Interesting Article about value of work experience

I think that this is worth reading and reflecting on.  Surveys should be read with a critical eye - I am sceptical about whether work experience really trumps the other activities mentioned in paragraph four - but clearly it is important. 

DGi

Secret to a university place revealed

Work experience and volunteering were valued far more than other types of extracurricular activity in a survey of university admissions officers

Greg Hurst Education Editor, The Times

 

It is the holy grail of all ambitious teenagers and conscientious sixth-form tutors: inside knowledge on how to submit a perfectly crafted university application.

The answer, it seems, is simple. In addition to good grades and an interest in their chosen degree course, applicants should try to get work experience linked to the subject they want to study.

If this proves too difficult, regular voluntary work is the next best way to stand out.

Work experience and volunteering were valued far more than other types of extracurricular activity in a survey of university admissions officers. They trumped the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, playing in a sports team, learning a musical instrument, acting in a school play or travelling overseas.

University staff also predicted that the “soft skills” gained from extracurricular activities would become more important in helping them to choose between applicants after A-level reforms are introduced.

Admissions tutors said that the “decoupling” of AS levels from A levels and the switch to end-of-course exams after two years would make it more difficult for them to rely on grades alone.

The study, based on responses from 63 university admissions teams, was conducted for World Challenge, a company that organises school expeditions abroad. It also surveyed 350 students and interviewed heads of sixth form and university directors of admissions.

When asked which three things they looked for in a successful applicant, 92 per cent of university staff cited academic grades, followed by an interest in the course or university (60 per cent) and the core subject (25 per cent).

Almost all, however, said they looked for evidence of a candidate’s extracurricular activities in their personal statement and 58 per cent said this had become more important in the past decade, especially when choosing between applicants with similar grades on oversubscribed courses.

Asked which types of activity added most value, the most commonly cited was work experience, at 92 per cent, followed by regular volunteering, at 68 per cent.

Tutors said that applicants should devote between 70 and 80 per cent of their personal statement to their academic interests and experience, and the remaining 20 to 30 per cent to extracurricular activities.

When describing these, they said, candidates should take care to describe the skills or personal development they had gained rather than simply listing activities or achievements. The qualities they rated most highly were communication skills, organisation and independence.