South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) applications are now open, that means it is close to crunch time when you must select your preferred university course for 2015. While applying to SATAC might seem like a daunting process, it does not have to be! Here are some tips to get you through the process with the best possible chances of getting the course you want.

 

You have six preferences for South Australian university courses. That means you have six opportunities to gain entry to university in this state. You will be offered the highest preference on your list that you are competitive for entry based on your ATAR and any other criteria, depending on the course.

 

You should structure your preferences so that the course you most desire entry into are listed at the top and good pathway courses, likely with lower entry requirements but a similar first year, are listed at the bottom.

 

To assist you with determining your preferences, you should consider the following:

 

• What do you want to study most, and where do you most want to study it?

List this course at the university of your choice as your number one preference.

• Decide whether you value the university or the course area more in choosing your preference.

If the course is more important, you might want to put courses similar to your first preference but at other universities as your second, third and maybe fourth preference. If your first preference is the only program you’re interested in, you might want to look at that university’s pathway courses into your ultimate degree. Flinders has a list of pathway degrees for every program of study we offer here. The pathway course for your first preference should be included in your SATAC application so that you have the best possible chances of getting offered a place at university. Pathway courses generally have a less competitive ATAR, but the content of the course is often similar to that of more competitive ATAR courses. For most degree programs, there is also a guaranteed entry pathway from one course into another. See the Flinderslink information page for examples of how this works.

 

When you are thinking about your SATAC preferences, you don’t have to stress! Remember that:

 

• You can use more than just your ATAR to get into uni. Flinders has lots of entry pathways and programs to get you through. Some, like uniTEST, you can start sitting now to boost your chances for an offer at Flinders courses. The Principals Recommendation Program can also be used for lots of courses alongside your ATAR results.  And you can always consider using TAFE or the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) after you’ve finished school or instead of an ATAR.
• Think long term. Getting to your ultimate degree is possible by transferring within uni courses, and it can improve your chances of getting an offer at uni if you put pathway courses on your SATAC preferences
• You don’t have to have all your preferences confirmed when you start a SATAC application. You have until the 5^th of January and you can change the order, add or remove courses and change the universities in your preferences right up until that date.

 

Don’t forget that you can contact the Prospective Student Office at Flinders University if you have any questions or need any help.

 

Best of luck with choosing your preferences and with the rest of Year 12!

 

Tom