Section 2: Extenuating circumstances
Purpose
Section 2 invites you to enter information about extenuating circumstances which may have impacted the applicant’s education and achievement. It is likely that many applicants will not have experienced extenuating circumstances, so this section is optional. There is a box to tick on the UCAS application to indicate that there are no extenuating circumstances - applicants will not be disadvantaged if they have, or do not have, extenuating circumstances.
The crucial thing to remember is to seek the consent of the applicant before including any extenuating circumstances. Applicants can request a copy of their reference from UCAS, so remember to gain consent in all cases. If the applicant has mentioned extenuating circumstances in their personal statement, you should still give details of these in the reference.
What to include in this section
Factors affecting the applicant that could be included in Section 2 are:
- Disability or Special Educational Needs
- Illness
- Bereavement
- Caring Responsibilities
- Looked after in Care
- Refugee or Asylum Seeker
- Had multiple subject teachers in a short space of time
- Lack of access to necessary technology, or a suitable study environment at home
- Limited choice of subjects at an individual level, e.g., due to timetable clashes
What you should be aiming to provide in this section is context for inconsistencies between the applicant’s predicted results, and their performance in post-16 education. Aim to provide concise, specific information which will support universities to understand the context surrounding the applicant’s achievements. It’s also useful to include details of any support you’ve put in place to enable the student to succeed, as universities may be able to offer them similar support once they reach Higher Education. To avoid reducing the wordcount for the rest of the reference, use this section to give a brief snapshot of the applicant’s extenuating circumstances, and email the universities separately with more details if the case is particularly complex or sensitive.
Section 3: Additional supportive information
Purpose
The third section will likely be the bulk of the UCAS reference – you can expect to write around 2000 characters for students applying for more competitive universities. Here, you should outline any other supportive information specific to the applicant and relevant to the course(s) applied for, that you think universities should be aware of. Because this section values information relevant to the course(s) applied for, you may not need to cover all subjects studied by the student. This information can be presented in bullet-point style.
What to include in this section
To describe your student’s academic abilities and suitability for their course, you could include information such as:
- Details of academic skills and achievements in the relevant subjects
- Information about the student’s super-curricular activities and evidence of their engagement with the subject outside of the syllabus
- The applicant’s suitability for the course
- Relevant work experience they have obtained (if necessary for the course)
- Positions of responsibility e.g., Head Girl or Class Representative
- Relevant extra-curricular activities
- Verification of activities that the student has mentioned in their Personal Statement e.g., if they’ve completed a university’s Widening Participation programme
You could also write about barriers which the student has faced which don’t fall under extenuating circumstances – for example, barriers to accessing suitable work experience opportunities needed for their course, or difficulties faced in putting together a portfolio for an art or design course.
Admissions teams are ultimately looking for your student’s potential to succeed in a university setting, so this is what you should highlight through discussing their interest in their subject, their performance at school, and their skills and aptitude.
The key for this section is to show, not tell. To do this, put students into context. For example, if a student is near the top of their class in a particular subject, explain how you’ve arrived at this conclusion and what this means for the student. You might write:
“Alice’s average score in her last three assessments is the second highest in a class of 19 students and is consistent with students who have gone on to achieve a grade A* in previous cohorts”.
For each skill you mention about the applicant, include a specific example which demonstrates this aptitude. Then, link the skill back to the applicant’s chosen course, showing how it will help them to thrive within the Higher Education environment. These skills should be relevant to the student’s ability to study at degree level – for example critical thinking, research ability, written communication, or problem-solving. You could also acknowledge positive academic habits of the applicant, such as their ability to meet deadlines, study independently, or complete extra research beyond the curriculum.
Universities want to see facts and evidence, as well as detailed, specific information about the applicant. Avoid listing generic strengths and instead be selective in writing about qualities which enhance the student’s academic profile. This section should add to what the applicant has covered in their personal statement – there is no need to repeat information that they have already given.
