How did/do you 'play the system'?

[Zien]

There are some people in those private schools who are dumb, and some people in public schools who are brilliant. But generally, whilst I do agree with you, there has to be a limit to how many advantages 'regular kids' can get. As I detailed earlier, for a person to get between an ATAR of 96-98 and get rejected by UoM for Biomed to make way for SEAS applicants just because he didn't get the clearly-in ATAR of 98.35 is ridiculous. This stretched to the point of 50% SEAS/50% normal entry to the course last year; the people who should have been offered a second round, even if their ATAR was half a point below the clearly-in, didn't get it.

There is a need for SEAS. But like with any scheme, it has loopholes that people exploit. To not patch over and improve the scheme because 'regular kids need all the advantages they can get' is something I don't agree with. Now UoM is predicted to reduce that down to 35% SEAS entries (which is still above governmental targets) is far better, even if I don't agree with the method they employ to achieve that.


Also, to say that everyone in private schools have the ability to get 99+ is crap. They don't. You have to realise that a 99+, hell even a 90+ is, in the wider scope of things, an amazing score already. They may have the resources, the epic teaching staff, the learning environment etc. but some are just not able to get 99+ without making Year 12 a living hell for themselves.

[lilaznkev1n]

hmm...one of my subjects wouldn't count dunno whether it would be Chemistry or Vietnamese.
Hm....I'll probably let Viet be the not counted one as I only go once a week to it anyway...

[Russ]

Well guaranteed entry imply that, although you got less than the requirements, they still have a chance of getting in through still. A cut-off is black and white; you have to get this score or else you won't even be considered.

I'm disappointed that they decided to increase the ATAR requirement instead of just cutting down on reserving spots for SEAS applicants. : /

Umm, what? Guaranteed entry is just a second cutoff below the cutoff for non-SEAS applicants.

They can't cut down on reserved spots because there's no allocated number, it's based on supply and demand.

@the whole ATAR is unfair thing, well...yeah it is but you have no option other than to deal with it. Universities pick the people they think will do the best; how much you "deserve" a spot never comes into it

[andy456]

Russ, to be fair, the ATAR in general doesn't work. Although you can quote the power of the VN or whatever for helping people score highly in their VCE, the vast majority from that list of high VN achievers went to MGS/Scotch/Macrobs/MHS, so I honestly think if anything that list is a testament to the inequality in VCE, I am for the previous SEAS system, regardless of my personal background. I don't see how on earth someone educated at one of those private or selective schools can be beaten by people at public schools and I'm all for any advantage us regular kids get. As far as I'm concerned, if you went to one of the aforementioned schools that dominate entrance into medical degrees, you had absolutely every chance in your education to score 99+ and if you didn't, that is your own fault. Compare that with some of the public schools where teachers are as clueless as kids on some matters. At my friends school, the teacher opened their Specialist Mathematics class with, 'I'm going to be honest with you, we're learning this course together.'

Well then you obviously haven't looked very hard. It happens every year. Last year the two highest scores at my school were 97.7 and 97.45. It's a pretty average public school with a decent history in VCE. Now are you telling me that you believe everyone from MGS/Scotch/Macrob/MHS got above 97.45..... No of course they didn't; those schools may give an advantage in that the environment is more studious (huge assumption from a public school kid) but does that really matter in the long run. Public school students have every opportunity to score as highly as those schools IF THEY WANT TO!

It just sounds that you are spiteful that they have raised the cut-off. However, the university is acting in its best interest so theres nothing you can do about it. I can imagine that some of those spots last year went to kids who slacked of and exploited their SEAS to get into the course.

[ShortBlackChick]

Someone really close to me passed away. And to be honest, i was totally shattered. i didnt attend school for a while and so i missed out on a lot of work. i tried my hardest to keep up and stuff, but i was grieveing for most of it and my heart and focus just wasnt on school. Does this mean i can apply for SEAS???

My Rabbit Dexie was really important to us. I even changed my facebook name permanently for him.

