UCAS reference letter 2024

The UCAS reference letter is used by admissions teams to gain a fuller impression of applicants. UCAS reference letters, therefore, play an important role in the application process and can influence whether a student will be accepted into university. To help you understand what the reference letter is, and how to write one, we’ve come up with a guide applicable for both students and referees.

UCAS reference letter

The UCAS reference letter is an opportunity for an applicant’s referee to tell the admissions teams more about an applicant. It is the only part of the application process where the applicant is not directly involved, indeed, unlike their personal statement, the student has no control over what is said.

If you are the one applying for university, it is therefore vital that you choose a referee who knows you in an academic or professional context, so that they will be able to accurately convey your strengths, skills and the qualities which they believe make you suited for the courses you are applying to. Referees need not only to be familiar with the applicant, but also what they are applying for, what they have studied, and what is in their personal statement.

Reference letters should positively enhance what is said in their personal statement.

Guidance for applicants

Universities and colleges will want to hear from someone who actually knows you, and knows you well enough to comment on your work ethic, and what you are like as a student.

If you are applying through a school or college, the best people to ask are your tutor, teacher, or the headteacher.

If you are applying as a mature student, or have not been in formal education for some time, your employer or supervisor if you have done any voluntary work or training will also be a good choice. Just make sure that they have read the course descriptions of those you are applying, and understand why you want to go to university.

Do not ask your family. It is a bad idea to ask friends or family, even ex-partners, to be your referee. UCAS takes in the referee’s details, and if it is discovered that they are a friend or member of your family, your application will be cancelled. Do not take the risk. If you are unsure as to who to make your referee, don’t hesitate to get in touch with UCAS themselves.

You only need one reference, so make sure it is someone who knows you well.

Looking to apply to a Conservatoire? The process for UCAS Conservatoires is slightly different – to find out more about your reference, have a look online and on the UCAS website.

Deadlines

If you are applying through your school, there is a chance your school will have its own internal deadline for your application. This is to ensure tutors and teachers have enough time to write and add their reference to your application. You don’t need to do anything after you have chosen your referee – they will send in your application once they have added the reference. Make sure you are in good and regular communication with your referee if you want to know their progress and when your application will be completed.

Your reference will need to have been submitted by the course deadline – this is either the 15th of October 18:00 UK time or 15th of January 18:00 UK time. If you do not know when your deadline is, check the course details.

If you are not applying through a school or college, you must be slightly more proactive, but don’t worry. On the reference page of your application, you will be able to click a button ‘Options’, which will allow you to ask someone to write a reference. Make sure you have contacted them about it beforehand though! If they agree, fill in their details and give them the buzzword to link your application and reference,

After you have provided their details, they will receive an email to confirm who they are – it is therefore important that you fill in the correct contact information.

To allow your referee plenty of time to write your reference, contact them about it well in advance. If they have never written one before, they may need time to research and find out how to write one.

Once it has been written and completed, you will then be able to pay the application fee and submit your application!

UCAS reference letter sample

Although you don’t have any direct role in the writing of a reference, it may be useful to discuss the contents with your referee, especially if they are unfamiliar with what to say. Have a look at these points for a UCAS reference letter sample.

• It needs to be written in English. The only exception to this is if you are applying for courses in Wales, and the rest of your application is in Welsh. International students also need to write in English.

• Are any of your career goals relevant to your degree? It’s good if they know what modules you have taken or work experience you have done.

• Predicted grades. You may not be told your predicted grades, but your teacher will include them.

• If your school career or academic performance has been impacted by an illness, personal loss, or extenuating circumstances, this is where it can be mentioned.

If your referee is unsure how to format the letter, they can find a UCAS reference letter sample on the internet. A UCAS reference letter sample will show them how to structure their letter.

Guidance for referees

Your students will no doubt have been told to plan, write, edit, and rewrite their personal statements. These principles also apply to you! There is a 4,000 character limit on UCAS references, so it is a good idea to allow yourself time to properly think about what you are going to say.

References play an important part in the application process, especially for those applying for applied or vocational subjects. There is therefore pressure on teachers or advisers to write a good reference.

To help you do so, we advise you thoroughly research what courses they are applying to – the student should inform you of their choices. You can use the UCAS course search to find these pages. Often universities will describe what type of student they are looking for in the course descriptions – these can be a good place for you to start thinking about how you can demonstrate the applicant is a good match for the degree programmes they want to apply to.

