(May 2014)

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Introduction Australian universities have a strong reputation for excellence and quality across its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES – LISTED ALPHABETICALLY

Australian Catholic University http://www.acu.edu.au/ Australian National University www.anu.edu/ieo Bond University http://www.bond.edu.au/ Central Queensland University http://www.international.cqu.edu.au/ Charles Sturt University www.csu.edu.au/division/internat/ Curtin University of Technology http://www.curtin.edu.au/ Deakin University www.deakin.edu.au/international Edith Cowan University www.ecu.edu.au/iso/ Flinders University of South Australia http://www.flinders.edu.au/ Griffith University www.gu.edu.au/centre/guic/Students/home.htm James Cook University www.isc.jcu.edu.au/ La Trobe University www.latrobe.edu.au/international/ Macquarie University http://www.mq.edu.au/ Melbourne University Private www.muprivate.edu.au Monash University http://www.monash.edu/ Murdoch University www.murdoch.edu.au/international Northern Territory University www.ntu.edu.au/international Queensland University of Technology http://www.qut.com/ Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology http://www.international.rmit.edu.au/ Southern Cross University www.scu.edu.au/intoff/ Swinburne University of Technology www.swin.edu.au/isu/welcome.html University of Adelaide www.international.adelaide.edu.au/ University of Ballarat www.ballarat.edu.au/international University of Canberra http://www.international.canberra.edu.au/ University of Melbourne www.unimelb.edu.au/international University of New England http://www.une.edu.au/ University of New South Wales http://www.international.unsw.edu.au/ University of Newcastle http://www.newcastle.edu.au/ University of Notre Dame Australia http://www.nd.edu.au/ University of Queensland www.uq.edu.au/international/ University of South Australia www.unisa.edu.au/internat/ University of Southern Queensland www.usq.edu.au/international/ University of Sydney http://www.usyd.edu.au/

University of Tasmania www.international.utas.edu.au/

University of Technology Sydney (UTS) www.ipo.uts.edu.au/

University of the Sunshine Coast http://www.usc.edu.au/

University of Western Australia http://www.international.uwa.edu.au/

University of Western Sydney www.uws.edu.au/international

University of Wollongong www.uow.edu.au/discover/international

Victoria University of Technology http://www.vu.edu.au/

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Entry into most higher education courses in Australia is highly competitive and a high standard of English proficiency is required for undergraduate study. Each university will have different entrance requirements so it is important to contact individual universities to check. There are two main types of undergraduate qualifications offered by most higher education institutions: Bachelor degree: provides initial preparation for professional careers and postgraduate study, and involves a minimum of three years full-time study (or two years if the university offers a trimester system). Entry typically requires completion of the IB Diploma or an equivalent qualification. Bachelor degree (honours): may require an optional, additional year of study following the three year degree or it may be awarded for academic achievement in degrees of four or more years. The Studies in Australia website has in-depth information on courses, institutions and scholarships: www.StudiesInAustralia.com. www.australian-universities.com/universities-in-australia.php This website enables you to click on a map of Australia and show the universities available in each of the states. It also provides links to the homepage for each university. http://www.go8.edu.au/ This site gives an overview of the Go8 (Australia’s top universities) university group. http://www.atn.edu.au/ This site has information on the Australian Technology Network group of universities. http://www.iru.edu.au/ This site gives information on the Innovative Research Universities of Australia. Tertiary Admissions Centres:

New South Wales www.uac.edu.au

Queensland www.qtac.edu.au

S. Australia www.satac.edu.au

Victoria www.vtac.edu.au

W. Australia www.tisc.edu.au

Northern Territory www.cdu.edu.au

Tasmania www.utas.edu.au

The above sites provide a step-by-step guide to completing application forms (paper or online) for Australian citizens/domestic students.

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Support from outside agencies – Hong Kong Australian Consulate General HK (Education Section).

