Uni Entry System about to Collapse (SMH) - (re: UNSW) (1 Viewer)

[juzmister]

I was not told of these requirements from the UK, they said nothing about this on the phone...

 

[stephenchow]

Why? Because it has people with a UAI of 90? Doesn't the standard of teaching need to be evaluated before you can make such a statement?

And how can you compare the standard of teaching? Through the students?

 

[juzmister]

If kids are getting on lower UAIs I would not be complaining...It could lead to decreased competition...

 

[ChilledAmbience]

If kids are getting on lower UAIs I would not be complaining...It could lead to decreased competition...

Uni is not all about kicking-arse with HDs. More competition should be a plus which only motivates and challenges you.

I got a UAI of low nineties and was offered BCom (Lib St.) with only B4 2U maths (my worse subject) and a B5 Adv Eng. (the irony is not lost upon me) So I was a bit confused but nonetheless ecstatic. This does seem a tad unfair for other students which were treated less favourably; a clearer prior warning would have been nice. Albeit this does seem like a gradual shift towards a US model of all-round achievement which is beneficial – but then ‘extracurricular-activity life coaches’ emerge to sculpt the lives for affluent kiddies. Lastly the Herald disappointed me with an over the top ‘tele’ like doomsday header.

 

[Raginsheep]

Its been said before: There was prior warning. Its just most people failed to read the fine print.

 

[Etheral]

So this is the first time it's happened on this scale?

Can't believe there's hidden criterion now. Might as well say to a Year 10 "if you wanna have a career in this ..., do well in these units of subjects in senior years"

PS: These reporters scan these threads?

 

[ice_wind]

The university will do its best to get the best students. It's up to ITSELF entirely to select the students they think that'll continue their commerce dominance. Also, USyd is more reknown for inflating their marks, nobody cares too much though. I wonder how many commerce students they have.

from wat ive seen UNSW is doing it much more, about half of my school friends have made it into commerce there. makes me wonder, wat chances have i got of a job with so many people doin da same degree???

 

[ice_wind]

Agreed. If they were suggested or required prerequities in the UAC handbook, then fair enough. But UNSW can't just decide to "hand-pick" students because they performed well in 4U Maths without telling students. Talk about a hidden criteria.

The UAI was suppose to be the great leveller, that's gone now.

EDIT:
Well, they've just screwed themselves out of $300 for every student who didn't get in because they were overlooked for those who performed well in Maths.

i agree man...u shudnt decide a student's score in one subject, u shud be looking for the overall performance (the UAI). i heard in some countries that if u can fail evry subject but pass english...then ur into law at uni...but then that's cr*p if u ask me...

 

[Raginsheep]

All law requires is a good graps of english. Its the fact the everyone wants to do law which makes its UAI so high.

As for the number of people doing commerce, you do realise that we're so short of accountants that we basically throw permanent residencies to international students to get them to study accounting right?

 

[juzmister]

I don't know, I was above the cutoff for Fee, and I'm in. I guess I'll have to do better with so many kids fighting for jobs in three years time, I've booked in a bunch of internships so they should help out.

 

[dan_viper88]

I think the whole system is a shambles, I Know 2 people personally who got UAI'S of 87 and 92 respectivelly and they both got into B Commerce at UNSW!

-The one who got a UAI of 87 only got a BAND 5 in 2unit Maths and didnt even get a BAND 5 or 6 in English Adv.
-The one who got a UAI of 92 got a BAND 5 in Maths EXT 1 and 2 and got a BAND 5 in English ADV.

I think it is just ludicrous the way the system is working, how can you award someone with a UAI of "87" a place in a "so-called" "95 UAI Course" thats a 8.0 drop in UAI score!
I believe this system is so unfare and overated, when other people that i know who had UAI'S of 89-92 last year had to do a B Economics and they couldnt get in to B Commerce and the UAI was around 93.00 in 2006!

This is just outrageous! How can you reward under-par UAI'S with direct access in to courses with well below UAI's in accordance with published Cutoffs.

What is even more interesting is when a student apply's through UAC they are specifically told this information in regards to the published UAI cutoff-

"The cutoffs indicate the lowest uai accepted for entry into the course they donot represent the average ability of the students accepted for the course" (refer to page 73 of 2007 UAC guide)

And let me further add that nowhere in the UAC guide does it say that the UNSW is allowing flexible schemes and pathways for students applying for the B Commerce!

