Can someone explain this for a foreigner? (1 Viewer)

[SahinTC]

I'm thinking of applying to a few colleges in Australia, but I'm rather confused on how the whole system works. I'm aware it's different for each school, but there are a few things that I've seen recurring.

The HSC. I guess that's what this forum is for. What exactly is it? Any analogy you could make to the western schooling system? It seems to be sort of the equivalent of our SATs (the most popular college entrace exam), but then again, so does the UAI. Could anyone explain these concepts for a foreigner? The University of NSW has done a good job so far as giving SAT requirements for international students, but other universities (such as UOW) don't mention anything like that. In fact, they don't even give any information regarding academic entry requirements for the States.

Could someone walk me through the process here? Assume I know nothing; you wouldn't be too far off.

 

[reynaldo]

University of Western Sydney is the best and most prestigious University in Australia. I suggest you apply for admission there foremost.

I also recommend TAFE.

 

[joujou_84]

University of Western Sydney is NOT the most prestigious uni in australia.....

 

[reynaldo]

University of Western Sydney is NOT the most prestigious uni in australia.....

are you sure about that? Allah told me so.

 

[joujou_84]

are you sure about that? Allah told me so.

wats that supposed to mean?

 

[Plebeian]

I'm thinking of applying to a few colleges in Australia, but I'm rather confused on how the whole system works. I'm aware it's different for each school, but there are a few things that I've seen recurring.

The HSC. I guess that's what this forum is for. What exactly is it? Any analogy you could make to the western schooling system? It seems to be sort of the equivalent of our SATs (the most popular college entrace exam), but then again, so does the UAI. Could anyone explain these concepts for a foreigner? The University of NSW has done a good job so far as giving SAT requirements for international students, but other universities (such as UOW) don't mention anything like that. In fact, they don't even give any information regarding academic entry requirements for the States.

Could someone walk me through the process here? Assume I know nothing; you wouldn't be too far off.

All of the following information generally applies only to New South Wales.

The Higher School Certificate, or HSC is a combination of an external examination (like the SAT's if I'm not mistaken) and a series of assessments carried out within your high school. The HSC is administered by the Board of Studies, a government agency. The HSC is a qualification in itself; however, the Board of Studies also gives students' marks to the Universities Admission Centre, a private agency run co-operatively by the universities to handle admission into university (college). The UAC uses HSC results to calculate a UAI for each student, which is used for university entrance. Not all people who do the HSC get a UAI, because not all want to go to university ... however, all people who want to get a UAI and go to university must do the HSC because this is the basis of the UAI.

Basically, the UAI is what you'll need to get into university. The UAI is calculated based on HSC results, so the two can be considered basically the same thing.

I am not exactly sure how you would go about entering Australian university as a foreigner. I believe there are certain ways of using SAT scores, etc. as the basis for a UAI rather than the HSC results which would be used in Australia. It may be best to contact the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) directly. Their website is located at http://www.uac.edu.au/.

By the way, the University of Western Sydney isn't the most prestigious. Neither is UOW (University of Wollongong).

 

[mr EaZy]

University of Western Sydney is the best and most prestigious University in Australia. I suggest you apply for admission there foremost.

I also recommend TAFE.

i think ur hallucinating there bro !

 

[reynaldo]

wats that supposed to mean?

insha allah

 

[mr EaZy]

are you sure about that? Allah told me so.

Like i said..............Hallucinating !

 

[wrong_turn]

All of the following information generally applies only to New South Wales.

The Higher School Certificate, or HSC is a combination of an external examination (like the SAT's if I'm not mistaken) and a series of assessments carried out within your high school. The HSC is administered by the Board of Studies, a government agency. The HSC is a qualification in itself; however, the Board of Studies also gives students' marks to the Universities Admission Centre, a private agency run co-operatively by the universities to handle admission into university (college). The UAC uses HSC results to calculate a UAI for each student, which is used for university entrance. Not all people who do the HSC get a UAI, because not all want to go to university ... however, all people who want to get a UAI and go to university must do the HSC because this is the basis of the UAI.

Basically, the UAI is what you'll need to get into university. The UAI is calculated based on HSC results, so the two can be considered basically the same thing.

I am not exactly sure how you would go about entering Australian university as a foreigner. I believe there are certain ways of using SAT scores, etc. as the basis for a UAI rather than the HSC results which would be used in Australia. It may be best to contact the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) directly. Their website is located at http://www.uac.edu.au/.

By the way, the University of Western Sydney isn't the most prestigious. Neither is UOW (University of Wollongong).

techie missed one very important factor. the uai that we recieve ranks us in accodance with everyone else who does the hsc in the state. this is a fair system since the hsc mark is derived from half of our assessment mark ( school mark) and the external test, which is worth the other half. all the results are then scaled in relation to the cohert of the subject.

100 is considered to be the students that have come first in the state. thence follows others who obtain maybe 99.95, 99.90,99.85 etc...

 

[SahinTC]

Hrm, I see. So do any of you know what the usual process is for an American who has not been in Australian schools and therefor would have an incomplete HSC and no UAI ranking?

 

[Acid]

Hrm, I see. So do any of you know what the usual process is for an American who has not been in Australian schools and therefor would have an incomplete HSC and no UAI ranking?

You'd need to enrol as an international fee-paying student. This means that you pay full fees for the course, and dont get the benefits of the government loan under HECS. All international students studying in Australia are under this system. Albeit, Uni's in Australia are much cheaper than those in America...

 

[acmilan]

The best place to look about info for internations students is the university websites. These are some of the few university websites:

University of Sydney: http://www.usyd.edu.au/io/
University of New South Wales: http://www.unsw.edu.au/futureStudents/intStudents/int/intlstudents.html
Australian National University: http://www.anu.edu.au/ieo/
University of Technology Sydney: http://www.uts.edu.au/international/index.html

 

[Lazarus]

Hrm, I see. So do any of you know what the usual process is for an American who has not been in Australian schools and therefor would have an incomplete HSC and no UAI ranking?

Each university would likely attempt to convert your international results (SAT scores etc) to a notional UAI. You will need to apply directly to the universities.

See this overview for more information, and then visit the university-specific websites that were posted by acmilan above.

If you hope to begin studying here in 2005, you need to apply ASAP.

 

[SahinTC]

Nono, 2006 here, just planning on getting a head start so I don't fall behind when the time comes.

Thank you all for the help, and I'll post again if I have any more questions or problems.

 

[lala2]

just wondering...why would you come here? aren't the unis in america better? three of my friends over the past two years have left for the us...smart asses...they deserve it....

 

[wrong_turn]

if you enrol as a international student, i think you can't go straight to uni. you have to enrol in the school system, and depending on how you do, you might be able to get into uni after one year in the system. this is called foundation. you could then apply for a uni and then start the course you pay for. however, there is a catch to it. you have one shot at it, if you fail in your first year of uni, you don't get a refund, and you'd have to start again.

another more sure-chance of gaining a place in uni, would be to complete years 11 and 12, therefore getting your uai as well. however, you will have to struggle like the rest of us, though the uai to get into course for international students are considerably lower. our school is made up of about 30% international students. thats what most of them i think are doing.

 

[wrong_turn]

i guess it probaly depends the amount of study they had done abroad before coming over here to study. because the ones that i know, did not finish school at their schools abroad, but came over here to finish their education.

 

[reynaldo]

I recommed you grow a brain.

says someone who goes to UWS..

 

[sladehk]

they should be on the same par