Provides free and independent advice to prospective applicants. Maintains a good library of Australian education resources. Address: 23/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai Phone: 2827 8881 Fax: 2585 4457 Email: info.hongkong@aei.gov.au

I.D.P. Education Australia (HK). Deals primarily with international applicants. This agency is paid by Australian universities to promote their institutions and be a point of contact outside Australia. Will also assist in visa applications and IELTS test. Address: Room 2807, 28/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai Phone: 2827 6362 Fax: 2827 9286 Email: info.hongkong@idp.com

Australian Education Consultancy. Represents a small number of universities & colleges. Will help with applications and IELTS test. Address: Suite 2502 25/F Office Tower, Convention Plaza, Wan Chai Phone: 2598 6166 Fax: 2598 6390 Email: info@aecl.com.hk

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Application Most students apply online following the publication of the IB exam results in July. The universities will request an applicant’s final IB results and possibly a final school transcript which the Careers Department will help the student prepare. Although it is optional, we strongly recommend students submit a personal statement to support their application as this forms a fuller picture of the student.

Scholarships Some universities grant scholarships automatically with application, others require the student to apply separately so you should check with individual universities or relevant organisations. Some useful scholarship websites include: Australian Leadership Awards www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ala.cfm The Endeavour Programme www.deewr.gov.au/EndeavourAwards International Federation of University Women www.ifuw.org

Timeframe Most students apply from July onwards after they have received their final IB results.

IELTS - The International English language Testing System The IELTS is a language proficiency test to assess your ability to communicate in English for university studies. The test has four parts: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The IELTS website (www.ielts.org) has information on the test, how to register, practice tests, course providers, etc. It is usual for universities to ask undergraduate applicants to have an IELTS band score of between 6.0 and 6.5. The highest IELTS band score is 9.0. Although WIS provides a letter in the transcript documents that the medium of instruction is English at WIS, some universities still prefer students to have the IELTS. You should research whether the universities that you are applying to will require you to take the test. No preparation instruction for the test is given at WIS. NOTE: Some universities would also accept a TOEFL score, and students applying to Australia and North America, may wish to consider sitting the TOEFL test (http://www.ets.org/toefl) instead of the IELTS.

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Entry requirements As entry to some degree courses requires certain prerequisites, we advise you check with the individual university. If there are prerequisites, these typically fall into one of three categories: Obvious subject requirements (background knowledge), e.g. Maths and Physics for

Engineering degrees Unique subject requirements (knowledge required for a specific course), e.g. English for

Commerce/Business degrees Preferred IB subjects or assumed knowledge. While these aren’t always essential, you’ll

stand a greater chance of obtaining a place if you can show evidence of prior learning in certain areas.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and IB points (Australian nationals) ATAR is a system which calculates and awards a percentage to students with qualifications like the IB Diploma for admission onto undergraduate courses. The maximum rank attainable in ATAR is 99.95 with a minimum of 0.00 and increments of 0.05. The greater the demand for a course, the higher the ATAR percentage will be and the more likely a university will look for evidence of assumed knowledge in an application. ATAR applies to universities in all Australian states except the ones in Queensland. The ATAR applies to Australian nationals studying at WIS. Example of how IB points-ATAR conversion University of Adelaide - (2013 entry) – Bachelor of Laws ATAR score - 85

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The 2013 International Baccalaureate Combined Rank and Notional ATAR table ( Source: http://www.vtac.edu.au/pdf/ib_notional_atar.pdf ) The Australasian Conference of Tertiary Admissions Centres (ACTAC) has agreed on, and passed to the IBO for communication to all Australian IB schools, the table to convert 2013 IB scores for 2014 university admissions in New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. This conversion table, together with the Higher Education Study increments in terms of ATAR points is provided as the 2013 Combined Rank and Notional ATAR table. The combined rank is based on the following weightings and state conversion tables:

2013 Passing IB Score including bonus points

Combined Rank / Notional ATAR

45 99.95 44 99.80 43 99.60 42 99.25 41 98.70 40 98.05 39 97.30 38 96.30 37 95.50 36 94.30 35 92.85 34 91.35 33 89.75 32 88.00 31 85.80 30 83.25 29 80.75 28 78.75 27 76.80 26 74.60 25 72.20 24 69.35

