Clearing 2016: University of Salford turns to Tinder to recruit top A-level students

Move comes as universities across the country compete to fill places in an uncertain, post-Brexit climate

(REX Features)

A UK university is turning to Tinder in order to reel in top A-level students as the great university scramble to attract the best talent ramps up in the run up to exam results day.

The University of Salford (UoS) in Manchester is launching two profiles on the popular dating app to encourage social interaction with future undergraduates who have changed their mind about their next step, or are applying late, enabling them to explore the options available to them.

The moves comes amid reports universities across the country are competing for the attention of top-performing students in order to fill spaces in an uncertain, post-Brexit climate by offering a variety of highly sought-after incentives, including discounted degrees.

UoS’s new initiative is building on the success of another similar one from last year which saw the institution team up with a digital company to create the Tinder-style Matchmaker app which asked users to swipe left or right when they were presented with personalised course recommendations, based on their grades, course, and career of interest.

Last year, UoS said more than 10,000 students used Matchmaker on results day to a find course, with site engagement rising by 264 per cent, and offers made by Clearing increasing by 28 per cent.

This year, though, the team at the university is taking to using Tinder directly as a way to successfully capture the attention of its target age group, further allowing the institution to zone in on nearby locations in its student recruitment drive.

Course enquires through the app began to filter through to the institution this week. Hannah Burchell, associate director of marketing, explained: “In a similar vein to our innovative matchmaker, we want to make the Clearing process as fun, reassuring, and engaging as possible.

“This not only reflects the personality of the university and our commitment to putting student satisfaction at the forefront of everything we do, but it ensures the students who enrol are well-suited to us and, ultimately, we find the right course for them - a perfect match.”