Some people believe that universities should only offer places to students with the highest academic grades. Others think that universities should accept students of all abilities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

8.5 / 9
✍️ Want to check your own essay?Write on this topic →
Introduction
It is often argued that higher education should be reserved for applicants with outstanding school results,
whereas
Linking Words
others maintain that campuses ought to welcome young people of every ability.
While
Linking Words
I accept that exceptional grades matter for certain demanding courses, I largely disagree with restricting admission to the top performers, since talent develops at different speeds and a mixed intake benefits society as a whole.
Body paragraph 1
Admittedly, the case for selecting only the strongest candidates is not without merit. The most obvious point is that highly specialised fields,
such
Linking Words
as medicine or engineering, require a solid academic foundation from the first day, so an institution that admits weaker learners risks lowering its standards and wasting public money. In Morocco,
for instance
Linking Words
, engineering schools recruit through competitive examinations precisely because employers trust the resulting qualification. Closely linked to
this
Linking Words
is the question of resources, given that lecturers who must teach basic skills have less time for advanced material.
Body paragraph 2
Nevertheless
Linking Words
, a policy based purely on grades would shut out enormous potential. The most important reason is that school marks reflect circumstances as much as intelligence, which means that a teenager from a rural village with crowded classrooms rarely matches the scores of someone tutored privately in Casablanca,
although
Linking Words
the former may possess greater determination. Moroccan open universities,
for example
Linking Words
, have produced thousands of graduates who had failed their final secondary exams, and,
consequently
Linking Words
, many now run businesses or teach themselves.
Moreover
Linking Words
, a diverse lecture hall exposes everyone to different perspectives, which prepares undergraduates for real workplaces. In my view,
therefore
Linking Words
, access should depend on motivation and aptitude rather than on a single set of results.
Conclusion
In conclusion, strict selection protects standards in a few elite disciplines, yet opening the doors more widely unlocks talent that grades alone cannot measure. On balance, universities serve their nations best when they accept and support a broad range of learners.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

task response
Your view is clear from the start and stays the same. You discuss both sides, then explain why you mostly support wider access. To make the answer even stronger, say more clearly how schools can check motivation and skill, not only grades.
task response
Your main ideas are well explained: some courses need strong grades, but grades do not always show true skill or future success. The Morocco example fits your point, but the claim about open universities could be made more careful, such as by saying that some students can do well after a poor school result.
coherence and cohesion
The essay has a clear path: opening, one side, your main side, and a short ending. Each paragraph has one main idea, so it is easy to follow.
coherence and cohesion
You use linking words well, such as “while”, “admittedly”, “nevertheless”, “moreover”, and “in conclusion”. For an even smoother flow, use fewer long links in one sentence and make some sentences shorter.
coherence and cohesion
The final paragraph sums up your view well. It could be even more direct by repeating that you agree only for a small number of hard courses, while most universities should use more than grades to choose students.
task response
You answer the full question and give a clear, balanced view. Your reasons are linked to the topic and show good thought.
task response
The examples of medicine, engineering, rural schools, and private help make your points easier to understand.
coherence and cohesion
Your opening gives a clear plan, and your ending matches the view in the opening.
coherence and cohesion
The order of ideas is strong. The reader can easily see the other view first and then your own view.
What to do next:
Look at other essays: