Recent evidence (UCAS, 2013) shows that in terms of participation, students over 20 years old are under-represented in Higher Education. The focus of this study was to investigate the effect of relevant existing policies on ‘non-traditional’ students and to highlight the possible emotional impact caused. The aims were to find out, through narrative inquiry, whether the application and admission policy best suits the needs of this ‘group.’ Also, greater understandings of those who wish to apply from employment to HE were sought, and how emotionally demanding the process of becoming a university student can be. Our reflection on the study shows the complexity of the interpretation of narratives due to the fluidity and multi-layer nature of the emotions, and the difficulties in recording and categorising the data. For example, many participants reported that applying through the ‘unknown terrain’ of UCAS was initially a real challenge that generated negative emotions. However, these emotions were transformed into relief after attending an interview.