UCT clarifies incorrect claims around FHS applicant
13 March 2021
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has noted claims around an applicant who has not been accepted into the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS).
UCT categorically states that the applicant received an offer from the university on 23 February but did not accept it.
The university confirms the facts around the matter as follows:
- The applicant referred to was first offered a conditional offer on 3 September 2020 based on his Grade 11 (2019) performance. The applicant neither accepted/declined the offer of a place to study medicine.
What exactly does it take to be “competitive”????? pic.twitter.com/XLx8lizybY
— Debbie Schafer (@DebbieSchafer) March 13, 2021
- In the final National Senior Certificate examination at the end of 2020, the applicant obtained a Faculty Points Score (FPS) of 582.
- He was made a guaranteed offer on Tuesday, 23 February. Guaranteed offers require at least 560 FPS (equivalent to 93% aggregate).
- He was contacted telephonically by a senior professor in the FHS, as part of an effort to recruit talented applicants, on Wednesday, 24 February 2021. During this conversation, he indicated verbally that he would not be taking up the UCT offer to study medicine as had accepted an offer to study at another university.
- All applicants who had received a firm offer were expected to indicate their first choice through an online portal by midnight on Friday, 26 February. However, between receipt of the offer on 23 February and this deadline, the applicant had not engaged with the student portal at all. When no decline/accept was recorded by 27 February and the enrolment target was reached, all open offers were moved to the waitlist.
- When no further indication was received after his offer had been moved to the waitlist, and after the enrolment target remained full in the week of 1-5 March, all waitlisted applicants received an automated email indicating that they would no longer be considered for offers.
- The wording in the email was generic for all waitlisted applicants and included that the “application is not competitive”. The faculty will review its systems to look into using wording that is applicable to specific applicants and is not generic.
Statement issued by Elijah Moholola, Spokesperson, Communication and Marketing Department University of Cape Town, 13 Marc 2021
