QTAC PREPARATION PROGRAM 2008-9

1. QTAC PREPARATION PROGRAM 2008-9 SESSION 4 ARRANGING QTAC COURSE PREFERENCES

2. APPLICATIONS AND OFFERS • You can and should apply for up to 6 courses. • Most applicants (CSP courses – see later) will receive an offer of one course only. • Therefore all your choices should be in strict order of preference and should be courses you are prepared to accept.

3. OFFERS GENERALLY: • For offers, QTAC will start at your pref. 1 and ask two questions: 1.Do you have the necessary prerequisites and; 2.Have you got the necessary OP (fit in the quota). • If the answer to either question is “no”, the computer moves on to your second pref. and asks the same question. etc. • If you get an offer: • You can accept, reject, conditionally accept, conditionally reject or accept and defer. • For some creative arts courses, your OP might not be used at all. Your folio, audition or interview may have precedence.

4. COURSE FEES • CSP courses – are Commonwealth Supported Places (‘CSP’ in QTAC book). • fee courses = domestic fee - as opposed to international fee. (2X-3X more expensive) • Some courses are offered as both options and some applicants (who applied for both) may receive two offers. • E.g. if the first course you are eligible for is fee, you will get an offer for it and the next CSP for which you are eligible. • TAFE – most courses are Govt. subsidised some are PGF (partially government funded), some are fee.

5. WHY INCLUDE A FEE COURSE IN YOUR PREFERENCES? • You will need the same prerequisites, etc. • However, the OP requirement is usually slightly higher (easier). • E.g. in 2003, the OP for Vet. Science at UQ was 1 (CSP) and 3 (fee). • After 1 year of higher fees you may? switch to the equivalent CSP course.

6. COURSE CUT-OFFS • OP’s or Selection Ranks are not pre-determined. • They change yearly depending on the course quota and popularity. • The OP or Rank indicates that of the last applicants to get into the course the previous year. • They should be used as a guide, only.

7. FIELD POSITIONS: • Are only used if your OP is in the cut-off band! • They are used only in a small number of cases. • If you wish to do the course, include it in your preferences, even if you are not eligible for the field • - as long as you satisfy the prerequisites for the course.

8. ARRANGING PREFERENCES • List all the courses you are considering. • Check that you meet the pre-requisites. • Check their location. • Check whether Full-time, Flexible, External, etc. • Check if CSP or fee courses. • Check the start date of the course • Arrange Sem. I courses (Feb., March) before Sem II courses (July) • Now, eliminate any courses that you will not be prepared to do

9. ARRANGING PREFERENCES • Check the OP cut-off’s for the previous year. • Put the course you most want first. • Place the remaining courses in strict order of preference. • Preferences 3 and 4 should be in your OP area. • Preferences 5 and 6 should be upgrade courses that you are prepared to study for 1 year. (“Foot in the door Courses”) • Pref. 6 should be well above your anticipated OP.

10. ARRANGING PREFERENCES 14.Do not place courses in order of OP if the order does not correspond to your preferences. 15. Avoid placing lower OP (competitive) courses after much higher OP courses. (Wasted preferences!) 16. (Review your order of preferences after you receive your OP – you have only 1 week to do this.)

11. ARRANGING PREFERENCES IN SUMMARY: • 1 st • 2nd These are the courses you would really like to study, even if your chances of gaining entry may be unlikely. IDEAL COURSES

12. ARRANGING PREFERENCES : • 3 rd • 4 th These courses would be less competitive (location, similar course, etc) and may be used for an alternative career or to upgrade to your ideal course REALISTIC COURSES

13. ARRANGING PREFERENCES : These courses would be ones you are prepared to do if you miss out on all others. They should be quite easy to get into, esp. No. 6. They could be used to upgrade to other courses. • 5 th • 6 th ‘FOOT IN THE DOOR COURSES’

14. *ARRANGING PREFERENCES* • NOTE: The ‘Start Month’ is not the Offer Date.(Only the start date is in the QTAC guide) • To find the Offer Date for your courses, you must go online at www.qtac.edu.au and use the ‘course search tool’ and enter the course QTAC code.

