17 UNITE STUDENTS | APPLICANT INDEX SURVEY | 2022 APPENDIX The index is based on a survey administered via the YouthSight Panel between 25th June and 11th July 2022 to 2,038 respondents who were planning to start university in the 2022/23 academic year. The sample has been constructed and weighted to be broadly representative of the applicant population as a whole. Known limitations of the dataset are that it under indexes non-EU international applicants, and that it is over indexes towards younger applicants (21 and under). Significant differences between international and UK/EU students and between young and mature students have been highlighted where relevant. The survey questions have been informed by the applicant survey published by Unite Students in 2021, and by two major pieces of research in partnership with HEPI – The New Realists (2019) and Reality Check (2017). Financial questions were informed by the student cost of living survey published by Unite Students in April 2022. The index provides a cohort score out of 100 for each of eight different themes. The scores for seven of these themes – not including Wellbeing - are based on responses to 28 different statements on a 7-point scale of agreement. From this, an average score from 0-6 is calculated for the whole population and sub- populations, and each item is weighted equally within the theme score. For the Wellbeing theme, we have also included the ONS wellbeing questions which represent 40% of the theme’s overall score, with four 7-point scale items contributing the remaining 60%. A high index score is indicative of a positive response in relation to each of the themes, however it should be remembered that there are many valid reasons why an individual applicant may give a low score in one or more themes. They may not have had opportunities to develop key skills or may have faced challenging circumstances. A demographic breakdown of the scores highlights groups that may require targeted support, and in some cases only a systemic change will produce equality of outcomes. Further questions have been included in the survey to address topical issues within the sector. These are discussed in relation to a relevant theme, or in a separate section. The majority of the questions in the survey are items to which respondents indicate their level of agreement on either a seven-point or five-point scale, from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. For the purposes of discussion, we have used the following interpretation when reporting the result and have also used “agree” and “disagree” in the narrative to mean “net agree” and “net disagree”. 1 0 -1 3 3 2 2 4 4 5 5-6 Strongly disagree Strongly disagree Five point scale Seven point scale Neutral (neither agree nor disagree) Neutral (neither agree nor disagree) Disagree Moderately disagree Agree Moderately agree Strongly agree Strongly agree