ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => Universities - New South Wales => Australian National University => Topic started by: Duck on August 24, 2010, 08:06:21 pm

Title: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Duck on August 24, 2010, 08:06:21 pm
100 characters to demonstrate academic awards? That's barely one award. I'm no high achiever and clearly if i'm running out of room there's a problem. Then, 150 characters for extra-curricular activities? That's even worse. Am i doing it wrong or is this a widespread problem?
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: humph on August 24, 2010, 09:12:58 pm
Keep it brief, all dot points. Use abbreviations when it's obvious. But yes, it is quite difficult to fit everything in.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Duck on August 24, 2010, 09:56:25 pm
Hmm I guess, thanks. Off topic but I figure I should ask someone who's at ANU: the most common negative I get when I mention that I'm considering going to anu is that canberra's a hole but I don't mind it (been there once before) but I've also had a fee people say that anu, law in particular, is marked very hard to maintain reputation. Have you or anyone you know found this, particularly in the commerce and law faculties if possible?
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: humph on August 24, 2010, 10:10:14 pm
Canberra's not a hole! It's a lot quieter than Melbourne or Sydney but it's still a nice place to live.
Law is famously marked particularly harshly at ANU - that is, the bell curve is very sharp in the sense that very few marks over 880 are awarded. Other degrees are marked normally for the most part.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Duck on August 24, 2010, 10:29:14 pm
Well that sucks. Oh well, I guess more lenient marking is a reward for getting 98.whatever.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Eriny on August 25, 2010, 05:37:06 pm
When employers look at your transcript, they'll know that ANU grades harder than other universities because ANU has spent a lot of time building their reputation. However, employers don't actually care *that* much about your transcript anyway, you'll want decent marks (don't get all passes!), but they'll be looking at extra curriculars and work experience particularly.

And yes, it's a small box. Try to pick out the most impressive sounding things, use dot points and remember that everyone is in the same boat. BTW, what are your preferences?
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: ben92 on August 25, 2010, 06:50:11 pm
Could someone explain the marking at ANU? I.e. what percentile get HD/D/C/P?

Is being good in English alone enough to suggest Law is doable? I'm looking at ~45 apparently.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: /0 on August 25, 2010, 06:53:49 pm
Could someone explain the marking at ANU? I.e. what percentile get HD/D/C/P?

Is being good in English alone enough to suggest Law is doable? I'm looking at ~45 apparently.

http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/results/index.php

I don't think many, if any subjects are graded according to percentiles. As far as I know, students are graded based on the raw mark they receive, unless an assessment or a course was especially easy or hard, in which case a bell curve might be used.

Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: ben92 on August 25, 2010, 07:00:33 pm
Could someone explain the marking at ANU? I.e. what percentile get HD/D/C/P?

Is being good in English alone enough to suggest Law is doable? I'm looking at ~45 apparently.


http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/results/index.php

I don't think many, if any subjects are graded according to percentiles. As far as I know, students are graded based on the raw mark they receive, unless an assessment or a course was especially easy or hard, in which case a bell curve might be used.



Exactly how hard would it be to get a credit (60-69%) then? I'm really in the dark if Law would be right for me with regard to difficulty. My history isn't as good as my English if that matters - I think I'm looking at a high 30 for Revolutions.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Duck on August 25, 2010, 08:07:43 pm
Eriny, i'm currently thinking:
Monash Commerce/Law
ANU Commerce/Law
Melbourne Commerce
Monash Commerce
ANU Commerce or Deakin Commerce, but if i didn't get in to Monash Commerce i would be VERY dissapointed, especially considering i already have a 42 in Accounting from last year.

Also, i question whether it really is common knowledge that ANU marks hard.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Eriny on August 26, 2010, 03:55:50 pm
It would be in Canberra. I don't know how much work they do nation-wide.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: humph on August 26, 2010, 05:25:11 pm
Apparently now for Law students at ANU when they issue academic transcripts they also supply a letter explaining the grading system so that employers understand why their marks may not look incredible. Or so I've heard...
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: EvangelionZeta on August 26, 2010, 07:21:32 pm
The UAS application form is out?  where?
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: IntoTheNewWorld on August 26, 2010, 07:28:35 pm
Apparently now for Law students at ANU when they issue academic transcripts they also supply a letter explaining the grading system so that employers understand why their marks may not look incredible. Or so I've heard...

If it's that bad they could just change the grading system...?
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Duck on August 27, 2010, 12:28:01 pm
This is odd. They must have accidentally put up the option of applying for a full year because now when i log on my application has been deleted and the only choice on offer is to apply for sem 2 accomodation. Well i guess it does say that applications don't open untill the 28th.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: EvangelionZeta on August 29, 2010, 09:56:47 pm
What do I put in for the 1000 word one?  It says "Supplementary Information: Include any reasons you may have for selecting a particular Student Residence such as family connections. Comments in this field may affect the outcome of your application (1000 characters)".  Do I just talk about why I selected the college, or do I put in stuff about myself too?
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Eriny on August 30, 2010, 06:38:47 pm
^ I guess so, I don't recall that question being on the application when I did it. But yeah, I suppose it's a good idea to do your research for that question. If you visited the hall/college, you could write about what you liked about it/the atmosphere/etc. People reading the application are likely to believe any positive things you say about the hall/college.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: lolbox on September 07, 2010, 04:40:40 am
wow yea, posting a bit late, but currently doing the application and the space is a real problem... not sure what to include and what to leave out
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: lolbox on September 07, 2010, 04:43:50 am
^ I guess so, I don't recall that question being on the application when I did it. But yeah, I suppose it's a good idea to do your research for that question. If you visited the hall/college, you could write about what you liked about it/the atmosphere/etc. People reading the application are likely to believe any positive things you say about the hall/college.
sorry double post, but are you sure its a good idea to suck up to one specific college/say what you like about it. Isn't it true that if your first preference rejects you, other colleges will read your application and consider you? If so I don't think they'll look to fondly to you going on about what you love about another college?

But then again it does say "reasons you may have for selecting a particular Student Residence "

I'm not too sure what to write. Bit annoying that both the other sections where I have a lot to write are limited to 100 and 150 characters, but the 3rd one has a 1000 character limit and I've got nothing...lol
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Eriny on September 07, 2010, 03:42:45 pm
^ Oh, you're right. I think you should email UAS asking them to clarify.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Duck on September 07, 2010, 05:41:37 pm
Haha, I applied for Burgmann college and wrote about how inspiring it would be to study at the same college as Australia's former prime minister.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: lolbox on October 04, 2010, 01:50:00 am
Well a month later, the application is due. I'm getting stressed out now cause that 1000 character thing...

 "Supplementary Information: Include any reasons you may have for selecting a particular Student Residence such as family connections. Comments in this field may affect the outcome of your application (1000 characters)". ...

...is really scaring me. I have no idea what to write. Can people who have already done the application just give me an idea of what they put?
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: humph on October 04, 2010, 11:00:30 am
I would, if I could remember back that far...
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: Duck on October 04, 2010, 05:19:36 pm
Wow, are you really that worried? "great atmosphere", "encouraging community", "diverse interests", just drop every cliche you can think of.
Title: Re: So i went to fill in the uas application form and there's not nearly enough room
Post by: lolbox on October 06, 2010, 01:49:45 pm
Wow, are you really that worried? "great atmosphere", "encouraging community", "diverse interests", just drop every cliche you can think of.
haha, nah I was cool with the kissing the colleges ass part. what worried me was that if I got rejected by my first pref college, the other colleges would also reject me cause I am going on about how I love one of there rival... yeah

I ended up doing the ass-kissing thingo anyway