College admissions
Encyclopedia
University admission or college admissions is the process through which students enter tertiary education
at universities
and college
s. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.
In many countries, prospective university students apply for admission during their last year of high school
or community college
. In some countries, there are independent organizations or government agencies to centralize the administration of standardized admission exams and the processing of applications
.
uses a Federal system of government, responsibility for education, and admission to Technical and Further Education colleges and undergraduate degrees at universities for domestic students, are in the domain of state and territory
government (see Education in Australia
). All states except Tasmania have centralized processing units for admission to undergraduate degrees for citizens of Australia and New Zealand
, and for Australian permanent residents
; however applications for international
and postgraduate
students are usually accepted by individual universities. The Australian government operates the Higher Education Contribution Scheme for undergraduate students, so admission is rarely limited by prospective students' ability to pay up-front. All states use a system that awards the recipient with an Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
, or ENTER, and the award of an International Baccalaureate meets the minimum requirements for admission in every state. The Special Tertiary Admissions Test
is the standard test resulting in an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
with the maximum being 99.95.
tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and must meet course requirements.
tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded an Overall Position
, based on their performance in class subjects and their school's average result in the Queensland Core Skills Test
, as well as meeting course requirements.
n tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded the South Australian Certificate of Education
, and must meet course requirements. Their year 12 results are compared with students from the same year to determine their Tertiary Entrance Rank (T.E.R.).
n school leavers applying for entrance at the University of Tasmania
need to apply directly to the university. Tasmanian school students receive a Tertiary Entrance Rank
on successful completion of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education
. Students from interstate wishing to study at UTas may apply through either the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre
, or directly through the University.
n tertiary institutions. Applications consist of standardized test results and meeting institutional requirements. The standard certification for school-leavers is the Victorian Certificate of Education
.
n tertiary institutions. The standardized test for school-leavers is the Tertiary Entrance Examination.
, Switzerland
, and Belgium
probably have the most liberal system of university admission anywhere in the world, since anyone who has passed the Matura
may enroll in any subject field (or even several at no additional cost) at a public university. In Belgium
as well, the only prerequisite for enrolling in university studies is to have obtained a high-school diploma. In both Switzerland and Belgium, medical studies are an exception, which have a numerus clausus system due to overcrowding. This liberal admission practice led to overcrowding and high dropout
rates in the more popular fields of study like psychology and journalism, as well as high failure rates on examinations which are unofficially used to filter out the less-capable students. Following a ruling by the European Court of Justice
issued on July 7, 2005, which forces Austria to accept nationals of other EU Member States under the same conditions as students who took their Matura in Austria, a law was passed on June 8 allowing universities to impose measures to select students in those fields which are subject to numerus clausus in Germany. Starting in 2006, the three medical universities (in Vienna
, Innsbruck and Graz) did introduce entrance exams. There are no intentions to introduce a numerus clausus in any subject field.
", which lasts about 1 week and takes place once a year. Some universities may run Vestibular twice a year, for two yearly intakes instead of only one. This option is popular with private universities, while public universities usually run Vestibular only once every year (in November, December or January). Universities offer a limited number of places, and the best ranked candidates according to their overall Vestibular grade are selected for admission. Although the Vestibular format changes from university to university, it typically consists of a week-long examination on compulsory high school subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Portuguese language and literature, and a foreign language (usually English). Private universities usually "condense" this week-long examinations into a couple of days, but some public universities still require a week-long marathon.
Since public universities are completely tuition-free, competition at the Vestibular is usually fierce for a place in a public university. Due to high number of applicants, the Vestibular at some public universities may include a preliminary elimination phase (known as "Primeira Fase"), typically consisting of multiple-choice questions and held between one and two months before the subject exams. A minimum cutoff score is normally required at the elimination phase to advance to the second part of the Vestibular.
(Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio) and the creation of a unified, national university application system known as SISU (Sistema de Seleção Unificada). Candidates in any Brazilian state can now apply for admission into courses available in the SISU system, even if the course of interest is offered by an out-of-state university. Places in any given course within the system are then filled based on the ranking of the applicants in descending order according to their overall grade in the ENEM. The application process is divided into three stages and candidates who fail to get a place in their course/university of interest in a given stage may re-apply either to the same or to a different course/university in subsequent stages.
In theory, any Brazilian university, either public or private, is free to join the SISU system and select their incoming freshman class based on ENEM marks. As of today, most public universities have joined SISU, but a few of them, most notably some of the most prestigious federal universities (e.g. UNIFESP
, UFRJ, UFMG, UFRGS
) have retained their own independent Vestibular exams, on top of the national ENEM, either for admission into all or part of their undergraduate courses.
Sometimes the ENEM replaces the old elimination Part I ("primeira fase") of the Vestibular. Alternatively, ENEM results may be used as part of the final overall grade in the Vestibular. More rarely, a few public universities have decided not to use ENEM grades at all and continue to base their admission criteria on the Vestibular only. Notable examples in the latter group include the highly prestigious federal military schools like ITA and IME
and, as of 2010, the prestigious state research universities in the state of São Paulo (USP
and UNICAMP). Resistance to the ENEM among some top public universities comes mostly from the perception that the national federal exam is less selective/rigorous than the older independent Vestibular.
, students applying from high school generally hear word back from a college or university between late March and late May, though offers of admission may be extended to high achievers (through GPA or other submissions) as early as November–January. Internationals/US applicants are likely to receive an offer or rejection by early April, depending on the original submission of documents. In some cases, an institution may offer admission in a high schoolers Grade 11 year, if monetary fees are sent in early.
For example, grade 11 and 12 students at Columbia International College
can apply for dual admission at Canadian universities such as York University
, University of Alberta
, Brock University
and Cape Breton University
.
, such as the Ontario Secondary School Diploma
(OSSD). Completion of pre-secondary education in Canada almost always means the student has:
In order to graduate, some provinces also require students to complete 40 hours of community service/volunteer work.
In Canada, the difference between college and university is significantly different than typical interpretation in the United States
or even United Kingdom
. A Canadian college is more similar to an American community college
. In contrast, a Canadian university is comparable to an American university, and virtually all Canadian universities
have endowments over $20 million, most frequently above $100 million. It should be noted that almost all Canadian post-secondary institutions are publicly funded, as in, government subsidized. The few private institutions
that are not government-supported are not widely known at all, have generally only been established since the 1980s, and are mostly located in British Columbia
.
In the Canadian education system
, which varies from province
to province, colleges are geared for individuals seeking applied careers, such as a chef
or graphic designer
. Universities are geared for individuals seeking more academic careers, and a university degree is required for entrance to virtually any Canadian professional school
, to become a lawyer
, doctor
etc. There are other systems in place for students to enter traditional trades
(called "skilled" trades in Canada), and some provinces have unique preparatory systems or schools, such as Quebec's
CEGEP Program
.
high school to a university in Alberta
or Quebec
is likely to require marginally elevated grades, as opposed to applying to any school in Ontario
itself, where universities and colleges have far lower requirements for their own province's high school graduates.
College requirements vary more significantly, though none have entrance requirements above 85% from a Canadian high school. In general though, more well-respected colleges (such as George Brown College
, and Mohawk College
) accept a very high proportion of students with averages above 70%, although they may place no limiting minimum for acceptance, and consequently take students with averages below 60%. Incidentally, even the newest, least-reputable Canadian universities have larger endowments than any Canadian college, with no Canadian college having an endowment above $10 million. See List of Canadian universities by endowment.
