Admissions Centres Preferencing: General Discussion

[A1]

Sad news regarding UNSW vs WSU preferencing.

What happens if you put WSU 1st pref and you get a bonded offer - can you then switch UNSW to 1st pref for Jan Round 2 offers to see if you get a UNSW unbonded offer? Does UNSW give offers in that round?

Assuming your order of preference is
UNSW Kensington unbonded > WSU unbonded > Kensington bonded > WSU bonded > Port Macq

Placing UNSW>WSU in UAC you risk getting UNSW Port Macq over a potential WSU unbonded offer (since UAC simply follows your UNSW>WSU pref). It had been suggested you could put WSU>UNSW for the 1st offer round, then shift UNSW to 1st pref for UNSW's 2nd round, basically trying to get one offer each then choose the better/more suitable one.

I have received formal advice from UNSW Med that's NOT going to work, quote:

"If an applicant has qualified for a UNSW offer in Round 1 and did not accept it (regardless if the offer was declined or there was an eligible higher preference in the system and applicant got something else) that is the end of the UNSW road for that applicant."

It means if you place WSU>UNSW then qualify for WSU bonded + UNSW unbonded you would receive WSU bonded from UAC and UNSW won't look at you again in the 2nd offer round. So please don't do this strategy if you truly prefer UNSW.

 

[Purplefolly]

"If an applicant has qualified for a UNSW offer in Round 1 and did not accept it (regardless if the offer was declined or there was an eligible higher preference in the system and applicant got something else) that is the end of the UNSW road for that applicant."

It means if you place WSU>UNSW then qualify for WSU bonded + UNSW unbonded you would receive WSU bonded from UAC and UNSW won't look at you again in the 2nd offer round. So please don't do this strategy if you truly prefer UNSW.

Thank you for going to that effort to clarify.

I just can't understand why they be like this....

 

[ucat3300+]

Sad news regarding UNSW vs WSU preferencing.

Hi A1, does this same conundrum apply for UNSW and JMP? (My VR was low so don't think I'll get WSU interview offer, so WSU is out of the question for me.)

 

[A1]

Hi @A1, does this same conundrum apply for UNSW and JMP?

It does but to a lesser extent (since Port Macq vs JMP would both require you to live away from Sydney home, different to Port Macq vs live-at-home WSU).

Assuming you get interviews from both UNSW/JMP and afterwards you qualify for one offer - it doesn't matter which way you pref that's the one you get, and if you are marginal for the other one you can potentially get it 2nd round to compare/choose.

We only need to discuss the case you qualify for both offers in 1st round (but get offered only the higher pref one)

- Placing JMP>UNSW you'd get JMP and throw away UNSW, since UNSW won't consider you again in the 2nd round. So DON'T do this.
- Placing UNSW>JMP if you get Kensington/Port Macq unbonded, celebrate. The only downside is if you get Kensington/Port Macq bonded while being "stripped" of unbonded JMP. I don't know whether JMP will consider you again in the 2nd round but that's the risk we have to live with.

I'm waiting/hoping for one more answer from UNSW, if I get a reply I will update.

 

[ucat3300+]

It does but to a lesser extent (since Port Macq vs JMP would both require you to live away from Sydney home, different to Port Macq vs live-at-home WSU).

Thanks for your reply A1 . As you point out, both require you to move out but Newcastle is <2 hours drive from Sydney, whereas Port Macquarie is 4 hours, and as someone living in Sydney I would much prefer Newcastle over Port Macquarie/Wagga. (Easier to visit family on the weekend, etc.) Also not sure how likely it is for people to get into UoN Central Coast Clinical School (the new one in Gosford), but if you do get it, then you don't have to move out, and the travel time is pretty much the same as going to WSU Campbelltown / UNSW Kensington. So overall JMP >> Port Macq/Wagga.

Another dilemma is whether to put Kensington only or to put all three campuses (including Port and Wagga). The issue with this is you have to submit your campus preferences directly to UNSW on their medicine portal by 30th of Sep. It's not like you can change this after your ATAR comes out, etc.

