Applying to !!!" " "What you need to know!

NIST Educational Session, 15 March 2016

Educational services 4th largest export - $9.8 billion/year

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Standard university degree is 3 years

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You can do full time work during holidays as an International student J

Holiday visa – you can work from June to

February when the first term starts

And you can work 20 hours per week during your terms

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You need to know what you want to study when you apply.

Note: University of Melbourne and University of Western Australia

now have more flexible programs that are similar to the US system with general courses taken in the first year and a program declared

in the second year.

There are two intakes at Australian universities:

July (not all universities- E.g.: UQ) and February.!!

Most courses operate on a rolling admissions basis.

Selection decisions are made as applications from international students are received.

Foundation Courses •  If you are not taking the full diploma then you might have to take a

foundation course. •  Only UNSW has a foundation course that is valid for entry to all

other Australian Universities. Most students doing foundation program at UNSW enter programs at other universities (98%).

•  Some universities let you enter into the second year after the foundation course is completed.

•  Some foundation courses can be taken somewhere between July and January so that you can enter in the first semester in February.

•  Likewise, you might experience difficulties if you are taking Math Studies and the university course you are applying to has a math requirement, but you are fine for most courses.

•  Students can leave High School after year 12 and enter a foundation program (minimum 16 years old). Package offers given to international students (foundation + guaranteed entry to course)

Evaluation of NIST High School Diploma at University of Melbourne

If students also meet the SAT requirements, the University of Melbourne would look favorably at accepting the NIST high school diploma and take into account the GPA. Prerequisite subject requirements can be met via the IB SL or HL subjects achieved at a minimum of Grade 4.

On the Course Search site, on the right hand panel, select

USA High School Diploma, you will find the entry requirements listed

•  International students can apply through Insights Education here in Bangkok. NIST sends your transcript, predicted grades and letters of recommendation directly to the university.

•  There is no application fee for you when you apply through an agency. If you are admitted, the agency receives a commission or payment, so they work hard to help you gain entrance to Australian universities.

•  You can also apply on your own. The process is not complicated. You will apply to most universities through their websites, but some require that you apply through the state’s Tertiary Admission Center (TAC)

Deadlines for International students: •  July Intake of 2016 – deadline is May of 2016 •  February Intake of 2017– deadline is October of 2016 •  You will use your March predicted grades if you plan to enter in

July (July entry is not possible at all universities) •  Some universities will allow you to apply on your March predicted

grades for entry in February

You will need IELTS or TOEFL scores

If you don’t have a passport from: USA

Canada UK

New Zealand Australia

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•  You can do direct entry to Engineering, Law, Architecture, or Medicine for some universities, but NOT all.

•  Australian universities have more medicine spaces for international students than UK universities.

•  Find out what Standardized Tests you need to do and when and where they are offered.

•  Some universities do not require any test for medicine. •  Some universities do “packaging” for medicine at

postgraduate entry where they reserve a space for you, and you enter directly when you have finished your undergraduate course.

How will universities make their decisions!•  FAQs for students applying to Australian universities (New South

Wales) with the IB Diploma

•  Getting into your Australian university will be based on your IB scores – not the scores that you earn in class at NIST but on your Predicted IB scores (in March of Year 13) and/or your final IB scores (summer after Year 13)

•  Most offers will be conditional upon your final IB scores

•  If you have a predicted score that is two-three points above what the university program requires, you may be given an unconditional offer.

•  Authorize IBO to release your results to the Tertiary Admission Center via the Request for Results Service!! Mr. Cooper will send you a form in March of Year 13.

•  If you applied directly to the university, then you give their name on the form

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• Australian Catholic University!• Australian Maritime College!

• Australian National University!

• Canberra Institute of Technology !

• Central Queensland University!

• Charles Sturt University!• Griffith University!

• La Trobe University!

• Macquarie University!

• Southern Cross University !• University of Canberra!

• University of New England!

• University of New South Wales !

• UNSW at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA)!

• University of Newcastle!• University of Sydney!

• University of Technology, Sydney!

• University of Western Sydney!

• University of Wollongong!

New South Wales!

Your First Priority: !What are your criteria in choosing a university?!

1.  Course 2.  University location (are you an Australian citizen returning

home?) 3.  Reputation 4.  Is it a good fit for you academically? 5.  What is the community like? 6.  What is the learning experience like? 7.  What opportunities exist to expand your universe? - Service

learning/ undergraduate research/ study abroad/ internships 8.  Life after college? 9.  Grad school? 10.  Jobs? 11.  What else? !

Online Research: www.gooduniguide.com.au/ www.rateyouruni.com.au/ www.australian-universities.com/ www.idp.edu.au/ www.studylink.com/ www.studiesinaustralia.com/ www.goingtouni.gov.au/ www.uac.edu.au/ https://universityreviews.com.au/australian-rankings/ !

Other Types of Research

q  Universities’ websites q  View resources in the College Library q  Talking with family and friends who are at Australian universities q  NIST Alumni q  Facebook q  Campus visits !

Domestic (Australian) students !!Australian students will apply online through a centralized application

system for each state.

•  *Tertiary Admissions Centres (TAC): Overview of central application system for all states in Australia

Centers for individual States:

•  New South Wales: Universities Admission Centre (UAC).

•  Victoria: VTAC

•  Queensland: QTAC

•  South Australia: SATAC

•  Western Australia: TISC

Deadlines for Australian students •  July Intake of 2016 – deadline is late April

•  not possible for all universities as the admission center will have closed by the time you get your final IB grades. Students can apply directly to universities in some cases.

•  February Intake of 2017– deadline is late September 2016. Apply Through TACs using your final IB scores

•  The Tertiary Admissions Centers issue offers to successful applicants on behalf of the universities in January for first semester intake. Students only receive one offer per state—for the course listed in their application as their highest preference for which they have met the entry requirements. Students can change their preferences prior to offers being made.

•  NIST students are at an advantage because when they apply they already know their final result and can therefore choose courses which they know they have enough points for.

What else for Australian students?

•  The entrance scores for getting into courses are different if you are a domestic student (can be higher than for international students).

•  The people who come to talk at the school often only know the requirements for international students and have less information for domestic students.

•  Foundation Courses are offered for domestic students at several Australian universities. Sometimes they are outsourced to local agencies.

Accommodation is the big factor…

•  Most Australian students live at home and so there are fewer residential places attached to each institution.

•  Application process (completely separate from the university applications).

•  Recommendation Letters (academic as well as character). You may want to arrange these before you graduate.

•  Application form and application fee.

•  Interviews (can be Skype).

•  You should not wait until you have an offer from the university to apply to a residential college!

•  You need to do this as early as possible to reserve a place. When you know for sure which course you are taking you need to inform all residential colleges you have applied to.

Residential colleges ! !•  Are associated with the tertiary institution but independently owned

and run.-

•  Different sizes

•  Co-ed or single-sex

•  Tend to have a ‘reputation’ or focus on a theme such as academic performance or sport or internationalism or religion

•  Different levels of security and service

•  The price varies and families should ‘shop around’ to compare what they get for their money

•  To find residential colleges search the university website or just do a Google search

Sharing a house or apartment •  In suburbs that are close to the university

•  Safe and nice area? Price range?

•  Need to be able to live independently: shop, cook, clean and organize by themselves

Boarding with a family •  You live with another family

•  They provide your meals, do your washing etc.

•  You get your own bedroom but bathrooms are probably shared with other members of the family.

•  You need to know the city to tell how far the accommodation is and if there is public transport nearby.