The Best Australian Universities To Apply In

The education system of Australia is at par excellence with those of UK and US. We discussed some of the best Australian universities in the last post. Here is a continuation. The courses and programs offered in Australian universities are accredited by professional bodies, certifying development and upholding of standards, finest practice principles, and resources.


University of Western Australia

The University of Western Australia (UWA) (established 1911) is recognized globally as a top university. The UWA constantly ranks in the top 120 global universities and in the top 20 universities in the Asia Pacific region. It is divided into 10 faculties: Architecture, Arts, Business School; Computing, Education; Engineering, Landscape, and Visual Arts; Humanities, and Social Sciences; Mathematics; Natural and Agricultural Sciences; Law; Life and Physical Sciences; Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences; and School of Indigenous Studies. There are more than 20,000 students with over 4,000 international students.

University of Adelaide
Located in Adelaide this was established in 1874 and is the third oldest university in Australia and has been divided into five faculties: Computer, Engineering, Mathematical Sciences; Health Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; Faculty of Professions; and Faculty of Sciences with each faculty having subsidiary schools. With four campuses present, this university is spread across the state: Roseworthy College, North Terrace, the Waite Institute, and Wine Centre. Existing student base is 22,000 with more than 6,000 international students.

Monash University

The Monash University was established in  1958 under an act of parliament and is situated in Melbourne. It has a student base of around 60,000 students, from almost 170 countries. It is regarded as the largest university in terms of student body and has 10 faculties: Arts; Art and Design; Business and Economic; Engineering; Education; Information Technology; Law; Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences; and Science.  8 campuses, including 2 international campuses make up the university. It has constantly been ranked among the top 50 global universities.

Macquarie University

The Macquarie University, situated in Sydney, was established in 1964 and is a public teaching and research university. There are four faculties: Arts; Business and Economics; Human Sciences; and Science with around 87 under-graduate and 124 post-graduate courses. The university also boasts of the largest student exchange program in the country. As of 2010, the university had a student body of more than 31,000 students counting more than 10,000 international students and a staff of above 2,100 academics and professionals. It has consistently ranked amongst the top ten Australian universities by different sources.

Queensland University of Technology

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT), established in 1989 is an extremely flourishing Australian university with a functional emphasis in courses and research. The university has been categorised into seven faculties: Creative Industries; Built Environment and Engineering; Business; Education; Health; Law; and Science and Technology. It has a massive student base of more than 40,000 students counting 6,000 international students and over 4,000 staff members. The programs offered at this university are quite high in demand and the graduate employment rate is quite well over the national average for the Australian universities.

So, make a choice of yours and pursue your dream of higher education.

Things You Should Know Before Applying for University Admission in Australia

Australia has a realistic education imparting system with first-class infrastructure and relatively lesser expenses, ranking third after UK and USA as the top choice for students pursuing higher education abroad. Studying here you will not only be gaining quality education but also a multicultural holistic environment where you can mature into a better individual.
If you are applying to Australian universities then you will need to gain some knowledge to make the entire process hassle-free. I will be outlining the applying procedure for you here-

Eligibility
If you want to study in under graduate programs in Australia then you must possess the proper government recognised senior secondary certificate (Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education/ equivalent certificate from your country). If you are applying for post graduation degree then you must have the bachelor’s degree of minimum 3 years. Certain post graduation courses may require you to have a 4 year bachelor degree program or relevant work experience as well. Hence, make sure to know the specific eligibility requirements before you apply. 

Pre admission
The university term in Australia commences from early March so you have to start your university hunting a good 12-15 month before the submission of applications. The best way to gain information is to surf the net and draw up a list of your favourite universities and courses. Be thorough in your research, visit the website of each university and lastly prepare a shortlist of the best available choices. If you have any doubts you can clear it by personally interacting with the university.
Application forms
It is always advisable to submit your applications a good 8-12 months before the closing date. You can download and print out the application to keep a regular hard copy with you.