From what I've heard, a lot of 1st round Kensington offers gets rejected, and those go to applicants who were ranked low initially, on the second round. (That is, someone who had a higher combined score for atar, ucat and interview gets locked into Wagga/Port 1st round, while someone who had a lower score and only put Kensington gets Kensington in second round). But then you risk not getting any offers from UNSW at all.

So I'm wondering whether I should put all 3 campuses for UNSW by 30th of Sep or just Kensington.

 

[A1]

From what I've heard, a lot of 1st round Kensington offers gets rejected,

I don't believe that^ is true. Other than rurals the vast majority of UNSW round1 offers go to Sydney students, you think they would decline UNSW to go interstate? (bearing in mind they wouldn't have a WSU/JMP offer as well at that stage).

and those go to applicants who were ranked low initially, on the second round. (That is, someone who had a higher combined score for atar, ucat and interview gets locked into Wagga/Port 1st round, while someone who had a lower score and only put Kensington gets Kensington in second round).

I understand what you're saying here. But it's more the case that since UNSW interviews around 3 locals to 1 interstate (based on number of interview days) they release approx 100 round1 offers to local students and keep ~40 places for round2.

Round2 is meant for interstates but all the round1 local miss-outs go into that pool too. Net effect is if less than 40 interstates achieve a final ranking better than the top round1 miss-outs then some locals get a round2 offer. But if more than 40 interstates do ... bad luck.

If you opt out Port/Wagga and miss out round1, you'll have to be in that narrow band to get round2. Too risky I think.

========
Btw here's a safe strategy that will work if you can swindle it : Place JMP/WSU higher pref than UNSW for round1, and request UNSW specifically for a round2 interview. UNSW does try to make the offers cutoff the same for the two rounds to not disadvantage interstates so you won't be disadvantaged. Brilliant idea huh?

 

[KYKLL]

Hi, I was told by my careers counsellor to preference Melbourne Biomed before Monash Med because Monash doesn't participate in the December round of offers. Then if I receive an offer for Biomed, I can accept it as a backup and move Monash to the top for the January round. Now that VTAC has cancelled the December round, does this advice still stand?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi, I was told by my careers counsellor to preference Melbourne Biomed before Monash Med because Monash doesn't participate in the December round of offers. Then if I receive an offer for Biomed, I can accept it as a backup and move Monash to the top for the January round. Now that VTAC has cancelled the December round, does this advice still stand?

I would say not, though it will depend on when Monash interviews take place and how this coincides with the first VTAC round. That said, the only benefit to doing this is having an offer earlier, it doesn’t increase your chances of said offer at the end of the admission period.

 

[KYKLL]

I would say not, though it will depend on when Monash interviews take place and how this coincides with the first VTAC round. That said, the only benefit to doing this is having an offer earlier, it doesn’t increase your chances of said offer at the end of the admission period.

Okay thank you!

 

[christhekid]

Hi, I just wanted to confirm: Is the WSU application just putting it as a preference on UAC. Is there no written application or anything?

 

[A1]

Hi, I just wanted to confirm: Is the WSU application just putting it as a preference on UAC. Is there no written application or anything?

Yes there is a direct application in which you indicate your WSU/CSU preference and write a short essay to JPM/WSU about religion and sexual orientation. (I'm not kidding, that's how I remember from a previous year).

EtA: Iirc the essay is only required *after* you've received an interview invite.

 

[cocodreams]

A1 has mentioned how UNSW should be placed as the first preference because of how they don't send an invite in second round?
So would this be an appropriate preference list: (as a non-standard)
1. UNSW
2. JMP
3. WSU
4. CSU Dent

 

[DrDrLMG!]

A1 has mentioned how UNSW should be placed as the first preference because of how they don't send an invite in second round?
So would this be an appropriate preference list: (as a non-standard)
1. UNSW
2. JMP
3. WSU
4. CSU Dent

Interview invites are not dependent on your preferencing order. As long as a University is somewhere in your preferences and you’re eligible for an invite, you’ll receive one regardless of the order in which you’ve preferenced it.

