Our policies
Applicants are considered solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender, ethnic or national origin, age (subject to the University regulations on minimum age), disability, religion, sexual orientation or any other irrelevant distinction.
For more details of how we assess applications, please see the sections below.
Admissions procedures | What do we look for on a UCAS form? | Additional requirements | Further information
Admissions procedures
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Your exam grades are very important to us. We use exam grades in prioritising applicants, but other things count as well.
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We look at a range of other factors and aim to give everyone an equal opportunity to show their achievements.
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We treat everyone on an individual basis.
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We receive more applications than we have places. This means that even if you have the right grades for a course, you might not be offered a place.
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Admissions staff for a course may make one standard offer to all applicants or they may vary the offer. This means that some applicants may be made a higher offer and some may be made a lower offer for the same course, depending on their other achievements.
What do we look for on a UCAS form?
Admissions staff at The University of Nottingham look for the following information on the UCAS form:
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academic ability and potential as shown by your GCSE (or equivalent) results and predicted or achieved examination results
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the context of your achievements
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strong reasons for choosing the course and motivation to study a particular discipline
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extra-curricular activities, achievements and responsibilities
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other factors as appropriate to the discipline, such as employment or volunteer work in relevant fields showing commitment to a chosen career or area of work, and sustained critical engagement with relevant issues
If we judge that you have experienced circumstances that have adversely affected your achievement, then we will consider them when assessing your academic potential. You may be eligible to be assessed under our flexible admissions policy. If you wish to mention information about your personal or educational circumstances in your personal statement, then you should ask the teacher or tutor writing your reference to confirm what you have written. We may ask for further evidence.
We may consider a range of circumstances, including, for example:
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Being from a less advantaged family environment in terms of income, education and experience. We normally use a postcode tool to assess this, but some courses may consider whether:
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your parents have been to university
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you or your family are on a low income or recieve a means-tested benefit or tax credit
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Being from a school or college where high academic achievement is not the norm
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Being in local authority care (‘looked after’), or having been in care, for at least three months
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Being responsible for the long-term care of a sick or disabled family member
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Having childcare responsibilities
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Being from a travelling background or having had a disrupted education
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Having refugee status.
However, if you have been affected by illness, disability or bereavement, we will assume that you have already received special consideration from the examination board(s) awarding your grades, unless your referee tells us otherwise.
When we look at extracurricular activities, achievements and responsibilities, we are aware that applicants have different opportunities available to them. We are looking for applicants who have made the most of the opportunities available to them and are able to reflect intelligently on their experiences. These could include, for example, responsibilities at home, at school or in the community; sporting or musical achievements; or participation in schemes such as Duke of Edinburgh. You may wish to describe how you have faced difficult circumstances positively in terms of an achievement.
Additional requirements
Admissions staff at The University of Nottingham assess many applications using only the information available on the UCAS form. Some courses use additional methods of assessment for all or some applicants. This may be for a range of reasons, including:
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to assess your suitability for the profession linked to the course (for example, nursing or veterinary medicine)
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to assess your achievements, motivation and potential
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to distinguish between otherwise similar applicants.
Additional assessment may include interviews or tests; some courses may ask for examples of written work. Where courses use additional assessment, admissions staff send information to applicants, explaining the nature of the assessment, what admissions staff will be looking for and how applicants can prepare.
Further information
The University of Nottingham’s Quality Manual includes more information about our admissions procedures.