UNSW UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

[canteen]

Does anyone know what the ratio of unbonded to bonded places is (e.g. is it 50 unbonded, 50 bonded or 70 unbonded, 30 bonded etc.)? I’m just curious!

 

[someday]

Does anyone know what the ratio of unbonded to bonded places is (e.g. is it 50 unbonded, 50 bonded or 70 unbonded, 30 bonded etc.)? I’m just curious!

bottom 28% of places are bonded i'm pretty sure

 

[A1]

Absolutely crushed. I thought that with a 99th percentile ucat, 99.8 ATAR and a seemingly smooth interview I would have a good chance of entering UNSW undergrad. Turns out that I was not only rejected by UNSW but by every other NSW uni I applied for. There's really nothing I can do about it but I just want someone to hear me.

UNSW has indicated they made 100 offers to the 300 interview cohort i.e. you need to be in the top third final ranking. Your 99.8 is well above the top third's lowest 99.60, your 99%ile is near top. This points to needing an average-ish interview score to combine to a top third.

I suggest you call UNSW ask about your interview performance. If UNSW is truthful and says your interview was poor, ask them how/where to improve for next time. Otoh if they say your interview was average, get that in writing and engage a lawyer to challenge their calculation of your final ranking score.

 

[Desperatebaby]

When they said 99.6 and 2940 cut offs, did we have to meet both or either? Could one get in with top interview and UCAT but below 99.6 Atar?

 

[A1]

Could one get in with top interview and UCAT but below 99.6 Atar?

Theretically one could, but in real life none did this year i.e. none of sub-99.6s did a high enough interview to get to the top third overall.

IOW the 99.6 & 2940 cut-offs weren't defined by UNSW, they were the outcome cut-offs of this particular interview cohort.

 

[Desperatebaby]

Theretically one could, but in real life none did this year i.e. none of sub-99.6s did a high enough interview to get to the top third overall.

IOW the 99.6 & 2940 cut-offs weren't defined by UNSW, they were outcome cut-offs of this particular interview cohort.

So everyone who got in had BOTH above 99.6 AND above 2940, that's insane , isn't?

 

[A1]

So everyone who got in had BOTH above 99.6 AND above 2940, that's insane , isn't?

Here's one who got UNSW Kensington with 99.70 & 95%ile
> Aus Med and Dent Place Offers 2021 Entry - Collated Data

Hypothetically if a 99.50 with 98-99%ile had done a better interview than this 99.70's then their combined score would've been up there as well, and UNSW would announce the cut-off as 99.50. But none did.

 

[ucatboy]

Here's one who got UNSW Kensington with 99.70 & 95%ile
> Aus Med and Dent Place Offers 2021 Entry - Collated Data

Hypothetically if a 99.50 with 98-99%ile had done a better interview than this 99.70's then their combined score would've been up there as well, and UNSW would announce the cut-off as 99.50. But none did.

Wait so basically 99.60 is the lowest ATAR/selection rank of anyone who got accepted into the course? That stings lmao.

Although to be fair, in 2019, while 99.25 was the lowest ATAR invited for interview, I don't recall seeing any 99.25 (or thereabouts) ATARs reporting an offer, probably requiring an unreasonably good UCAT and interview score to make up. Multiple friends with IB43 (99.60) didn't receive an offer post-interview.

 

[Asl]

I know the person who got 99.25 last year and they also had the lowest UCAT score. IIRC they had a really good interview and got a top up offer.

 

[Asl]

Does anyone know approximately how many top up offers there are for UNSW?

 

[deadazzz]

Wait so basically 99.60 is the lowest ATAR/selection rank of anyone who got accepted into the course? That stings lmao.

