Dear Dennis

I refer to your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
regarding Engineering admissions statistics, copied below for clarity:

“Under the FOIA, I request the following statistics about home applicants
to H100 Engineering at Magdalene College:

- The distribution of ENGAA and interview scores of all applicants to the
college

- The distribution of ENGAA and interview scores of offer holders

- The distribution of ENGAA and interview scores of unsuccessful
applicants

I request this data for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 entry UCAS cycles. I wish
for the distributions to include the mean, median, minimum, maximum, lower
quartile and upper quartile of scores. If you are unable to provide some
of this information, please include an explanation.”

We are unable to provide the information you request.

With regard to entry in 2019 and 2020 the information is not held. In line
with our Data Protection policy we do not hold information on unsuccessful
applicants once an admissions round is over.

With regard to entry in 2021, this information, insofar as it is held, is
exempt under section 36(2)(c) of the Act because its disclosure would be
likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs, in this case
the integrity of the College’s applications and admissions process which
form a fundamental part of its mission as an educational institution. (As
the information requested is statistical in nature, the opinion of the
qualified person did not need to be sought for this application of section
36.) The undergraduate applications cycle for 2021 is ongoing. The College
considers that the disclosure of detailed statistics about applications
made within the current cycle would be likely to prejudice the notion of a
fair and confidential admissions process whereby each applicant has the
same information at their disposal and partial granular data is not
disclosed to specific members of the public while the process is ongoing.
As this is a qualified exemption, the College has considered whether, in
all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the
exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The
College considers that, while some people might have an understandable
private interest in these statistics, there is no genuine public interest
in them when set against the extensive statistical information available
about previous admissions cycles published at
[1]https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.u... statistics, coupled
with the prevailing public interest in maintaining a level playing field
in terms of the information available to all applicants. Note that further
information about the College’s undergraduate admissions process can be
found at [2]https://www.magd.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate  and linked pages.

This exemption has been applied following advice received from the Office
of Intercollegiate Services.

The College’s complaints procedure provides for an internal review of the
decisions regarding this response if you are dissatisfied with it.  You
should let me know if you wish to use it, letting me know your reasons for
dissatisfaction and any other matters to which the College should have
regard.  The review will be conducted by another officer of the College
who was not involved in responding to the original request. 

You have a right to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision
whether, in any specified respect, your request to the College for
information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the
Freedom of Information Act.  Details may be found on the Information
Commissioner’s website at [3]www.ico.gov.uk.

Kind regards

Kathryn

On behalf of the Freedom of Information Officer

Kathryn Gee

Secretary to the Assistant Bursar

Magdalene College, Cambridge CB3 0AG Tel: 01223 330575

Registered Charity Number 1137542

Please note that I work part-time so response times may vary

This e-mail (and any files transmitted with it) is strictly confidential
and intended only for the use of the individual or organisation to whom it
is addressed. It may contain information that is privileged. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination,
distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have
received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail
(or telephone) and destroy the original message. Thank you.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.u...
2. https://www.magd.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate
3. http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Dear Dennis

The information that you request is attached.

Kind regards
Kathryn

On behalf of the Freedom of Information Officer

Kathryn Gee
Secretary to the Assistant Bursar
Magdalene College, Cambridge CB3 0AG Tel: 01223 330575
Registered Charity Number 1137542

Please note that I work part-time so response times may vary
This e-mail (and any files transmitted with it) is strictly confidential and intended only for the use of the individual or organisation to whom it is addressed. It may contain information that is privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail (or telephone) and destroy the original message. Thank you.

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