Application requirements
Submit your secondary and higher secondary report along with the transcripts (mark sheets) of finals. You will need your marks to be converted as per the Australian grading system. Ensure that the transcripts should be in English and bundled with original certified copies. Scorecards of IELTS or GMAT must be provided. In case of students going for MBA or doctoral degrees they will need to produce work experience certificates and CV. A personal essay detailing your career aims, interests, extra-curricular activities, the reason for your choice to study the specific course and how you will manage your finances during the stay should be submitted. Letter of recommendation also needs to provided. 

Admission tests
While you are applying to the universities it is advisable to register yourself for all the stipulated admission tests. First, the IELTS exam is the lone English proficiency exam accepted by Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Certain universities may waiver the IELTS exam for you if a letter from your former institution proclaims that you have studied in English medium and have satisfactory proficiency in the language. Students who desire to pursue MBA program need to take the Graduate Management Exam which isn’t mandatory but still needed in majority of the colleges.

The transition from k 12 schooling to college education

Students today are arriving in colleges with higher combined ACT/SAT scores and, obviously, increasingly higher hopes for an appealing, world-class education in universities. As students shift from a high school to a college/university background, the teacher’s role in their learning experience alters too. In certain cases, students find themselves attending classes with a higher number of students than they were accustomed to their high school class. What many of us tend to overlook is that most of these students arrive in colleges with little preparation for this change.

Studies demonstrate that between 28% and 40% of first-time undergrads register for at least one corrective course. Amongst community colleges in USA students only quite a few studies have established that more than half require remediation to be complete their college-level work. The conclusion which can be drawn here is that students are finding it difficult to cope with their college education. The vast difference in the mode of instruction is responsible to some extent.

When you compare high school teachers and university/college lecturers you will find several differences. High school teachers are usually experts in pedagogy whereas college instructors are focused solely on their subject fields. Faculty members in universities in USA have countless hours of research to boast of along with strong mentoring of their advisors. However, I would like to point out here that they lack a rock-solid teaching background when compared to high school teachers. Throughout their K 12 schooling, the students are taught by certified teachers who have training in educational practices, education theories, execution of practical academic policies. So, it is a huge dramatic change when they enter colleges and resultantly some of them are overwhelmed.

With such immensely diverse and likewise significant expertise in the educational spectrum I find it very unfortunate that there is very little collaboration between high school teachers and college professors. Strong alliance would augment teaching for both parties, would boost the perception levels of what modes of schooling and learning are occurring in each situation, and would aid students in their shift from high school to college.

The escalating reputation of MOOCs, open-education resources, and liberally accessible course content on platforms like iTunes U fetches an implausible opening for high school teachers and college lecturers to work together and improve each other's teaching. K 12 teachers and college faculties can collaborate with each other, with college lecturers sharing their insights on the changes in their respective fields, their in-depth knowledge whereas the k 12 teachers can give insights on teaching modes, instructional design, and how to develop consequential evaluation aimed on student learning evidence. If we are able to bring about a large-scale collaboration across the country’s education institutions then it will enhance the learning experience for all students.

I believe that joint values and expectations, lucid and accessible information can aid in bridging the gap between the high school and university education. In order to do that we must take the initiative to ensure that this reaches to the maximum number of students in the country!

Is Three Year College A Feasible Idea?

Receiving a college degree has long been regarded as the sure-shot way to realize the American dream. However, that dream is diminishing as working class families fall deeper into shock while trying to pay the ever-increasing tuition. I have come across several education articles and blogs which talk about the need to introduce 3 year college in USA. I must say that the notion is quite attractive and a possible solution to the problem of ballooning student debt. We all know how much expensive it can be when paying tuition fees, boarding expenses, textbooks, etc for straight eight semesters. By the time you are have a college education you are in debts. Now certain schools are planning to introduce and some colleges have started three year bachelor degree courses.