Students with an IB Diploma
can generally enter either college or university more easily than other Canadian high schoolers, due to the material covered in the program. Like students with AP credits
, they may also clip courses in university with faculty consent.
In the case of more select university programs, and for almost all international
students, an essay
, statement of intent or personal statement of experience must be submitted directly to the faculty being applied for. Additionally, letters of reference
, examples of extracurricular involvement, additional community service endeavours, athletic participation, awards and scholarships won and more may all be required items for acceptance to some of Canada's top programs.
count for the bulk of university and college admissions, there are an array of highly competitive programs in Canada, on par with some in the United States (which has a much larger applicant pool to draw from). In addition, a large portion (upwards of 30%) of university graduates in Canada continue on to pursue further education beyond an undergraduate degree
, simply because employability standards are high in the country, often demanding multiple degrees for well-paying jobs.
Achieving entrance to any of two dozen colleges and universities in Canada poses little to no difficulty for any student who has graduated high school (or earned an equivalent diploma outside North America
), but entrance to a similar number of university and college programs is extremely difficult. On average, achieving the necessary grades for admission to a worthwhile Canadian university or college is difficult. The real difficulty comes into play in staying in either college or university, since attainment of high school grades may prove much easier than maintaining the necessary GPA for graduation from a Canadian institution.
is based on the Prueba de Selección Universitaria
scores of the applicant. Chilean Traditional Universities
tend to put a strong emphasis on Prueba de Selección Universitaria
while the majority of the private universities use their owns test or handle Prueba de Selección Universitaria scores in a different way than the Chilean Traditional Universities. Architecture, theatre and psychology schools do also often give high value to special tests.
, the National College Entrance Examination (高考, gaokao) is given each summer and required for each student. The exam covers common school topics such as math, language, history, science, etc. Better institutions require higher scores for admittance. The required score also varies by province: students in more competitive provinces, like Jiangsu
, need higher scores than students from less competitive areas such as Tibet
. Conversely, wealthier cities have more universities per capita and hence lower university entrance standards than some poorer provinces. In 2006 for example, the minimum score to enter a key university for applicants from Beijing
is 516 but the minimum score for applicants from Henan
is 591.
, see Numerus clausus in Finland
Some fields of study explicitly encourage applicants to judge their chances realistically. For example, a student may apply to only one medical school per year. Therefore, choosing to apply to the more competitive medical schools is risky, if the student is not sure about their strength.
For universities of technology, there is a similar, but less strict mechanism. The students gain extra priority points, which may increase their points for the first choice by up to 12.5 %. If a student was admitted to several programs, they can't accept any other than the one with the highest priority.
prospective students who have passed the Abitur
may decide freely what subjects to enroll in. Recently, however, in some of the most popular and most desired subject fields students have to pass a certain numerus clausus
— that is, they cannot enroll unless they have scored a minimum grade point average on their Abitur.
One should distinguish two types of higher education institutions in Germany, the universities (including Technische Hochschule
n) and the Fachhochschule
n (polytechnics). A prospective students who has passed the Abitur is qualified for admission to every German university, with the exception of very few new degree programs, where additional entrance examinations were recently introduced. A Fachhochschule, in contrast, often requires from the student the completing of an internship to qualify for admission.
There is also a second German school leaving exam, which qualifies the prospective students for admission to higher education in Germany, the Fachhochschulreife, often called Fachabitur in colloquial usage. An internship is already part of the Fachhochschulreife itself, therefore a Fachhochschule requires no additional internship from the student. However, most universities do not accept this qualification for admission. An exception are universities in the German state of Hesse
, who accept this qualification since 2004 for admission to Bachelor's degree
courses, but not to the traditional German Diplom
degree courses. But with Fachhochschulreife (university of applied sciences entrance qualification) you can visit any Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) in Germany. You can see the difference between a University / Technische Hochschule and a Fachoberschule very quickly: A Fachhochschule has often the words "University of Applied Science" next to its name.
there are panhellenic examinations (πανελλήνιες, panelinies) after a student completes likio.
admit students under the Joint University Programmes Admissions System
(JUPAS). The major criterion of selection is HKALE result. and to a less extent HKCEE result and interview performance.
or even passing an entry test is needed. Foreign students must apply half a year prior to the first semester but the time limit for Nordic citizens is not as strict.
n universities participate in one or another centralized admission procedure. In summer 2011, an Indian institution was expecting 100% score for gaining admission, highlighting the crisis of confidence in quality of higher education in general and also limitations of admissions process. National tests and interviews are organized by an independent body composed of members of the participating organizations. Little weight is given to applicants’ past academic record and more to their exam results. Applicants are ranked by exam grades, and submit their preference of universities/programs based on their rank and choice. Some such common entrance tests are:
States have their own admissions exams and policies. For example, the state of Maharashtra uses the HSC test as a prerequisite for entering Degree level college and uses the SSC test as a prerequisite for entering Junior Level college as well as Diploma Level College.Apart from that 15% reserved for NRI / Foreign students
, students in their final year of secondary education apply to the Central Applications Office
, listing several courses at any of the third level institutions in order of preference. Students then receive points based on their Leaving Certificate
, and places on courses are offered to those who applied, who received the highest points.
there is a National Center for Examinations and Evaluation.
In Palestine, students are required to undergo the Tawjihi examinations, which then allow the universities (In the West Bank) to consider each pupil.
entrance is done after performing well in examinations which are a local version equivalent to the General Certificate of Education
, prospective students have to choose, two years before graduation, for a graduation type (e.g. natural science graduation type). Subjects at Dutch universities freely accept all students who have chosen the correct graduation type (e.g. to enroll in physics, the graduation type 'natural sciences' is required). All other students have to pass an exam to be enrolled (this is the exception). Popular subjects, such as medicine
or dental medicine have a numerus fixus, meaning that a limited number of students may enroll for this subject at a particular university. To decide who is allowed, a lottery is held in which ones grades influence chances of being chosen (an indirect and incomplete numerus clausus
).
, undergraduate admissions into universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education and agriculture is administered by a centralized federal government agency known as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
, JAMB. The body conducts Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for prospective university, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education and agriculture students seeking entrance into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
candidates are admitted to entry-level programs through the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service
, that ranks qualified students based on a point scheme, that is based on grades and the degree of specialization and choice of study at upper secondary school, as well as age. At Master level admission is based on the grade average at the Bachelor level.
for undergraduate admissions the national universities have common entrance tests which are SAT
based and are held according to provincial zones, the private universities hold their own entrance test which are also SAT
based.
For postgraduate admissions some of the universities hold tests which are followed by interviews and others take interviews only.
