Admissions Research now available on the web

The University of Cambridge has laid bare some of the thinking behind its admissions decisions in a new "Admissions Research" section of the Undergraduate Admissions website. The new section has been set up to host papers and documents offering in-depth analysis of the issues affecting admissions policy at the collegiate University, and to present some of the key findings from research carried out under the guidance of the University's Admissions Research Working Party. Admission to Cambridge is highly competitive. In the 2010 admissions round, 99.5% of successful applicants who had completed A Levels achieved at least three grade As. 89% achieved A*AA or better and the average number of A*s achieved by each entrant was 2. The assessment of applicants focuses on the appropriateness of their chosen course and their potential to achieve strong academic results in Cambridge while deriving the greatest benefit from the Cambridge learning environment. The Admissions Research Working Party commissions and receives research and analysis to ensure that, when making these assessments, Admissions Tutors are making valid, fair and well-informed decisions based on the best available indicators of likely future success at Cambridge. The research has been published as part of the University's commitment to making as much information as possible about the admissions process available to the public, including prospective students, their teachers, parents and advisers. Topics covered on the website include: - The rationale for our target that 61-63% of our UK admissions should come from the maintained sector, which the University has proposed in its Access Agreement. UK State-Sector Undergraduate Admissions to Cambridge: What is an Achievable Target?