Requesting Postgraduate Admissions Data

The request was partially successful.

Dear London Business School,

(1) Can you provide me with admission statistics for all of your postgraduate programs, both generally and for Chinese students?

Specifically, I’d like to know for each individual program, how many total students applied, how many total students were given offers, how many Chinese students applied, and how many Chinese students were given offers.

Please provide this data for each year, for the last 5 years of entry that you have this data available.

(2) If available, please also provide me with a list of all Chinese educational institutions that your university is willing to accept applicants from, along with an explanation of whether your university is willing to consider applications from students from other Chinese institutions not on that list. If this varies between individual schools or departments in your university, please provide this information for each school or department.

Thank you!

Yours faithfully,

Edgar Wu

FOI, London Business School

2 Attachments

Dear Edgar,

 

Further to your request of 23 June for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, please find below a response to your questions:

 

 1. Can you provide me with admission statistics for all of your
postgraduate programs, both generally and for Chinese students? 

Specifically, I’d like to know for each individual program, how many total
students applied, how many total students were given offers, how many
Chinese students applied, and how many Chinese students were given offers.

 

The School considers that the exemption under section 43 (2) (Commercial
Interests) applies to the breakdown of these statistics by ethnicity. The
School's commercial activity is the provision of academic courses in a
highly competitive environment. It is considered that release of this
information would prejudice the School's current and future ability to
compete in the education market.  

 

This is because the cost of providing this information would exceed the
time limit for responding to a request set out in the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

Please provide this data for each year, for the last 5 years of entry that
you have this data available (see note below and the attached).

o MAM is a new programme and only 2 years of history exists so far.
o EMBAG and EMBAGA had no intake for 2022 graduating classes (Would
have joined in May 2020) so for those programmes we have the intake
that joined us in May 2021 (2023 graduation) then also the last 4
years intake prior to the skipped year.

 

(2) If available, please also provide me with a list of all Chinese
educational institutions that your university is willing to accept
applicants from, along with an explanation of whether your university is
willing to consider applications from students from other Chinese
institutions not on that list. If this varies between individual schools
or departments in your university, please provide this information for
each school or department. N/A LBS does not have a list of institutions.

 

I hope that you find this response to your request satisfactory.  However,
if you are not content with the response you may ask the School to review
it.  If you wish to do this, please write to Richard Frost, Secretary,
London Business School, Regents Park, London NW1 4SA enclosing a copy of
your original request and explaining your complaint.

 

If you remain dissatisfied, you may ask the Information Commissioner to
review our decision.  Details of how to contact the Commissioner are found
at [1]www.ico.org.uk or telephone 01625 545745.

 

Best wishes,

Jennifer

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jennifer Matthews | Executive Assistant | Dean’s Office

London Business School | Regent's Park | London NW1 4SA | UK
D: +44 (0)20 7000 8670 | T: +44 (0)20 7000 7000
E: [2][email address] | W: [3]www.london.edu

Connect with us: [4]LinkedIn | [5]Twitter | [6]Facebook | [7]Instagram

 

From: Edgar Wu <[FOI #767769 email]>
Sent: 23 June 2021 08:26
To: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Requesting Postgraduate
Admissions Data

 

Dear London Business School,

(1) Can you provide me with admission statistics for all of your
postgraduate programs, both generally and for Chinese students?

Specifically, I’d like to know for each individual program, how many total
students applied, how many total students were given offers, how many
Chinese students applied, and how many Chinese students were given offers.

Please provide this data for each year, for the last 5 years of entry that
you have this data available.

(2) If available, please also provide me with a list of all Chinese
educational institutions that your university is willing to accept
applicants from, along with an explanation of whether your university is
willing to consider applications from students from other Chinese
institutions not on that list. If this varies between individual schools
or departments in your university, please provide this information for
each school or department.

Thank you!

Yours faithfully,

Edgar Wu

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Dear London Business School,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of London Business School's handling of my FOI request 'Requesting Postgraduate Admissions Data'.

On June 23, 2021, I submitted the following request:

"(1) Can you provide me with admission statistics for all of your postgraduate programs, both generally and for Chinese students?

Specifically, I’d like to know for each individual program, how many total students applied, how many total students were given offers, how many Chinese students applied, and how many Chinese students were given offers."

I was given general admissions data for the years it was available, however, my request for data specifically on Chinese students' applications and offers was denied.

The reason given for denial was:

"The School considers that the exemption under section 43 (2) (Commercial
Interests) applies to the breakdown of these statistics by ethnicity. The
School's commercial activity is the provision of academic courses in a
highly competitive environment. It is considered that release of this
information would prejudice the School's current and future ability to
compete in the education market.

This is because the cost of providing this information would exceed the
time limit for responding to a request set out in the Freedom of
Information Act 2000."

It is unclear how providing details on Chinese applicants' number of applications and offers for each of your programs would prejudice your ability to compete in the education market. You noted that the cost of providing this information would exceed the time limit for responding to a request set out in the Freedom of Information Act. I'm uncertain what this means. Do you not collect information on students' ethnicities (or which country they're applying from, or their home / birth / citizenship country) and have it readily available? Similar information has been provided by LBS in the past, such as through the following link:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a...

Was the reason given a mistake, and you're claiming that, generally, providing data on Chinese students would prejudice your commercial interests? If so, your competitive interests in this area are weakened by the reality that other universities routinely provide this exact sort of information to the public (see the links I've provided below). If most universities provide such information, then the information provided by your university should not prejudice your ability to compete. Releasing this information will have a minimal, if any, impact on your competitiveness, making it unable to outweigh the public's interest in disclosure.

