Scaling Admissions for Dental Hygiene & Therapy at the University of Manchester

Scaling Admissions for Dental Hygiene & Therapy at the University of Manchester

The University of Manchester’s Division of Dentistry faced increasing pressure in its Dental Hygiene and Therapy admissions process, with over 1,100 applicants competing for just 14 available places. To support fairer and more consistent selection, the programme introduced Casper as part of its admissions framework. The goal was to better assess non-academic attributes such as professionalism, communication, and situational judgement—key competencies for success in clinical dental training. Working in collaboration with Acuity Insights, Manchester implemented Casper to strengthen review and reduce reliance on subjective assessment methods such as personal statements.

Challenge

Managing highly competitive admissions at scale while improving fairness, consistency, and assessment of non-academic attributes.

Solution

Casper Situational Judgment Test

Results

A more structured, holistic admissions process that improves confidence in selecting candidates with the right professional and interpersonal attributes.

PROGRAM TYPE

Dental Hygiene and Therapy (Undergraduate Admissions)

PROGRAM SIZE

~1,100 applicants for 14 places (DHT pathway, 2026)

REGION

Europe – United Kingdom

Challenge

The Dental Hygiene and Therapy programme faced a number of escalating admissions challenges:

Extremely high application volume, with ~1,100 applicants for 14 places
Increasing reliance on subjective review of personal statements, scored manually using Likert-style ratings
Difficulty consistently assessing interpersonal and professional competencies such as communication, empathy, and professionalism
Significant administrative burden on admissions staff during initial screening
Challenges ensuring fairness for applicants from non-traditional pathways, including access to Higher Education routes and mature learners
Need for greater standardisation and consistency across reviewers in a highly competitive selection process

As application volumes grew, the existing model became increasingly difficult to sustain while maintaining fairness, transparency, and confidence in selection outcomes.

Solution

Introducing a Standardised Measure of Professional Competencies

The University of Manchester introduced Casper to provide a structured, standardised assessment of non-academic competencies such as professionalism, communication, and ethical reasoning in a more consistent and scalable way.

Strengthening Holistic Admissions

Casper was selected because it aligned closely with the competencies required in dental hygiene and therapy practice, particularly for applicants entering through diverse educational and professional backgrounds.

Supporting More Informed Admissions Decisions

Casper results were integrated into the wider admissions process, complementing interviews and academic review. This added a standardized data point to support more confident and consistent selection decisions.

Enabling Stakeholder Alignment and Adoption

Implementation required coordination across academic and administrative stakeholders, including procurement and admissions operations teams. Early engagement and structured planning helped ensure smooth integration into existing admissions timelines.

“Casper brought a level of objectivity and consistency to the process that helped us feel more confident that we were selecting the right candidates for dental hygiene and therapy training.”

Juliette Kendall, Admissions Tutor, University of Manchester

Results

By integrating Casper into its Dental Hygiene and Therapy admissions process, the University of Manchester has strengthened its ability to manage highly competitive admissions fairly and consistently. The programme has:

Increased confidence in selection decisions through the addition of a structured assessment of applicant attributes
Observed alignment between Casper performance and interview outcomes, reinforcing its value within the admissions process
Improved ability to assess interpersonal and professional competencies relevant to clinical dental practice at scale
Reduced reliance on subjective interpretation of personal statements through a more efficient, structured review process
Strengthened decision-making through the use of multiple complementary assessment sources, creating a scalable framework for ongoing admissions refinement

Overall, the adoption of Casper has helped the University of Manchester select successful future dental hygiene and therapy professionals, while providing valuable insights to support ongoing improvements in admissions design.