Is the "UAI" thing equally as fair in all countries? (1 Viewer)

[FinalFantasy]

Like in other countries, could it be possibly easier to get into a desired course in uni?

 

[jm1234567890]

different countries have different conversion factors, you have to check with the uni

 

[Lazarus]

I doubt it would be easier to obtain a higher UAI (or equivalent), unless the students in that country were, on average, worse than the students here. I don't know how you'd establish that.

University cut-offs would likely be different though - demand for different courses etc. If you wanted to do a particularly popular course here, and the cut-off was high, you could probably find it easier to get in somewhere else where the demand for it was low.

I think most education systems (and methods of student selection for tertiary admissions) differ to ours though.

 

[somborac]

i know in serbia they dont have UAI or any assesments or anything they just sit an uni entrance exam and u get in. e.g. if a course is taking 50 people and u r mark is in top 50.

 

[Dougie]

still, the nsw HSC is the hardest in the country... it's gotta count for something

 

[somborac]

ye it does, if u were in ACT or other states and u wanted to go to Oxford Uni or Harvard Uni you would have to sit an entrance exam, but since we r in NSW we dont, they just look at our UAI and HSC marks or something like that.

 

[katietheskatie]

i think university entrance in places like america is a lot fairer than it is here. in australia, it's solely academic - you've got your assessment marks combined with your hsc mark, which gives you one little score. and for pretty much every course (except things like art and music), it's pretty much the determining factor.

in america, they have the sat exams and grade point averages, which together are pretty much their internal and external assessments. but on top of that, they get to write application essays, and their other achievements and extra-curricular activities are taken into consideration as well. i don't know, but i think that's a hell of a lot fairer than that one rank we get here.

 

[jm1234567890]

i think university entrance in places like america is a lot fairer than it is here. in australia, it's solely academic - you've got your assessment marks combined with your hsc mark, which gives you one little score. and for pretty much every course (except things like art and music), it's pretty much the determining factor.

in america, they have the sat exams and grade point averages, which together are pretty much their internal and external assessments. but on top of that, they get to write application essays, and their other achievements and extra-curricular activities are taken into consideration as well. i don't know, but i think that's a hell of a lot fairer than that one rank we get here.

that is also open to bias.....

UAI is as objective as you can get

 

[katietheskatie]

true, but it doesn't necessarily take everything into account.

for example, i'd love to get into this combined hospitality and arts degree, where the cutoff is 85. the chance of me getting that 85 and therefore getting into the course based solely on my academic marks is pretty slim. if they took other things into consideration, such as that i got pretty much every hospitality award in year 12 possible, all my experiences and extra-curricular activities, and that i've done pretty well in english all throughout school, i'd have a better chance of getting in. not to say 'oh yeah, i'm so great', because i'm not. i'm just saying. someone who did all science subjects might end up with a higher uai than me and get into the course, when they're not suited for it at all.

i talk too much, but i think you get my drift. kind of. i don't think university entrance should be completely based on academics, because it's not like that in the real world.

 

[jm1234567890]

true, but it doesn't necessarily take everything into account.

for example, i'd love to get into this combined hospitality and arts degree, where the cutoff is 85. the chance of me getting that 85 and therefore getting into the course based solely on my academic marks is pretty slim. if they took other things into consideration, such as that i got pretty much every hospitality award in year 12 possible, all my experiences and extra-curricular activities, and that i've done pretty well in english all throughout school, i'd have a better chance of getting in. not to say 'oh yeah, i'm so great', because i'm not. i'm just saying. someone who did all science subjects might end up with a higher uai than me and get into the course, when they're not suited for it at all.

i talk too much, but i think you get my drift. kind of. i don't think university entrance should be completely based on academics, because it's not like that in the real world.

There are alternate entry methods....

eg. for comp sci, you can submit portfolio, and many unis have early entry
even if they don't specificly state it, i'm sure you could talk to the dean and organise something.

i think the australian system is balanced enough. It is too much hassle to make everyone
submit a detailed application for uni.

 

[somborac]

i agree with katietheskatie, coz extra-cirriculum activities should be considered in the apllications for uni, for example the time lost due to trainings one has to do coz they got to represent the country in sport. i have a friend who had to drop year 12 coz she had to represent australia in olympics and my twin had to do 3 of his hsc exams (2 english and business) overseas coz he had to represent aus. in world champions, and i lost time to compulsary state trainings and other trainings for oceania champ. and all of us can easily get a scholarship if we get into uni, but the chances are reduced coz of the "disadventage"

 

[theone123]

jm1234567890 is correct, it would take almost impossible to consider everyone, if selection is based elsewhere apart from UAI for direct entry from yr 12. If all goes worse, you may choose to apply for NRSL entry in the near future, which is based on other citeria.