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NEWS

02 August 2019

Senior School

Combined Tertiary Information Evening at Saints
Term 3 is an important time for Year 12 students as they prepare for their life after school. By the end of Term 3, students considering undertaking study at most university courses in 2020 need to have made their applications to the South Australian Tertiary Admission Centre (SATAC), or the equivalent organisation interstate.

The Combined South Australian tertiary information evening is being held on Tuesday 6 August to assist families to understand the tertiary entry processes and plan course options with university staff. Pembroke School, Wilderness School and St Peter’s College have worked collaboratively to run the information seminar for boys and parents/guardians for a number of years and this year it will be held at Saints from 6.30pm to 9pm, with the formal presentations commencing at 7pm. At this stage, there will be representatives from the University of South Australia, University of Adelaide, Flinders University, Monash University, University of Sydney, Bond University, Torrens University and residential colleges present at this event to assist with course options and address any other related issues for parents and students. All Year 12 boys and their parents are strongly encouraged to attend.

Year 12 Tertiary applications
Applications for university entry in most States of Australia open on Monday August 5 and close on Monday 30 September. All Year 12 boys will be provided with resources to support their applications and the Careers Counsellor will be conducting sessions with the Year 12s commencing in Week 3 to explain the application processes and to provide advice as needed. Any boys wishing to discuss their plans for 2020 and beyond or need any assistance with their applications can arrange to meet with the Careers Counsellor.

University of Sydney Information Evening
The University of Sydney is holding workshops and information sessions in Adelaide to assist students and parents on Wednesday 7 August. There are two main sessions.

  • Undergraduate Scholarships Workshop 4.30pm – 5.45pm

Designed for Year 11 and 12 students, this workshop will cover the breadth of scholarships available and provide you with insider tips to a successful scholarship application.

  • Meet Sydney Information Session 6.00pm – 7:30pm

This session is your opportunity to discover the Sydney Undergraduate Experience, get tips for moving interstate and learn important information about applying to study at Sydney Uni.

For more information and to register, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/meet-sydney-information-evening-adelaide-2019-tickets-64288986088

Monash University Information webinar
Monash University is a highly ranked institution in Australia. It is a member of the Group of 8 universities and has wide and comprehensive range of courses, including undergraduate medicine. Monash University is holding an information webinar for prospective students and their parents. It is an opportunity to interact with key members of the University. The Monash Information Evening – Webinar is being held on Wednesday 28 August from 6.30pm – 8.00pm. Participants need to register at https://www.monash.edu/information-evenings/webinar

Monash University will also be visiting the School at lunchtime on Monday 7 August to give a presentation to any interested Year 11 or 12 students.

University of Melbourne
The University has released some information on special programs and arrangements.
Special access for elite athletes and artistic performers: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/how-to-apply/special-entry-access-schemes/elite-athletes-and-artistic-performers-entry-scheme/undergraduate-applications

Melbourne Principals’ scholarship: https://scholarships.unimelb.edu.au/about-scholarships/melbourne-principals-scholarship

Open Days
Open Days at education institutions provide an excellent opportunity for prospective students and parents to learn first-hand about the courses/programs available and to get answers to questions that are particular to the prospective student’s circumstances and aspirations. Most institutions provide a timetable for the events on the Open Day so prospective students can be strategic in planning what to attend and who to see. The following provides some information about the Open Days for various institutions:

St Hilda’s residential college
St Hilda’s is a residential college associated with the University of Melbourne. A representative will be giving a presentation to interested Year 11 and 12 boys at lunchtime on Tuesday 13 August. It will be an opportunity for the boys to find out about residential life, how to apply for positions, and how the colleges assess applications.

Le Cordon Bleu – Adelaide
Le Cordon Bleu is holding an Open Day on Saturday 14 September from 11am. For details and registration, please go to https://www.cordonbleu.edu/adelaide/open-days/en

Studying in the UK
Applications for most UK universities can be commenced now and submitted from the beginning of September 2019. Applications for Oxford, Cambridge and for courses in Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Science close on the 15 October. Other key dates can be found at www.ucas.com/apply/key-dates. Students wishing to apply for a full-time undergraduate course at university or college must use the UCAS online service called ‘Apply’. Apply is a secure, web-based application system which is available 24 hours a day. The UCAS application process is outlined at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/ucas-undergraduate-getting-started.

The School is a registered UCAS Centre. Consequently, the Careers Counsellor will need to guide the applicant for the initial set up of their UCAS application, which includes the issuing of a buzzword to the applicant. This buzzword will allow them to apply and link their applications to the Centre. While the deadline for most UCAS applications is in early January, to guarantee that the all the documentation can be submitted by the School, the UCAS application must be completed by the student by the last day of the school year – 6 December 2019. The British Council provides information and advice on studying in the UK, go to www.educationuk.org/Higher-Education for this information. There are also numerous resources available to prospective students and their parents on Keystone – learning resource ID of 8WPSZ9.