 

[cocodreams]

Interview invites are not dependent on your preferencing order. As long as a University is somewhere in your preferences and you’re eligible for an invite, you’ll receive one regardless of the order in which you’ve preferenced it.

Ah I see. I think I got invite and offer confused. Instead, would this be an appropriate preference list for offers? (considering UNSW is where I want to go). However, I don't want to jeopardise the opportunity of JMP etc

 

[Caffeine]

Ah I see. I think I got invite and offer confused. Instead, would this be an appropriate preference list for offers? (considering UNSW is where I want to go). However, I don't want to jeopardise the opportunity of JMP etc

Your order seems right however if you wanted to get the chance to get the closest university to Sydney, I'd put JPM 2nd then JMP 3rd just because Campbelltown is closer than Newcastle

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Ah I see. I think I got invite and offer confused. Instead, would this be an appropriate preference list for offers? (considering UNSW is where I want to go). However, I don't want to jeopardise the opportunity of JMP etc

You actually don’t need to worry about this at all just yet. As long as all the unis are there somewhere, you can wait until you have interviews secured before you worry about your offer preferencing. If there’s a uni you don’t get an interview for, you can remove it from your preferences altogether so there’s no point worry about that next step until the first step has been filled in.

 

[HenryJ]

1. QU med unbonded
2. QU med bonded
3. Griffith med (Nathan)
4. USC
5. Griffith Dental
6. CQU med (Bundabug)

UCAT: 3100 (96%)
Predicted Atar: 99.80
Current state: QLD

My question are

1. I heard Griffith med is difficult to get offer if it is not 1st preference (i guess because decline rate is low) is it true?
2. Griffith med has two campus, do I need to apply two campus all? (they are almost same cut-off)
3. Do I have also chance to get interview for Griffith dental and CQU, even though it is fifth and sixth?

 

[Caffeine]

1. QU med unbonded
2. QU med bonded
3. Griffith med (Nathan)
4. USC
5. Griffith Dental
6. CQU med (Bundabug)

UCAT: 3100 (96%)
Predicted Atar: 99.80
Current state: QLD

My question are

1. I heard Griffith med is difficult to get offer if it is not 1st preference (i guess because decline rate is low) is it true?
2. Griffith med has two campus, do I need to apply two campus all? (they are almost same cut-off)
3. Do I have also chance to get interview for Griffith dental and CQU, even though it is fifth and sixth?

Preferences don't mean you won't get an offer. However if I was you personally I would swap some of your preferences. The main reason being it's better personally to get a CSP place than a Bonded place. At Griffith at least you can compete for the two during your degree but if you went UQ bonded you couldn't change it. You will get interviews at Griffith Dental and CQU if you apply

1. UQ CSP
2. Griffith Nathan/GC (Whichever one you want to go to)
3. Griffith Nathan/GC
4. USC
5. CQU CSP
6. UQ Bonded

 

[christinaa123]

So I am kinda struggling with my preferences. With QLD, im just wondering if its 'harder' to get into Griffith gold coast, compared to Griffith nathan. Because if Griffith gold coast is harder, there isn't really any point putting it as a preferences after Griffith nathan right?

I would put both down, but due to the limit on preferences to 6, I was thinking whether I should just put one Griffith (which ever is easiest) and then I can put CQU.

I currently live in QLD, closer to the nathan campus. My preferences right now are:

1. UQ unbonded
2. Griffith nathan
3. Griffith gold coast (should I replace with CQU?)
4. USC
5. UQ bonded
6. JCU

 

[A1]

if Griffith gold coast is harder, there isn't really any point putting it as a preferences after Griffith nathan right?

In every of the last 6 years Nathan cutoff was either equal to or 0.05 lower than GC. Based on that trend you're correct no point preferencing GC below Nathan. But ....

GC has been higher because for some reason lots of interstate applicants prefer GC. However this year if due to lack of pref slots many decide to drop GC (to gain a slot) then Nathan could become more popular/higher cutoff. It's a difficult call.