Getting the right reference

Who should provide your reference?

References should be written by someone who knows you academically, for example, one of your teachers. They should know you well enough to write about you and your suitability for your chosen course. Your reference doesn’t have to be written by an academic, but if you are studying or have recently left school or college, then an academic reference will be expected.

If you are a mature student and cannot obtain an academic reference, you should ask a responsible person who knows you to provide your reference. This could be an employer, training officer, careers adviser, a teacher on a recent relevant further education course, or a senior colleague in employment or voluntary work. UCAS cannot process your application without full details of a referee and their reference unless you have agreement from your chosen universities that a reference is not required. References from family, other relatives or friends will not be accepted.

Most references will talk about:

Your general behaviour and conduct in class
How you work academically
Your performance on individual units that you have studied
How you interact with other students and teachers
How suited you are to studying your selected course
Your suitability for a particular profession
Information about any specific needs you may have such as a disability or learning difficulty, and how you cope with these at school or college

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Getting the right reference