University Responds to International Admissions Allegations As "Untrue"

The University has today responded to the allegations that international students would be able to get onto courses with A-Level grades lower than the minimum requirement and describes these accusations as “untrue”. As a result of the comments made by the agency, the University has suspended the “contract pending the outcome of a review of the operation of the relationship.”

In an article by The Telegraph, a Chinese agency which recommends students to UK universities has made claims it can get places for prospective students at Southampton with A-Level grades lower than the minimum required for entry onto the course. The University has responded to these serious allegations in an announcement for staff and students (via SUSSED) but a summary can be read below.

For the academic year 2012/2013, the University has offered places for twelve students to study at the University who were recommended by the Golden Arrow agency in China. In their statement, the University said the lowest of the four offers that were given to a student were AAB. The other eight candidates were applying to study for a Foundation Year and for those students who are successful in that year, by meeting the minimum grade requirements, are able to progress into the full degree programme.

The University said:

All students applying to the University of Southampton must prove high standards of academic ability to be admitted onto our degree programmes. International students presenting A-level qualifications (of which there are very few from China) are given exactly the same offer by the University as UK students when applying for courses.

The University stressed that under Government legislation UK student places are capped, saying “If we exceed our allocation of UK students we would be fined. Recruitment of international students operates entirely outside these domestic limits.”

The full statement from the University can be found here. The Tab’s original article can also be found here.