The aim of a reference is to ‘give universities and colleges an informed and academic assessment of an applicant’s suitability for further study’.
You will have a maximum of 4,000 characters to cover the following section headings:
- Establishment details
- Extenuating circumstances
- Other supportive information
The reference is a key part of a student’s application so it is important to gather the relevant information to write this. It can be helpful to consult the student’s subject teachers who will be able to provide information on their ability in and attitude towards that subject. In addition to discussing academic capability it is also important to talk about the student as a whole so do include details of any extracurricular activities and personal attributes that will help them succeed on their chosen course, as well as any extenuating circumstances.
The UCAS site has some helpful guidance on what they want from references and what information you might want to include:
https://www.ucas.com/advisers/references/how-write-ucas-undergraduate-references
Remember, students are allowed to ask to see a copy of their reference, along with any other information held about them by UCAS.