It may be a good idea to have a look at a UCAS reference letter example. Ask colleagues or have a look on line to understand the type of tone appropriate in a UCAS reference letter example.

So, what information should you include?

• Naturally, you want your student to do well, but be honest. It would be a sad story if an applicant found they were not able to keep up with the demands of their course.

• Describe their suitability for the subject. You may want to relate this to their career goals, their attitude to learning and education, commitment to their subject, and motivation for pursuing this course of action. If you are not their subject teacher, ask your colleagues to contribute by providing detailed and accurate accounts.

• Do they have any particular achievements that are worth mentioning? What are their outstanding skills?

• Have they undertaken any work experience or extracurricular activities that are relevant to the subject they want to study? These can be used as evidence to demonstrate their enthusiasm and commitment.

• What has the student done to prepare themselves for undergraduate study? This could be working hard towards A-Levels, or taking part in programmes outside of school.

Things to remember:

• There is a limit on how much you can write – 4,000 characters including spaces, or 47 lines.

• Unless the student has applied in Welsh to a Welsh university, the reference needs to be written in English.

• English should also be used by international students. If English is not their first language, make sure you describe their English speaking, reading, and writing abilities. If English is not your first language, it may be a good idea to ask the applicant’s English teacher to have a look at the reference to make sure phrasing, spelling, and grammar are perfect.

• Please note that you can, however, use some European characters

• Don’t simply repeat what has always been said elsewhere in their application. Of course, you can add and expand to it.

• Don’t specifically mention a university – this letter will go out to all five of the applicant’s choices.

• The best way to write the letter is to use a word processor and before copy and pasting it into the right section, but just make sure you double-check the characters before submitting.

• When uploading the letter onto the application page, make sure you click ‘save’ frequently. After 35 minutes of inactivity, the page will time out and you will lose any unsaved progress.

Writing a UCAS reference for an employee

If you have received a UCAS reference request, there is a chance you may only know the applicant in a professional setting. So, make sure you have fully understood exactly why they want to go to university and what they are applying for. Other than asking them, the best way to prepare for writing the letter is to go to the course descriptions on UCAS and see what kind of student they are looking for.

As their employer, you should comment on the skills and qualities they possess, their attitude to work, and ability to get on with others.

UCAS reference letter example by teachers

If you are an applicant’s teacher and have received a UCAS reference request, there are several things you should include.

• Has anything impacted their studies? If there are any discrepancies between their exam results or predicted and actual grades such as illness or personal loss, make sure you include it. Is there any context admission tutors should know about?

• Is there a part of the syllabus they have particularly engaged with? Look at what they’ve said in their personal statement – they may have mentioned a topic they’ve loved studying at school.

• Admissions tutors will appreciate actual examples as they will strengthen your letter. Give solid examples of your student’s performance.

• Universities will want to see that a student has potential. Can you provide any examples of this?

Independent applicants

If you have been asked to serve as a referee for an applicant not applying through a school or college, you will get an email from UCAS with a password which will allow you to access the application and add the letter. Make sure you read all of their application and personal statement to ensure you fully understand why they want to go to university and what they want to study. This may include any career goals.

*Impact of COVID-19*

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an extremely destructive impact on education around the world. If the student you are writing for is applying for 2021 entry, universities and colleges will be fully aware of any disturbances to either grade results or teaching.

To best support students and schools, UCAS has been working closely with advisory and education boards such as the Undergraduate Advisory Group, to come up with a solution to the problems caused by the pandemic.

If COVID-19 has impacted the applicant’s education in any way, you can say so. The following points are things you may wish to consider.

• If you are a teacher, how did your school or college respond to the pandemic? Were you able to provide full teaching? How was teaching effected? Did students miss out on teaching time?

• How was the individual applicant impacted? Did they experience any personal loss as a result of the coronavirus? Was their access to education restricted following the closure of schools?

• Has their university application process been impacted?

• Are their predicted or actual grades true reflections of their performance given the circumstances?

Don’t worry if you have already completed the reference letter. Institutions are fully aware of the pandemic and will naturally understand that it will have impacted student’s education.

UCAS are keen to note that whether or not you mention COVID-19, the applicant will not be at any disadvantage.

This advice is only relevant for those applying for 2021 entry. As it stands, this is not relevant for those applying later, but if the situation changes, UCAS will make sure to inform you and update their guidelines.