15. *ARRANGING PREFERENCES* • NOW(as per page 7-8 in QTAC guide): • If all your courses are in the same ‘Offer Round Date’, leave as is (& accept, defer, cond. accept, etc., when the offer is made to you)

16. *ARRANGING PREFERENCES* • However: • If your preferences include different ‘Offer Round Dates’, (the major offer round is Jan.15) you must rearrange from 1-6in order of ‘Offer Round Dates’ • ….as offers are made in order of the major offer round dates. • E.g. if your 1st pref. is offered in Jan and your 2nd pref. in Dec., you won’t get an offer for your 2nd pref if you miss out on your 1st pref. (It will be too late)

17. STARTING MONTH • Some courses have more than one starting date. • E.g., you can nominate a course which starts in Semester I, 2009 or …Semester II, 2009. • Therefore, to find the Offer Date for your course you must go online at www.qtac.edu.au and use the ‘course search tool’ and enter the course QTAC code. • If you wish to start in Sem. I, you must select that course Offer Date.

18. STARTING MONTH • Therefore, courses which commence in Semester I must be listed higher than Semester II courses to be considered in the January Offer Round.

19. STARTING MONTH • BUT, some courses, esp. Performing Arts courses & Bond University courses have their major offer round in December. • Therefore, they must be placed higher (than Jan. and June offer courses) to be considered for the December Offer Round

20. PREFERENCES - GENERAL RULE(as on pages 7-8) • Arrange courses in order of preference • Then rearrange in order of major offer rounds (e.g. Dec offer courses before Jan. offer courses) • Conditionally accept a December Offer if it is made (even though it’s really your 2nd or 3rd pref.) • Then rearrange pref’s so the Jan. course you really want is now your 1st pref. • Wait for January Offers and if offered your real 1st pref. , accept it!

21. IN SUMMARY: • Place courses in order of personal preference – from most desired to least desired • Only apply for courses that you are sure you would accept if they are offered • Ensure you enter the correct course code, and name. (Be careful of full-time, part-time codes, starting times and fee course codes)

22. REMEMBER, TO UPGRADE: • Having to go to a less desirable place or course may only be necessary for 1 yr. • CIII = rank 69 (‘OP15’) • CIV = rank 74 (‘OP13’) • Diploma = rank 83 (‘OP9’) • Adv. Diploma = rank 90 (‘OP6’) • 1 yr of a degree = rank (= ‘OP’1,2,3,4,5,6,…) Depending on your results

23. UPGRADING BY UNIVERSITY STUDIES Assessment at Uni is by GPA (Grade Point Average) …. a 0-7 point scale with 7 the highest possible GPA. IN YOUR FIRST YEAR, IF YOU AVERAGE: • Pass = GPA of 4 = Rank of 93 (= ‘OP’ 5!) • Credit = GPA of 5 = Rank of 96 (= ‘OP’ 3!) • Dist. = GPA of 6 = Rank of 98 (= ‘OP’ 1-2!) • H.Dist. = GPA of 7 = Rank of 99 (= ‘OP’ 1!)

24. MISTAKES BY PAST STUDENTS • One student obtained an OP of 16 but didn’t change unrealistic preferences (courses of OP10, 11, 12)! • After receiving an OP of 20, one student changed their 5th and 6th preferences to courses requiring an OP of less than 20. No offer! • One student (OP11) removed their 5th and 6th preferences (OP14’s) completely. As their 1st 4 preferences were less than OP10, they received no offer! • Revisit and carefully consider your preferences after receiving your OP

25. DIRECT APPLICATION As well as applying through QTAC, apply for CIII or CIV courses at TAFE, directly, as backup courses. Phone Sunshine Coast Inst. TAFE, or other TAFE’s for application forms, or download from websites. Applications need to be made about the same time as QTAC.