On that note, the public's interest in disclosure outweighs your competitive interests. The public has an interest in identifying whether your institution, either as a whole, or through specific programs, engages in discriminatory admission practices based on sex, race, national origin, and other factors. While my request only considers students' nationality, it and similar requests are vital to the public's ability to review your and other university's admissions practices in order to identify potential discrimination in higher education.

University of Oxford: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University of Cambridge: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/g...

Imperial College London:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University College London: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

London School of Economics (Although not requested, the data provided breaks down applications & offers by nationality): https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

Edinburgh University: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

King's College London: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

University of Bristol: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University of Warwick: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University of Sheffield: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

Durham University: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

Yours faithfully,

Edgar Wu

Richard Frost, London Business School

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Wu

 

As requested, I have carried out a review in relation to your request and
have decided that  on balance it is in the public interest that the
information on applications and offers relating to Chinese students should
be released. Accordingly, please find it attached.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Richard Frost

 

 

 

Richard Frost | School Secretary | Dean’s Office

London Business School | Regent's Park | London NW1 4SA | UK
D: +44 (0)20 7000 7024  | T: +44 (0)20 7000 7000
E: [1][email address] | W: [2]www.london.edu

Connect with us: [3]LinkedIn | [4]Twitter | [5]Facebook | [6]Instagram

 

 

From: FOI <[email address]>
Sent: 19 July 2021 14:33
To: Richard Frost <[email address]>
Subject: FW: Internal review of Freedom of Information request -
Requesting Postgraduate Admissions Data

 

 

 

From: Edgar Wu <[7][FOI #767769 email]>
Sent: 15 July 2021 11:10
To: FOI <[8][email address]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Requesting
Postgraduate Admissions Data

 

Dear London Business School,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of London Business School's
handling of my FOI request 'Requesting Postgraduate Admissions Data'.

On June 23, 2021, I submitted the following request:

"(1) Can you provide me with admission statistics for all of your
postgraduate programs, both generally and for Chinese students?

Specifically, I’d like to know for each individual program, how many total
students applied, how many total students were given offers, how many
Chinese students applied, and how many Chinese students were given
offers."

I was given general admissions data for the years it was available,
however, my request for data specifically on Chinese students'
applications and offers was denied.

The reason given for denial was:

"The School considers that the exemption under section 43 (2) (Commercial

Interests) applies to the breakdown of these statistics by ethnicity. The

School's commercial activity is the provision of academic courses in a

highly competitive environment. It is considered that release of this

information would prejudice the School's current and future ability to

compete in the education market.

This is because the cost of providing this information would exceed the

time limit for responding to a request set out in the Freedom of

Information Act 2000."

It is unclear how providing details on Chinese applicants' number of
applications and offers for each of your programs would prejudice your
ability to compete in the education market. You noted that the cost of
providing this information would exceed the time limit for responding to a
request set out in the Freedom of Information Act. I'm uncertain what this
means. Do you not collect information on students' ethnicities (or which
country they're applying from, or their home / birth / citizenship
country) and have it readily available? Similar information has been
provided by LBS in the past, such as through the following link:

[9]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a...

Was the reason given a mistake, and you're claiming that, generally,
providing data on Chinese students would prejudice your commercial
interests? If so, your competitive interests in this area are weakened by
the reality that other universities routinely provide this exact sort of
information to the public (see the links I've provided below). If most
universities provide such information, then the information provided by
your university should not prejudice your ability to compete. Releasing
this information will have a minimal, if any, impact on your
competitiveness, making it unable to outweigh the public's interest in
disclosure.

On that note, the public's interest in disclosure outweighs your
competitive interests. The public has an interest in identifying whether
your institution, either as a whole, or through specific programs, engages
in discriminatory admission practices based on sex, race, national origin,
and other factors. While my request only considers students' nationality,
it and similar requests are vital to the public's ability to review your
and other university's admissions practices in order to identify potential
discrimination in higher education.

University of Oxford:
[10]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University of Cambridge:
[11]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/g...

Imperial College London:

[12]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University College London:
[13]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

London School of Economics (Although not requested, the data provided
breaks down applications & offers by nationality):
[14]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

Edinburgh University:
[15]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

King's College London:
[16]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

University of Bristol:
[17]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University of Warwick:
[18]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

University of Sheffield:
[19]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

Durham University:
[20]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[21]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

Yours faithfully,

Edgar Wu

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[22][FOI #767769 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[23]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:

[24]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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Dear Richard Frost,

Thank you for your response. Do you also have data on Chinese students' applications and offers for the Global MIM program for the last few years?

Yours sincerely,

Edgar Wu

Richard Frost, London Business School

I am away from the School until Monday 16 August and will reply to your
email on my return. If your email is urgent please contact Clare Kane -
[email address]

Richard Frost, London Business School

1 Attachment

Dear Edgar

 

Please find below details of offers for the Global MiM programme to
Chinese students for the last five years.

 

Please note that London Business School does not hold information on  the
number of applications by Chinese students to the Global MiM programme as
the application process for this programme is managed by Fudan University.

 

Best Wishes

 

Richard

 

2016 – 18

2017 – 18

2018 – 23

2019 – 21

2020 – 22

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Frost | School Secretary | Dean’s Office

London Business School | Regent's Park | London NW1 4SA | UK
D: +44 (0)20 7000 7024  | T: +44 (0)20 7000 7000
E: [1][email address] | W: [2]www.london.edu

Connect with us: [3]LinkedIn | [4]Twitter | [5]Facebook | [6]Instagram

 

 

From: Edgar Wu <[FOI #767769 email]>
Sent: 14 August 2021 10:57
To: Richard Frost <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Internal review of Freedom of Information request -
Requesting Postgraduate Admissions Data

 

Dear Richard Frost,

Thank you for your response. Do you also have data on Chinese students'
applications and offers for the Global MIM program for the last few years?

Yours sincerely,

Edgar Wu

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