Applying to university or college if you stammer

Tips for applying to higher education establishments that have entrance/admission interviews.

When you apply for a place at university or college, some ask you to have an interview to evaluate your motivation and suitability for the course.

Standard interviews are generally set up in a way that makes it more difficult for candidates who stammer than for fluent speakers. Because of that, it can be harder to demonstrate your knowledge and competence.

What to do

On the UCAS form, there's a section where you can indicate whether you have a 'disability, special needs or a medical condition'. It has a dropdown list of categories, which includes:

'A social, behavioural or communication impairment (eg an autistic spectrum condition or Tourette's syndrome, or speech and language difficulties, including stammering.'

Tick this to let the university or college you're applying to know that you stammer so that they know to make adjustments to the interview process, if there is one.

If you are offered an interview, it's a good idea to contact the university or college to make sure they know before you attend it. Explain that you stammer and tell them if you like any adjustments to the interview. Download our Reasonable Adjustments Guide for Students, to give you an idea of the kind of thing you can request.

Do you want help to think through the adjustments you want to ask for? Contact us at employmentsupport@stamma.org. We'd be happy to discuss these with you.