In Year 12? April 1st is the day Undergraduate Applications will open, so it is important to know how you are going to apply. We’ve broken down the process into the essential steps you need to take as a Year 12 student to start your UAC application.
Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) is the place to go if you are a Year 12 student looking to apply for university entrance in 2022. It might seem early, but it is prudent to get started with your application now.
On their website, there is information on various courses offered by universities, their start dates and information on prerequisites and academic requirements. Be sure to check these out to help inform your choice of a university course.
To start an application, click the ‘Apply or Log in’ tab on the top right of the homepage. From the drop-down menu, select the undergraduate application.
Read the information, then click “Start” to begin your undergraduate application.
Select your citizenship status, and click Yes to the next question as you will be completing Year 12 this year.
For HSC students, enter your Year 12 student number and UAC pin, which would have been emailed to you by UAC on the 1st of April.
For IB students, use your personal code and birth date as your pin (e.g. 1st of May is 0105).
You will then be taken to the personal details page. Some details may have already been added; ensure that they are correct and fill out any remaining fields.
When entering your email, ensure that you enter a personal email, as this email will be the main way UAC will contact you. Your school email may expire, so it is important that you use a personal email account.
When you click next at the bottom of the page, a UAC application number will be generated. Your UAC application number and PIN will be emailed to you. Keep them safe as you will need them to update your application in the future or whenever you contact UAC.
After clicking continue, you will be directed to the qualifications page. Your Year 12 qualification would have already been added. You have the option to add other qualifications such as employment experience and online open courses, though they most likely won’t apply to you. Don’t add employment experience unless you’ve worked full time for 1 year or more.
The next step in the application is the selection of your courses. The course preferences page is where you can choose up to 5 courses you’d like to apply for. You can always update this list later. Click ‘Search for Courses’ to get started. First, select an institution (you can select all or simply select the institutions you are interested in). Then search your course by using the six-digit course code or course name to refine your search.
Select the start date for your course choices to add them to the preference list. Once you are done, you can review your choices. Put your preferences in order of what you most like to do, as they will be considered in order. When you are done, save your changes to continue.
Now, you need to review your application to ensure that all details are correct. Click the pencil icon, to edit any details. Once you are finished, click the ‘Submit’ button, read through the Declaration, and click the box to agree with the terms. Now, you need to make the payment, either through PayPal or Credit Card or if you choose to pay later through POSTbillpay or BPay. If you choose to pay later, UAC must receive your payment before any offers can be made.
Once you pay, your application is complete. Now, you can manage your application using your UAC application number and pin, apply for Educational Access Scheme (EAS) if eligible or upload documents. It is recommended that you download the confirmation package to ensure that all your details are correct.
You can manage and edit your application whenever you like using your UAC application number and PIN by going to Undergraduate Application from the drop-down menu. From here you can track correspondence, change your pin or download your confirmation package.
Make sure to check the UAC website for up to date key dates such as Offer Round Dates.
You’ve just started university and you are finally out of school. Congratulations!
It is the start of a new era on your learning journey but wait – what is everyone talking about? If you are confused by the uni jargon flying around your ears, here is your one-stop shop to get it translated.
If you are looking for something in particular, make sure to control F or Command F your way through this page to find the appropriate definitions.
If there’s a word you’d like translated – and it’s not in this list – let me know in the comments, I’ll give its meaning and update the list.
Bachelor Degree: Usually awarded after completing an undergraduate course. It is recognised worldwide and probably will be your first degree . Most Bachelor Degrees are 3-4 years, but there are exceptions to this.
Bridging Course: This is a short, intense course designed for students before university starts (in the summer break ), to help them reach the proficiency required in a subsequent unit they may be studying in the year.
Bridging Unit: This is a unit of study that helps provide students with the required level of proficiency in a subject area or skill before undertaking further study.
Census Date: The last day you can withdraw from a subject without financial or academic penalties. So, if you can’t stand a subject, get out while you can!
Course: Is a structure of units that allow you to achieve a certificate of completion in a particular discipline. A typical undergraduate degree is 3 – 4 years of fulltime study.