For Medical studies there is huge competition as there are a few medical colleges. They require test as well as interview.
admission to higher education level studies requires the secondary school credential, Diploma de Ensino Secundário, which is achieved after completing the first twelve study years. Students must have studied the subjects for which they are entering to be prepared for the entrance exams, but they are not required to have previously specialised in any specific area at the secondary school. Students sit for one or more entrance exams, Concurso nacional for public institutions or Concurso local for private institutions. In addition to passing entrance exams, students must fulfil particular prerequisites for the chosen course. Enrollment is limited; each year the institution establishes the number of places available. For the public institutions the exam scores count for the final evaluation, which includes the secondary school average marks. Then the students have to choose six institutions/courses they prefer to attend, in preferential order. The ones, who reach the marks needed to attend the desired institution/course, given the attributed vacant, will be admitted. Some public university
courses demands generally higher admission marks than most similar courses at some polytechnical
institutes or private institutions. (see also Education in Portugal
)
, was supposed to replace entrance exams to state universities. Thus, the reformers reasoned, the USE will empower talented graduates from remote locations to compete for admissions at the universities of their choice, at the same time eliminating admission-related bribery, then estimated at 1 billion US dollars annually. In 2003, 858 university and college workers were indicted for bribery, admission "fee" in MGIMO allegedly reached 30,000 US dollars.
University heads, notably Moscow State University
rector Viktor Sadovnichiy
, resisted the novelty, arguing that their schools cannot survive without charging the applicants with their own entrance hurdles. Nevertheless, the legislators enacted USE in February 2007. In 2008 it was mandatory for the students and optional for the universities; it is fully mandatory since 2009. A few higher education establishments are still allowed to introduce their own entrance tests in addition to USE scoring; such tests must be publicized in advance.(see also Education in Russia
)
requires completion of secondary education, along with the proper specific qualifications (e.g. science in high school to study science in college). Prospective students are admitted based on their grade point average or SAT, although majors such as theatre and architecture may require some extra work.
, the Student Selection and Placement Center ÖSYM
is the responsible body for organizing ÖSS
, the national level university admission examination.
there are separate admission processes for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. There is also The Open University which has an open door policy.
. In general, students are not admitted to universities and colleges as a whole, but to particular courses of study.
During the first few months (September to December) of the final year of school or sixth form college (age 17/18) or after having left school, applicants register on the UCAS website and select five courses at higher education institutes (fewer choices are permitted for the more competitive subjects such as medicine and veterinary medicine). If the applicant is still at school, his or her teachers will give him or her predicted grades for their A-level, Highers or IB subjects, which are then used for the application. If the applicant has already left school, he or she applies with results already obtained. The applicant must provide a personal statement describing in their own words why they want to study that particular subject and why they would be a committed student, and their school must provide an academic reference. Some universities (e.g. Oxford
, Cambridge
, Imperial College, King's College London
or University College London
) and some disciplines (e.g. medicine) routinely require shortlisted candidates to attend an interview and/or complete special admissions tests before deciding whether to make an offer. In the absence of tests and interviews, the personal statement and reference can be decisive, as many students are likely to apply to competitive courses with similar predicted and actual grades.
In general, applications must be received mid-January for courses that start the following Autumn. However the deadline is three months earlier, in mid-October, where the application includes a medical, dentistry or veterinary course, or any course at Oxbridge
.
For each course applied for, the applicant receives a response from the institution: rejection, conditional offer or unconditional offer. If a conditional offer is received, the student can only take up the place on the course if they later fulfil the stated conditions: normally the achievement of specific grades in their forthcoming exams. If no offers are received following the initial application, or the applicant does not wish to take up any of their offers, UCAS+ can be used. Applicants can then apply to one course at a time in order to try to find a suitable offer.
Following the receipt of offers, whether after the initial application, or through UCAS+, the applicant chooses two courses for which offers have been made: a first choice and a second choice. If the conditions of the first choice offer are later met, the applicant may attend this course. If the applicant does not fulfil the conditions of their first choice, but does fulfil the conditions of their second "insurance" choice, they can attend their second choice course. If they fail to meet the conditions of both offers, they may choose to go through "clearing". This involves ringing up or sending their application to different universities in the hope of finding a place on another course. Many students do successfully find places through this route.
, and universities can reject applications for this reason.
The personal statements generally describe why the applicant wants to study the subject they have applied for, what makes them suitable to study that subject, what makes them suitable to study at degree level generally, any relevant work experience they have gained, their extracurricular activities and any other relevant factors. This is the only way admissions tutors can normally get an impression of what a candidate is really like and assess the applicant's commitment to the subject.
In addition to the information provided on the UCAS form, some universities ask candidates to attend an interview. Oxford and Cambridge almost always interview applicants, unless, based on the UCAS form and/or admissions tests, they do not believe the applicant has any chance of admission. Other universities may choose to interview, though only in some subjects and on a much smaller scale, having already filtered out the majority of candidates. The interview gives the admissions tutors another chance to assess the candidate's suitability for the course.
Universities are increasingly being put under pressure from central Government to admit people from a wider range of social backgrounds. Social background can only be assessed by the type of school attended, as no information about income or background is otherwise required on the UCAS form.
Another important determinant of whether an offer is to be made is the amount of competition for admission to that course. The more competitive the course, the less likely an offer will be made and, therefore, the stronger the application must be. Applicants for medicine are often expected to have undertaken extensive work experience in a relevant field in order to show their commitment to the course. For the most competitive courses, less than 10% of applications may result in admission, whereas at the less competitive universities, practically all applicants may receive an offer of admission.
Ultimately, however, no matter how many extra-curricular activities and work experience have been undertaken, if the admissions tutor does not believe, based on the submitted exam results, the candidate is academically capable of completing the course, he or she will not be admitted.
A well qualified candidate applying under UCAS for five competitive courses to each of which only 10% of well qualified candidates could be accepted would have only a 40% chance of receiving at least one offer of acceptance.
Alternatively, if five less competitive courses each having a 33% acceptance rate are chosen, the chance of receiving at least one offer is more than 85%.
This implies that a strategy for improving the chance of receiving at least one offer, to perhaps 70%, is indicated even to well qualified candidates.
students apply to four-year liberal arts college
s and universities, which include both undergraduate or graduate students. Others attend community colleges, who admit all students with high school diplomas, in preparation for transfer to a four year university. Non-traditional students
are usually students over the age of 22 who pursue studies in higher education
. Students may apply to many institutions using the Common Application
. There is no limit to the number of colleges or universities to which a student may apply, though an application must be submitted for each. Fees are generally charged for each admissions application, but can be waived based on financial need.
Students apply to one or more colleges or universities by submitting an application which each college evaluates using its own criteria. The college then decides whether to extend an offer of admission (and possibly financial aid) to the student. The majority of colleges admit students to the college as a whole, and not to a particular academic major
, although this may not be the case in some specialized programs such as engineering
and architecture
. The system is decentralized: each college has its own criteria for admission, even when using a common application form (the most widely used is The Common Application). Common criteria includes ACT or SAT
scores, extracurricular activities, Grade Point Average, and a general college admissions essay
.
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
at universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.
In many countries, prospective university students apply for admission during their last year of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
or community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
. In some countries, there are independent organizations or government agencies to centralize the administration of standardized admission exams and the processing of applications
College application
-United States:A college application is part of the competitive college admissions system. Admissions departments usually require students to complete an application for admission that generally consists of academic records, personal essays , letters of recommendation, and a list of extracurricular...
.
Australia
As AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
uses a Federal system of government, responsibility for education, and admission to Technical and Further Education colleges and undergraduate degrees at universities for domestic students, are in the domain of state and territory
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
government (see Education in Australia
Education in Australia
Education in Australia is primarily the responsibility of the states and territories. Each state or territory government provides funding and regulates the public and private schools within its governing area. The federal government helps fund the public universities, but is not involved in setting...
