Division of Registrar & Student Services
Admission
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Division of Registrar & Student Services
Admission
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MISSED OUT ON A PLACE AT ANU?The UAI required to enter a program is a reflection of the level of demand and availability of government funded places at the University. Strong demand and limited expansion of our available places has led to some increase in our standard entrance which is now a minium UAI, or equivalent, of 80. Some programs have higher requirements. This webpage has been developed to give you some guidance about your options if you have not achieved the required UAI. If you need further information you are encouraged to contact the ANU College Office responsible for the program you are interested in commencing. Options for improving your Entrance RankThe following is a summary of the admission and assessment process for the ANU. It reflects current practices in relation to UAC and other admission processes. The University may review its admission procedures for future admissions periods which may in turn affect some of the information below. Prospective students are advised to consult with the Admissions Office for up-to-date information. Please Note: this information is provided as advice only and predominantly provided for domestic undergraduate applicants. The Standard ANU Disclaimer applies.
BASIS OF ADMISSIONHOW CAN I IMPROVE MY ENTRANCE RANKWHAT ELSE CAN I DO?MORE INFORMATIONBASIS OF ADMISSIONAdmission to ANU undergraduate degree programs is based on your performance in one or more standard qualifications. There are many such qualifications, but the most common ones considered by ANU are:
Entry to the ANU for some applicants is also possible through Special Admissions Schemes, such as the Special Adult Entry Scheme, the Countrywide Access Scheme, and the Indigenous Australian Admissions Scheme. Entry is also possible through the completion of a Preparatory or Bridging Course, such as the ANU’s University Preparation Scheme. It is impossible to list here all the different types and combinations of qualifications accepted by ANU, so if your educational background is unusual or complex, it would be advisable to seek advice from the ANU Admissions Office. How are Qualifications Assessed?Each qualification is given a rank between 0 and 100, depending on performance. All grades are considered when determining the level of performance - failures and late withdrawals are also included. Each qualification's rank is then combined in a weighted formula to give an applicant an overall Entrance Rank between 0 and 100. Your Entrance Rank is then compared to the cut-off for the degree program you are interested in and you are offered a place if your Entrance Rank is equal to or higher than the cut-off. More weight is given to tertiary qualifications than to secondary. Standard qualifications (however old) are never ignored by ANU, except after successful completion of an approved Bridging/Preparatory course, which effectively over-rides any previous qualifications. Admission under a Special Admissions Scheme also ignores prior qualifications. Examples:
You can see from the examples how various qualification ranks interact to give you an overall ANU Entrance Rank. Poor performance in one qualification can 'drag down' an excellent performance in another. HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY ENTRANCE RANK?There are two main strategies for improving your ANU Entrance Rank. You can obtain another qualification which builds on your existing rank, or you can complete special courses/schemes which do not take past qualifications into account. The best option for you will depend on your individual circumstances and how you assess the costs, benefits and risks to you of those options. Strategy 1 : Obtaining another QualificationThis is the most common option - it has the advantage of giving you an additional 'portable' qualification which is valuable in its own right and may be used for admission to other institutions in the future. You may even decide that you no longer wish to attend ANU and instead use that qualification for employment purposes. Again, there are too many options to list them all, but common ones include: A. Repeating Your Secondary Qualification (including overseas secondary qualifications and the IB) This can be done in a number of ways, including returning to school and joining a normal Year 12 class; attending CIT/TAFE and doing a full Year 12 load; completing an 'adult' or 'limited' Year 12 (age restrictions apply). The requirements are different in each State/Territory, so please make sure that upon completion you will be eligible to receive a new UAI, TER, ENTER or OP. How ANU will treat the new qualification? If you re-apply to ANU after repeating Year 12, the most recent Year 12 is the one that we use to determine your ANU Entrance Rank. B. AQF Diploma or Advanced Diploma This is a good option for students who do not wish to repeat Year 12 but who want to keep their tertiary entrance options open. Successful completion of an AQF Diploma or Advanced Diploma through CIT, an interstate TAFE system or an accredited private provider not only gives you a new rank, but also may lead you into satisfying employment. You may also receive some status at university for your CIT/TAFE studies, either through formal articulation schemes or on a case-by-case basis. Note that the Diploma/Advanced Diploma needs to be completed. You should note also that CIT offers Associate Degrees that articulate into ANU Bachelor degrees in Music and Science. Please contact CIT for information. How ANU will treat the new qualification? The rank you achieve for your AQF Diploma/Advanced Diploma is combined in the ANU weighted formula with any other qualifications. More weight is given to the AQF qualifications than to secondary studies. Note: Minimum ANU entrance cut-offs have been rising in recent years, and an AQF Diploma/Advanced Diploma that is graded on the Pass/Fail scale may give you a rank which is still below the minimum ANU cut-off. See 'Requesting Special Consideration' below. C. Enrolling in Another ANU Program You may have missed out on your preferred ANU program, but been offered a program with a lower cut-off. It is possible depending upon successful academic performance in one program, you may be eligible to transfer to another. For example, a student gaining admission to a Bachelor of Arts may, after performing well, transfer into a program with a higher cut-off such as a Bachelor of Laws. Please note though this is not guaranteed. D. Studying at Another University Even if your Entrance Rank is below the ANU