UNSW UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi,

I want to go into med next year for UNSW but I am a bit confused on the selection criteria for ATAR. I am currently in my first year of uni (somewhere else) as my UCAT and ATAR wasnt high enough. I got an atar of 95.85. I was wondering whether as my ATAR is below the 96 I am ineligible to apply to UNSW at all no matter my UCAT this year or GPA?

Look, tbh, UNSW confuses me a little so hopefully ucatboy or dotwingz see this, but I have a feeling they moved to an either/or (ATAR/GPA, whichever is higher) model last year, and that a low ATAR is no longer the barrier it was previously. My understanding is that you need a very high GPA and to have studied 1FTE as less than this scales poorly.

 

[2xq]

Look, tbh, UNSW confuses me a little so hopefully ucatboy or dotwingz see this, but I have a feeling they moved to an either/or (ATAR/GPA, whichever is higher) model last year, and that a low ATAR is no longer the barrier it was previously. My understanding is that you need a very high GPA and to have studied 1FTE as less than this scales poorly.

Hi,

I want to go into med next year for UNSW but I am a bit confused on the selection criteria for ATAR. I am currently in my first year of uni (somewhere else) as my UCAT and ATAR wasnt high enough. I got an atar of 95.85. I was wondering whether as my ATAR is below the 96 I am ineligible to apply to UNSW at all no matter my UCAT this year or GPA?

Yes this is correct unless UNSW announces any changes you have to have a 96 or above to have your GPA counted. You can technically still apply but will not be competitive

This is what UNSW says regarding selection for interviews. Due to your ATAR, it seems like you don't meet the minimum criteria for selection. (unless they haven't updated to something more lenient which I highly doubt)

Source: Selection For Interview | Medicine - UNSW Sydney

 

[DrDrLMG!]

View attachment 4606
This is what UNSW says regarding selection for interviews. Due to your ATAR, it seems like you don't meet the minimum criteria for selection. (unless they haven't updated to something more lenient which I highly doubt)

Source: Selection For Interview | Medicine - UNSW Sydney

Perfect, thank you!

 

[A1]

This is what UNSW says regarding selection for interviews.

I have seen & noted that webpage from UNSW, but last year a student confirmed they got an interview despite a sub-96 ATAR and asking UNSW to double check
> UNSW - UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

They did attend the interview but failed to get an offer due to GPA 6.5 = 99.50 while the lowest to get one was 99.60
> UNSW - UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

 

[Caffeine]

I have seen & noted that webpage from UNSW, but last year a student confirmed they got an interview despite a sub-96 ATAR and asking UNSW to double check
> UNSW - UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

They did attend the interview but failed to get an offer due to GPA 6.5 = 99.50 while the lowest to get one was 99.60
> UNSW - UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

If the applicant was a rural applicant then the minimum atar would be 91 but I'm assuming that this was not the case

 

[A1]

If the applicant was a rural applicant then the minimum atar would be 91 but I'm assuming that this was not the case

There was no info to indicate that student was rural. In fact when they rang UNSW to ask about their interview performance they were told lowest to receive an offer was 99.60 (vs their 6.5=99.50). UNSW wouldn't have quoted 99.60 if they were a rural applicant.

 

[2xq]

I have seen & noted that webpage from UNSW, but last year a student confirmed they got an interview despite a sub-96 ATAR and asking UNSW to double check
> UNSW - UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

They did attend the interview but failed to get an offer due to GPA 6.5 = 99.50 while the lowest to get one was 99.60
> UNSW - UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

did they apply for SCATS?

 

[Caffeine]

did they apply for SCATS?

SCATS only applies once you meet the minimum 96 score at UNSW

 

[rdz]

Hi,
I am looking to retry for UNSW med as a 1st year student (i.e. I graduated class of 2020). I haven't been able to find any clear explanation of how the GPA/ATAR is weighted or considered... Can anyone clarify how this has worked in the past, and how it works for 2021 applicants?
Thanks!

 

[Caffeine]

Hi,
I am looking to retry for UNSW med as a 1st year student (i.e. I graduated class of 2020). I haven't been able to find any clear explanation of how the GPA/ATAR is weighted or considered... Can anyone clarify how this has worked in the past, and how it works for 2021 applicants?
Thanks!