Although to be fair, in 2019, while 99.25 was the lowest ATAR invited for interview, I don't recall seeing any 99.25 (or thereabouts) ATARs reporting an offer, probably requiring an unreasonably good UCAT and interview score to make up. Multiple friends with IB43 (99.60) didn't receive an offer post-interview.

i know someone who got 99.25 and 97 UCAT who got first round offer this year

 

[ucatboy]

While anecdotal evidence is helpful, it's undeniable that a lower ATAR definitely puts you at a disadvantage when it comes to the place offer stage. If I recall correctly, last year the minimum UCAT percentile required for an interview invite at all was 2840, translating to exactly 90th percentile in 2019. This year, it seems to be 2960 according to UNSW, which is roughly 92. As for the jump in ATAR, UNSW's employment of the "best of" algorithm would have given many non-standard applicants a chance they otherwise wouldn't have (i.e. think high ATAR scorers who started university, or low ATAR scorers who went on to get a high GPA in university), increasing the competitiveness of the applicant pool considerably.

 

[A1]

i know someone who got 99.25 and 97 UCAT who got first round offer this year

You mean this year being 2021 intake? If so the 99.25 must have EAS to boost it to 99.60+, otherwise UNSW is telling us fibs.

 

[deadazzz]

You mean this year being 2021 intake? If so the 99.25 must have EAS to boost it to 99.60+, otherwise UNSW is telling us fibs.

no they definitely had no eas! (it's my cousin so I helped with application, which is why I know if there was EAS etc.)

 

[A1]

no they definitely had no eas! (it's my cousin so I helped with application, which is why I know if there was EAS etc.)

Then how do we explain this > UNSW General Entry Questions and Discussion

I sent them an email asking where I was on the waiting list if one existed, but I got a reply which included "while your interview and UCAT score were average, your UAC selection rank was below the cut off for offers. The UAC selection rank cut off was 99.6"

(Selection rank is basically your ATAR after UAC applies any bonus, so = ATAR if no EAS").

 

[deadazzz]

Then how do we explain this > UNSW General Entry Questions and Discussion

I sent them an email asking where I was on the waiting list if one existed, but I got a reply which included "while your interview and UCAT score were average, your UAC selection rank was below the cut off for offers. The UAC selection rank cut off was 99.6"

(Selection rank is basically your ATAR after UAC applies any bonus, so = ATAR if no EAS").

Hahah I have no idea at all! But they 100% got 99.25/ 97 ucat I think it was 3120, and definitely no EAS. If necessary, I can dm through proof of ATAR + ucat?

 

[A1]

Hahah I have no idea at all! But they 100% got 99.25/ 97 ucat I think it was 3120, and definitely no EAS.

Could it be a case of EAS being automatically given without having to apply for?
(Iirc I have heard something like that, only this year).

 

[dotwingz]

Isn’t EAS automatically applied? I recall seeing a user here in the last year or two that got an interview because UNSW had applied it unbeknownst to the applicant.

 

[deadazzz]

Could it be a case of EAS being automatically given without having to apply for?
(Iirc I have heard something like that, only this year).

I’ll ask them to perhaps call UAC and double check this, but i don’t know of any reasons to why automatic EAS would be added. They are definitely well off (both parents have high paying jobs) + live in a very notably expensive place too (saying this only because I know some areas that have higher populations of low socio economic status can get EAS). However, I’ll still try and see if they can call UAC and ask to confirm

 

[Desperatebaby]

While anecdotal evidence is helpful, it's undeniable that a lower ATAR definitely puts you at a disadvantage when it comes to the place offer stage. If I recall correctly, last year the minimum UCAT percentile required for an interview invite at all was 2840, translating to exactly 90th percentile in 2019. This year, it seems to be 2960 according to UNSW, which is roughly 92. As for the jump in ATAR, UNSW's employment of the "best of" algorithm would have given many non-standard applicants a chance they otherwise wouldn't have (i.e. think high ATAR scorers who started university, or low ATAR scorers who went on to get a high GPA in university), increasing the competitiveness of the applicant pool considerably.

Ucat boy , that interesting ! can u explain what algorithm have changed for the non standards ?
What does ‘ best of algorithm’ mean and what criteria were used before this year ?