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UNSW UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion
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ATAR rank hard cutoff refers to needing an ATAR above a certain number to be considered eligible to progress (regardless of other results, ie. UCAT).
ATAR used to always be looked at for UNSW regardless of whether the applicant had done a semester of uni or an entire PhD. However I believe this is no longer the case. Would be worth checking their website for the most up to date details.
This is only my "educated speculation", not guaranteed 100% valid.
Though UNSW shies from saying it, I think its place offers are NOT solely on the interview. Meaning the place-offer cutoff has an influence factor from ATAR+UCAT.
It should be commonsense that the Gateway place-offer cutoff is lower than the General pool (otherwise no point UNSW offering Gateway to help Gateway applicants). So you should apply via Gateway.
The choice between Gateway or EAS is harder to judge. But in your case with ATAR 99.70 EAS won't boost it by much. IOW EAS-boosted 99.95 in the General pool is likely worse off than 99.70 in the Gateway pool.
Thank you
xyz0
Lurker
Hi everyone, this is rather niche question about Gateway entry so I'm not expecting 100% certain answers - anything you have experienced/heard I'm also curious about. Since the criteria to meet the Gateway scheme is attending a Gateway school/living at a qualifying home address, can these criteria affect how they offer places? For example, could someone who attends a Gateway school with a 97/98 ATAR receive a place over someone who attends a higher ranking school with a 99+ ATAR and only qualifies via home address (assuming both have similar UCAT and interview performance)? Or is it just a prerequisite that isn't considered beyond eligibility for the pathway? Thanks.
Adding to DrLMG's reply ...
In past years UNSW used to rank for interview selection by ATAR+UCAT.
Approximately 99.0 + 99%ile was about same rank as 99.95 + 90%ile or same rank as 99.50 + 95%ile.
Then UNSW changed to a method (I've forgotten its name) by rejecting the lowest in each component first.
It happened the individual ATAR cutoff was 99.50, individual UCAT cutoff was 92ish %ile.
So we've seen 99.45 + 99%ile rejected while 99.55 + 96%ile got an interview.
Mathematically the former is a better combo, but got rejected so we call 99.50 a hard cutoff.
I believe you still need ATAR better than 96 to be eligible, then it's 'best of' between ATAR & GPA.
A recent rule is after you have graduated with a degree it's GPA only, no longer 'best of'.
My understanding is once you're in the Gateway pool you're on equal footing to the other Gateway applicants, doesn't matter by which path within the Gateway.
Otherwise UNSW would have a separate pool for school-Gateway and one for home-address Gateway, but that's not the case.
Hey everyone, I've just come out of the ucat and I'm really dissapointed. I am a rural student at university and am looking to transfer through to undergraduate medicine (maybe dentistry?). Despite getting like 90s on some previously, I only got 1880 overall (VR: 630, DM: 600, QR: 650 and SJ 657). I feel pretty crushed at the moment but do any of you know if I have any chance at all? Thanks so much
Deboza
UNSW MD
Depends on a few things such as rurality and your ATAR. Getting an interview & offer isn't totally out of the equation. There is a person in my cohort who scored a 52nd percentile and was MMM-2.
merrychristmas8
Lurker
Hi, I got a 2130 UCAT 
, but today I found out I'm eligible for the UNSW Gateway Entry Scheme (my address, not my school). I was wondering if this score could be considered for an interview through this scheme, and what minimum ATAR I'd need to be considered. Thanks!
, but today I found out I'm eligible for the UNSW Gateway Entry Scheme (my address, not my school). I was wondering if this score could be considered for an interview through this scheme, and what minimum ATAR I'd need to be considered. Thanks!failuretobegood
Member
Just got rejected from UNSW with 6.833 gpa and 2600 UCAT and I had an ATAR above the 96 threshold as a non standard. Is this a mess up for the non standards again?
MD_nevergiveup
Member
From my heard, atar needs at least 99 and 98 has been rejected… soooo crazy right now.
Do they actually say rejected? Usually they say you have not been selected this round but may be competitive next round.
reny got an interview with 6.87 + 2440 97%ile
> 2026 Entry Interview Invites DATA COLLECTION
failuretobegood
Member
It said straight up rejection. I was thinking it could be because my UNSW T3 results came out today and they used my ATAR as UAC may not have updated in time?
__________
A1 adds: It's true if UAC have not received your T3 so your sub-1FTE GPA converts to less than 99.50.
But you should still be in contention for 2nd round, not rejected.
anonymous2574
Lurker
I had similar thing happen - rejected with a 7.0 gpa 2500 UCAT and ATAR of 99.25 (2024) nonstandard - it says on uac that my results havent been processed for this sem yet so it could be that and its on uacs end?
failuretobegood
Member
I think thats the most likely case. Either way, I emailed UNSW with my updated GPA and UCAT so we will see what they say.
Hi, I had a similar issue. 6.8 GPA + 97 UCAT and got rejected. I was wondering who did you email?
failuretobegood
Member
I emailed [email protected] .
I got en email this morning from UNSW Medicine saying they haven't been able to process my application because my academic results hadn't been received in time and I would be reconsidered for interview in January. I then got a follow up email saying I had been sent the email in error. Following my actual interview last month, they told me I wouldn't receive correspondence from UNSW, but rather an email from UAC in January if I was offered a place.
Was your email this morning from UNSW or UAC? Wondering if you received it in error as well.