7% 17% 27% 4% Community Female applicants are more likely than male applicants to agree that they are looking forward to making friends from different backgrounds (84% compared to 78%), whereas male applicants are more likely to say they have little interest in the social side of university (35% compared to 28%). Care experienced applicants are much more likely to agree they have little interest in social side of university (51%), which may in part be driven by the older age profile of this group. I would like to feel like I belong when I’m at university 5% 11% 23% 58% I look forward to making friends from different backgrounds *I have little interest in the social side of university I want to be an active part of the student community while I’m at university Strongly disagree Moderately disagree Neutral Moderately agree Strongly agree Figure 10: Breakdown of responses to Community theme questions The Community score measures the orientation of the cohort towards being part of a student community, and the importance they place on this. 71 This year’s applicants are more likely to want to belong at university, and to be an active part of the student community, compared to last year’s cohort. 2% 4% 14% 25% 2% 56% 34% 21% 15% 15% 16% 46% Up 1 from 2024 *For this question, agreement indicates a negative response; the score for this question was reversed when calculating the index score Unite Students | Applicant Index Report 18 INTRODUCTION THEMATIC ANALYSIS COMMUNITY METHODOLOGY TOPICAL ISSUES BACK TO THEMES