cut-off, you may still be able to study at another university either locally or on a distance education basis. This is probably the best way for a school-leaver to improve their Entrance Rank - not only is tertiary study weighted more heavily than secondary, you are more likely to get credit for the work done at another university. Nor do you have to complete a degree at the other university - you just need to successfully complete the equivalent of what a student studying a standard full-time load at ANU, for one semester, would complete, i.e. four semester-length subjects. Most university degrees have a normal pattern of eight semester-length courses (also called subjects and units elsewhere) each year, so it's usually easy to work out if you are taking enough courses to satisfy ANU's requirements. If you want to study Law at ANU, you need to study one year full-time at another university (i.e. eight courses). If in doubt, contact the ANU Admissions Office. You should consider the following options at least:
Remember: if you are considering your options in December/January it will be quite late in the admissions cycles of most universities, particularly those offering distance education. But it may be worth a try - some universities may be looking to fill vacancies in specific programs. Tip: don't enrol in just anything. Try to enrol in a degree program that you are interested in and that you are likely to get credit for. All study is worthwhile for admissions purposes, but if you take on something for which you have no interest or aptitude, you are more likely to perform badly and not achieve the revised entrance score you need. It is not always possible to enrol mid-year at ANU or at other universities. At ANU places are often limited and not all degree programs can be commenced mid-year. How ANU will treat the new qualification? Depending on your performance at the other university, ANU will assign you a rank for that qualification. We will then combine the ranks from all your qualifications in our weighted formula to derive a new Entrance Rank. Example Michael completed his ACT Year 12 with a UAI of 73. He was not able to get into ANU, but he enrolled at CSU in Wagga for 1st Semester. He achieved 4 Pass grades, which gave him a rank of 80. Combined with the UAI of 73, his new Entrance Rank is 77.20. This was not enough to be admitted to ANU, so he stays on at CSU for 2nd Semester. This semester he gets 1 Pass and 3 Credits. His rank for his one year at CSU is now 85. Combined with his UAI of 73, his overall Entrance Rank is now 81. Depending on what the ANU cut-off is at the time, he may decide to stay on at CSU for another year. Strategy 2 : 'Starting from Scratch'Rather than trying to improve the Entrance Rank derived from your existing qualifications, or if you have no acceptable qualifications to start with, it is also possible to 'start from scratch' either by completing an approved Bridging/Preparatory Course or by seeking admission under a Special Admissions Scheme. A. Bridging/Preparatory Courses Again, there are many such courses - some are full-time, some part-time; some can be done intensively, others may take 12-18 months to complete. The standard courses which are used for admission to ANU are listed below. Please check first with the Admissions Office if you intend completing any other course and ensure you receive confirmation in writing from the ANU that those studies will be recognised for admissions purposes before you commit to commencing those studies.
Many universities also offer Foundation Studies programs for international students. Such programs may also be open to Australian citizens and permanent residents. Check with the ANU Admissions Office if you intend completing such a course for admissions purposes. Other alternative pathways include: Students not meeting any of the University’s minimum admission requirements and who will be aged 21 or over on 1 March in the year in which they intend to commence an ANU program, may apply through the University’s Special Adult Entry Scheme (SAES). Entry is based on the performance in both components of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) – Multiple Choice and Written English or equivalent, taken in the last ten years. Other conditions may apply please consult the UAC Guide and the ANU’s Admissions Office for more information. Indigenous Australian Admissions Scheme The University welcomes and encourages applications from Indigenous Australians. Applicants whose qualifications do not meet minimum admission requirements may seek admission through the Indigenous Australian Admissions Scheme. For further information on the scheme, including selection details, please call the JABAL Indigenous Australian Centre on (02) 6125 3520. The Countrywide Access Program aims to assist current Year 12 applicants with good academic potential who have experienced serious long-term disadvantages in their educational preparation for tertiary entrance. Disadvantages may include geographical isolation, serious medical problems, disability and family relationship problems. Further information about the scheme can be obtained by reading the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) booklet produced by UAC. For further information on eligibility please call the Countrywide Coordinator on (02) 6125 3601. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?There are situations where your UAI does not reflect your academic potential due to circumstances that were outside your control. These circumstances may be serious ill health, financial or other hardship that impacted upon your prior education. If this describes your situation, you may wish to apply for special consideration. Requesting Special Consideration involves writing to the University, explaining your past academic performance, how things have changed in your life and what your plans for the future are. Supporting documentation from medical practitioners, teachers, employers etc. that substantiate your claims and offer evidence of your capacity to succeed should you be offered a place, must be provided. Each case is considered individually by the relevant Dean who may decide to admit you on the strength of your case. If you decide to pursue this option, please complete the Application for Special Consideration Form and attach supporting documentation Students are still expected to be reasonably close to program cut-offs - either in their overall Entrance Rank, or in the rank for one of their qualifications in order for a request for special consideration to be successful. MORE INFORMATIONFor correspondence and other enquiries please contact: Admissions Office
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