UNSW UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

[A1]

Given that it is only NSW/ACT applicants being interviewed over 2 days, do you think they can maintain the same number of people they interview?

I don't really know haha, it was just a bit of speculation on my part. But bear in mind UNSW's 2 days is more like 1.5 days after allowing for ATAR release time, sending invites time + a little notice time (UNSW can't send an invite saying hey we will interview you in 15mins).

 

[Purplefolly]

I don't really know haha, it was just a bit of speculation on my part. But bear in mind UNSW's 2 days is more like 1.5 days after allowing for ATAR release time, sending invites time + a little notice time (UNSW can't send an invite saying hey we will interview you in 15mins).

MESO said they'll be interviewing till 8pm both days, running morning, afternoon and evening sessions on the second day, but only an afternoon and evening session on the first day. They plan to interview 400 people in that 1.5 days. Sounds intense.

 

[Purplefolly]

Here we go.. UNSW email:

Interview and Offer Timeline

If offered an interview and competitive for admission, students will need to ensure that UNSW's Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine program (UAC Code: 428000) is included on their preference list for the relevant UAC offer round/s below.

• 20 Jan:
  • 9am – ATAR release
  • 10am (approx.) – Interview invitations sent to competitive applicants
  • 1pm-8pm – Day 1 interviews
• 21 Jan: 8:30am-8pm – Day 2 interviews
• 25 Jan: Interstate and overseas interviews

· 26 Jan: UAC January Round 2 – Offers issued to competitive applicants who interviewed on 20-21 January

• 3 Feb: UAC February Round 1 – Offers issued to competitive applicants who interviewed on 25 January. Additional offers may be issued to competitive applicants from previous interview rounds (subject to places)
• 10 Feb: UAC February Round 2 – Additional offers may be issued to competitive applicants (subject to places)

 

[JeydinNewWon]

Woah, guess UNSW really doesn’t wanna waste any more time they’re really going all in on it LOL.

 

[jhsane]

I wonder if interviews will be shortened like Adelaide has done this year? Do we know anything about the length - I haven't found anything.

 

[JeydinNewWon]

I wonder if interviews will be shortened like Adelaide has done this year? Do we know anything about the length - I haven't found anything.

I assume they would be the same time unless specifically stated so. What's important to note is that we don't know how many people are going to be interviewers. They could have many running asynchronously at the same time frame for all we know. Rest assured, I think UNSW has things planned and sorted out so honestly it's more likely their problem and not ours, atm.

 

[A1]

What's important to note is that we don't know how many people are going to be interviewers. They could have many running asynchronously at the same time frame for all we know.

When I did my interview there they were doing 8 per session (seeing 8 waiting chairs in the registration area), can't remember if each slot was 30min or 40min long. This year's timetable shows like 17hrs of interview time = 12 per 30min session or 8 per 20min session.

 

[JeydinNewWon]

When I did my interview there they were doing 8 per session (seeing 8 waiting chairs in the registration area), can't remember if each slot was 30min or 40min long. This year's timetable shows like 17hrs of interview time = 12 per 30min session or 8 per 20min session.

Oop. Well, that's definitely interesting but we also have to factor in the interviewers having a break/lunch and/or switching 'shifts' I guess.

 

[jhsane]

I guess we'll see! I'm lowkey excited to see what they'll decide to do lol

 

[A1]

Oop. Well, that's definitely interesting but we also have to factor in the interviewers having a break/lunch and/or switching 'shifts' I guess.

When I did the interview time itself was 20-25mins, then interviewers asked us to leave the room wait in the foyer for them to discuss the score to give. If no problems they came out in a few minutes said we could leave, but if they couldn't agree they would call us back with a third interviewer as referee to resolve. So the session slots must have been like 40mins.

My speculation for this year: UNSW will "mass-production" interview you with 20mins each, but without scoring to save time. They stay back 8pm to 6am to review zoom videos and score you then

 

[cocodreams]

Here we go.. UNSW email:

Interview and Offer Timeline

If offered an interview and competitive for admission, students will need to ensure that UNSW's Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine program (UAC Code: 428000) is included on their preference list for the relevant UAC offer round/s below.

• 20 Jan:
  • 9am – ATAR release
  • 10am (approx.) – Interview invitations sent to competitive applicants
  • 1pm-8pm – Day 1 interviews
• 21 Jan: 8:30am-8pm – Day 2 interviews
• 25 Jan: Interstate and overseas interviews

· 26 Jan: UAC January Round 2 – Offers issued to competitive applicants who interviewed on 20-21 January

• 3 Feb: UAC February Round 1 – Offers issued to competitive applicants who interviewed on 25 January. Additional offers may be issued to competitive applicants from previous interview rounds (subject to places)
• 10 Feb: UAC February Round 2 – Additional offers may be issued to competitive applicants (subject to places)

If the interstate/internationals received an offer in Feb Round 1, aren't they disadvantaged? Because I believe majority of the offers are going out on 26 jan?

 

[A1]

If the interstate/internationals received an offer in Feb Round 1, aren't they disadvantaged? Because I believe majority of the offers are going out on 26 jan?

No they are not disadvantaged. I have confirmation in writing UNSW makes a conservative number of offers to locals in the 1st round, the set-aside spots for 2nd round will be offered equally to interstate + "leftover" local combined. Effectively local/interstate are subject to the same offer cutoff.

