Double dip for university
VARIOUS paths exist for students to get into university and schools are urging their pupils to consider all options.
Before end-of-year exams start, many Year 12s now sit the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT), which was developed originally for mature-age students.
“It’s like an insurance policy,” says Australian Science and Mathematics School pedagogical innovation director Dr Bronte Nicholls.
“If they’re feeling like they’ve had a bad Term 3 or they got distracted and didn’t pick the right subjects … they can sit the STAT test in October and actually get an offer (for a university course) before the Year 12 exams start.”
Many universities have also partnered with schools to help students enrol in their courses.
At AIMS, students can apply for some Flinders University courses by submitting a school-recognised Portfolio of Achievement for Tertiary Entrance. Next year the University of Sydney will trial guaranteed entry for NSW high school duxes.
Early-offer guarantees exist at many universities, granting Year 12s a place before their school results are released. University of the Sunshine Coast equity and access co-ordinator Veronica Sanmarco says the early places, which are offered based on school recommendations, can reduce the stress of Year 12.
“Research has shown that a student’s final overall position or Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) score is not the only indicator for success at university,” Sanmarco says.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma is increasingly popular as a path to university.
John Paul College’s IB head of learning Laura Ewen says the diploma is more rigorous than typical school studies.
“Students are exposed far earlier, and with far more support, to what you would be expected to do at university,” Ewen says.
Bruno Falcao, 17, says the IB diploma will provide a true reflection of his academic abilities, compared to the Queensland Certificate of Education’s scaled results.
“One of the biggest factors that led to my choosing the IB was the fact that the grade given to you is your individual grade — that is, regardless of how well your classmates do, your grade is affected by your efforts only,” says Falcao, who hopes to go on to study biological engineering and work in pharmaceutics.