). All states except Tasmania have centralized processing units for admission to undergraduate degrees for citizens of Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and for Australian permanent residents
Permanent residency
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident....
; however applications for international
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
and postgraduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
students are usually accepted by individual universities. The Australian government operates the Higher Education Contribution Scheme for undergraduate students, so admission is rarely limited by prospective students' ability to pay up-front. All states use a system that awards the recipient with an Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
The Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank was the national Australian tertiary entrance rank, administered by Universities Australia...
, or ENTER, and the award of an International Baccalaureate meets the minimum requirements for admission in every state. The Special Tertiary Admissions Test
Special Tertiary Admissions Test
The Special Tertiary Admissions Test is a scholastic aptitude test, used for entry into undergraduate programs at Australian universities for people without a recent Australian Tertiary Admission Rank ....
is the standard test resulting in an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank is the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs in Australia, it was gradually introduced during 2009 and 2010 to replace the Universities Admission Index, Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank and Tertiary Entrance...
with the maximum being 99.95.
Northern Territory
The South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and must meet course requirements.
Queensland
The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded an Overall Position
Overall Position
The Overall Position is a tertiary entrance rank used in the Australian state of Queensland for selection into universities. Like similar systems used throughout the rest of Australia, the OP shows how well a student has performed in their senior secondary studies compared to all other OP-eligible...
, based on their performance in class subjects and their school's average result in the Queensland Core Skills Test
Queensland Core Skills Test
The Queensland Core Skills Test is a statewide test completed by all Queensland year twelve students who wish to be eligible for an Overall Position and is optional for tertiary rank students. These ranks are used to gain entrance into tertiary degrees and courses...
, as well as meeting course requirements.
South Australia
The South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded the South Australian Certificate of Education
South Australian Certificate of Education
The South Australian Certificate of Education is awarded to students who have successfully completed their senior secondary schooling in the state of South Australia....
, and must meet course requirements. Their year 12 results are compared with students from the same year to determine their Tertiary Entrance Rank (T.E.R.).
Tasmania
TasmaniaTasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n school leavers applying for entrance at the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
need to apply directly to the university. Tasmanian school students receive a Tertiary Entrance Rank
Tertiary Entrance Rank
The Tertiary Entrance Rank was a tertiary entrance score used in several Australian states and the Northern Territory as a tool for selection to universities in Australia...
on successful completion of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education
Tasmanian Certificate of Education
The Tasmanian Certificate of Education, or TCE, is the main credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete senior high school level studies in Tasmania, Australia...
. Students from interstate wishing to study at UTas may apply through either the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre
Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre
The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre is the administrative body which processes applications for universities in the state of Victoria...
, or directly through the University.
Victoria
The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n tertiary institutions. Applications consist of standardized test results and meeting institutional requirements. The standard certification for school-leavers is the Victorian Certificate of Education
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
.
Western Australia
The Tertiary Institutions Service Centre accepts applications for Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n tertiary institutions. The standardized test for school-leavers is the Tertiary Entrance Examination.
Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium
AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
probably have the most liberal system of university admission anywhere in the world, since anyone who has passed the Matura
Matura
Matura or a similar term is the common name for the high-school leaving exam or "maturity exam" in various countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia,...
may enroll in any subject field (or even several at no additional cost) at a public university. In Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
as well, the only prerequisite for enrolling in university studies is to have obtained a high-school diploma. In both Switzerland and Belgium, medical studies are an exception, which have a numerus clausus system due to overcrowding. This liberal admission practice led to overcrowding and high dropout
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
rates in the more popular fields of study like psychology and journalism, as well as high failure rates on examinations which are unofficially used to filter out the less-capable students. Following a ruling by the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
issued on July 7, 2005, which forces Austria to accept nationals of other EU Member States under the same conditions as students who took their Matura in Austria, a law was passed on June 8 allowing universities to impose measures to select students in those fields which are subject to numerus clausus in Germany. Starting in 2006, the three medical universities (in Vienna
Medical University of Vienna
The Medical University of Vienna is a medical university in Vienna, Austria.Formerly the faculty of medicine of the University of Vienna, became an independent university on January 1, 2004...
, Innsbruck and Graz) did introduce entrance exams. There are no intentions to introduce a numerus clausus in any subject field.
Brazil
In order to enter university in Brazil, candidates must undergo a public open examination called "VestibularVestibular
The Vestibular is a competitive examination and is the primary and widespread system used by Brazilian universities to select their students. The Vestibular usually takes place from November to January, right before the start of school year in February or March, although certain universities hold...
", which lasts about 1 week and takes place once a year. Some universities may run Vestibular twice a year, for two yearly intakes instead of only one. This option is popular with private universities, while public universities usually run Vestibular only once every year (in November, December or January). Universities offer a limited number of places, and the best ranked candidates according to their overall Vestibular grade are selected for admission. Although the Vestibular format changes from university to university, it typically consists of a week-long examination on compulsory high school subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Portuguese language and literature, and a foreign language (usually English). Private universities usually "condense" this week-long examinations into a couple of days, but some public universities still require a week-long marathon.
Since public universities are completely tuition-free, competition at the Vestibular is usually fierce for a place in a public university. Due to high number of applicants, the Vestibular at some public universities may include a preliminary elimination phase (known as "Primeira Fase"), typically consisting of multiple-choice questions and held between one and two months before the subject exams. A minimum cutoff score is normally required at the elimination phase to advance to the second part of the Vestibular.
National Unified Admissions System
In recent years, university admission criteria have been considerably changed by the introduction by the federal government of a new national secondary school exam known as ENEMEnem
Enem may refer to:*Enem , an urban-type settlement in the Republic of Adygea, Russia*Enem , a high-school exam in Brazil*ENEM, Encontro Nacional de Educação Matemática National Congress of Mathematics Education...
(Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio) and the creation of a unified, national university application system known as SISU (Sistema de Seleção Unificada). Candidates in any Brazilian state can now apply for admission into courses available in the SISU system, even if the course of interest is offered by an out-of-state university. Places in any given course within the system are then filled based on the ranking of the applicants in descending order according to their overall grade in the ENEM. The application process is divided into three stages and candidates who fail to get a place in their course/university of interest in a given stage may re-apply either to the same or to a different course/university in subsequent stages.
In theory, any Brazilian university, either public or private, is free to join the SISU system and select their incoming freshman class based on ENEM marks. As of today, most public universities have joined SISU, but a few of them, most notably some of the most prestigious federal universities (e.g. UNIFESP
Federal University of São Paulo
UNIFESP is a university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is the best federal institution of higher education of Brazil, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Education ....
, UFRJ, UFMG, UFRGS
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul is one of the largest federal universities in Brazil. It is almost completely located in Porto Alegre, with four campi , some isolated buildings The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Portuguese: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS) is...
) have retained their own independent Vestibular exams, on top of the national ENEM, either for admission into all or part of their undergraduate courses.