[werdna]

On an ethical level, any death would have severe impacts on a person. But whether or not the universitites and VTAC would acknowledge the death of an animal, I'm not too sure..

[Russ]

An ethical level?

I doubt the death of a pet is significant in the SEAS consideration anyway, but that was a trollish post

[Zien]

Umm, what? Guaranteed entry is just a second cutoff below the cutoff for non-SEAS applicants.

They can't cut down on reserved spots because there's no allocated number, it's based on supply and demand.

Wait what? I'm genuinely confused now. Could you just reword that a bit? I thought the number of students they allowed in every year are generally the same. Then they would aim to 'reserve' some percentage of places for SEAS. Just because in one year SEAS applicants dramatically increased, they wouldn't increase that percentage of places for them (say, from 40% to 55%) just because there's more demand for it. That's what I'm thinking right now anyway.



I'm pretty sure my Physics teacher explained how they used to rank applications of people wanting to get a revised score. Whereas a death of a family member would be right at the top of that ranking (i.e. more things would be investigated, done etc.), a death of a pet would be near the bottom of that ranking (i.e. not much done at all). I can't really remember the exact details though, or even if that system is still applicable today.

[werdna]

I doubt the death of a pet is significant in the SEAS consideration

Very questionable.

[ShortBlackChick]

well they bloody well freaken should!!
the loss of anything that you have savoured and loved throughout your life should be considered as much as a the loss of a human. this pain and loss is what makes us humans ffs! why should we distinguish between the loss of a beloved pet and a human, who might i add, can often be a negative influence on ones life! what a has a poor pet done to not be considered as special enough, that when they are gone, they change the course of your entire life!
sorry guys, getting a bit emotional and touchy at the thought of my rabbit.
RIP dexie.
i often like to say, "as dog is a mans' best friend, Dexie the rabbit is to kazdawgs' best friend."

WTF TROLLISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you must be a robot, some sort of INHUMANE freak.

[werdna]

Dayum, good on you kazdawg. It's refreshing to see people fight for their cause!

[ShortBlackChick]

thanks man, it just hurts me that people are insensitive enough to say hurtful things like that. That was a strong accusation, one that has no backing.
Animals, as i have said, are just as precious as humans, and anyone that thinks otherwise, is quite frankly inhumane

[tarek]

further maths... that subject should be illegal!

[Russ]

Wait what? I'm genuinely confused now. Could you just reword that a bit? I thought the number of students they allowed in every year are generally the same. Then they would aim to 'reserve' some percentage of places for SEAS. Just because in one year SEAS applicants dramatically increased, they wouldn't increase that percentage of places for them (say, from 40% to 55%) just because there's more demand for it. That's what I'm thinking right now anyway.

I'm not a SEAS expert, this is just based on my experiences with the system and what I've found out at uni.

I think the confusion is from the fact that it's a SEAS application that doesn't follow the normal procedure. Normally, your application is considered alongside your score and the selections department decide who to offer a place to - there's no target that they have to meet so they can control the amount of SEAS entries.

For the guaranteed entry pathway under review, if you file a SEAS application in the relevant categories you get in regardless of your circumstances (if atar > 92). So if the demand for those places dramatically increases (as happened this year, 300 people applied for it), the university has to let them all in. So it's effectively just based on whoever applies and can vary dramatically from year to year - which is what just happened and why the change was introduced

Very questionable.

Oh really? Why not then?

thanks man, it just hurts me that people are insensitive enough to say hurtful things like that. That was a strong accusation, one that has no backing.

Yes, how dare I suggest that you were trolling despite all the indicators to the contrary.

[Bonifacio]

Honestly, if the death of your pet impacts you to the extent where your study is seriously affected and entry into your course is in danger as a result...All I can say is you need to harden up.

I chewed my potato today for dinner and he was my favourite one on the plate, looking forward to automatic entry into Monash med by your standards.

Honestly do not care how much neg respect I get for this post, to think that someone wants their Uni place ahead of me because a pet died... FFS