Essentially if your atar is above 96 , then UNSW can use your GPA instead of your ATAR to determine your selection rank. Your selection rank to GPA conversion is not exactly known . There is a table which says I think a GPA of a 6.5 is equal to 99.50 however this might not be the conversion they use. The GPA is if you do 1 or more year of study [FTE]

The problem however is based on last years results , the score required as a minimum was above 99.50 to get an offer but it may not be the case this year.

 

[rdz]

Essentially if your atar is above 96 , then UNSW can use your GPA instead of your ATAR to determine your selection rank. Your selection rank to GPA conversion is not exactly known . There is a table which says I think a GPA of a 6.5 is equal to 99.50 however this might not be the conversion they use. The GPA is if you do 1 or more year of study [FTE]

The problem however is based on last years results , the score required as a minimum was above 99.50 to get an offer but it may not be the case this year.

Thank you for your reply!
If you have a 99.85 ATAR, but then get a 6.5 GPA (suppose it converts to 99.5), then what happens?
Does the better score get taken? Or an average? Or just the GPA?
I assume no one really knows...

 

[Caffeine]

Thank you for your reply!
If you have a 99.85 ATAR, but then get a 6.5 GPA (suppose it converts to 99.5), then what happens?
Does the better score get taken? Or an average? Or just the GPA?
I assume no one really knows...

The better score [Though with a 99.85 if you are not already I would apply to Griffith rather than studying at university immediately]. UNSW is a bit weird [ie : Hyper competitive not actually a bad uni]

 

[rdz]

The better score [Though with a 99.85 if you are not already I would apply to Griffith rather than studying at university immediately]. UNSW is a bit weird [ie : Hyper competitive not actually a bad uni]

So they definitely take the better score?

I have already started a provisional med course at an interstate university. I'm looking to get into UNSW purely because my family is based in Sydney so it is financially less straining, not because I think it is better than other universities in Australia.

 

[Caffeine]

So they definitely take the better score?

I have already started a provisional med course at an interstate university. I'm looking to get into UNSW purely because my family is based in Sydney so it is financially less straining, not because I think it is better than other universities in Australia.

Yes according to their rules it is the best off [You can call to confirm just to make sure it still applies for the current application period but it is unlikely for them to change the rules].

 

[Rei]

How do you know a 6.5 is 99.5??

 

[dotwingz]

GPA ATAR Conversion/Equiv Rank by UAC

Hi all, I know there is a lot of mystery shrouding GPA to ATAR conversion for UNSW and no one knows exactly what system is used. I got a 99.95 atar in 2016 and maintained a perfect 7.0 GPA in Uni. However, I have found out that recently (by calling unsw) that my combined atar equivalent was...

medstudentsonline.com.au

 

[JeydinNewWon]

GPA ATAR Conversion/Equiv Rank by UAC

Hi all, I know there is a lot of mystery shrouding GPA to ATAR conversion for UNSW and no one knows exactly what system is used. I got a 99.95 atar in 2016 and maintained a perfect 7.0 GPA in Uni. However, I have found out that recently (by calling unsw) that my combined atar equivalent was...

medstudentsonline.com.au

Hi, I’m new to this all offers and things, but I was wondering what everyone seems to mean by “top-up” offers. I don’t really understand what it is, but is it just like a last minute offer or something?

 

[dotwingz]

yeah pretty much. you get rejected on official offer day, but then they call you up later onwards saying that they have a spot for you (usually because someone rejected the offer), meaning that you were borderline in the first instance

 

[Issycohen3]

Hey everyone

I'm a first year uni student and just completed one of my exams a few days ago. While I already have a HD and am predicted to get another HD and a D, my fourth unit which I just did my exam for is looking like it will either be a Pass or Credit, both which could drag my GPA below 6.5 or make it extremely stressful next semester for me to get which means I fall below the conversion of the GPA to a 99.50 atar.

However, my Uni is doing this thing called SFR (Satisifed Faculty Requirement) due to COVID therefore my Semester 1 results will be removed from my WAM and GPA. This would make it easier for me to get a 6.5+ GPA since on the UAC website, as long as I have no more than 50% of my units being ungraded pass (SFR basically), it won't be calculated in my GPA. Would this satisfy UNSW's 1.0 FTE of study since I technically will have completed 48 credit points of study by the end of the year but only half of that is counted towards my mark. Asking this because I know that a 6.5+ GPA but 0.5 FTE study translates to below a 99.5 according to the table here.

 

[A1]

Would this satisfy UNSW's 1.0 FTE of study

Yes, with 48 credit points you should be considered as 1.0 FTE.
Can you selectively pick a few units as SFR or must it be the whole semester?