Sometimes the ENEM replaces the old elimination Part I ("primeira fase") of the Vestibular. Alternatively, ENEM results may be used as part of the final overall grade in the Vestibular. More rarely, a few public universities have decided not to use ENEM grades at all and continue to base their admission criteria on the Vestibular only. Notable examples in the latter group include the highly prestigious federal military schools like ITA and IME
Instituto Militar de Engenharia
The Instituto Militar de Engenharia is an engineering university maintained by the Brazilian Army with Federal support. IME is the oldest and one of the best ranked engineering schools in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Education of that country...
and, as of 2010, the prestigious state research universities in the state of São Paulo (USP
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
and UNICAMP). Resistance to the ENEM among some top public universities comes mostly from the perception that the national federal exam is less selective/rigorous than the older independent Vestibular.
Admission Quotas
Another important recent development in university admissions in Brazil has been the introduction in most federal universities of a quota system where a certain number of places are reserved a priori to applicants of a certain racial/ethnic background who have completed their pre-university studies in a public (i.e. state-funded) school. Candidates who qualify may apply to a course of interest under the quota system either through the national SISU system or directly at their university of choice ( in case that university uses both its independent Vestibular and the national ENEM exam to select applicants). Again as a notable exception, the selective federal military schools and the state universities in São Paulo have so far refused to use any quota system based on race or schooling background. USP and UNICAMP, however, have instituted a race-blind "social inclusion program" that gives a bonus in the final Vestibular mgrade to candidates who come from the public secondary schools, thus boosting their chances of securing a place in certain university courses of interest without necessarily using a pre-determined quota.Undergraduate entry
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, students applying from high school generally hear word back from a college or university between late March and late May, though offers of admission may be extended to high achievers (through GPA or other submissions) as early as November–January. Internationals/US applicants are likely to receive an offer or rejection by early April, depending on the original submission of documents. In some cases, an institution may offer admission in a high schoolers Grade 11 year, if monetary fees are sent in early.
Dual Admission
Many Canadian universities offer dual admission to students upon completion of their graduation requirements.For example, grade 11 and 12 students at Columbia International College
Columbia International College
Columbia International College is the largest private boarding preparatory school in Canada, with an enrollment of more than 1,700 students from over 70 countries in the world. The school is located in Hamilton, Ontario, in the residential neighborhood of Westdale, near McMaster University and...
can apply for dual admission at Canadian universities such as York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, Brock University
Brock University
Brock University is a comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Brock offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrolment of over 17,000 full-time students.The enabling legislation is...
and Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
.
College vs. university
Acceptance to any Canadian university or college requires completion of a high school diplomaHigh school diploma
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...
, such as the Ontario Secondary School Diploma
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma is a diploma granted to high school graduates in the province of Ontario.-Diploma requirements:The Ontario Academic Credit system applies to students from Grades 9 through 12...
(OSSD). Completion of pre-secondary education in Canada almost always means the student has:
- Successfully completed (passed) a provincial or federal Literacy testLiteracy testA literacy test, in the context of United States political history, refers to the government practice of testing the literacy of potential citizens at the federal level, and potential voters at the state level. The federal government first employed literacy tests as part of the immigration process...
, - Successfully completed (passed) a certain number of credits (30 in Ontario) in a Canadian high school curriculum.
In order to graduate, some provinces also require students to complete 40 hours of community service/volunteer work.
In Canada, the difference between college and university is significantly different than typical interpretation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or even United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. A Canadian college is more similar to an American community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
. In contrast, a Canadian university is comparable to an American university, and virtually all Canadian universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
have endowments over $20 million, most frequently above $100 million. It should be noted that almost all Canadian post-secondary institutions are publicly funded, as in, government subsidized. The few private institutions
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
that are not government-supported are not widely known at all, have generally only been established since the 1980s, and are mostly located in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
In the Canadian education system
Education in Canada
Education in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, funded and overseen by federal, provincial, and local governments. Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by...
, which varies from province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
to province, colleges are geared for individuals seeking applied careers, such as a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
or graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
. Universities are geared for individuals seeking more academic careers, and a university degree is required for entrance to virtually any Canadian professional school
Professional school
A professional school is a school type that prepares students for careers in specific fields.Examples of this type of school include:* Architecture school* Business school* Dental school* Education school* Journalism school* Law school* Library school...
, to become a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
etc. There are other systems in place for students to enter traditional trades
Traditional trades
Traditional trades is a loosely defined categorization of building trades who actively practice their craft in respect of historic preservation, heritage conservation, or the conserving and maintenance of the existing built environment...
(called "skilled" trades in Canada), and some provinces have unique preparatory systems or schools, such as Quebec's
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
CEGEP Program
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...
.
- In 2007, national headlines were made when the ObayObayObay is a fictional mind control medication at the centre of a viral marketing campaign begun in February 2008 by Colleges Ontario, the advocacy group for colleges and institutes of applied arts and technology in the province of Ontario, Canada, and developed by the Smith Roberts advertising agency...
Campaign was launched by Colleges Ontario as an effort to bring awareness to "academic snobbery" that exists in Canada, where college is typically considered a low second-choice to university. It is also incredibly rare for students leaving high school to consider both college and university, most standing firm on one choice as being their 'only option'.
Admissions requirements
Admission to colleges and universities in Canada has been a straightforward process since the 1970s. Students generally rank their choice institutions in order of preference and submit their transcript to the institution or provincial application service for evaluation. In the majority of cases, acceptance is based entirely on marks, with potential for elevation depending on what province an applicant may be from. Applicants in-province typically have much less stringent grade requirements than out-of-province applicants. For instance, a student applying from an OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
high school to a university in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
or Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
is likely to require marginally elevated grades, as opposed to applying to any school in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
itself, where universities and colleges have far lower requirements for their own province's high school graduates.
College
College requirements vary more significantly, though none have entrance requirements above 85% from a Canadian high school. In general though, more well-respected colleges (such as George Brown College
George Brown College
George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto, Ontario...
, and Mohawk College
Mohawk College
Mohawk College is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology located in the Golden Horseshoe of Ontario, Canada. Mohawk has three main campuses: the Fennell Campus located in Hamilton, the Brantford Campus located in Brantford and the STARRT Institute located in Stoney Creek, as well as the...
) accept a very high proportion of students with averages above 70%, although they may place no limiting minimum for acceptance, and consequently take students with averages below 60%. Incidentally, even the newest, least-reputable Canadian universities have larger endowments than any Canadian college, with no Canadian college having an endowment above $10 million. See List of Canadian universities by endowment.
Special cases
Students with an IB Diploma
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
can generally enter either college or university more easily than other Canadian high schoolers, due to the material covered in the program. Like students with AP credits
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
, they may also clip courses in university with faculty consent.
In the case of more select university programs, and for almost all international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
students, an essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
, statement of intent or personal statement of experience must be submitted directly to the faculty being applied for. Additionally, letters of reference
Recommendation letter
A letter of recommendation is a letter in which the writer assesses the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the person being recommended in terms of that individual’s ability to perform a particular task or function. Recommendation letters are almost always specifically requested to be...
, examples of extracurricular involvement, additional community service endeavours, athletic participation, awards and scholarships won and more may all be required items for acceptance to some of Canada's top programs.
Comparability of admissions
Although gradesGrade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
count for the bulk of university and college admissions, there are an array of highly competitive programs in Canada, on par with some in the United States (which has a much larger applicant pool to draw from). In addition, a large portion (upwards of 30%) of university graduates in Canada continue on to pursue further education beyond an undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
, simply because employability standards are high in the country, often demanding multiple degrees for well-paying jobs.