Credit Points: Are allocated to each successfully completed unit. They are an indication of how much study you have completed.
Credit Transfer: Recognition of prior study at another university or work experience, that can be used as credit points – meaning that you have to do fewer subjects!
CSP: CSP stands for Commonwealth Supported Place. This means that the government subsides your fees by paying a part of it. If you are a full fee-paying student, then as the name suggests, you pay for your fees completely. The difference is quite large, sometimes in the thousands per subject.
Deferred Study: Taking a 6- or 12-month break after high school before starting your study at university. It is also commonly known as ‘Gap Year’.
Degree: Is the award given by the university after completing a course – normally for undergraduates it is the bachelor degree.
Double Degree: Combining two degrees simultaneously, so that students complete two courses effectively – but in less time. Still longer than a normal degree though.
Enrolment: The process of registering into a course.
External Study: Study that is done remotely from university. You have to come into uni very rarely for lectures, tutorials or practicals, and often if you do, these classes are bundled up.
Faculties: The academic division within which teaching and research at uni are conducted. Think of it as the subject faculties you had at school – except these include a whole diverse range of areas of learning.
Gap Year: Same as deferred study.
GPA: Grade Point Average (GPA) represents your academic standing (your marks perse). It is calculated out of 7 or 4, depending on the uni and can be important in getting into postgraduate courses. Find out more about GPA here.
Graduate: A person who has successfully completed a course at uni.
HECS: HECS is short for Higher Education Loan Program, which is a loan you can get from the government if you are enrolled in a CSP. The loan can be used to pay your tuition fees, but not accommodation, laptops or textbooks. You will need a TFN to apply for HECS. You can find out more about HECS-HELP here.
Honours: Is another award that can be earned after a year of study that is additional to the bachelor degree. It is normally as an outcome of an honours program but sometimes is based on academic performance in your studies.
Labs/Practicals: Now, labs and practicals are different depending on the universities and the courses you are completing. But basically, they can vary from anatomy labs, computer simulation lab and your typical science labs for biology, chemistry and physics (though these labs may be larger and more technically savvy than those at school!)
Lecture: Is a presentation given by a lecturer or professor on a specific topic. It often occurs in a lecture hall and there are many students (can even be in the hundreds!) You are expected to listen carefully and take notes whilst the lecturer speaks. There is little guidance from the lecturer. Some lectures are recorded, depending on the university and the unit.
Lecturer: The person who delivers the information in the lecture to students.
Major: A collection of units that are recognised by the university to substantiate that you have specialised in a certain area.
Minor: A smaller collection of units in an area of study.
Non-School Leaver: A student who begins university after more than a year of completing high school.
Online Courses: Courses that are delivered online, with little to no face to face contact between the lecturers and student.
Overloading: To enrol in more than the usual number of units in a semester (normally that is more than 4).
O-Week: Orientation Week! Your first taste of uni before those lectures start! It’s a whole week where you get to experience the uni campus, different societies and association and get free stuff. Each uni does it slightly differently but generally, you will get your enrolment sorted, along with an ID card, get to have a uni tour, an introduction lecture from your Faculty, sign up to the various clubs and societies at the uni (they will have their stalls) and get free food and goodies.
Postgraduate Student: Students that have already completed an undergraduate course and have continued their studies in another course.
Prerequisite: A subject or unit that is required before you can move onto anther unit.
Scholarship: Awards that have financial advantage, either through full or partial payment of fees. They can be awarded for a variety of reasons.
School Leavers: Students applying for admission based of their school results, that is your Year 12 ATAR.
Semester: An academic teaching period. Most universities have 2 semesters of about 18 weeks (12 – 13 weeks of teaching, 2-week holiday, a study week and 2 – 3 weeks of exam period). Some universities have trimesters, meaning there are three semesters in a year (I know! ), but they are shorter in length. Still quite intensive.
STUVAC or SWOTVAC (Depending on where you are from): STUVAC meaning study vacation as it is called in NSW, and SWOTVAC meaning studying without teaching vacation as it called in Victoria, is a just a study week. It is usually a week before the exam period starts and gives students an opportunity to study before the finals. Use it wisely!