Some may say that schools can compress their four year degree programs into three years. However, that is not a good idea as most of the college students these days require six years to complete a bachelor degree. So, we need a better approach- like revamping the curriculum; reducing the number of electives, shifting to shorter semesters, etc. This is exactly what a few colleges are doing.
The Grace College and Seminary, Baldwin-Wallace College, St. John’s University and Lesley University introduced three-year programs.
At Grace College both the calendar and the curriculum have been revamped to accommodate three-year graduation programs. The students are required to take more, small courses during the semesters of spring and fall. Any credits in the summer are free.

As per the school accounting a student will save up to 50% on college this way. On average, savings will amount to $8,893 for in-state four year public schools students and $30,094 reduction for the ones enrolled in private institutes. Also, students who require financial aid will be spared of a whole year of study loans. In this way the students can enter graduate school sooner instead of entering job market.

Slashing tuition by a quarter means the amount of money students borrow gets reduced. Almost 70% of the people with bachelor degree have student loans with average debt of $29,400.

Those who are skeptical about this should look closer. Several nations follow this system; three-year degree is deemed well enough for institutions like Cambridge and Oxford. Reducing the term to three year not only cuts down the costs but it also can dramatically raise the current low completion rate in colleges in USA. It will not affect the quality of education in any way as some may fear. Our economy has increasing demand of college grads and we need to ensure that we do everything to meet this demand.

This approach will put more pressure on the colleges in USA to control their ballooning tuition fees. It is high time we give our students some break and allow then to pursue their dreams of higher education.

Why a College Education is Important

The world today is fast paced with technological advances and the job market has become very competitive. It is not surprising that employers want college educated candidates. A college education may be the finest investments of time and money for your career. While workers with a high school education may well secure jobs with good remuneration, it is the college grads that usually fare better by landing higher-level jobs with larger salaries. Also college grads are expected to obtain promotions, receive raises and develop interpretation and communication skillfulness that can be related to their jobs.

Better avenues and Higher Salaries
As technology advances, higher-paying jobs that were previously accessible to high school grads now entail some form of higher education. If you have college degree then several avenues are opened up to you than having a high school diploma does. Those who don’t have educational degrees are more liable to be restricted to basic jobs in service, construction and manufacturing sectors.

While the manufacturing sector used to be at the center of our employment market, the trend today is changing to jobs in further sectors which want more definite proficiency. As a result employers are more likely to select candidates with better training and education from the vast number of available candidates. The U.S. Census Bureau released a 2011 report of American Community Survey (ACS) which stated that people with a bachelor's degree were expected to earn a 40-year lifetime salary of around $2.4 million on an average, while high school grads could only expect a lifetime salary of about $1.4 million (www.census.gov). On average, those who had master's degrees received $2.8 million and those with professional degrees could anticipate life span earnings in surplus of $4 million.

Salaries by Major
The opening salaries of college grads normally surpass those of people who only possess a high school education, even though the subject a student majors in also controls his/her salary prospective. On an average basis a person with college education makes almost twice as much money as a graduate of high school. As per 2011 American Community Survey, people with an engineering bachelor's degree who found work in management could look forward to a lifetime salary of $4.1 million, which was approximately $3 million higher than the regular for those who majored in education and were in public services sector.

Better Life Skills
When attending their classes, college students regularly develop the reasoning dexterity required to make important life decisions, like purchasing a home to helping their kids choose their own college. In reality, college grads are highly likely to have kids who also go to college/university for higher education Other benefits of educational degrees may comprise of better self-discipline, study routine and supportive behaviors which make them successful in their career projects and responsibilities.

It has been evident in the past few years that job market has more opportunities for you if you have college education. You don’t need to look beyond the above facts to conclude that pursuing higher education in colleges in USA is the way to a better life.

The transition from k 12 schooling to college education

Students today are arriving in colleges with higher combined ACT/SAT scores and, obviously, increasingly higher hopes for an appealing, world-class education in universities. As students shift from a high school to a college/university background, the teacher’s role in their learning experience alters too. In certain cases, students find themselves attending classes with a higher number of students than they were accustomed to their high school class. What many of us tend to overlook is that most of these 

students arrive in colleges with little preparation for this change.