Achieving entrance to any of two dozen colleges and universities in Canada poses little to no difficulty for any student who has graduated high school (or earned an equivalent diploma outside North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
), but entrance to a similar number of university and college programs is extremely difficult. On average, achieving the necessary grades for admission to a worthwhile Canadian university or college is difficult. The real difficulty comes into play in staying in either college or university, since attainment of high school grades may prove much easier than maintaining the necessary GPA for graduation from a Canadian institution.
Post-graduate entry
Post-graduate schools in Canada are, as with other parts of the world, restricted to universities (i.e. One cannot get a Masters degree from a Canadian college). Admission to any post-graduate program in Canada is difficult, with many universities having world-renowned programs, and Canadian graduate schools being the sites for many famous inventions and discoveries.See also
- Post-Secondary Application Service of British Columbia (British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
) - Ontario Universities' Application CentreOntario Universities' Application CentreThe Ontario Universities' Application Centre is a non-profit organization that acts as a central bureau for managing the processing of applications to universities in the Canadian province of Ontario...
(OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) - Ontario College Application ServiceOntario College Application ServiceThe Ontario College Application Service is a non-profit corporation created by the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology and Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning in the province of Ontario, Canada....
(OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
). - List of colleges in Canada
- List of universities in Canada
- Association of Universities and Colleges of CanadaAssociation of Universities and Colleges of Canada- See also :* G13 * Association of Commonwealth Universities...
- List of Canadian universities by endowment
Chile
In Chile university admission as a freshmanFreshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
is based on the Prueba de Selección Universitaria
Prueba de Selección Universitaria
The University Selection Test or, as it is more commonly referred to, PSU, is a standardized university admissions examination used in Chile. It replaced in 2003 the Prueba de Aptitud Académica which had been working on since 1966....
scores of the applicant. Chilean Traditional Universities
Chilean Traditional Universities
In Chile, the term universidades tradicionales is used to denote the group of universities founded before the 1980s. This term usually includes derivative universities, which are not really traditional but were derived from traditional ones...
tend to put a strong emphasis on Prueba de Selección Universitaria
Prueba de Selección Universitaria
The University Selection Test or, as it is more commonly referred to, PSU, is a standardized university admissions examination used in Chile. It replaced in 2003 the Prueba de Aptitud Académica which had been working on since 1966....
while the majority of the private universities use their owns test or handle Prueba de Selección Universitaria scores in a different way than the Chilean Traditional Universities. Architecture, theatre and psychology schools do also often give high value to special tests.
Mainland China
In the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the National College Entrance Examination (高考, gaokao) is given each summer and required for each student. The exam covers common school topics such as math, language, history, science, etc. Better institutions require higher scores for admittance. The required score also varies by province: students in more competitive provinces, like Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, need higher scores than students from less competitive areas such as Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Conversely, wealthier cities have more universities per capita and hence lower university entrance standards than some poorer provinces. In 2006 for example, the minimum score to enter a key university for applicants from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
is 516 but the minimum score for applicants from Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
is 591.
Finland
For FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, see Numerus clausus in Finland
Some fields of study explicitly encourage applicants to judge their chances realistically. For example, a student may apply to only one medical school per year. Therefore, choosing to apply to the more competitive medical schools is risky, if the student is not sure about their strength.
For universities of technology, there is a similar, but less strict mechanism. The students gain extra priority points, which may increase their points for the first choice by up to 12.5 %. If a student was admitted to several programs, they can't accept any other than the one with the highest priority.
Germany
In GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prospective students who have passed the Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
may decide freely what subjects to enroll in. Recently, however, in some of the most popular and most desired subject fields students have to pass a certain numerus clausus
Numerus clausus
Numerus clausus is one of many methods used to limit the number of students who may study at a university. In many cases, the goal of the numerus clausus is simply to limit the number of students to the maximum feasible in some particularly sought-after areas of studies.However, in some cases,...
— that is, they cannot enroll unless they have scored a minimum grade point average on their Abitur.
One should distinguish two types of higher education institutions in Germany, the universities (including Technische Hochschule
Technische Hochschule
Technische Hochschule is what an Institute of Technology used to be called in German-speaking countries, as well as in the Netherlands, before most of them changed their name to Technische Universität or Technische Universiteit in the 1970s and in the...
n) and the Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
n (polytechnics). A prospective students who has passed the Abitur is qualified for admission to every German university, with the exception of very few new degree programs, where additional entrance examinations were recently introduced. A Fachhochschule, in contrast, often requires from the student the completing of an internship to qualify for admission.
There is also a second German school leaving exam, which qualifies the prospective students for admission to higher education in Germany, the Fachhochschulreife, often called Fachabitur in colloquial usage. An internship is already part of the Fachhochschulreife itself, therefore a Fachhochschule requires no additional internship from the student. However, most universities do not accept this qualification for admission. An exception are universities in the German state of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, who accept this qualification since 2004 for admission to Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
courses, but not to the traditional German Diplom
Diplom
A Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
degree courses. But with Fachhochschulreife (university of applied sciences entrance qualification) you can visit any Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) in Germany. You can see the difference between a University / Technische Hochschule and a Fachoberschule very quickly: A Fachhochschule has often the words "University of Applied Science" next to its name.
Greece
In GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
there are panhellenic examinations (πανελλήνιες, panelinies) after a student completes likio.
Hong Kong
All public universities in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
admit students under the Joint University Programmes Admissions System
Joint University Programmes Admissions System
The Joint University Programmes Admissions System or JUPAS in Hong Kong is a unified system for applying to the nine member institutions for full-time undergraduate programmes. In 2008 admissions, 35,298 students applied for programmes of the nine institutions under this scheme...
(JUPAS). The major criterion of selection is HKALE result. and to a less extent HKCEE result and interview performance.
Iceland
Both public and private universities in Iceland handle their own admissions. Students apply for a specific course of study and each programme has its own requirements. These are usually a matriculation exam but sometimes a minimum number of credits in certain subjects in gymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
or even passing an entry test is needed. Foreign students must apply half a year prior to the first semester but the time limit for Nordic citizens is not as strict.
India
Most IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n universities participate in one or another centralized admission procedure. In summer 2011, an Indian institution was expecting 100% score for gaining admission, highlighting the crisis of confidence in quality of higher education in general and also limitations of admissions process. National tests and interviews are organized by an independent body composed of members of the participating organizations. Little weight is given to applicants’ past academic record and more to their exam results. Applicants are ranked by exam grades, and submit their preference of universities/programs based on their rank and choice. Some such common entrance tests are:
- Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), the undergraduate exam for the seven Indian Institutes of TechnologyIndian Institutes of TechnologyThe Indian Institutes of Technology are a group of autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education. The IITs are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 which has declared them as “institutions of national importance”, and lays down their powers, duties,...
(IITs); - Common Admission Test (CAT), XAT, JMAT, MAT or SNAP, the graduate exams for the Indian Institutes of ManagementIndian Institutes of ManagementThe Indian Institutes of Management , are graduate business schools in India. They were set up with the objective of providing management education and to assist the industry through research and consulting services. The IIMs award diplomas and not degrees.- Institutes :Indian Institute of...
