Our Appeals and Complaints Procedures

Applicants do not have a right of appeal against the academic judgment of the College. However, if following receipt of feedback, an applicant feels that an error has occurred, they have the right to request a formal review of the selection decision on one of the following grounds:

1. pertinent information was missing from the original application;
2. there has been a misinterpretation of information or data contained within the original application; and/or
3. there was a procedural anomaly in the handling of the application.

This review can only be requested after an applicant has received feedback on the reason for their original rejection. The request for a review must then be placed (in writing) within twenty-eight calendar days of the feedback being sent to the applicant, stating clearly on what grounds the request for a review is being made. This request should be sent in writing to the Admissions Manager, BIMM Group Ltd, Head Office, 38-42 Brunswick Street West, Hove, BN3 1EL, or by email to josieblacknell@bimm.ac.uk.

For BIMM Dublin complaints and appeals, the request should be sent in writing to the Admissions Manager, BIMM University Berlin Dublin, 62-64 Francis Street, The Coombe, Dublin 8, or by email to helenshyne@bimm.ie.

For BIMM University Berlin & Hamburg complaints and appeals, the request should be sent in writing to the Admissions Manager, BIMM University Berlin Germany, House of Music, Revaler Str. 99, 10245 Berlin, or by email to juliafischer@bimm-institute.de. 

As with the original request for feedback, the subsequent request for a review must be made by the applicant and not a third party. BIMM will not respond to requests from anyone other than the applicant (unless written permission has been granted by the applicant).

Once received, the Admissions Manager will review the record of the application (normally in consultation with the relevant Admissions Tutor) and will respond in writing. If the original decision is upheld, this correspondence will include the reasons for the decision.

A complaint is defined as a concern about an aspect of the admissions process, which is not necessarily connected to the selection decision.

Complaints are different to requests for feedback or appeals. A complaint does not necessarily have to be in connection with a decision to turn down an applicant. A complaint is a concern about a particular procedure, an irregularity in the administration of an application, or a belief that a policy has not been correctly implemented. Complaints may cover any aspect of the admissions process and will normally focus on a specific issue or situation (which could include the feedback request). A complaint does not necessarily question the decision of BIMM but raises a concern about how the selection process operated.

As with requests for feedback and appeals, the complaint must come from the applicant. The complaint must be submitted within three months of the conclusion of the admissions process against which the complaint is being made. Complaints must initially be sent (in writing) to the Admissions Manager, BIMM Group Ltd, Head Office, 38-42 Brunswick Street West, Hove, BN3 1EL, or by email to josieblacknell@bimm.ac.uk.

For BIMM Dublin, complaints must initially be sent (in writing) to the Admissions Manager, BIMM University Berlin Dublin, 62-64 Francis Street, The Coombe, Dublin 8, or by email to helenshyne@bimm.ie.

For BIMM University Berlin & Hamburg complaints must initially be sent (in writing) to the Admissions Manager, BIMM University Berlin Germany, House of Music, Revaler Str. 99, 10245 Berlin, or by email to juliafischer@bimm-institute.de.   

The Admissions Manager will seek to resolve the complaint or explain the situation and will respond in writing to the applicant.

If the applicant remains dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint from the Admissions Manager, the complaint can be passed to the Principal for a final review. This escalation of the complaint must be submitted in writing within twenty-eight calendar days of receiving the response from the Admissions Manager. The complaint should be sent to the Principal, BIMM Brighton, BIMM Group Ltd, Head Office, 38-42 Brunswick Street West, Hove, BN3 1EL, or by email to josieblacknell@bimm.ac.uk.

For BIMM Dublin complaints, please send it to the College Principal, BIMM University Berlin Dublin, 62-64 Francis Street, The Coombe, Dublin 8, or by email to helenshyne@bimm.ie.

For BIMM University Berlin & Hamburg complaints, please sent it to the College Principal, BIMM University Berlin Germany, House of Music, Revaler Str. 99, 10245 Berlin, or by email to juliafischer@bimm-institute.de.     

The Principal will review the case on the following grounds:

• Whether there were procedural irregularities in the investigation of the complaint; or
• Whether fresh evidence can be presented which was not or could not reasonably have been made available to the Head of the Admissions Office; or
• Whether the finding of the previous investigation was against the weight of the evidence.

The Principal will notify the applicant of the outcome of the complaint in writing. The Principal’s decision is final.