How meritocratic is admission to highly selective UK universities?

Abstract

This chapter explores empirically the extent to which admission to highly selective, Russell Group universities can be said to be meritocratic, in the narrow sense of determined by applicants' prior attainment alone. The chapter also discusses the case to be made for a greater shift towards meritocratic admissions policies in the broader sense, via the widespread use of contextualised admissions policies which take due account of the often challenging circumstances in which people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds achieve the qualifications required to go to university. In its interim report, the Scottish Commission on Widening Access (CoWA) highlighted the fact that entry requirements have increased considerably in recent years and raised questions about whether very high grades are necessary for doing well at university or are largely a device used by popular universities to reduce the pile of eligible candidates to more manageable proportions.