TFN: Tax File Number (TFN) is needed to apply for HECS-HELP loan and if you ever want to work. There is a processing time for this, so don’t leave to the last minute – best to get it done in the summer holidays before you start uni (I know you want to relax after Year 12, but things have still got to be done). You can apply for it here.
Timetable: The timetable is your weekly guide as to what classes you have to attend every week for a semester. Depending on the unit, some classes will be allocated (i.e there is no other time or date for that class), whilst in others you will have flexibility. Make sure you choose a good timetable – because you will likely be stuck with it for the semester!
Tutor: Is a teacher who supervises and runs tutorial classes for a small number of students (much smaller than lectures).
Tutorial: Tutorial can differ between universities and units, but generally they are similar to a high school class. There are a smaller number of students, compared with lectures, that participate in discussion and activities.
Undergraduate: A student studying a bachelor degree is deemed an undergraduate or an undergrad.
Underloading: To enrol in less than the usual number of units in a semester (normally that is less than 4).
Unit: Is a component of study focussed on a particular subject or topic. Successful completion of a unit gives you a certain number of credit points (depending on the uni) that go towards completing your course. Basically, the equivalent of a subject at school.
WAM: Weighted Average Mark (WAM) is the average of the marks you achieve in all your completed units in your course. It is another measure of academic standing often used by certain universities instead of GPA. You can find out more about WAM here.
Whilst the ATAR calculation is complex for HSC students, for IB graduates, the conversion between an IB Diploma Score to an ATAR is determined by a table of conversions that have been calculated by the Australasian Conference of Tertiary Admission Centre (ACTAC). The conversion table allows the IB score to be used for university entrance in Australia in the form of an ATAR that is comparable to the ATAR HSC students receive. Universities may add adjustment factors on top of the ATAR equivalent when you receive an offer for a course.
However, many universities have started to utilise the IB score for entry into a course, rather than the ATAR conversion. Make sure to look out for this on the UAC website or UAC guide when checking courses; as some may specify an IB score as well as an ATAR requirement for entry into a course. If both are specified, the university will use your IB score rather than the ATAR conversion.
The following table details the conversion of the IB diploma score into an ATAR equivalent for students applying for University in 2020 to commence university study in 2021.
2020 Passing Diploma Score (including bonus point i.e. TOK + EE points)
ATAR Equivalent for University Entry in 2021
45
99.95
44
99.75
43
99.55
42
99.20
41
98.70
40
98.05
39
97.30
38
96.45
37
95.45
36
94.05
35
92.80
34
91.50
33
90.00
32
88.15
31
86.40
30
84.30
29
81.90
28
79.25
27
77.40
26
75.10
25
72.00
24
69.10
These ATAR conversions have been sourced from: https://ibaustralasia.org/university-entrance, and are correct as of the 9th of June 2020. Note that some of the conversions have changed from the previous years, whilst others have remained the same.
Now that you know what your potential IB will equate to as an ATAR – set your goal and work hard at achieving it!
Always set yourself a realistic but challenging goal – don’t aim for just a pass, because you will be complacent and may not even reach this goal. Remember your ATAR or IB score is a key to getting in to your preferred university course, so you have got to work hard to get the marks!
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you will be among the stars!
Have any questions, comments or need clarification about the IB? Let me know down below!
The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) offers an educational framework, the International Baccalaureate (IB), which can be adapted as a whole or partially or simultaneously into the local educational systems. The IBO offers four programmes for students aged 3 to 19. The IB is non-profit foundation registered in Switzerland.
As at 2nd of April 2020, there were 6,995 programmes offered around the world in 5,278 schools in 158 countries. There has been a 37.9% growth in the number of IB programmes offered worldwide between 2015 and 2019.
