Quick Questions 2019/2020

[sup]

The matter here is interstate students don't do their UNSW interviews until *after* this Jan offer round, so UAC doesn't know whether they will or they won't get a UNSW offer. But read on ...



In the past UAC used to have a pref status code saying like "Qualified for, offer not (yet) made pending result of a higher pref". If you see this code on your UAC application for WSU then you know that's the case. However this code seems to have disappeared from UAC list, thus I wrote above UAC may now give you the WSU offer regardless of UNSW outcome later.

(This would be at the expense of someone waiting in line for WSU, since if you also get a UNSW offer in Feb you can sit on both until March while the other student has nothing). Edited to add from LMG! <--- don't do this, anyone reading along!! (as in, don't sit on both offers until March), be kind to your fellow med-wannabes and decline any unwanted offers ASAP. Please and thank you.

oh alright, thank you!

 

[Unforgettable48]

Can you still apply for Monash after the closing date? Will they still consider me as an option? Their interview invites come in December IIRC.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Can you still apply for Monash after the closing date? Will they still consider me as an option? Their interview invites come in December IIRC.

Nope, definitely not.

 

[TKAO]

Did UQ have a 50/50/50 rule last year when they did their UMAT selection? If they did, is it possible that the cutoffs for bonded/unbonded could rise because of it's removal?

 

[Logic]

Did UQ have a 50/50/50 rule last year when they did their UMAT selection? If they did, is it possible that the cutoffs for bonded/unbonded could rise because of it's removal?

UQ hasn't had the 50/50/50 rule for the last few years for UMAT. They just looked at the overall UMAT score, so not likely for major changes in cut offs.

A1 adds: Three schools had the 50/50/50 rule Monash JMP Curtin.

 

[TKAO]

UQ hasn't had the 50/50/50 rule for the last few years for UMAT. They just looked at the overall UMAT score, so not likely for major changes in cut offs.

A1 adds: Three schools had the 50/50/50 rule Monash JMP Curtin.

Mbmb I thought it was more widespread.

 

[REGULAR JOE]

Hi guys, I'm an Aus Citizen but have done Cambridge A Levels and not Australian Year 12. Do any of you know whether there are separate quotas for domestic students who have done A Levels, or whether I will be be pooled in with all the other applicants who have done Australian Year 12 exams?

 

[jamesatwestbeach]

Hi guys, I'm an Aus Citizen but have done Cambridge A Levels and not Australian Year 12. Do any of you know whether there are separate quotas for domestic students who have done A Levels, or whether I will be be pooled in with all the other applicants who have done Australian Year 12 exams?

I assume there is a very small portion of applicants applying with A Levels, so you would be pooled with other Year 12 applicants. Additionally, it would be unfair to have a different cutoff for people who have done A Levels only.

 

[REGULAR JOE]

I assume there is a very small portion of applicants applying with A Levels, so you would be pooled with other Year 12 applicants. Additionally, it would be unfair to have a different cutoff for people who have done A Levels only.

Yep I understand, but as it stands, it's already unfair for us, since ATAR is a continuous number and A Level grades are discrete, so some unis are reluctant to give us 99.95. For example, UTAS looks at the best 3 A Level subjects, and I've achieved the highest results possible(3A*s), but because of the uncertainty(whether I'm at the high end or low end the A* grade), they've rounded down my ATAR to 99.00, and they said that I would be competing against 'applicants with similar qualifications, for equity'.

 

[idbehappyw3000]

Yep I understand, but as it stands, it's already unfair for us, since ATAR is a continuous number and A Level grades are discrete, so some unis are reluctant to give us 99.95. For example, UTAS looks at the best 3 A Level subjects, and I've achieved the highest results possible(3A*s), but because of the uncertainty(whether I'm at the high end or low end the A* grade), they've rounded down my ATAR to 99.00, and they said that I would be competing against 'applicants with similar qualifications, for equity'.

Woah but aren't A level a great deal more difficult?

 

[Retired Member]

Woah but aren't A level a great deal more difficult?

Not necessarily - for example, Extension2 maths is much harder than A levels (But ext2 is in itself a niche subject that not many students do)

 

[TKAO]

Woah but aren't A level a great deal more difficult?

I don't think it's fair to say whether A levels are more difficult than the ATAR system. For example, Guide to AS and A level results for England, 2019 says 16% of students get A* in a given subject, and if A*A*A*A* is considered the top score, does that necessarily mean it equates to a 99.95? In the WACE system, a 99.95 requires a student to get approximately 97% scaled in 4 subjects. I'm not saying A levels are easier, but I am saying that there should really be no direct comparison made.

 

[sup]

I don't think it's fair to say whether A levels are more difficult than the ATAR system. For example, Guide to AS and A level results for England, 2019 says 16% of students get A* in a given subject, and if A*A*A*A* is considered the top score, does that necessarily mean it equates to a 99.95? In the WACE system, a 99.95 requires a student to get approximately 97% scaled in 4 subjects. I'm not saying A levels are easier, but I am saying that there should really be no direct comparison made.