Bond University – Scholarships
Bond University’s Scholarship Program offers a number of full-fee and part-fee tuition remission scholarships. These scholarships are available to students who show leadership, academic excellence, sporting prowess, community involvement or ‘all round’ abilities. Scholarships available include:

  • Vice-Chancellor’s Elite Scholarship – 100% tuition remission (closing date 1 August)
  • Bond University Indigenous Scholarship – up to 100% tuition remission
  • Sporting Scholarships – up to 100% tuition remission
  • Excellence Scholarship – 50% tuition remission
  • Transformer Scholarship – 50% tuition remission
  • Leadership Scholarship – 25% tuition remission

Year 12 students can now make an application to study at Bond University in 2020. Applicants should visit the following link to commence the online application: https://apply.bond.edu.au/. Applicants just need to upload their term 1 report into the ‘Year 12 Semester 1’ section within the supporting documentation. There is no application fee. For scholarship and application details, please go to – https://bond.edu.au/future-students/study-bond/how-apply/scholarships. Please note: applicants will need to complete a study application prior to commencing the scholarship application. Applications close 6 September.

References
Often students require school references for tertiary applications (in particular overseas applications) or residential college applications. The references can usually be categorised as being academic or personal/character type references. The School does have a policy to support students requiring a reference or school-based referees. Any student requiring a reference or seeking a staff member to be a referee should contact the Careers Counsellor in the first instance. This is so the type of reference required can be ascertained and appropriate arrangements made to prepare a suitable reference. References, transcripts of results and academic statements cannot be prepared immediately. A minimum of two weeks notice is required to effectively prepare the reference, transcripts and/or academic statements, and students should factor this time requirement into any planning for applications.

Undergraduate Accountancy employment opportunity
The accountancy firm Tilbrook Rasheed is looking to appoint students to trainee accountant positions to commence in 2020 as a part of their Undergraduate Recruitment Program. The program involves working as a trainee accountant (getting experience and being paid) while studying commerce/accounting part time at a South Australian university. Details have been emailed to the Year 12s. Any boys interested in this as a career path, particularly accounting students, should see Mr Colsey for more details. Applications close on 11 September.

International Student Admission Test – ISAT
International students currently studying in Australia and who are considering applying for Medicine and/or Dentistry at some institutions in Australia, will need to sit the ISAT. ISAT is a three-hour computer-based test that is held at various times during the year. However, applicants MUST check with each institution to determine their deadline for the ISAT results. The following institutions use the ISAT:

  • Monash University, Melbourne – Medicine
  • Monash University, Malaysian campus – Medicine
  • Flinders University, undergrad pathway to Medicine
  • University of New South Wales (UNSW) – Medicine
  • University of Queensland – Medicine
  • University of Tasmania – Medicine
  • University of Western Australia (UWA) – pathway to Medicine & Dentistry
  • University of Western Sydney (UWS) – Medicine

For more information on the ISAT go to https://isat.acer.edu.au/about-isat

The University of NSW Co-op scholarship
The Co-op Program is a career development scholarship for high potential undergraduate students. It offers industry training, leadership and professional development, networking opportunities, mentoring and financial support of $19,600 p.a. tax free for four years. Australia’s leading companies take part in the training and professional development of the Co-op scholars with a view to recruiting high-potential young professionals. The scholarship is offered for study in many areas, including engineering, science and business. More details can be found at https://www.coop.unsw.edu.au/. Applications (https://www.coop.unsw.edu.au/apply) close on 30 September. The application does require applicants to prepare a short video ‘snapshot’ presentation. A School contribution is also required, so any boys intending to apply need to see Mr Colsey in the first instance.

Defence Forces Gap Year
Gap Year 2020 applications are now open. Interest in this Gap Year opportunity is usually very high. The Gap Year program is a great opportunity for 18 – 24 year olds to experience a diverse range of roles in the Australian Defence Forces, all with a one year sign on. Early applications are encouraged as each ADF role in the Gap Year program has a maximum capacity and when this capacity is reached, it is closed. For more information please go to https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/students-and-education/gap-year/

Law Admission Test – Registrations now open
For students considering studying Law at UNSW will need to sit the Law Admission Test (LAT). LAT is a written test that is used to demonstrate a student’s aptitude and suitability for studying undergraduate Law at UNSW. A LAT score, in addition to academic results (e.g. ATAR + additional points) will be used in the selection process to allow us to better differentiate between the many high achieving applicants to Law. For more details, go to http://www.law.unsw.edu.au/LAT-FAQ. The test will be held on Thursday 3 October. Applications are now open.

UniTEST – Flinders University
uniTEST is an aptitude test that has been designed by ACER to assess the kinds of generic reasoning and thinking skills that are needed for students to achieve success in tertiary education. uniTEST assesses this reasoning and thinking across the broad domains of mathematics, science, humanities and social sciences. At Flinders, uniTEST is available for school leavers and has the potential to effectively improve an applicant’s selection rank as the uniTEST result is weighted at 40% and considered alongside the applicant’s ATAR (weighted at 60%) during the selection processes for Flinders Uni courses. For details about the test, go to https://www.flinders.edu.au/study/pathways/year-12-entry/unitest

StudyFest for International students
The AUG StudyFest is an event that supports international students, especially Year 12 students in Adelaide with planning their tertiary applications. There will be a number of institutions represented at the StudyFest including the University of Queensland, University of Sydney, Monash University, University of New South Wales, as well as the South Australian Universities. The StudyFest is being held on Friday, 9 August 2019, from 2pm to 6pm at the Hilton Hotel Adelaide.

Mark Colsey
Careers Counsellor