The four programmes offered by the IBO are:
Primary Years Programme (PYP): For ages 3 – 12
Middle Years Programme (MYP): For ages 11 – 16
Diploma Programme (DP): For ages 16 -19
Career-Related Programme (CP) For ages 16 -19
The IB aims to develop students critical thinking skills, research skills, communication skills, time management skills and sense of international mindedness, as it puts students though a rigorous and challenging education programme that forces students to think outside the box. The IB also has an emphasis on independent learning and balanced lifestyle, encouraging community service, creativity, research and physical activity.
The PYP is a primary school aged IB programme designed to develop young students that are active learners as they explore local and global issues. It challenges students to think independently and critically at a young age, whilst developing crucial research and communication skills.
The MYP is a junior high school aged IB programme designed to provide a broad and balanced education for students as they continue to develop their critical thinking and independent learning skills. After finishing the MYP, students are well placed to undertake the IB Diploma Programme or Career-related Programme.
The IB Diploma Programme or IBDP is a programme for students aged 16 – 19 and offers students a pathway to university and employment in the future. It is a balanced programme that continues to nurture student’s independent learning and critical thinking skills.
The CP Programme is a relatively new programme aimed at providing students with career-related education. This programme opens the pathway of apprenticeships or employment as well as further higher education for students. It provides practical, real-world learning for students to help them excel in their future careers.
Overall, the IB is an educational framework that aims to create independent, confident, critical thinkers that are well-balanced, with an emphasis on all-roundedness in students.
Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) is the place to go if you are a Year 12 student looking to apply for university entrance in 2021. It might seem early, but it is prudent to get started with your application now.
On their website there is information on various courses offered by universities, their start dates and information on prerequisites and academic requirements. Be sure to check these out to help inform your choice of university course.
To start an application, click the ‘Apply or Log in’ tab on the top right of the homepage. From the drop-down menu, select undergraduate application.
Read the information, then click “Start” to begin your undergraduate application.
Select your citizenship status, and click Yes to the next question as you will be completing Year 12 this year.
For HSC students, enter your Year 12 student number and UAC pin, which would have been emailed to you by UAC.
For IB students, use your personal code and birth date as your pin (e.g. 1st of May is 0105).
You will then be taken to the personal details page. Some details may have already been added; ensure that they are correct and fill out any remaining fields.
When entering your email, ensure that you enter a personal email, as this email will be the main way UAC will contact you. Your school email may expire, so it is important that you use a personal email account.
When you click next at the bottom of the page, a UAC application number will be generated. Your UAC application number and PIN will be emailed to you. Keep them safe as you will need them to update your application in the future or whenever you contact UAC.
After clicking continue, you will be directed to the qualifications page. Your Year 12 qualification would have already been added. You have the option to add other qualifications such as employment experience and online open courses, though they most likely won’t apply to you. Don’t add employment experience unless you’ve worked full time for 1 year or more.
The next step in the application is the selection of your courses. The course preferences page is where you can choose up to 5 courses you’d like to apply for. You can always update this list later. Click ‘Search for Courses’ to get started. First, select an institution (you can select all or simply select the institutions you are interested in). Then search your course by using the six digit course code or course name to refine your search.
Select the start date for your course choices to add them to the preference list. Once you are done, you can review your choices. Put your preferences in order of what you most like to do, as they will be considered in order. When you are done, save your changes to continue.
Now, you need to review your application to ensure that all details are correct. Click the pencil icon, to edit any details. Once you are finished, click the ‘Submit’ button, read through the Declaration, and click the box to agree with the terms. Now, you need to make the payment, either through PayPal or Credit Card, or if you choose to pay later through POSTbillpay or BPay. If you choose to pay later, UAC must receive your payment before any offers can be made.
Once you pay, your application is complete. Now, you can manage your application using your UAC application number and pin, apply for Educational Access Scheme (EAS) if eligible or upload documents. It is recommended that you download the confirmation package to ensure that all your details are correct.
You can manage and edit your application whenever you like using your UAC application number and PIN by going to Undergraduate Application from the drop-down menu. From here you can track correspondence, change your pin or download your confirmation package.
Make sure to check the UAC website for up to date key dates such as Offer Round Dates.
If you have any questions about applying to uni or are having problems trying to start your application, then let me know down below.
