in/Getting accepted 20%
Reputation/Ranking 18%
Employability/job prospects 13%
Financial costs 8%
Generally ethos/happy living there 7%
Quality of teaching 6%
Accommodation 4%
How students treated by uni/other students 3%
Quality/availability of facilities 3%
Availability of year working/abroad 3%
A good night/social life 2%
Other 2%
Q6 Thinking back to when you were applying, what was your biggest concern about choosing a university?
Base: All respondents (501)

6. Heard of Adjustment?
No
18%
Yes
82%
Q6a Have you heard of the Adjustment process accessible through UCAS Track?
Base: All respondents (501)

7. Registered for Adjustment
Yes, I’ve
registered
4%
No and I don’t
intend to
register
92%
Not yet but I
intend to
register
4%
Q7 Did you register for Adjustment?
Base: All respondents (501)

8. Registered for Adjustment
Decided not to look for Intend to contact universities to Accepted new
new offer & did not look for new offer offer
contact any universities
Contacted universities to look Contacted universities to look for
for new offer but decided not new offer but not accepted one yet
to change my offer after all
Q8 Regarding Adjustment, which of the following statements best applies to you?
Base: All respondents who had registered for Adjustment (18)

9. Reasons for not wanting to ‘trade up’ – unprompted
Happy with firm choice, generally 79%
Course/university is already the best/one of the
best on offer 10%
Unable to get into a better university/still not
good enough grades 6%
Happy because location is right 5%
Had done lots of research on firm
choice/arranged things already 4%
Contact (visits,communication etc) with uni was
good 3%
Don’t have the time/didn’t want the hassle 3%
Didn’t know enough about Adjustment 1%
Other 3%
Q11 Why did you decide not to reconsider where and/or what to study?
Base: All respondents who decided not to change their offer through Adjustment (501)

10. Reasons for not wanting to ‘trade up’
“I really wanted to go to Sheffield
Uni and have done for months, and
my better than expected grades
didn't change that.”
Female, 18, University of Sheffield as firm
choice
Q11 Why did you decide not to reconsider where and/or what to study?

11. Reasons for not wanting to ‘trade up’
“I had my heart set on Exeter all
along due to its location, the nature
of its course, the city itself and its
reputation. It just had it all, so I
never really seriously considered
going anywhere else”
Female, 18, University of Exeter as firm choice
Q11 Why did you decide not to reconsider where and/or what to study?

12. Reasons for not wanting to ‘trade up’
“Because as soon as I had completed my
interview for my university the
staff, other students and overall
atmosphere of the university was
fantastic and I felt destined to go there
and felt that my heart was set on this
choice of university even before I had
completed my other interviews.”
Female, 18, Anglia Ruskin as firm choice
Q11 Why did you decide not to reconsider where and/or what to study?

13. Reasons for not wanting to ‘trade up’
“I am very happy with my firm
choice, it's a dream come true!
Although my grades exceeded the
necessary grades for my offer, the
course and institution are just what
I am looking for.”
Female, 17, University of Glasgow as firm
choice
Q11 Why did you decide not to reconsider where and/or what to study?

14. Reasons for not wanting to ‘trade up’
“Because I was content with my firm choice. Nor
did I think I'd be able to get on a better course
elsewhere other than Oxbridge which I doubt is
part of the Adjustment process.”
Male, 18, University of Bristol as firm choice
Q11 Why did you decide not to reconsider where and/or what to study?

15. Reasons for not wanting to ‘trade up’
“Because I'm already going to the
top university in the world - there
isn't anything to adjust to”
Female, 18, University of Cambridge as firm
choice
Q11 Why did you decide not to reconsider where and/or what to study?

16. Reasons for using/wanting to use Adjustment - Prompted
To find a university with a better course 53%
To find a university with a better reputation 42%
To find a university with a better location 29%
To find a course with a better reputation 21%
To find a university with better employability 13%
To find a university with a better social life 8%
To find a university with better costs 5%
Warning:
Very small base size
None of the above 5%
Q10 Did/do you want to use Adjustment for any of the following reasons?
Base: All respondents who have registered or intend to register for Adjustment (38)

17. Reasons for using/wanting to use Adjustment
“The university had me on their reserve list, and
offered me a place. My firm was not for a
medicine course, but the adjustment university
offered me a place on a medicine course. I
really, really want to be a doctor, so went
through adjustment.”
Male, 18, King’s College London as firm choice, contacted UEA
through Adjustment
Q9 Why did/do you want to reconsider where and/or what to study?

18. Reasons for using/wanting to use Adjustment
“If I can go to a more prestigious
university I'd obviously like to go”
Female, 18, University of Nottingham as firm
choice, haven’t yet contacted any universities
through Adjustment
Q9 Why did/do you want to reconsider where and/or what to study?

19. Reasons for using/wanting to use Adjustment
“I wanted to go to a Russell Group
university”
Female, 18, University of Northumbria as firm
choice, contacted Newcastle through Adjustment
Q9 Why did/do you want to reconsider where and/or what to study?

20. Importance of information sources
UCAS 56%
Open days/visits earlier in application process 44%
Universities’ own websites 42%
Newspaper league tables 28%
University visits during adjustment period 22%
Bestcourse4me 17%
Unistats 8%
Q13 How important do you think the following sources will be/were/are in deciding which university/universities you want/wanted to Warning:
contact through Adjustment?
Base: All respondents who have contacted or intend to contact universities to look for a new offer (36) – only ‘very important’ shown
Very small base size

21. Who applicants discussed Adjustment decisions with
75% 72%
Family Friends
44%
Teachers 22%
Current
students 6%
Alumni
Warning:
Q14 Did you discuss/will you discuss which university/universities to contact through Adjustment with any of the following people?
Base: All respondents who have contacted or intend to contact universities to look for a new offer (36)
Very small base size

22. Social media usage re Adjustment
2/5 didn’t use/
intend to use any
of these
Warning:
Q15 Did you use/will you use any of the following social media to inform or discuss your Adjustment decisions?
Base: All respondents who have contacted or intend to contact universities to look for a new offer (36)
Very small base size

23. Views on the Adjustment process
“It is a brilliant idea for students like myself
who thought they wouldn't be able to achieve
the grades that the better universities
accept.”
Female, 19, Achieved AAA+
Q23 Overall, how do you feel about the Adjustment process?
Base: All respondents who have registered or intend to register for Adjustment (38)

24. Views on the Adjustment process
“Not enough information is made clearly on
UCAS website, only heard of it in the days
leading up to results day, also would be
beneficial to have universities contacts in one
place on UCAS website or ideas of vacancies or
schools where there are vacancies.”
Female, 18, Achieved AAA+
Q23 Overall, how do you feel about the Adjustment process?
Base: All respondents who have registered or intend to register for Adjustment (38)