25 July 2019
By email t
o [FYI request #10406 email]
Dear Ms Diaz
I write in response to your Official Information Act request of 29 May 2019 regarding Competitive
Entry.
Please see below information on (1) the number of students who applied for University of Otago
under the competitive entry pathway in the last 3 years (2016-2018) and (2) the number of
successful applicants who applied for University of Otago under the competitive entry pathway in
the last 3 years (2016-2018).
Applied
Successful
Degree Programme
2016
2017
2018
2016
2017
2018
BA
172
173
134
138
146
117
BCom
138
124
139
120
109
131
BSc (including Health Sciences First Year)
296
291
274
242
261
238
Other
245
253
298
213
221
263
Total
680
649
648
566
563
569
Note: i. Excludes students who failed to gain University Entrance via NCEA Level 3; students who did not meet
requirements for admission ad eundem statum at entrance level, or for discretionary entrance; and students with an
application status of "competitive entry - further information required".
i . Figures do not sum to totals as students can apply for entry into multiple programmes.
It is noted that students do not apply under a pathway per se, but are instead assigned to a pathway,
which may change over time. The figures provided are based on entry band scores – derived from
previous academic performance – which have assessed as being at the Competitive Entry level. In
some instances these applicants may have been placed on the Preferential Entry pathway when they
first applied due to other information, such as acceptance of a place in a University Residential
College. However, their academic results fall into the competitive range, therefore we believe this
approach provides the most meaningful response to your queries.
Some applicants are also initially placed on the Competitive Entry pathway because of a failure to
provide sufficient information. Those applicants who did not subsequently provide required
information are excluded from the analysis above.
Finally, successful applicants as reported are those who were offered places; this does not imply that
they necessarily went on to enrol at the University.
Yours sincerely,
Claire Gallop
Manager, Policy and Compliance