22 January 2024
By email
: [FYI request #25010 email]
Tēnā koe H N
I refer to your information request dated 3 December 2023 made under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). You have requested information in relation to entry to the Bachelor of Physiotherapy
(BPhty) programme at the University of Otago from 2019 – 2024 via the Health Sciences First Year
(HSFY) category for international students.
Subject to the following comments, please see below our response to your request.
• we are unable to provide the information you have requested for the 2024 BPhty programme
as admissions processes are still ongoing and will not be finalised until at least February 2024.
On that basis, we decline providing the 2024 information pursuant to section 18(g) of the Act,
as the information requested is not held by the University as at today’s date, and there are no
reasonable grounds to believe that the information is held by, or more closely connected to,
another agency subject to the Act. We would be happy to consider a new request from you at
a later date if you still wish to receive this information.
• it is the University’s standard practice to not report on information where it relates to fewer
than five individuals and we consider that such disclosure could affect an individual's privacy
and wellbeing. Where the numbers are very low, there is a risk that the identity of these
individuals could be determined or inferred, and that their personal information could be
revealed. Accordingly, where there were fewer than five applicants to accept offers to the
BPhty programme via the HSFY category for international students, we have withheld the
minimum average academic scores for these groups – pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of the Act, to
protect the privacy of natural persons.
1. The minimum average academic score to receive a first round offer to the BPhty programme
from 2019 – 2023 via the HSFY category for international students.
Please see the below table which shows the minimum average academic scores to receive first round
offers to the BPhty programme via the HSFY category for international students:
Minimum average academic score to receive a first round offer to the BPhty
programme, HSFY category for international students
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
70.29
67.57
65.71
82.72
65.71
2. The minimum average academic score overall to accept offers to the BPhty programme from
2019 – 2023 via the HSFY category for international students.
Please see the below table which shows the minimum average academic scores to enter (i.e., accept
offers to) the BPhty programme via the HSFY category for international students:
Minimum average academic score to accept offers to the BPhty programme,
HSFY category for international students
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
70.29
69.57
69.00
67.14
W/H
3. How many international students got into the BPhty programme via HSFY from 2019 – 2023.
Please see the below table which shows the number of applicants to receive an offer, and the number
of applicants to accept their offers to the BPhty programme via the HSFY category for international
students:
BPhty programme, HSFY category for
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
international students
Number of applicants to receive offers
28
23
27
11
15
Number of applicants to accept offers
9
7
8
5
<5
I trust that this information will be helpful.
In the above cases, we consider that good reasons exist for withholding information, and this is not
outweighed by other considerations which would make it desirable, in the public interest, to make the
information available.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your information request, section 28(3) of the Act
provides you with the right to ask an Ombudsman to investigate and review this response. However,
we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns with you first.
Ngā mihi
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
