Report to Equality and Diversity Committee

Undergraduate Admissions - October 2010 Entry

Overview

The information below is for all applicants to the University for October 2010 entry and concentrates on the proportion of rejections. The data is inclusive of all students admitted through Clearing but because of the nature of the application system used during Clearing it does not include any Clearing applications that did not result in admission.

The data presented is for admission to all full time undergraduate degree courses through UCAS, as this is the responsibility of the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Admission to the Bridging Year, and the Certificates of Higher Education delivered by the International Academy pathways, is all administered through the International Academy and data and monitoring information is not readily available to the central admissions function. The International Academy data included in the table below if for the 4/3 years degree courses only and does not include any pathway programmes. Similarly, admission to a small number of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) undergraduate programmes is managed by the School of HHS and relevant data about these courses is not captured here.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Equality Impact Assessment of Admissions and the SUMS Review of Admissions, the central Admissions Office is currently engaged in a major in a significant project with MIS to re-structure admissions systems and processes in order to provide an equivalent service to all applicants and to improve the availability of data about admissions activity that is currently managed in devolved units.

The following tables set out data about rejection rates for all applicants, applicants by gender, applicants who have declared a disability, and applicants by age.

Data on applicant ethnicity is not currently accessible at the point of application. Ethnicity data is currently received by the University as part of the HESA data requirements, for students who are registered.

Joanne Tallentire Deputy Director (Admissions) Communications & External Relations 25 January 2011

Total number of applicants

For information, the table below shows the total number of applicants rejected, by subject.

Applicants for 2010 Total Applicants Rejected % of Applicants Rejected Art History 109 14 12.8% Biological Sciences 1582 530 33.5% Computer Science and Electronic 767 205 26.7% Engineering East 15 Acting School 2167 574 26.5% Economics 764 155 20.3% Essex Business School 3063 852 27.8% European Studies 106 7 6.6% Government 961 240 25.0% Health and Human Sciences 755 417 55.2% History 706 95 13.5% Humanities 56 8 14.3% International Academy 515 306 59.4% Languages and Linguistics 683 105 15.4% Latin American Studies 26 2 7.7% Law 984 278 28.3% Literature 723 114 15.8% Mathematics 482 64 13.3% Philosophy 298 37 12.4% Psychoanalytic Studies 43 0 0.0% Psychology 980 188 19.2% Sociology 651 109 16.7% US Studies 141 19 13.5% University Total 16562 4319 26.1%

Overall the University rejected 26% of all undergraduate applicants during the October 2010 entry cycle. Rejection rates for 2009, 2008 and 2007 were 19%, 16% and 19% respectively. The higher rejection rate in 2010 is a reflection of the overall increase of 22% in applications for October 2010 entry compared with 2009. This has afforded the University with the opportunity to be more robust in applying standard entry requirements and more selective in specific subjects, resulting in an overall increase in rejection rates at the application stage.

Rejection rates vary at subject level, with higher rejection rates typically occurring in subjects where the entry requirements and/or the volume of applications were particularly high. Monitoring by Gender

The table below details the total number of applicants and total number of rejections by gender split.

(No Gende % r on % Male Male UCAS of % Female of of Total Applicants Form) M Total Total Rejected F MTotal Total Art History 109 0 26 23.85% 14 12 2 85.71% 14.29% Biological Sciences 1582 1 907 57.33% 530 195 3 36.79% 63.21% Computer 3 Science and Electronic Engineeri ng 767 0 655 85.40% 205 33 1 16.10% 83.90% East 15 7 Acting School 2167 0 970 44.76% 574 348 2 60.63% 39.37% Economic 2 s 764 0 518 67.80% 155 53 1 34.19% 65.81% Essex 0 Business School 3063 8 1715 55.99% 852 358 4 42.02% 57.98% European 9 Studies 106 0 23 21.70% 7 5 2 71.43% 28.57% Governm ent 961 0 530 55.15% 240 104 1 43.33% 56.67% Health 3 and Human Sciences 755 1 121 16.03% 417 350 6 83.93% 16.07% History 706 0 411 58.22% 95 36 57 37.89% 62.11% Humanitie 9 s 56 0 23 41.07% 8 5 3 62.50% 37.50% Internatio nal Academy 515 0 349 67.77% 306 91 2 29.74% 70.26% Language 683 0 181 26.50% 105 74 31 70.48% 29.52% s and 1 Linguistic s Latin American Studies 26 0 10 38.46% 2 1 1 50.00% 50.00% Law 984 2 326 33.13% 278 170 1 61.15% 38.85% Literature 723 0 260 35.96% 114 62 50 54.39% 45.61% Mathemat 2 ics 482 3 262 54.36% 64 29 3 45.31% 54.69% Philosoph 5 y 298 0 184 61.74% 37 11 2 29.73% 70.27% Psychoan 6 alytic Studies 43 0 6 13.95% Psycholog y 980 1 227 23.16% 188 133 5 70.74% 29.26% Sociology 651 2 178 27.34% 109 69 45 63.30% 36.70% US 0 Studies 141 0 45 31.91% 19 14 5 73.68% 26.32% Universit 215 y Total 16562 18 7927 47.86% 4319 3 2 49.85% 50.15% 1 The table shows the University overall to have an almost equal gender split in both its applicants and rejections; this has been the case for a number of years. There is generally a close correlation between the gender split for applicants and the gender split for those rejected. The historic popularity of some subjects with males and females is evident in the data. Monitoring by Disability

The table below gives the total number of applicants with a disability and the number of rejected applicants as a number and percentage.

