Great to hear that you’re considering studying in Australia!
Disclaimer: Info below is not intended to serve as an advisory opinion - please refer to official website of the university you want to apply to. Author accepts no responsibility for the outcome of your application.
The application process will depend on a few factors;
- What course you want to do
- Whether you completed high school (Year 12) in Australia or not
- Which University you want to enter
- Whether you have a prior qualification
1. What course you want to do
- Check the course pre-requisites for the degree you want to enter
- This may include specific subjects (e.g. Higher Level Maths, Chemistry, Physics etc)
- Check degree structures aswell!
- In some states, Medicine/Law/Engineering etc are only offered at the postgraduate level
- In other states, you may be able to study Medicine/Law/Engineering at an undergraduate level
2. Whether you intend to complete high school (Year 12) in Australia or not
- Completing High School in Australia
- If you intend to complete high school in Australia, you will sit examinations for each subject.
- You will receive an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) on the basis of your results.
- Put in your university preferences through University Admissions website (state-dependent)
- You will receive your ATAR score around December/ January
- Your offers will automatically appear on the relevant University Admissions Website. Most universities will also post your acceptance letter.
- If you are not completing high school in Australia
- Each university has minimum cut offs for intl courses (e.g. See Australia National University’s 2017 Cut off scores here)
- You will need to meet a minimum English requirement (e.g. IELTS). There must be official documentation to support your claim.
- Most universities require International Applicants to submit their application directly to the university.
3. What University you want to apply to
- Application requirements may differ acc. to university. As above, please double check the application process for each university
- ATAR Cut off scores differ between each university and each course. Ensure that you meet the minimum academic requirements.
- Note that even if you meet the minimum score you may not be accepted into the course.
- If you choose to go to a private university, you may need to submit additional documentation
- Portfolio
- Interview (Face to Face)
- Character reference
4. Whether you have a prior uni qualification or not
- Most universities will accept prior qualifications from international universities for their postgraduate program
- Note the requirements
- some may require academic references
- some may require minimum level of academic achievement (e.g. first class honours, credit average, GPA etc.)
- some courses (e.g. Medicine, Law) may require you to sit an entrance exam (e.g. GAMSAT, LSTAT)
5. VISA/ Financial Requirements
- Check that you are eligible for an Australia Visa.
- See Australia’s Dept. Immigration and Border Protection website here.
- DO NOT ask me about visa advice.
- Most universities require you to show evidence of financial means (aka you can support yourself).
- Most universities require international students to pay their fees upfront
- Note that international student fees significantly differ from that of domestic students
- As of 2016, International Students are not covered under HECS
Australia’s pretty generous with regards to entry requirements and pathways. If you don’t meet the minimum standard to enter university there are a range of other options incl doing a bridging course, or doing a prior qualification at a technical college (TAFE) as a ‘step towards’ entering university.
Good luck with your application!
- fuckstudy