Dr Ray argued that manipulating university admissions was not guaranteed to improve social mobility.
The sector says this would help speed up and streamline the university admissions process.
Figures from the university admissions service, Ucas, published last month, showed a 22.9% increase in applications on last year.
Figures from university admissions service, Ucas, have shown that the number of applications for university places has dropped by 1.8%.
Handicapping private school pupils for university admissions risks replacing "one type of perceived unfairness with another", a top headmaster has argued.
The body that manages university admissions, Ucas, gives tips on writing personal statements and warns students applications are checked for plagiarism.
University admissions have long been central to the debate about social mobility.
In 2006, the average white student scored 1063, out of 1600 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, which is widely used for university admissions.
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Teenagers may be deciding to delay the time they start driving, a trend possibly connected to the rise in university admissions, said Mr Howard.
By 2010, the government promises that the schools exam timetable and university admissions system would be changed to allow pupils to have their full A-level results before applying to university.
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The Labour frontbencher warned the plan would "corrupt university admissions with a two tier system - one for the best qualified applicants, another for those with access to fatter cheque books".
Research by the university admissions body, UCAS, suggests that large numbers of students currently make their choice of university without any solid or useful consumer-style information about what they are "buying".
"I hope your committee will agree with me that any alteration to university admissions arrangements which introduced discrimination against students on the grounds of their parents' aspirations would be grossly unfair, " he said.
Micromanaging university admissions, as the British government has been trying to do on grounds of class, with targets, quotas, fines and strictures, risks the same consequences as similar American experiments based on racial preference.
In the current term, the court is deciding a case involving an affirmative-action policy at the University of Texas, and the court may reverse at least part of a 2003 ruling that allowed some consideration of race in university admissions.
This will not be easy, because in many ways black and white Americans see the world differently. (So, for that matter, do Asians and Hispanics.) To take one example: most blacks favour racial preferences for minorities in such things as university admissions.
But with record numbers of students applying for university places, admissions tutors are warning of a competition for places.
Duke University's admissions director visited Steven Spielberg's house to interview his stepdaughter.
And latest figures released by the University and College Admissions Service (Ucas) confirm Nottingham has got more applications than any other in the country for the coming academic year.
"I don't need 900 minutes, and I certainly don't need an unlimited plan, " said the University of Michigan admissions counselor, who makes use of Internet phone applications like Google Voice.
While the newly integrated admissions approach is mainly aimed at finding employable prospects, career-services officers also provide a key reality check for applicants early in the game, says Graham Richmond, a former admissions officer at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and founder of admissions consulting firm Clear Admit.
Northwestern University's undergraduate-admissions rate fell to 15% this year from 27% three years ago.
To ensure a fair admissions policy, university leaders said they will review practice in each institution.
The Crichton site in Dumfries faced an uncertain future three years ago when the University of Glasgow stopped undergraduate admissions.
Wayne Sigler, the director of admissions for the University of Minnesota, says business has always been a strong area for the school.
In 2006, as a serial entrepreneur, I decided to focus my energies in the college and university prep sector, including admissions consulting.
Dr Andrew Fairbairn, senior tutor in charge of medical school admissions at Newcastle University, agreed improved communication skills would save the medical profession from being branded "arrogant".
Mr. Spencer is the Associate Provost and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Michigan and Mr. Furda is the Dean of Admission at the University of Pennsylvania.
Writing about a slice of your life that seems small but represents your personality is a good way to get noticed, says Karen Crowley, vice president of educational counseling at College Coach and a former senior admissions counselor at University of Pennsylvania.
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