(IIMs) and other business schools; - Graduate Admission Test of Engineering (GATE), the graduate exam for the IITs;
- All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) for admission to Undergraduate Engineering and Architecture / Design courses;
- Pre Medical Test (PMT)-conducted by the CBSE; the entrance exam for admission to MBBS program;
States have their own admissions exams and policies. For example, the state of Maharashtra uses the HSC test as a prerequisite for entering Degree level college and uses the SSC test as a prerequisite for entering Junior Level college as well as Diploma Level College.Apart from that 15% reserved for NRI / Foreign students
Ireland
In IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, students in their final year of secondary education apply to the Central Applications Office
Central Applications Office
The Central Applications Office is the organisation responsible for overseeing most undergraduate applications in the Republic of Ireland....
, listing several courses at any of the third level institutions in order of preference. Students then receive points based on their Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
, and places on courses are offered to those who applied, who received the highest points.
Israel
In IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
there is a National Center for Examinations and Evaluation.
In Palestine, students are required to undergo the Tawjihi examinations, which then allow the universities (In the West Bank) to consider each pupil.
Malta
In MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
entrance is done after performing well in examinations which are a local version equivalent to the General Certificate of Education
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
Netherlands
In the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, prospective students have to choose, two years before graduation, for a graduation type (e.g. natural science graduation type). Subjects at Dutch universities freely accept all students who have chosen the correct graduation type (e.g. to enroll in physics, the graduation type 'natural sciences' is required). All other students have to pass an exam to be enrolled (this is the exception). Popular subjects, such as medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
or dental medicine have a numerus fixus, meaning that a limited number of students may enroll for this subject at a particular university. To decide who is allowed, a lottery is held in which ones grades influence chances of being chosen (an indirect and incomplete numerus clausus
Numerus clausus
Numerus clausus is one of many methods used to limit the number of students who may study at a university. In many cases, the goal of the numerus clausus is simply to limit the number of students to the maximum feasible in some particularly sought-after areas of studies.However, in some cases,...
).
Nigeria
In NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, undergraduate admissions into universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education and agriculture is administered by a centralized federal government agency known as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board is Nigeria's official entrance examination board for tertiary-level institutions. The examinations being administered are available for most students who choose to apply to Nigerian public and private monotechnics, polytechnics, and universities...
, JAMB. The body conducts Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for prospective university, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education and agriculture students seeking entrance into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Norway
In NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
candidates are admitted to entry-level programs through the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service
Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service
The Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service is a Norwegian government agency responsible for application and admission to all public universities and university colleges in Norway for entry level degrees, either Bachelor degrees for liberal studies and some professional studies, as...
, that ranks qualified students based on a point scheme, that is based on grades and the degree of specialization and choice of study at upper secondary school, as well as age. At Master level admission is based on the grade average at the Bachelor level.
Pakistan
In PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
for undergraduate admissions the national universities have common entrance tests which are SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
based and are held according to provincial zones, the private universities hold their own entrance test which are also SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
based.
For postgraduate admissions some of the universities hold tests which are followed by interviews and others take interviews only.
For Medical studies there is huge competition as there are a few medical colleges. They require test as well as interview.
Portugal
In PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
admission to higher education level studies requires the secondary school credential, Diploma de Ensino Secundário, which is achieved after completing the first twelve study years. Students must have studied the subjects for which they are entering to be prepared for the entrance exams, but they are not required to have previously specialised in any specific area at the secondary school. Students sit for one or more entrance exams, Concurso nacional for public institutions or Concurso local for private institutions. In addition to passing entrance exams, students must fulfil particular prerequisites for the chosen course. Enrollment is limited; each year the institution establishes the number of places available. For the public institutions the exam scores count for the final evaluation, which includes the secondary school average marks. Then the students have to choose six institutions/courses they prefer to attend, in preferential order. The ones, who reach the marks needed to attend the desired institution/course, given the attributed vacant, will be admitted. Some public university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
courses demands generally higher admission marks than most similar courses at some polytechnical
Polytechnic (Portugal)
A polytechnic is a higher education educational institution in Portugal created in the 1980s. After 1998 they were upgraded to institutions which are allowed to confer licenciatura degrees. Before then, they only awarded short-cycle degrees which were known as bacharelatos and didn't provide...
institutes or private institutions. (see also Education in Portugal
Education in Portugal
Education in Portugal is regulated by the State through two ministries - the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. There are a system of public education and also many private schools at all levels of education...
)
Russia
Traditionally, the universities and institutes conducted their own admissions tests regardless of the applicants' school record. There were no uniform measure of graduates' abilities; marks issued by high schools were perceived as incompatible due to grading variances between schools and regions. In 2003 the Ministry of Education launched the Unified state examination (USE) program. The set of standardized tests for high school graduates, issued uniformly throughout the country and rated independent of the student's schoolmasters, akin to North American SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
, was supposed to replace entrance exams to state universities. Thus, the reformers reasoned, the USE will empower talented graduates from remote locations to compete for admissions at the universities of their choice, at the same time eliminating admission-related bribery, then estimated at 1 billion US dollars annually. In 2003, 858 university and college workers were indicted for bribery, admission "fee" in MGIMO allegedly reached 30,000 US dollars.
University heads, notably Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
rector Viktor Sadovnichiy
Viktor Sadovnichiy
Viktor Antonovich Sadovnichiy is a Russian mathematician, winner of the 1989 USSR State Prize. Since 1992 he has been the rector of Moscow State University.-Biography:...
, resisted the novelty, arguing that their schools cannot survive without charging the applicants with their own entrance hurdles. Nevertheless, the legislators enacted USE in February 2007. In 2008 it was mandatory for the students and optional for the universities; it is fully mandatory since 2009. A few higher education establishments are still allowed to introduce their own entrance tests in addition to USE scoring; such tests must be publicized in advance.(see also Education in Russia
Education in Russia
Education in Russia is provided predominantly by the state and is regulated by the federal Ministry of Education and Science. Regional authorities regulate education within their jurisdictions within the prevailing framework of federal laws. In 2004 state spending for education amounted to 3.6% of...
)
Sweden
Admission in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
requires completion of secondary education, along with the proper specific qualifications (e.g. science in high school to study science in college). Prospective students are admitted based on their grade point average or SAT, although majors such as theatre and architecture may require some extra work.
Turkey
In TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Student Selection and Placement Center ÖSYM
ÖSYM
Founded in 1973, ÖSYM is the body responsible for organizing the national level university entrance examination YGS-LYS, and several other large scale examinations in Turkey.-External links:* * *...
is the responsible body for organizing ÖSS
ÖSS
Student Selection and Placement System or Higher Education Examination-Undergraduate Placement Examination , [formerly Student Selection Examination, ], is a standardized test for the admission to higher education in Turkey administered by ÖSYM. Within the Turkish education system, the only way to...
, the national level university admission examination.
United Kingdom
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
there are separate admission processes for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. There is also The Open University which has an open door policy.
The application process
The United Kingdom has a centralised system of admissions to higher education at undergraduate level, UCASUCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
. In general, students are not admitted to universities and colleges as a whole, but to particular courses of study.