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International students: WIS students who are not Australian nationals but wish to apply for entry into an Australian university do not need their IB final points converted into an ATAR score. http://s3.amazonaws.com/media.international.unsw.edu.au/uploads/file/2013/04/17/2014_Entry_Guide.pdf https://www.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/ATAR%20Tables_pages%20from%20ATARs%20Admission%20%26%20Bonus%20Points.pdf

UNSW (2013 entry) Domestic student Int’l student

Degree course IB points ATAR IB points ATAR

Commerce 38 96.30 34 92

Economics 35 93.00 33 90

Law Dual degree 43 99.65 36 94.50

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Comparing University Costs (approximate cost 2013) Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/foreign-student-fees-in-canada-competitive-hsbc-finds-1.1386766

US Canada UK HK Australia

University Many private as Public Public Public Public

Funding well as public

Costs Highest (From HK$187,600 upward). Lower for US citizens

Medium (HK$143,500). Lower for Canadian citizens

Medium (HK$143,500). Lower for EU residents

Low – HK$98,000. Lower for HK residents

High- HK$188,000. Lower for Australian residents

Financial aid for Many Many small, several Few scholarships Few Few

international full scholarships Nearly all < 30% of

students total cost

Undergraduate 4 years 4 years 3 years, 4 years in 4 years 3-4 years

degrees Scotland depending on

honours programme

When to choose Usually by end of Usually by end of At time of At time of Application (except HKUST)

Combination - major 2nd· year 2

nd·year application some at time of

application, some choose later Broad or Liberal arts at many Usually have Only specialized Only specialized Tends to be some

specialized universities distribution programmes (no programmes (no but depends on

requirements distribution distribution university requirements) requirements)

Application costs US$150 upward (fee waiver available)

CAN$I50 upward (generally no fee waiver)

Pay a single UCAS fee £12 (single) £23 (multiple). No fee waiver

Approx. HK$450 Approx .AUD$100

Application system Apply individually Generally apply Maximum 5 through UCAS

Individual Individual

to each university individually

Predicted grades Emphasis on Emphasis on Most emphases on Most emphases on Grades achieved at time of application predicted grades predicted grades predicted grades predicted grades

Type of offer Unconditional Usually Conditional on IB Conditional on IB Grades already

unconditional results results achieved

SATs Most require SATs SATs only for US Not required but can Can support None

students support application application

Examples of IB applicant profiles (university entry 2012)

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Subject Academic Profile and Predicted University offer

university grade

Engineering Business and Management HL 5 University of Sydney

Chinese Language B HL 6

Physics HL 4

English A1 SL 5

Music SL 5

Mathematics SL 5

TOK C

Extended Essay B

Media English HL 6 University of Melbourne

Film Studies HL 6

Philosophy HL 6

Biology SL 6

French Ab Initio SL 7

Maths Studies SL 7

TOK C

Extended Essay A

Geography Geography HL 7 University of Melbourne

Visual Arts HL 6

Physics HL 5

English SL 6

French Ab SL 5

Mathematics SL 5

TOK B

Extended Essay B

Examples of IB applicant profiles (university entry 2012)

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Subject Academic Profile and Predicted University offer

university grade

Art English HL 5 National Institute of Dramatic Art

Psychology HL 5

Theatre Arts HL 6

Biology SL 4

Maths Studies SL 5

Spanish Language B SL 6

TOK C

Extended Essay B

Examples of IB applicant profiles (university entry 2013)

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Subject I/GCSE IB Achieved Grades University offer

Engineering / Science (Double Degree)

