Dear Thalia Tomlinson,

Imperial College has compiled an information sheet which addresses the most frequently asked questions we receive under FOI regarding admissions to Medicine (A100): https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperia...

However, It is not possible for the College to provide details of applicants’ predicted grades or the A Levels subjects that applicants are studying. However, Imperial College does publish details of the A Level grades achieved by enrolled students (i.e. successful candidates).

Yours,

Freedom of Information Team
Imperial College London 

Please note that if you are unhappy with the way that we have handled your request, you can ask us to conduct a review. Please make your representation in writing within 2 months of the date you received this response. If you remain dissatisfied with how Imperial College has handled your request, you may then approach the Information Commissioner’s Office.   

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Dear Thalia Thompson,

Thank you for your Internal Review request. The College's response to your request stated that it is not possible for us to provide figures on the A Level subjects studied by applicants. The College is not able to readily extract details of the A Levels subjects that applicants are studying or details of their predicted grades from our admissions database. While it might be technically possible to create a dedicated query to extract this information, the College would regard this as unreasonably burdensome. The Freedom of Information Act created a right to access information to enable scrutiny of public authorities in the public interest. Section 14(1) of the Act aims to protect public authorities by allowing them to refuse any requests which have the potential to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level of disruption and are therefore deemed vexatious. While we appreciate that your request was made in good faith and was not intended to cause disruption, we are entitled to consider whether a request has a value or serious purpose in terms of the objective public interest in the information sought and to weigh that against the burden that would be placed on the organisation by having to produce that information. The public interest being the public good, not what is of interest to groups of or individual members of the public. The College’s view is that any legitimate public interest in admissions figures to our undergraduate programmes is met by the information already in the public domain set out above and in the detailed information for applicants also on our website. There is no apparent public interest in the College compiling and disclosing to the public figures on applicants to our MBBS programme that were studying Latin. We are therefore refusing this request in reliance on Section 14 of the Act. 

I apologise that this was not explained in our initial response.

Yours,

Anita Hunt
Access to Information Manager
Central Secretariat
Imperial College London

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