Writing Academic References Kay Carpenter Senior Admissions Officer – Music, Writing and Performance 27 November 2018

Common Mistakes & How To Avoid Them The following is designed as a guide to the most common mistakes we see in Admissions every day. It may help to bear these in mind when you write a reference. 2

Important Information to Include Details of your school or college and the subjects offered or not offered. Honest opinion about the student’s progress in their chosen subjects. Details about anything which may have affected the student’s attainment. Suitability for the course applied for. 3

Check the qualifications When an applicant is applying with combinations of Level 3 qualifications, make sure they have quoted the correct ones. This is really important when applicants are studying BTEC and CTEC awards or other Level 3 qualifications. Applicant applied with : A level Music HND Performance HND Sport Aged 17, having completed 1 year in college 4

Check the personal statement You are confirming that the details in the application are correct. Make sure you know what you are approving. Personal Statement: “…. I studies have given me me a good insight into working with people and learning about different countries and servicesto people…...” Reference states : Jane’s written communication skills are good. She is a confident communicator, has some good insights and she can express her opinions and ideas on paper clearly and confidently. 5

Be realistic Make sure your comments match the attainment of the student and sound like the person you are writing about. Don’t inflate predicted grades. AS Grades Drama - D, Psychology – E and History – U Reference States: In History Jane is able to absorb a significant amount of knowledge and deploy this to show understanding of key concepts and the impact of events. She has continued to develop higher order evidence skills through her ability to analyse and evaluate sources and interpretations in their wider context. Predicted Grades Drama - B, Psychology – C and History – C 6

Be specific Make sure your comments reflect the student and not just the course they have studied. Reference States: Qualification: BTEC Extended Diploma in Music Technology. The BTEC Extended Diploma in Music Technology course contains both academic and practical units. Within the submissions for each practical piece of work there is also an academic element that requires critical thinking, evaluation and planning. Modules include……. 7

Are your comments relevant? Make sure your comments reflect the qualities or skills that are necessary for the course the student is applying for. Reference States: “The course chosen by Jane suits her as she has been training in Latino dance for quite a number of years and has developed her skills extensively.” Interesting but not useful when applying for a contemporary dance course. 8

Avoid Copy & Paste Don’t copy comments for multiple students, especially if more than one are applying to the same course at the same university. Reference States: “Charlotte’s attitude to study is practice-focused and theoretical, and her outlook on written and research work is very well planned and very well presented: well-presented and punctual. The Music in the Community unit has enhanced Mollie’s presentation and communication skills.” Also submitted for Matthew, Jack and Katie 9

Factors affecting performance Students often will not disclose circumstances which they feel will jeopardise their chance of gaining an offer of a place. This can cause delay and problems further on when a request is made to take these factors into account when results arrive. 10

Keep a Professional distance Don’t write references for family members or people you know, unless you have taught them and comment solely on their academic ability. Reference States : “Jane is delight to know and has integrity and good character. Her presence lights up the room and I am privileged to know her personally. She is very attractive and a bubbly personality who is extremely popular and has lots of friends…..” 11

And Finally…… Most of these mistakes will rarely result in an application being rejected. However, it will normally result in delay for the applicant and can result in decisions being made from incorrect information which will come to light later on. Most Admissions staff never meet the applicants they assess. We rely on referees to give us a clear picture of the applicant and the information that is relevant to them. 12

Any Questions? 13

Thank You 27 November 2018