 

[sunjet]

This is nothing new, people that get below the UAI have interviews all the time.

 

[brightsea]

UNSW Admission Requirements:

"UNSW has a number of alternative pathways for admission, which may allow 2006 NSW and ACT Year 12 applicants to receive an offer to a course even though they have a UAI below the published cut-off. They include:
*Educational Access Scheme - ACCESS Scheme.
*Australian Aboriginal and Torres Stait Islander Admissions Scheme
*Faculty of Engineering Admission Scheme (FEAS)
*Performance in Year 12 subjects - limited courses only.For details read the relevant sections in the UNSW entry..
now feeling i'm on something, i look up the UNSW commerce entry in the guide and saw no details regarding this..except (paraphrasing) 'for addictional information read the handbook or ring the institution' ...

While the UAC guide did say that performance in Year 12 subjects - limited courses only, never did it give any indication that Commerce would be directly affected.

All students study a common core....Applicants who wish to undertake Arts, Social Sciences, Economics, Materials Science or Science with Commerce should apply for 424000 and specify their preferred combination at the time of enrolment. B Commerce can also be combined with Engineering. Applicants interested in Engineering/Commerce should apply for 425015 - the engineering specialisation is specified at the time of enrolment. For additional information see the online handbook www.handbook.unsw.edu.au, call the Faculty of Commerce and Economics on (02) 9385 3187 or email ceinfo@unsw.edu.au

Nothing in the above even suggests that there would be other criteria taken into account for Commerce. It is implied more that if you have questions about combined degrees with Commerce you should contact the uni.

Even if it did, putting new criteria in the 2007 Handbook when it is published sometime in August (is that right?) is too late for the graduating class who never took Maths or high level English, or dropped half way through the year. And the 2006 guide has no "performance in Year 12 subjects" clause.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

...UNSW has manipulated demand in the future by increasing the UAI but letting in those below that they probably did anyway.

You don't seem to realise that most universities manipulate their UAI cut-offs, to a greater or lesser extent, for a range of courses. They have been doing so for many years.

And for goodness sake, would people stop making the general statement that there is "hidden criterion" as if it pertains to the course generally. If you are below the cut-off, that is you do not make the requirements, then the university will look at these other factors. It does not mean that those who achieved the cut-off are not permitted entry due to maths or English marks.

 

[schnookims]

i know someone who got into combined law at unsw with a uai less than 90 for hecs WITHOUT ESP

im happy for her but a good friend of mine got a uai of 96 and didnt even get into combined law so then what's the whole point of the uai system when it does something unfair like that?

 

[MoonlightSonata]

i know someone who got into combined law at unsw with a uai less than 90 for hecs WITHOUT ESP

im happy for her but a good friend of mine got a uai of 96 and didnt even get into combined law so then what's the whole point of the uai system when it does something unfair like that?

No offence intended, but your claims can hardly be verified, can they?

There may be other factors which we are unaware of (or that you are unaware of).

One could imagine a situation where, again no offence intended to you or your friend, a person is not honest about their entry method.

 

[sladehk]

hahaha i read the actual boredofstudies forum post like a week ago and now it turns up on SMH. very influential =D

i guess the stupid world's unfair
the rich always get advantages over us poor people :'(

 

[schnookims]

No offence intended, but your claims can hardly be verified, can they?

There may be other factors which we are unaware of (or that you are unaware of).

One could imagine a situation where, again no offence intended to you or your friend, a person is not honest about their entry method.

well she is a good friend of mine from school and why would you lie about a uai of below 90? i saw her name in the paper and it was true

 

[MoonlightSonata]

well she is a good friend of mine from school and why would you lie about a uai of below 90? i saw her name in the paper and it was true

I didn't say she lied about that.

 

[DeathB4Life]

also going to add that ive just had a convo with one of my school friends who made it into Commerce at UNSW with a UAI of 86. He got a mid band 5 in 2U and E4 in Ext1, with fairly average marks in standard english. He had EAS, but even then that would place him at 4 points below the cutoff.

I myself made it into engineering at UNSW 10 points below the "supposed" cutoff, although i did attend an interview.

Another friend made it into biotech engineering at UTS with a UAI 14 points below the cutoff without EAS/interviews.

and no i am not lying and neither are my friends. if you would like a video filming of them declaring their marks/offers while taped to a lie detector aswell as all required documentation, please provide your email and they will be sent to you