Almost half of the admissions officers (49 per cent) surveyed for a report on behalf of the ACS International Schools group of private schools said that ¡°independent enquiry¡± was the quality they prized most when assessing personal statements on university applications.

Only 22 per cent listed ¡°in-depth subject expertise¡± as the most valued quality beyond exam performance, the report says.

Six per cent of the 78 university admissions heads polled said they wanted applicants to talk about ¡°developing self-management skills¡±, while just five per cent were most impressed by applicants who wanted to ¡°nurture an open mind¡±.

¡°Universities are looking first and foremost for students able to challenge conventional thinking and [they] want to see clear evidence of this above all else in the qualifications and written submissions they receive from university applicants,¡± said Jeremy Lewis, head of school at ACS Egham, in Surrey.

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¡°The research sends a stark message to young people applying to university: your capacity for free and rigorous thought matter above all else,¡± he said.

The research also reveals that 26 per cent of admissions officers were looking at more contextual data than in previous years, including an applicant¡¯s social class or their GCSE results.

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Admissions officers rated the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, taught by ACS schools, as the most demanding qualification for encouraging independent enquiry, according to the report. However, they rated A levels marginally higher in terms of ¡°developing in-depth subject expertise¡±.

Asked to score each qualification on a range of qualities out of a maximum five points, admissions officers gave an average of four points to the IB Diploma Programme for ¡°encouraging independent enquiry¡±, compared with just three points for A levels.

Meanwhile, only two-fifths of admissions officers said the A* grade at A-level has helped restore rigour to exams. Asked about plans to involve Russell Group universities in the design of A levels, 44 per cent were against the move and 36 per cent in favour.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com