In the 6th form threads I read about contextual applicants/offers. What are contextual applicants/offers? Is there a separate application process?

Mods, apologies if there is a thread for this. If so, please merge the threads.

No separate application process. Universities have lists of contextual schools and will apply contextual data to any application - so if your child has attended a contextual school for secondary (even if they go to a grammar for 6th) they will get contextual weighting on any offer.

It is all done through an algorithm based on the information you provide to ucas in your application. Hence why it is so important to be totally truthful and comprehensive!

Contextual offers are offers that are made based upon the context of the applicant. (Perhaps unsurprisingly)
Various indicators are used depending upon the course/uni applied for, but commonly they take into account factors such as student home location, results with respect to school attended, history of progress to HE, to name but a few. Usually this is something done automatically by the uni. They can make a significant difference. My son had one offer change from AAA to ABB.
SD

Just to add that some universities are better with contextual offers (sometimes called widening participation or widening access) than others - it can mean one or two grades lower on an offer or a more generous allowance if results miss a standard offer. Some unis are less generous but most advertise on their website and will tell you at openday what their contextual offers look like. Some will give context if the applicant is the first in their family to attend HE.

Manchester Metropolitan University has a current 'push' to get young people who would be the first in their family to go to university, to apply, I believe (not much use to DS, as DH and I both went to university, but I might nudge the History of Artcourse in his direction anyway). Bristol has a list of schools on its website whose students qualify for reduced offers. Several universities, including Leeds and the University of Birmingham, have specific widening access schemes for local applicants.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Even oxbridge use contextual flags...

They do, indeed.

I seem to remember that this is something of which the principals of certain independent schools have expressed a level of disapproval.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

KCG, Stroudydad, toad mum, thank you for all the posts. Much appreciated.

So, ss grammar school DCs will generally not qualify for contextual offers even if their home post code falls in the contextual applicant group?

Stroudydad, if you don't mind me asking, which was the most important contextual factor that led to the offer change?

Hi, it’s all cool, my son went to a high performing grammar, that particular uni used the polar metric, but others use different one. Our house is in a polar 1 area. (We are rich in life not money) therefore she got a contextual flag because of that. On the flip side, my daughter has applied to Loughborough this year and she won’t get a flag because they use a different socio economicmetric(name of which escapes me atm) and the boundary line for the flag is at our garden fence...

I do wonder, sometimes, with certain colleges, if this is used more at the "invitation to interview" stage, so that they can tick the "look how much we have widened applications" box, rather than at offer stage (look how much we have widened participation)...hence being seen to open the door but actually, keeping it firmly bolted on the inside.....