During the first few months (September to December) of the final year of school or sixth form college (age 17/18) or after having left school, applicants register on the UCAS website and select five courses at higher education institutes (fewer choices are permitted for the more competitive subjects such as medicine and veterinary medicine). If the applicant is still at school, his or her teachers will give him or her predicted grades for their A-level, Highers or IB subjects, which are then used for the application. If the applicant has already left school, he or she applies with results already obtained. The applicant must provide a personal statement describing in their own words why they want to study that particular subject and why they would be a committed student, and their school must provide an academic reference. Some universities (e.g. Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Imperial College, King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
or University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
) and some disciplines (e.g. medicine) routinely require shortlisted candidates to attend an interview and/or complete special admissions tests before deciding whether to make an offer. In the absence of tests and interviews, the personal statement and reference can be decisive, as many students are likely to apply to competitive courses with similar predicted and actual grades.
In general, applications must be received mid-January for courses that start the following Autumn. However the deadline is three months earlier, in mid-October, where the application includes a medical, dentistry or veterinary course, or any course at Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
.
For each course applied for, the applicant receives a response from the institution: rejection, conditional offer or unconditional offer. If a conditional offer is received, the student can only take up the place on the course if they later fulfil the stated conditions: normally the achievement of specific grades in their forthcoming exams. If no offers are received following the initial application, or the applicant does not wish to take up any of their offers, UCAS+ can be used. Applicants can then apply to one course at a time in order to try to find a suitable offer.
Following the receipt of offers, whether after the initial application, or through UCAS+, the applicant chooses two courses for which offers have been made: a first choice and a second choice. If the conditions of the first choice offer are later met, the applicant may attend this course. If the applicant does not fulfil the conditions of their first choice, but does fulfil the conditions of their second "insurance" choice, they can attend their second choice course. If they fail to meet the conditions of both offers, they may choose to go through "clearing". This involves ringing up or sending their application to different universities in the hope of finding a place on another course. Many students do successfully find places through this route.
Factors affecting admission
Whether to admit an applicant to a course is entirely the decision of each individual university. They will base their decision on a variety of factors, but primarily the grades predicted or already received in school leaver examinations. As more and more applicants are attaining higher and higher grades in the A level examinations, most universities also use secondary admissions criteria. These may include results at GCSE or Standard grade examinations (or equivalent), the references provided on the application and the information provided on the personal statement. The personal statement can often be the deciding factor between two similar candidates so a small industry has sprung up offering false personal statements for a fee. UCAS uses "similarity detection" software to detect personal statements that have been written by third parties or copied from other sourcesPlagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
, and universities can reject applications for this reason.
The personal statements generally describe why the applicant wants to study the subject they have applied for, what makes them suitable to study that subject, what makes them suitable to study at degree level generally, any relevant work experience they have gained, their extracurricular activities and any other relevant factors. This is the only way admissions tutors can normally get an impression of what a candidate is really like and assess the applicant's commitment to the subject.
In addition to the information provided on the UCAS form, some universities ask candidates to attend an interview. Oxford and Cambridge almost always interview applicants, unless, based on the UCAS form and/or admissions tests, they do not believe the applicant has any chance of admission. Other universities may choose to interview, though only in some subjects and on a much smaller scale, having already filtered out the majority of candidates. The interview gives the admissions tutors another chance to assess the candidate's suitability for the course.
Universities are increasingly being put under pressure from central Government to admit people from a wider range of social backgrounds. Social background can only be assessed by the type of school attended, as no information about income or background is otherwise required on the UCAS form.
Another important determinant of whether an offer is to be made is the amount of competition for admission to that course. The more competitive the course, the less likely an offer will be made and, therefore, the stronger the application must be. Applicants for medicine are often expected to have undertaken extensive work experience in a relevant field in order to show their commitment to the course. For the most competitive courses, less than 10% of applications may result in admission, whereas at the less competitive universities, practically all applicants may receive an offer of admission.
Ultimately, however, no matter how many extra-curricular activities and work experience have been undertaken, if the admissions tutor does not believe, based on the submitted exam results, the candidate is academically capable of completing the course, he or she will not be admitted.
A well qualified candidate applying under UCAS for five competitive courses to each of which only 10% of well qualified candidates could be accepted would have only a 40% chance of receiving at least one offer of acceptance.
Alternatively, if five less competitive courses each having a 33% acceptance rate are chosen, the chance of receiving at least one offer is more than 85%.
This implies that a strategy for improving the chance of receiving at least one offer, to perhaps 70%, is indicated even to well qualified candidates.
Postgraduate entry
All applications are made directly to the university or college, with no limit on the number of courses that can be applied for.United States
In the United States of America, high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students apply to four-year liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
s and universities, which include both undergraduate or graduate students. Others attend community colleges, who admit all students with high school diplomas, in preparation for transfer to a four year university. Non-traditional students
Non-traditional students
Non-traditional student is an American English term referring to some students at tertiary educational institutions. The National Center for Education Statistics acknowledges there is no precise definition for non-traditional student, but suggests that part-time status and age are common elements...
are usually students over the age of 22 who pursue studies in higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
. Students may apply to many institutions using the Common Application
Common Application
The Common Application is an undergraduate college admission application that applicants may use to apply to any of 456 member colleges and universities in the United States and various other countries...
. There is no limit to the number of colleges or universities to which a student may apply, though an application must be submitted for each. Fees are generally charged for each admissions application, but can be waived based on financial need.
Students apply to one or more colleges or universities by submitting an application which each college evaluates using its own criteria. The college then decides whether to extend an offer of admission (and possibly financial aid) to the student. The majority of colleges admit students to the college as a whole, and not to a particular academic major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
, although this may not be the case in some specialized programs such as engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. The system is decentralized: each college has its own criteria for admission, even when using a common application form (the most widely used is The Common Application). Common criteria includes ACT or SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores, extracurricular activities, Grade Point Average, and a general college admissions essay
Admissions essay
An admissions essay, admission essay, college essay, app essay or personal statement is written by a prospective student as part of some college, university and graduate school admissions processes...
.
See also
- College applicationCollege application-United States:A college application is part of the competitive college admissions system. Admissions departments usually require students to complete an application for admission that generally consists of academic records, personal essays , letters of recommendation, and a list of extracurricular...
- Educational consultantEducational consultantAn educational consultant is an independent consultant who helps parents/students and organizations with educational planning. They are classed as "educational, vocational, and school counselors." Educational Consultants, however, are normally self-employed , while school counselors are employed...
- Statement of purposeStatement of purposeA statement of purpose, or personal statement, is a brief and focused essay about one's career or research goals, and is frequently required for applicants to universities, graduate schools, and professional schools. It is a required document when applying for admission to most professional...
- Admissions essayAdmissions essayAn admissions essay, admission essay, college essay, app essay or personal statement is written by a prospective student as part of some college, university and graduate school admissions processes...
External links
- College Board The organization that administers the SAT and AP exams; much useful information on college admissions plus a searchable database of colleges and universities
- College Insider Free college planning advice from the New Hampshire Center for College Planning.
- Go-College Information in English and Hindi on college admissions.
- College Opportunities Online Searchable college database maintained by the U.S. Department of Education
- The Common Application- Application form accepted by over 300 colleges and universities in the United States. Free to use, can submit applications online.
- College Admissions College Admissions: Who Wins and Who Loses? a video produced by the Massachusetts School of Law
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Professional association for college and university admissions practitioners.
- Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) UAC processes applications for undergraduate degree, diploma, postgraduate courses and Equity Scholarships at participating Australian institutions.