Feedback, appeals and complaints
See what to do if your application is turned down and you want feedback or you wish to appeal the decision, as well as information about our admissions complaints procedure.
If my application is unsuccessful, how can I request feedback?
We hope most applications will be successful and students will have a positive experience on their applicant journey. In some instances, applications may not be successful.
Your application may have been unsuccessful for a number of reasons. The most common are because:
- you did not meet the specific subject requirements for your course
- you did not meet our standard grade requirements.
If you are unclear why you have been unsuccessful you can request feedback by getting in touch with our UCAS, Masters or PhD admissions teams.
We can only respond directly to applicants in any feedback, appeal or complaint, unless you give us written permission to discuss your application with someone else.
We will respond to you (normally by email) with information about the reason for your decision. We will aim to do so within two weeks of your request.
How do I appeal against a decision?
As an applicant, you do not have the right to appeal against our academic judgement.
You can request a formal review of our selection decision on the grounds that:
- information was missing from the original application
- there has been a misinterpretation of information or data contained within the original application
- there were inconsistencies in the handling of the application.
You can only request a review after receiving feedback on your application, and the review must be requested within 28 days of the feedback being sent to you. You must clearly state why you are requesting a review.
We will review your application and get back to you in writing. If the original decision is upheld, this correspondence will include the reason for that decision. There is a separate fee status appeals process if you want to challenge your fee status assessment.
You can request a review of your decision by contacting our UCAS, Masters or PhD admissions teams.
What should I do if I have a complaint about the admissions process?
We hope that you will have a positive admissions experience, but if you need to make a complaint you can submit one by contacting our UCAS, Masters or PhD admissions teams.
We would expect any admissions complaint to be within the admissions cycle in which you are applying.
The Head of the Admissions Office (or nominee) will seek to resolve your complaint or explain the situation and will respond in writing (normally by email). We will aim to do so within one month of receipt.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint, you can contact the Head of the Office for Student Complaints, Appeals and Regulations for a final review by emailing complaints@sussex.ac.uk. You must submit this final request in writing within one month of receiving the response from the Head of the Admissions Office. The outcome of this review is final.