ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents a range of rich data that provides evidence for the need for changes across the higher education sector if equality is indeed a genuine goal. It considers the practices, processes and issues students encounter while applying to and entering higher education institutions (HEIs). The book focuses on 'getting in' to university, in slightly different ways, but all take social class as a starting point and as a key element in terms of participation. It draws on a study that was carried out in seven further education colleges in a region of England. The book explores empirically the extent to which admission to highly selective, highly prestigious Russell Group universities can be said to be meritocratic, in the narrow sense of determined by applicants' prior attainment alone.
