Education firm paid to write students’ university applications

Education firm Winland Academy being paid to write students’ university applications. This includes their all important personal statements. 

Winland Academy has marketed itself through online professional network LinkedIn as a “university application writer”. They specialise in helping international students apply to UK universities.

The advert has now been removed, and Winland Academy have admitted that it could be “confusing”, as reported by bbc.co.uk.

With A-Level results due to be released in only a matter of weeks, students’ efforts and the quality of their personal statements are soon to be realised. On this note, social mobility charity The Sutton Trust has raised serious issues about fairness in relation to Winland Academy’s advert. 

With already great disparities across educational platforms and universities throughout the UK, the charity has already described paid-for services to write or improve university applications as a “particularly alarming” prospect. 

The LinkedIn advert requested writers who could write in a “prose style to match the voice of different students”, applying for university courses of various levels, “including foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate”. Those applying to be a writer for Winland Academy would also need “at least 2 years related work experience” and “outstanding qualifications, well knowledge of UK Education System in High Ranking Universities”. 

A spokesman for the education firm has clarified that they offer a personalised proofreading service for students whose first language is not English, but that they do not “write personal statements for clients”. 

UCAS, the university application platform in the UK, has denounced students’ personal statements written by anyone other than the student themselves. UCAS also offer “free advice on personal statements” to students to give them the best chance in the process of application. 

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