English Language B Chemistry HL 5 UNSW ATAR: 91.35

English Literature A Physics HL 6 IB: 34

French A* Geography HL 6

Geography A French Language B SL 5

Mathematics A* English A1 SL 5

Physical Education A* Mathematics SL 6

Science Double Award AA Theory of Knowledge B

Technology A Extended Essay D

Education English Language A English A1 HL 5 Macquarie ATAR: 76.80

English Literature B Film Studies HL 5 IB: 27

Drama B Psychology HL 4

Mathematics D Environmental Systems SL 4

Physical Education B French AB Initio SL 4

Religious Studies B Mathematical Studies SL 5

Science Double Award CC Theory of Knowledge D

Spanish D Extended Essay C

Examples of IB applicant profiles (university entry 2014)

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Admission as International Students

Subject I/GCSE IB Achieved Grades University offer

Sports Exercise Science

Drama A Biology HL 6 Queensland ATAR: 96.30

English Language B Chinese Language B SL 6 IB: 38

English Literature A* English A1 SL 5

Mandarin Foreign Language A* Mathematics SL 6

Mathematics A Psychology HL 6

Physical Education A* Spanish Language B HL 7

Science (Double Award) AA Theory of Knowledge A

Spanish A* Extended Essay C

Architecture Art A* English A1 SL 5 Queensland ATAR: 95.50

English Language B Mathematical Studies SL 5 IB: 37

English Literature B Philosophy SL 6

Film Studies A Physics HL 5

Mandarin Foreign Language C Spanish Language B HL 7

Mathematics B Visual Arts HL 7

Science Double Award CC Theory of Knowledge B

Spanish A* Extended Essay B

Architecture Business Studies D Business and Management HL 5 Melbourne ATAR: 85.80

English Language B Chinese Language B SL 6 IB: 31

English Literature B English A1 SL 5

Film Studies A Mathematics SL 4

Mandarin Foreign Language A Physics HL 4

Mathematics C Visual Arts HL 5

Science (Double Award) BB Theory of Knowledge D

Technology (Graphics) A Extended Essay A

Examples of IB applicant profiles (university entry 2014)

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Admission as Domestic Students

Subject I/GCSE IB Achieved Grades University offer

Science Art A Biology HL 6 Melbourne ATAR: 97.30

Drama A English A1 HL 6 IB: 39

English Language A Geography HL 7

English Literature A Mathematical Studies SL 7

Geography A* Spanish Language B SL 5

Mathematics A Visual Arts SL 6

Science (Double Award) AA Theory of Knowledge C

Spanish A* Extended Essay A

Geography English Language A* Biology HL 5 Adelaide ATAR: 89.75

English Literature A English A1 HL 6 IB: 33

Geography A Film Studies SL 6

History B Geography HL 5

Mandarin Foreign Language C Mathematical Studies SL 5

Mathematics A Spanish Ab Initio SL 5

Science Double Award AA Theory of Knowledge B

Technology B Extended Essay C

Science Drama A Chemistry SL 5 Queensland ATAR: 94.30

English Language A Chinese Language B SL 5 IB: 36

English Literature A English A1 HL 7

Geography A* Geography HL 6

Mandarin Foreign Language B Mathematics SL 4

Mathematics C Theatre HL 7

Religious Studies A Theory of Knowledge B

Science (Double Award) AA Extended Essay B

Examples of IB applicant profiles (university entry 2014)

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Admission as Domestic Students

Subject I/GCSE IB Achieved Grades University offer

Media Communications

Drama A* Chinese Language B SL 6 Sydney ATAR: 96.30

Economics A English A1 HL 6 IB: 38

English Language A Environmental Systems SL 7

English Literature A Mathematical Studies SL 6

Geography A* Psychology HL 5

Mandarin Foreign Language A* Theatre HL 7

Mathematics B Theory of Knowledge B

Science (Double Award) AA Extended Essay C

Arts and Education (Double degree)

Drama A* English A1 HL 6 UNSW ATAR: 98.05

English Language A Environmental Systems SL 7 IB: 40

English Literature A* Film Studies HL 6

Film Studies A History HL 7

History A Mathematics SL 5

Mathematics A Spanish Language B SL 6

Science Double Award A*A* Theory of Knowledge B

Spanish A* Extended Essay A