Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

The Year 11 students will sit their end of year exams next week. These exams can have significant importance (if students want them to) for early entry options next year. The increase in these schemes has risen from about 4-5 early offer schemes at institutions 10 years ago, to almost 70 across Australia.

Students can now use their Year 11 grades and/or their ATAR to enter institutions. This takes a lot of pressure off their ATAR, increases  opportunities and allows students to rely on grades when they are in a less-pressurised year of Year 11.

I encourage students to take advantage of this, put your head down, work hard and make the most of it.

For more information: visit UAC and  Art of Smart.

Open Day season 

As I have mentioned in previous articles, Open Day Season is very much here. This weekend we have a variety of institutions opening their doors including University of Sydney, Notre Dame University, University of Technology Sydney, Newcastle University and Charles Sturt University.

Please register for these events at each university’s website and check out their programs including talks, Q&A sessions, tours and more. More information can be found here.

Resources, dates, webinars and more 

August Webinars at Sydney University 

Engineering – Industry Engagement | Wednesday 31 August 2022, 4.00 pm – 4.30 pm
This webinar will introduce you to our award-winning Professional Engagement Program (PEP), embedded within all our professional engineering degrees, and our Engineering Sydney Industry Placement Scholarships (ESIPS), a 24-week hands-on industry placement allowing students to work on a real-world research project.

Life of a Mathematician | Wednesday 31 August 2022, 5.00 pm – 5.30 pm
Have you wondered what a day in the life of a mathematician is like? And what jobs are available in this growing sector? Join award-winning mathematician, Professor Mary Myerscough, to find out what an average day of work might be like in the field of mathematics.

Here are some interesting Study Work Grow articles:

• What are my future options? – Study Work Grow
• Why you need Science – for people who don’t like Science – Study Work Grow
• 4 tips to help get smart about money – Study Work Grow
• Thinking of taking a language in Year 11 and 12? – Study Work Grow
• Applying to University in the US from Australia – Study Work Grow
• Seven jobs where you could use your language skills – Study Work Grow

UAC date reminders

Monday 19 September 2022
Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) applications close.

Friday 30 September 2022
Early bird fee deadline – significant increase to application processing charge after this date from $73 – $200.

Tuesday 22 November 2022 
Educational Access Scheme application and document deadline to have them considered in December Round 2 (Main Round).

Thursday 15 December 2022
NSW ATARs released on the UAC website.

Thursday 22 December 2022
First offers made to Year 12 students based on ATARs. For more information click here.

Have a back-up plan
Pathways to university 

UAC always recommends that, when you choose your course preferences, you include a ‘back-up’ course; that is, a course you are confident you’ll be offered a place in and will be happy to study if you miss out on offers for your higher preferences. For example, you could include a diploma course in a similar area of study as your preferred degree course. You could then use your diploma studies as a stepping-stone to the degree: you may even be able to move straight into second year. More information can be found here.

UAC deferring a university course
What you need to do now that our early offers 

When you receive an offer to enrol in a course, information included with your offer will explain how to apply for deferment. You may have to accept the offer before you can defer.

Most institutions will ask you to provide a statement to explain why you wish to defer and what you’ll be doing during this period. Once your deferment has been granted, you’ll receive written confirmation of your deferment from the institution concerned. This will also give instructions on how to take up your deferred course.

If, at the end of the deferment period, you decide you’d like to be considered for other courses, you can complete a new UAC application and include these course preferences. If you receive an offer to one of the new courses, you can then decide whether to accept the offer or take up your deferred course.

Can my offer lapse? Yes. If you undertake degree studies or certain levels of TAFE study other than NSW HSC courses during your deferment period, your offer at many institutions will lapse. You’ll need to re-apply through UAC and declare all of your studies. Check with each institution for specific policies and more information here.