ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to approach the issue of work experience from a new perspective – that of access to leading UK universities. I have two related aims: fi rst, to quantify differences in the work-related activity reported by applicants from a range of educational backgrounds; and, second, to consider the ways in which work experience is conceptualised within the higher education admissions, both by applicants and within the sector, with a view to assessing wider implications for social mobility and social justice.