 

[zxcvbnm92468]

For the Feb Round 1, how are offers made? If there were leftover spots for locals combined, would these locals be only offered a bonded/other campus (because i.e. everyone who got bonded offer in first round gets bumped up to unbonded) or is everyone on the same playing field again?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

For the Feb Round 1, how are offers made? If there were leftover spots for locals combined, would these locals be only offered a bonded/other campus (because i.e. everyone who got bonded offer in first round gets bumped up to unbonded) or is everyone on the same playing field again?

Historically, and based on years of data to help them get it pretty accurate, I’d say, UNSW have set aside a percentage of places for interstate applicants. They’d divide these places up as though they’re a separate sub quota, so the bottom 28% would be BMP. They’d do the same for the effective sub quota for locals (bottom 28% BMP). There would likely then be some shuffling (of BMP to CSP, not the other way round) as offers/declines settled (as is the case with all unis).

 

[JeydinNewWon]

Historically, and based on years of data to help them get it pretty accurate, I’d say, UNSW have set aside a percentage of places for interstate applicants. They’d divide these places up as though they’re a separate sub quota, so the bottom 28% would be BMP. They’d do the same for the effective sub quota for locals (bottom 28% BMP). There would likely then be some shuffling (of BMP to CSP, not the other way round) as offers/declines settled (as is the case with all unis).

Yeah, this was what I was thinking. I think they just make sure the ratio is equivalent for each separate entry scheme but I wasn't 100% sure as I don't know how UNSW does things.

 

[zxcvbnm92468]

Historically, and based on years of data to help them get it pretty accurate, I’d say, UNSW have set aside a percentage of places for interstate applicants. They’d divide these places up as though they’re a separate sub quota, so the bottom 28% would be BMP. They’d do the same for the effective sub quota for locals (bottom 28% BMP). There would likely then be some shuffling (of BMP to CSP, not the other way round) as offers/declines settled (as is the case with all unis).

thank u sm!! so to clarify, is it like a person who got a i.e. bonded offer for kensington in the first round would only be moved up to an unbonded if someone from the first round gave up their place? i.e. if spots opened up for locals in second round, they would not be considered for the unbonded kensington places, it will only be given to people who did not get an offer at all first round/changed it to their first pref second round?

 

[emperortamarin]

surely it would be so much less stressful and easier for unsw to do interstate interviews before nsw interviews. (i think) every other state gets their atar ~1 month before nsw so theres a huge gap for potential interviews between 20 dec and 20 jan
that way they could have sent everybody offers in uac round 1, so they do not need to decide how many to leave out for round 2

 

[A1]

i.e. if spots opened up for locals in second round, they would not be considered for the unbonded kensington places, it will only be given to people who did not get an offer at all first round

I'm not 100% sure but my logical reasoning is like this - if UNSW is to be fair to all applicants, a local student who got no 1st round offer can only get bonded in the 2nd round, since if their final ranking was good enough for unbonded they should have got a 1st round offer.

Example: UNSW has 140 places = 100 unbonded + 40 bonded. From invites sent out they know the local/interstate ratio is 3 to 1, by probability the 140 places = 105 locals (75 unbonded, 30 bonded) + 35 interstates (25 unbonded, 10 bonded).

Being conservative they only make 100 1st round offers to locals (possibly 75 unbonded, 25 bonded), and the cutoff at 100th is say 70/100 final marks. With a higher ratio of places set aside for 2nd round its cutoff is likely to drop to 68/100, by probability the 40 places would roughly split into 35 interstates (those with 68+ final marks) and 5 locals (those with 68-69 final marks, note the highest is still lower than 1st round bonded 70 marks).

If for some reason the interstate interviewees perform poorly (or don't turn up) and only 25 of them reach the 2nd round cutoff, boosting the locals "quota" by 10 to 115 = 82 unbonded + 33 bonded. In this case there's room to promote 7 first round bonded to unbonded. The final tally for locals is 82 unbonded + 18 1st round bonded + 15 2nd round bonded.

I think the process is similar for Kensington vs Port/Wagga but too hard to illustrate

 

[DLS]

SCATS does not change the UCAT requirement directly. The following is for offers only, for interviews you still have to meet the minimum UCAT score and Selection rank, SCATS can help in meeting the minimum SR but it won't impact the minimum UCAT.

For offers it won't change the hurdle UCAT however it can help in regards to having a slightly lower score once above the cut-off. For example if UNSW's cut-off was 3050 but the minimum ATAR was 99.40. If your SCATS boosted you to 99.95 whilst you would still need a 3050, you would have a better chance of getting an offer with a 3060 then you would if you had 99.50. For ATAR you must meet the minimum first of 96, though the exact impact or boost is unknown to everyone as UNSW doesn't release this for good reason. It will help you if it takes you to the cut-off as you would meet eligibility and any further boost would increase your chances of offers. To be clear however the impact is useless if you don't meet the minimum ATAR and UCAT threshold [My numbers were also completely random so don't take anything from them]

so in a way, does SCATS function exactly the same as EAS?

 

[Caffeine]

so in a way, does SCATS function exactly the same as EAS?

Yep it is still helpful if you meet the minimum UCAT , there is an equity pathway at UNSW for med aside from SCATS/EAS called Gateway. They might also reserve some spots for those people from SCATS/EAS but I think that is from the equity pathway.