Applicants with disability All applicants with a disability All rejected applicants with a disability Total Females Total Males Total % Applicants with F M Total Rejected Rejected Rejected Disability Rejected Art History 2 2 4 0 0 0 0.00% Biological Sciences 31 56 87 7 14 21 24.1% Computer Science and Electronic Systems 1 30 31 0 11 11 35.5% East 15 Acting School 115 114 229 32 34 66 28.8% Economics 3 10 13 1 2 3 23.1% Essex Business School 14 30 44 4 6 10 22.7% European Studies 1 0 1 0 0 0 0.0% Government 11 37 48 1 10 11 22.9% Health and Human Sciences 24 7 31 16 2 18 58.1% History 9 22 31 1 2 3 9.7% Humanities 3 1 4 0 1 1 25.0% International Academy 4 12 16 4 6 10 62.5% Languages and Linguistics 17 4 21 4 1 5 23.8% Latin American Studies 0 2 2 0 1 1 50.0% Law 10 8 18 2 4 6 33.3% Literature 25 26 51 7 7 14 27.5% Mathematics 8 11 19 0 2 2 10.5% Philosophy 4 20 24 1 2 3 12.5% Psychoanalytic Studies 6 1 7 0 0 0 0.0% Psychology 29 18 47 6 4 10 21.3% Sociology 12 9 21 3 1 4 19.0% US Studies 4 6 10 1 1 2 20.0% University Total 333 426 759 90 111 201 26.5%

Of the total number of undergraduate applicants to the University in October 2010 4.6% declared a disability compared with 6% the previous year. However, the percentage of applicants with a disability who were rejected has remained almost static at 26.5% for October 2010 entry compared with 26% for 2009 entry. It is worth noting that this represents an increase of 9% compared with 17% in 2008, and it is therefore appropriate to keep the rejection rate for applicants who declare a disability under review over an extended period of time. In the majority of cases where the percentage of rejections by department is above the University average, the numbers involved render the figure statistically insignificant given the size of the applicant pool. As in previous years, the number of applicants to East 15 Acting School who declared a disability is substantial compared with other subjects, but the percentage overall is in the standard range for all subjects and the volume is therefore proportionate to the very large number of applications received by East 15 Acting School. Gender does not appear to be a factor in the rejection of applicants with declared disabilities.

Monitoring by Age The table below details the total number of applicants and total number of rejections by maturity – over 21s are formally defined as mature applicants.

Applicants with Age Total Applicants Under 21 % % Total Over Unde % Over 21 % Under Applicants with no Over Under Rejected 21 r 21 Rejected 21 DOB 21 21 Rejected

Art History 109 2 92 13.8% 84.4% 14 5 9 35.7% 64.3% Biological Sciences 1582 7 1387 11.9% 87.7% 530 111 419 20.9% 79.1% Computer Science and 767 0 600 21.8% 78.2% 205 75 130 36.6% 63.4% Electronic Engineering East 15 Acting School 2167 0 1746 19.4% 80.6% 574 93 481 16.2% 83.8% Economics 764 0 699 8.5% 91.5% 155 21 134 13.5% 86.5% Essex Business School 3063 20 2521 17.0% 82.3% 852 223 629 26.2% 73.8% European Studies 106 0 97 8.5% 91.5% 7 0 7 0.0% 100.0% Government 961 0 883 8.1% 91.9% 240 31 209 12.9% 87.1% Health and Human Sciences 755 1 332 55.9% 44.0% 417 264 153 63.3% 36.7% History 706 1 659 6.5% 93.3% 94 6 88 6.4% 93.6% Humanities 56 0 50 10.7% 89.3% 8 1 7 12.5% 87.5% International Academy 515 2 452 11.8% 87.8% 306 29 277 9.5% 90.5% Languages and Linguistics 683 0 581 14.9% 85.1% 105 32 73 30.5% 69.5% Latin American Studies 26 0 20 23.1% 76.9% 2 2 0 100.0% 0.0% Law 984 15 819 15.2% 83.2% 278 60 218 21.6% 78.4% Literature 723 1 648 10.2% 89.6% 114 26 88 22.8% 77.2% Mathematics 482 8 440 7.1% 91.3% 64 13 51 20.3% 79.7% Philosophy 298 1 266 10.4% 89.3% 37 10 27 27.0% 73.0% Psychoanalytic Studies 43 0 0 100.0% 0.0% 188 30 158 16.0% 84.0% Psychology 980 1 891 9.0% 90.9% Sociology 651 4 554 14.3% 85.1% 109 39 70 35.8% 64.2% US Studies 141 0 126 10.6% 89.4% 19 5 14 26.3% 73.7% University Total 16562 63 13863 15.9% 83.7% 4318 1076 3242 24.9% 75.1%

As proposed in the undergraduate admissions report to EADC in February 2010, data about the rejection rate of applicants by age is presented to EADC for the first time. In view of this it is not possible to comment on any similarities or differences with data from previous years. It is notable that the rejection rate for under 21s, who are the vast majority of applicants, is consistently much higher than for over 21s, i.e. mature applicants. The only outlier is Health and Human Sciences, with a marginally higher rejection rate of mature applicants than under 21s. However, this is also the department that receives a higher number of applications from mature students than from under 21s. This is no doubt a feature of the specific course offering, including Nursing degrees which are likely to attract more mature students who are returning to study later in life. It is common for such applicants to have an educational background which may not be sufficiently strong to meet the standard entry requirements.