LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY

STUDENT RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS TEAM

Subject: Student Recruitment 2004 Entry

Origin: Howard Jones, Student Recruitment and Admissions Manager

Attached: Applications Analysis and Summary Intake Forecast

1. Undergraduate Admissions (UK/EU)

Applications have risen this year by 2.4% overall (in line with the situation nationally), with the Engineering Faculty growing by 9.8%. There has been a further improvement in the conversion rate from conditional offer to firm acceptance (30.5% compared to 30.0% fro 2003) with four departments: Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences and Economics, increasing their rates by at least 5%. The total number of unconditional offers firmly accepted has also grown (by 8.7%).

It is expected that the University will achieve its intake target of 2967 comfortably. In line with previous years, around two thirds of places will be filled by applicants holding unconditional offers and those who meet the conditions of their offers. The remaining third will be filled through appropriate concessions (observing agreed quality thresholds) and changed course offers and a minimal use of Clearing. The overshoots and undershoots at Faculty level suggested by the summary forecast, which is based on historic levels of activity, will be smoothed out during the management process in August.

2. Undergraduate Admissions (International)

There has been a sharp rise in applications to the University (45.1%) compared to 2003. This is well ahead of the position nationally (12.7%). Unsurprisingly, China accounts for much of the growth but it is pleasing to note that other markets including Malaysia and India have also improved. The conversion of conditional offers into firm acceptances has fallen slightly (1.0%). Allowing for the use of concessions, Clearing and the outcome of the Late Recruitment Missions to India and the Far East, and provided that the recent introduction of more stringent and bureaucratic visa requirements in China do not make an adverse impact, it is expected that the eventual intake will exceed the target of 263.

3. Taught Postgraduate Admissions (UK/EU)

The University can expect to receive at least 250 more applications if the pattern in previous years is repeated. Already, the total number of applications has risen by 17.8% compared to 2003. The distribution of this growth across departments is uneven, however, and suggests that the agreed planning targets for some departments may prove to be over-optimistic. Within the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty, however, the introduction and consolidation of new programmes will make a positive contribution towards the delivery of an intake at or slightly above target.

4. Taught Postgraduate Programmes (International)

There has been an increase this year of 23.0% so far, a significant rate of growth once again, albeit of more modest proportions when set alongside the massive advances of the last few years. More applications are expected before the season closes and the total number of offers firmly accepted is already 25% ahead of the equivalent figure for 2003. The calculations on which the forecasts are based take account of the changing relationship between the various components of the applications cycle as the cycle progresses. At present, an intake ahead of the University’s agreed target of 835 appears to be likely. It needs to be borne in mind again, however, that the recent changes to the visa applications process in China may have a negative effect.

5. Conclusion

On the basis of present figures, the University can look forward to a UK/EU recruitment outcome largely consistent with its planning targets at institutional level. With regard to the undergraduate intake, however, the process will need to be managed in August to smooth out deviations suggested by the raw data at Faculty and departmental levels. As far as international recruitment is concerned, buoyant applications at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels will ensure that there is growth for the fifth year in succession. The scale of that growth will be determined in part at least by factors beyond the University’s control.

HEJ

7 June 2004