Anne has expressed a desire to progress from FE college to Higher Education, probably studying Law. She searches for courses, mapping her own academic and non-academic profile against the Entry Profiles of different courses located within the UCAS website Course Search facility. She applies to her chosen courses at selected HEIs, one of which gives her a log in to the university website, where she finds targeted information relevant to her circumstances.

The university Anne applied to is a popular one and the course selects from a large pool of applicants. The university has well developed procedures for providing feedback to applicants, but does not normally interview applicants for this course. Anne applies online through UCAS using her ePortfolio system, which has an integrated interface with various UCAS services.

Her application to this university is rejected, and she does not feel that the general information the university supplies to her helps her to understand why she has been unsuccessful. She makes a formal request for feedback, which the university routes to Jane, the Admissions Officer responsible for this course. Jane retrieves the electronic records of Anne's application, which includes all the notes that the Admissions Tutor made when assessing it. Jane reviews the records and writes the feedback, stressing the high number of applications for the course and giving reasons for her rejection. She updates Anne's electronic records and finally sends the feedback off in an email. Anne receives the feedback, which enables her to learn from the experience, and she subsequently makes a successful application.

Environment: The individuals involved have access to good quality electronic resources, e.g. email, and sufficient knowledge to make effective use of them. Anne has her personal information captured electronically in her college ePortfolio system. The university has an extensive electronic infrastructure, with good quality integrated systems and an admissions policy and code of practice, which require the publication of Entry Profiles for each course and the recording of application and assessment information electronically. Developments in the UCAS system and investment in its own infrastructure have enabled the university to implement an entirely electronic application and admissions system. While much of the decision-making is de-centralised, the university's central admissions department liaises with UCAS and provides support to departmental admissions staff.

Constraints: The central admissions department imposes professional constraints upon the applications and admissions process by encouraging, supporting, monitoring and evaluating the university's admissions and recruitment policies. These include avoiding unlawful discrimination, ensuring that an equal opportunities policy is adhered to, maintaining confidentiality, and using a transparent, rigorous and structured approach to selection.

Processes not covered: application for the course, details of assessment, decision processing and notification.