Four Interesting Facts About The UK University Application For Australians

01/11/20206 minute read
Four Interesting Facts About The UK University Application For Australians

Over the years the UK has been a popular destination for Australians for tourism, working holidays, and finally university education. It’s easy to see why the UK is such a popular destination for Australians wanting to study overseas.

The strong political relationship between the UK and Australia makes it easy to transition abroad, and it’s also home to some of the world’s best universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, University College London (UCL), and the London School of Economics (LSE).

However, unlike the Australian UAC university application system, the UK application process is comprehensive as it evaluates you as a person. You can think of it as a more academically-focused version of the holistic US university application. The UK application covers everything from your academics and extracurriculars to your personal passions and future ambitions.

Given the UK university application process is quite extensive in comparison to the Australian UAC process, we’ve come up with a list of four interesting facts about the UK university application process, specifically for Australian students.
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1. UK Universities do acknowledge and understand the ATAR

A commonly asked question is whether UK universities are able to understand and translate Australia high school curriculum and the ATAR? The answer is yes. In fact, if you visit any UK university website, such as Oxford, they often list the ATAR and local curricula like the HSC, VCE, WACE, requirements required to apply to these universities. In the context of Australia, there are experts at these UK institutions who understand how the ATAR is interpreted, and how local curricula are constructed. Therefore you can have confidence that you can apply to top UK universities using your Australian grades.

If you want to learn more about using your ATAR to apply to the UK, check out our ‘5 Facts for Students Applying Overseas with an ATAR’ blog below.

2. Academics account for 75% of the application’s weighting

In Australia, getting into your preferred course and university requires you to meet the minimum ATAR requirement. Therefore if you have a good academic record, you have a high chance of securing your chosen course and university admission. Similar to the UK, you will need to boast a strong academic record to admit into UK universities as it accounts for 75% of the application.

However, the remaining 25% of the application is made up of your holistic evaluation including extracurriculars, personal statements, and interviews. Although on paper it seems not as important as your academics, the majority of students get cut during the holistic evaluation of the application process. Therefore it is important to build a strong extracurricular profile and personal statements in order to separate yourself from the competition.

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3. You meet your professors in the Oxford and Cambridge interview

In Australia, you don’t meet your tutors and lecturers until you start your first day of university. One of the most interesting things about the Oxford and Cambridge application interviews is that they are conducted by the professors themselves. The interview provides an opportunity for professors to see whether you have a natural instinct and passion to succeed in a subject or whether you are someone who has memorised their way through the academic stage. Furthermore, it’s an opportunity for professors to recreate the tutorial experience and see if you would thrive in that setting and would fit in well with the university culture.

A good starting point to prepare for these interviews is to dive deep into your course topic and research who your interviewer is. Understanding who your professors are and what their research they’ve engaged in will help you formulate stronger discussions. Other research activities you can do to help to create an engaging interview can include but not limited to:

Engaging more broadly with texts, journals, and podcasts related to your intended field of study

Use your extracurriculars as tools to reflect on your experience and knowledge in your intended field of study.

4. Scholarships and financial aid are not as common

Studying at university is generally expensive around the globe and generally speaking, the UK is no exception. However, most degrees are only 3 years long and this means the fees are not spread over a longer period of time. While scholarship opportunities in the UK are rare, there are some exceptions. For example, if you are a highly talented choral singer or organist, Oxford and Cambridge both offer choral and organ scholarships.

Oxford offers a unique scholarship called the Oxford Reach scholarship which is offered “to students from low-income countries who, for political or financial reasons, or because suitable educational facilities do not exist, cannot study for a degree in their own countries.” If you are a dual citizen and one of these countries are eligible for the reach scholarship, you may be able to apply and receive support for your undergraduate study. Unfortunately, the Oxford Reach scholarship excludes students who wish to study Medicine.

That said, there is no need to be disheartened because the return on investment from your degree will be unparalleled. The networking opportunities within your student body and the professional ties linked to it will pay dividends in the long term. Most graduates from top universities have higher starting salaries and a comprehensive Alumni network that will support you for the rest of your life. Best of all as an Australian, the degree, learnings, and skill sets that you get from the UK are easily transferable to the Australian professional world.

If you’re curious about average starting salaries and ROI from studying at a top university, check out the “Why Aim For Top Universities” E-book.

Australian students have a great chance and opportunity to study at top UK universities. In fact, Crimson’s Australian students are up to 4x more likely to gain admission to Oxford/Cambridge than the general applicant! If you’re looking to take the next step, visit our Webinars and Workshops page to register for our upcoming webinars or request a free and private consultation with our Academic Advisors where they can help you understand the full UK application process.

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Want to learn more about using your ATAR to study overseas?

Check out our upcoming webinars and workshops to learn from US & UK admissions experts and recent admits.