What chance do I have - re. Mid-Year Entry

[ps]

I'm applying for Bachelor of Commerce mid-year at University of Melbourne.

The website says that it requires an ATAR of at least 95.00 and a GPA of around 75%.

Now, I attained an ATAR of 99+ ATAR in 2011, but I've completed a year of medicine, hated it, and failed that year, meaning that my GPA would be, like, 0%?

So I'm just asking what my chances are of actually getting in, it is arguably stupid if I don't get in because I could have just applied directly after year 12 and gotten in.

Of course I will outline my circumstances in the personal info section on VTAC, but I'd still like to know what my chances are?

Should I contact the uni and talk to them about it?

[Belgarion]

sorry im not sure about the answer to your question but i was curious. Did you complete one year of undergraduate medicine at monash?

[clueless123]

Same boat

[loke]

If you've already completed one year of study, they take only those results i'm pretty sure. I could be wrong, but recently i've also decided to change courses (from science to arts at unimelb) and my course adviser said if you change courses mid-year in your first year after completion of vce, they take both your vce results and the results for the past semester (GPA 78%). However if you were to change in the second year, they only take your results from the previous year. I'm sure vce results would still be considered sooomewhat i guess... But yeah that's just what i've been told.

[sluu001]

Mid-year entry (if you have only completed half a ur of university studies is based on roughly a 50/50 weightage of ATAR and average. The exact weightage is not known, but essentially if you have an ATAR below the 2013 cut-off, then your average will need to be somewhere north of 75. The lower your ATAR, the higher the average required. Melbourne does not publically publish these criterias so exact numbers will be impossible to find.

For 2nd yr entry, a predominately uni average will be taken. Your ATAR will only considered as a tie-breaker. The minimum average for 2012 was 75, but you would ideally looking to get as close to 80 as possible to guarantee a spot.

Please note, this is based on an ordinary full time load of 4 subjects per semester.

Also bear in mind that you are required to have the prerequisite vce subjects Or your application wont succeed, even with an average of 100. If you have not, make sure you do the university equivalent AND MAKE SURE MELB UNI WILL ACCEPT THEM AS ACCEPTABLE EQUIVELANTS.

[VivaTequila]

Reading the posts and kinda gobsmacked. None of this applies to me, but the OP got an ATAR of 99! He should be able to get into anything he wants with that - surely any rational person would neglect his first year marks given the circumstances? I mean come on, that's just stupid if the OP doesn't get let in.

[b^3]

Reading the posts and kinda gobsmacked. None of this applies to me, but the OP got an ATAR of 99! He should be able to get into anything he wants with that - surely any rational person would neglect his first year marks given the circumstances? I mean come on, that's just stupid if the OP doesn't get let in.

From the universities point of view, the last year of your academics is a better indicator than the year before in VCE. If you got to uni and didn't put the hard work in, or got lazy and didn't go to tutes/get attendance marks and such, then whats to say that you're going to change that the next year after you transfer? The atar of 99 isn't the latest indication of your work ethic and performance.

[VivaTequila]

I understand all that and that's the accepted "stance" that universities take. That's why I said any rational person would consider the circumstances and neglect his marks. He hated the course, he didn't study for it. Why would he waste his time? He's been pragmatic and now he's switching courses to something he's going to like in mid year entry.

How can the uni be so blind? Still shocked, I think that's a serious lapse in judgement on behalf of the uni.

[thushan]

I understand all that and that's the accepted "stance" that universities take. That's why I said any rational person would consider the circumstances and neglect his marks. He hated the course, he didn't study for it. Why would he waste his time? He's been pragmatic and now he's switching courses to something he's going to like in mid year entry.

How can the uni be so blind? Still shocked, I think that's a serious lapse in judgement on behalf of the uni.

I'm sure there is a way to explain your circumstances to the uni.

[sluu001]

I alwys maintain that ATAR is a very very poor indicator of academic ability. There is just so many factors other (other than academic ability) that goes into your ATAR - your school's rank, tuition services, subjects undertaken. All of which is used to (artiicially?) manipulate your overall ranking.

It is the reason why ATAR's relevance is confined to your initial entrance application into university. Having a high rank in secondary schooling does not guarantee any kind of success at tertiary level. (there are so many cases of high achievers who cannot adapt to university study and drop out veru early on into their degree). It is simply not fair for a university to automatically reserve a place to student who (by his/her) own admission, failed quite badly - jut because they recieved a high ATAR in te past. My question is- what happens to the other applicant, who may not have a good ATAR - but absolutely nailed their university studies and wanted to transfer into the same course? The high ATAR should mean course of choice simply does not fly IMO.

Having said all this, given that the OP is a med student - they stand a very good chance of getting a successful transfer into another course of their choice. It has nothing to do with their ATAR, but rather the fact that medicine is one of those unique degrees where university faculties do take into account the degree of difficulty.