August is definitely one of the busiest months in the life of a Year 12. It’s halfway through the last real term, assignments are due left right and centre, final tests are coming up, the university Open Days are in the middle and because the month clearly isn’t busy enough, SATAC applications open up! Making your SATAC application and choosing your preferences can be one of the hardest decisions to make.
Here are some important dates you need to know:
1. You need to pay your SATAC application fee by the 30th September (to avoid a late fee).
2. You can change your preferences until the 5th of January, 2015. At Flinders, this includes Medicine, Optometry and all other undergraduate courses.
3. First round offers are made on the 15th of January.
What I did, and what I recommend, is that you pay for your application as soon as possible and then put it on pause until exams are over. Getting it paid for early takes one more thing off your mind and allows you to knuckle down at school and focus on getting the best marks that you can. You have plenty of time to choose your preferences. It is a long process and it will be more beneficial if you tackle it when you have time to spare and can do it without interruption.
How to structure your preferences
When it comes to choosing your preferences, there are a few important factors to help you get an offer at university:
1. You have six preferences
2. Put your most desirable course in first position, not the one you’re most likely to be accepted into
3. If the course you want most has a pathway course, put the pathway course in second position (Flinders publishes a pathway course for every single undergraduate degree here)
4. Do NOT order courses from highest to lowest ATAR
5. Put the course you would do as an alternative in third position and so on.
Finally, remember to stay calm. The most important thing is to get your foot in the door. Once you’re in, it is easy to move around and even change courses if you need. If you’re worried that you might make the wrong decision, don’t stress, there are plenty of support services available to assist you in getting where you want to be.
Good luck!