Yes you're right there really can't be any direct comparison made. Whether or not a student is at the bottom or the top of the A* boundary they can only be awarded an A*. It will only really be a disadvantage to students who who are at the top of the spectrum i.e. do have 97% scaled in 4 subjects which can be seen by the overall UMS (uniform mark scheme) for each subject and so I hope universities also take those into account when deciding where to rank us among ATAR candidates.
I wish we could know how we're ranked because there is so much ambiguity on how they will use our grades which just makes it extra stressful.
The other day I called up Monash and the admissions officer on the phone mentioned they don't convert to ATAR but convert our grades like they do international students' on a scale where an A=5. When I asked her if they have A*s on the scale she said an A and an A* both equal 5? Being told that really baffled me because it's much more difficult to achieve an A* than an A. (Usyd on the other hand has A*=6 on their scale and on the min req conversion have a 24 (4A*s) required for the provisional entry med program which has an ATAR req of 99.95 which led us to believe they *may* be equivalent) The admissions officer was also unsure about how, even after these conversions, we'd be ranked among other candidates, so I might just have to go in to confirm this and which interview round we'll be in if we receive an invite (so we know when to expect invites) because they're also unsure about which round domestic students with international qualifications fit into

Also UAC have said they will not be converting our international qualifications to an 'ATAR' but to a 'rank within NSW' which is similar to an ATAR if I'm not mistaken? If we want to know our ranking we have to pay around $140 I think she said it was otherwise our rank is never disclosed to us.. Imo this made little sense, because either way they will have to give us a rank so why not just disclose it?
The uncertainty surrounding almost everything is driving me to insanity

 

[sup]

Yes you're right there really can't be any direct comparison made. Whether or not a student is at the bottom or the top of the A* boundary they can only be awarded an A*. It will only really be a disadvantage to students who who are at the top of the spectrum i.e. do have 97% scaled in 4 subjects which can be seen by the overall UMS (uniform mark scheme) for each subject and so I hope universities also take those into account when deciding where to rank us among ATAR candidates.
I wish we could know how we're ranked because there is so much ambiguity on how they will use our grades which just makes it extra stressful.
The other day I called up Monash and the admissions officer on the phone mentioned they don't convert to ATAR but convert our grades like they do international students' on a scale where an A=5. When I asked her if they have A*s on the scale she said an A and an A* both equal 5? Being told that really baffled me because it's much more difficult to achieve an A* than an A. (Usyd on the other hand has A*=6 on their scale and on the min req conversion have a 24 (4A*s) required for the provisional entry med program which has an ATAR req of 99.95 which led us to believe they *may* be equivalent) The admissions officer was also unsure about how, even after these conversions, we'd be ranked among other candidates, so I might just have to go in to confirm this and which interview round we'll be in if we receive an invite (so we know when to expect invites) because they're also unsure about which round domestic students with international qualifications fit into

Also UAC have said they will not be converting our international qualifications to an 'ATAR' but to a 'rank within NSW' which is similar to an ATAR if I'm not mistaken? If we want to know our ranking we have to pay around $140 I think she said it was otherwise our rank is never disclosed to us.. Imo this made little sense, because either way they will have to give us a rank so why not just disclose it?
The uncertainty surrounding almost everything is driving me to insanity

I'd actually like to backtrack on my point where I said it's only really unfair to students at the top end of the A* spectrum because I think in general it's difficult to do justice to our grades with each university/Admissions centre employing their own conversions making it pretty unstandadrised, e.g. my brother was rejected from a course at Usyd with a 95 ATAR req and upon inquiry was told his converted ATAR was 83 but with the same grades was accepted into a course with a 96 ATAR req at UoM

 

[Hamza]

I haven't found any info regarding when the University of Sydney sends out interview invites (double degree medicine). Does anyone have an idea?

 

[A1]

I haven't found any info regarding when the University of Sydney sends out interview invites (double degree medicine). Does anyone have an idea?

Since USyd only invite 99.95s they won't send until December, maybe a few days before ATAR release. From that these students know in advance they are gonna get 99.95.

 

[TKAO]

Since USyd only invite 99.95s they won't send until December, maybe a few days before ATAR release. From that these students know in advance they are gonna get 99.95.

On the topic of USyd how do you think their dent interviews are sent out. According to their website they have two 'assessment days', one in December and one in January and that you must attend the one that is soonest after your atar is released. Why on earth do they set it up like that since most people's atars will release before the first 'assessment date' on the 20th of December? Is it a kind of interstate/instate distinction so that they can interview NSW people first? If it isn't, is there a way of forcing my assessment date to be on the second one in January since I won't be able to attend the January round?

 

[A1]

On the topic of USyd how do you think their dent interviews are sent out. According to their website they have two 'assessment days', one in December and one in January and that you must attend the one that is soonest after your atar is released. Why on earth do they set it up like that since most people's atars will release before the first 'assessment date' on the 20th of December?

IB students only get their marks early January I think. And a few other odd cases I don't remember, maybe like NZ students who don't get their ATAR conversion from NZQA in time.

 

[ucatboy]

On the topic of USyd how do you think their dent interviews are sent out. According to their website they have two 'assessment days', one in December and one in January and that you must attend the one that is soonest after your atar is released. Why on earth do they set it up like that since most people's atars will release before the first 'assessment date' on the 20th of December? Is it a kind of interstate/instate distinction so that they can interview NSW people first? If it isn't, is there a way of forcing my assessment date to be on the second one in January since I won't be able to attend the January round?

Don't forget us poor IB students!! 12:30 GMT 03/01/2020 let's gooo

 

[bizwest76]

Does UAdel let you interview over the phone? Or do any universities for that matter?