Miles Hewstone offers a refreshing analysis of the Oxbridge admissions process and calls for proper assessment to determine the admissions criteria that have validity ("Selection mechanism", Opinion, 3 January). May I suggest for a start that evidence be published for the so-called "banned" or "blacklisted" A-level subjects? A well-researched peer-reviewed paper on the matter would be able to claim a high impact value in the forthcoming REF.
Mike Goldstein, Streetly, West Midlands