UAC Question Thread

[jamonwindeyer]

This thread is for all things UAC preferences. Some questions you might want answered:

- How does the preference system work?
- Should I put the course I'm most likely to get into at the top of my list?
- How do my preferences affect scholarship/early entry schemes?
- Can I change my preferences later?
- WHAT SHOULD I EVEN STUDY MAN IDK...

If you are at all confused about any of this, ask your questions below!!

You'll need an account to ask a question, click here! Don't worry, it's free

[_____]

The deadline for early bird UAC Applications is September 29th!
Click here to get them in ASAP!

This thread is for all things UAC preferences. Some questions you might want answered:

- How does the preference system work?
- Should I put the course I'm most likely to get into at the top of my list?
- How do my preferences affect scholarship/early entry schemes?
- Can I change my preferences later?
- WHAT SHOULD I EVEN STUDY MAN IDK...

If you are at all confused about any of this, ask your questions below!!

You'll need an account to ask a question, click here! Don't worry, it's free

What should I do if I have a vague idea of what I want to study but am definitely taking a year off and may or may not be in the state/country in a years time? Should I leave it for now and try apply through mature-age student pathways when I'm ready if I decide to go?

[jamonwindeyer]

What should I do if I have a vague idea of what I want to study but am definitely taking a year off and may or may not be in the state/country in a years time? Should I leave it for now and try apply through mature-age student pathways when I'm ready if I decide to go?

Hey! You might want to consider applying, then if necessary deferring the offer (assuming the institution allows). Then you can accept the offer later if you are here or decline it if you aren't (never any obligation to do anything with these sorts of things!)

This link could be useful: http://www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/offers/defer.shtml

[beatroot]

Does NESA send out ATARs a bit later than UAC? I've heard from people from my school that it takes about a week, that's why people pay for UAC so that they know their ATAR immediately.

[RuiAce]

Does NESA send out ATARs a bit later than UAC? I've heard from people from my school that it takes about a week, that's why people pay for UAC so that they know their ATAR immediately.

NESA sends out your HSC results, I.e. Your actual marks. Only UAC is involved with the ATAR.

Traditionally, HSC results come out exactly one day before ATAR release

[paigek3]

Is it true UTS is sending offers out on December 21? I got an email and that's what I deciphered from it

[EEEEEEP]

Is it true UTS is sending offers out on December 21? I got an email and that's what I deciphered from it

What were the contents of the email?  21st of December sounds right.

Offers for many uni's not just UTS.. are releasing on the same date.

[jamonwindeyer]

NESA sends out your HSC results, I.e. Your actual marks. Only UAC is involved with the ATAR.

Traditionally, HSC results come out exactly one day before ATAR release

And that's the same this year

What were the contents of the email?  21st of December sounds right.

Offers for many uni's not just UTS.. are releasing on the same date.
(Image removed from quote.)

Yep, and this is the first year they've done the Main Round in December. I'm a fan - Let's people celebrate the holidays without as much anticipatory stress

[RuiAce]

And that's the same this year

Yep, and this is the first year they've done the Main Round in December. I'm a fan - Let's people celebrate the holidays without as much anticipatory stress

Admittedly I'm half-half on the earlier main round.

Reason for it is basically as you said. As for against, ehh well after the ATARs are released will the students still have an opportunity to change their preference?

[Natasha.97]

Admittedly I'm half-half on the earlier main round.

Reason for it is basically as you said. As for against, ehh well after the ATARs are released will the students still have an opportunity to change their preference?

Yeah, we can change preferences after we get our ATAR

[RuiAce]

Yeah, we can change preferences after we get our ATAR

Hmmm. What are the exact dates of the main round preference change cutoff and offer release date?

[jamonwindeyer]

Hmmm. What are the exact dates of the main round preference change cutoff and offer release date?

They've got about 48 hours

[RuiAce]

They've got about 48 hours

Oh yikes, that's kinda tight...

I know I spent about one and a half weeks after ATAR release contemplating whether or not I wanted to do actuarial or not. That would've made it a bit hard...

[jamonwindeyer]

Oh yikes, that's kinda tight...

I know I spent about one and a half weeks after ATAR release contemplating whether or not I wanted to do actuarial or not. That would've made it a bit hard...

There's always subsequent rounds, and people shouldn't be changing their preferences unless their ATAR is seriously inconsistent with expectation anyway. Like, if Preference 1 published cutoff is 87 and your ATAR is 80, no reason to change it.

Peopl shouldn't really arrange your preferences strategically, you should just literally list the courses you want to do in the order you want to do them, especially for the first round. You never know what can happen

[RuiAce]

There's always subsequent rounds, and people shouldn't be changing their preferences unless their ATAR is seriously inconsistent with expectation anyway. Like, if Preference 1 published cutoff is 87 and your ATAR is 80, no reason to change it.

Peopl shouldn't really arrange your preferences strategically, you should just literally list the courses you want to do in the order you want to do them, especially for the first round. You never know what can happen

See, whilst that's fair enough for going after something higher, I had difficulty because I wasn't sure if I wanted something lower.

Quite ironically, now I'm now in the same thing I was debating against, i.e. computer science. And the debate literally started the day after ATAR release. Back in 2015, I got to have a full two weeks to end this debate with myself, and that would've rushed it heaps. I knew I wanted to do maths, but I was practically lost between whether I wanted actl or comp sci

And well, UNSW doesn't have late round offers for many degrees as well. Actuarial was one of them.


For all I know though, my scenario could've been an edge case