26th November 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A new survey by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Sutton Trust has revealed that state school students are far less likely than private school students to apply to top universities due to poor advice and lack of confidence. Amongst the top reasons for not applying given by state school students were fears about living costs, and a lack of information about how to make their applications appealing.
Over 13,000 students were surveyed, picked from those who achieved at least 3 B grades at Alevel. The research concluded that these were a group of bright students who needed extra support and encouragement in order to fulfil their potential. The survey also revealed that high achievers who did not apply to top universities made their decision based on concerns over living costs, distance from home and job prospects, rather than being influenced by a university’s prestige.
In contrast, those who did apply to top universities did so based on league tables, and were interested in challenging themselves academically. These students tended to come from private schools, where 73% of students applied to the most competitive universities, compared with just 53% from state schools. The research also found that over 3,000 students from state schools who do apply to top universities and achieve the necessary grades, are not awarded places.