Studies demonstrate that between 28% and 40% of first-time undergrads register for at least one corrective course. Amongst community colleges in USA students only quite a few studies have established that more than half require remediation to be complete their college-level work. The conclusion which can be drawn here is that students are finding it difficult to cope with their college education. 

The vast difference in the mode of instruction is responsible to some extent.

When you compare high school teachers and university/college lecturers you will find several differences. High school teachers are usually experts in pedagogy whereas college instructors are focused solely on their subject fields. Faculty members in universities in 

USA have countless hours of research to boast of along with strong mentoring of their advisors. However, I would like to point out here that they lack a rock-solid teaching background when compared to high school teachers. Throughout their K 12 schooling, the students are taught by certified teachers who have training in educational practices, education theories, execution of practical academic policies. So, it is a huge dramatic change when they enter colleges and resultantly some of them are overwhelmed.  

With such immensely diverse and likewise significant expertise in the educational spectrum I find it very unfortunate that there is very little collaboration between high school teachers and college professors. Strong alliance would augment teaching for both parties, would boost the perception levels of what modes of schooling and learning are occurring in each situation, and would aid students in their shift from high school to college. 

The escalating reputation of MOOCs, open-education resources, and liberally accessible course content on platforms like iTunes U fetches an implausible opening for high school teachers and college lecturers to work together and improve each other's teaching. K 12 teachers and college faculties can collaborate with each other, with college lecturers sharing their insights on the changes in their respective fields, their in-depth knowledge whereas the k 12 teachers can give insights on teaching modes, instructional design, and how to develop consequential evaluation aimed on student learning evidence. 

If we are able to bring about a large-scale collaboration across the country’s education institutions then it will enhance the learning experience for all students. 

I believe that joint values and expectations, lucid and accessible information can aid in bridging the gap between the high school and university education. In order to do that we must take the initiative to ensure that this reaches to the maximum number of students in the country! 

Options If You Do Not Make It to the College of Your Choice

Sometimes you may not get admission in the university or college of your choice. It doesn’t mean that you lose all hope and become disillusioned. There are a few things that can aid you in your efforts to get college education. I am going to discuss a few things here which may help you out.

There was a time when our counselors and parents would tell us to keep a “safety school” in mind. Nowadays it hardly means anything. In the past, several state schools were ignored in spite of their excellence but the economic slump is making in-state tuitions especially attractive.  States with strong university systems like New York, Texas, California, and Florida are on the forefront—cost is motivating students to gravitate towards public universities. So, if you have opted for colleges and universities outside your state you can look for in-state colleges as your answer.

Now, another thing to note is that if a university is unable to offer you a seat then it will put your mane on the waiting list. There are chances that you may get accepted later on. NACAC statistics show that the percentage of students admitted off the wait list differs every year. 35%of those who stayed on the list were provided spots in 2005, 29% in 2006, and 30% in 2007. With this year's numbers not until now complete, many schools, including Harvard have informed accepting more wait-list admissions. FSU, for example, offered admittance to 418, out of which 269 accepted. Last year, FSU did not take any wait-list admissions. So, you can call the school directly to find out the wait-list range, and your rank (if possible), and the number of students accepted that way during the previous years.

I have noticed several students and parents treating wait-list letters as soft rebuffs and hastily settle on on another school. I would advise on opting to wait it out, which may bolster your chances of acceptance. However, be cautious and don't go overboard. 

Also, remember that an approval in hand is worth more than several wait-list spots. Focus on the school that's keen to take you instead of obsessing over a wait-list result. Most of the two-year or community colleges in USA normally provide open enrollment; as long as you meet their customary criteria, you can register. After one or more semesters, you may apply for a transfer to a four-year college to complete your bachelor's degree. If you are cost-conscious then it is good for you. Tuition averages to $2,361, as compared to $6,185 for four-year public colleges and universities. Also, several community colleges have transfer agreements with many four-year colleges, arrangements that surfaced to ensure that transfer credits would be accepted.

Keep in mind that the college scenario is quite different from the k-12 schooling and you will have to work very hard. If you are serious about your college dreams then be prepared to be challenged and progress academically.