UG Admissions Process & open day activities

(Confidential to Academic Staff)

UG Selection vs Recruitment

• We are on the boundary selection/recruitment• “Marketing the School” is a key role of the

Admissions Tutor & all academic staff

• Attracting better students gives more opportunity to select.

It is important to give confident positive messages about the quality of the education we provide.

Goals

• Meet UG target with the best students (2012-13 round is 170)

• Qualifications on entry contribute to league table position.

League tablesE.g. Guardian University Tables, 2013• (Birmingham ranked 11 th/66)

• % Satisfied with Teaching (45 th)• % Satisfied overall with course (42nd) • % Satisfied with Assessment (40 th)• Career prospects (18th)• Value added score/10 (39 th)• Average Entry Tariff (20th)• Expenditure per student (7 th)• Student:staff ratio (24 th) [Bham 15.7, range 11.1-28.2]

(Rankings very fragile to small changes...)

League tablesE.g. Guardian University Tables, 2014• (Birmingham ranked 4 th/66)

• % Satisfied with Teaching (45 th 33rd)• % Satisfied overall with course (42 nd33rd) • % Satisfied with Feedback (was Assessment) (40 th 29th)• Career prospects (18 th21st)• Value added score/10 (39 th19th) • Average Entry Tariff (20th19th)• Expenditure per student (7 th(joint 1st))• Student:staff ratio (24 th 16th)

Getting it right....

The most important single thing is to get the UG teaching right.

• Lectures• Tutorials (weekly and progress)• Projects• Office hours

Reputational gain (e.g. League tables) is a long-term process• Outreach and engagement

Admissions timetable (2013-14)

• [October 2012 – Prospectus]• June 2013 Open days• 1st Sept 15th Jan 2014 Applications– Students apply for 5 courses– Institutions make offers (conditional/unconditional)– [Oxbridge deadline 15th Oct]

• Oct Easter Applicant visit days• Deadline for students’ decisions 6th May

Confirmation and Clearing

• Students make two choices– Firm (CF/UF)– Insurance (CI/UI)

• Firm students: – if they fulfil the terms of the offer they must be

accepted.– if they miss the terms they could be accepted.

• Process repeats at Insurance institution.• Students without places enter clearing.

Anatomy of 2011-12 cycle

05/10/2

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15/10/2

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25/10/2

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04/11/2

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14/11/2

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24/11/2

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04/12/2

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14/12/2

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24/12/2

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03/01/2

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13/01/2

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23/01/2

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02/02/2

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12/02/2

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22/02/2

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03/03/2

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13/03/2

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23/03/2

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02/04/2

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12/04/2

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22/04/2

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02/05/2

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12/05/2

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22/05/2

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01/06/2

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11/06/2

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21/06/2

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01/07/2

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11/07/2

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21/07/2

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31/07/2

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10/08/2

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20/08/2

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30/08/2

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09/09/2

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19/09/2

0120

200

400

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1,000

1,200

Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4

Importance of CF applicants

• Less uncertainty.• More likely to actually show up in Sept.• More likely to complete the course.

• We convert about 25% to CF.

• Guaranteed accommodation in year 1.• We offer scholarships to FIRM offer holders.

Open days vs AVD

• Open days– Goal is to encourage applications– Dates• June 20, 21 and 22• Saturday 14 September 2013• Saturday 26 October 2013

• Applicant Visit Days (AVD)– Goal is to encourage CF (not insurance)

Open day activities

• Degrees and careers talks (LRA)• Mathematics talk (LRA)• Engagement activities (Bridge)• Mathematical Games (Maths learning centre)

Staff contributions

• Good UG teaching....

For open days specifically1. Sit in on one “degrees and careers” talk.2. Go and visit the Physics open days.3. Contribute an engagement activity (or talk)

Engagement activities

• Every member of academic staff should have an engagement activity at their fingertips.– Fun (you should also enjoy doing this)– Elementary (do not confuse!)– (?) surprising, “weird”, intriguing to get attention.– Can be a poster communicating research or open

problems in elementary terms (NOT your latest poster from a research conference!)

– (Please do NOT use the AVD problems)

Pure maths

Klein bottle Non Transitive Dice Burr puzzles

Making Mobius strips

-> Cutting them up etc.

Which dice is best game?

-> analysis

-> Other dice

How to do it?

How many similar puzzles?(which is where the real maths is here....)

Applied maths

Fluid flow Impacts Chaos

How to model? Periodic motion

-> chaos

Pure vs Applied

Geometry <-> Engineering

You need to know what to do with something!

ICME 2012

It is all about how to engage people...

Mathematical games

• Games introduced in Sept 2012

Plenty of source materials

• Rouse Ball, Mathematical Recreations and Essays

• Cundy and Rollet, Mathematical Models• Martin Gardier, many....• Wilkins, (1680) Mathematical magick: or, the

wonders that may be performed by mechanical geometry

• Recorde, (1510-1558) ...

If you are stuck for ideas just ask...

Key open day messages

• BE WELCOMING TO OUR VISITORS!• “Challenging education in a supportive

environment”– Tutorial system– Improved curriculum

• University facilities• City

Conclusion

The most important single thing is to get the UG teaching right.

For open days specifically1. Sit in on one “degrees and careers” talk.2. Go and visit the Physics open days.3. Contribute an engagement activity (or talk)