While most students in the US choose to remain within it for college, others seek to study elsewhere, using four years of university as a chance to experience other cultures, or simply to leave the country for a while. We’ve written about this before, how students may apply to Canadian universities, or those in the UK. In this article, we’re going to look at the process for applying to Australian universities.
Australia has many things to recommend it to students from the US, such as a shared language, similar culture, and universities which are well regarded internationally. In this article, we’re going to cover how admissions to Australian universities works as an international student, and whether you should consider applying to one of these schools. This is going to be written from a primarily American perspective, but we will put in helpful notes for international students generally.
How Australian Universities Work
While universities are more or less the same in purpose the world over, they function in different ways. We aren’t going to cover the totality of Australian universities in this article, but we want to cover enough of the basics for you to understand what you’re getting into.
First, most of the universities in Australia are public, funded by the government, though they are generally self governing. 37 of the 43 total universities in Australia are public, and all of the highest ranked ones are. Organizationally, these universities are much closer to the British model than the American one. You apply for a specific course of study, admissions requirements are determined by that course of study, and you focus on that specific field for your time at university.
There are many supports for university education for domestic students; these are not available to international students. International students pay increased fees, and none of the universities in Australia have scholarship programs fro these students. Various stipends and government health insurance for students are also only available for domestic students.
Australian universities are quite popular with international students, with around a quarter of the entire undergraduate student population being international students. Very few of these students come from the US comparatively, but there are well-established pathways for international students to use when applying.
How Admissions Works for International Students
For domestic students, admissions is determined by the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). Students who are not from Australia or New Zealand must instead apply to each university directly, and are given a rank based on their academic accomplishments and preparation.
Note that students who have completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, whether domestic or international, must instead apply to the Australasian Conference of Tertiary Admissions Centers (ACTAC). This organization translates your IB results into a combined rank, which is used as an equivalency to an ATAR. This doesn’t necessarily make it easier to get admitted as a student who has taken an IB curriculum, but it can be easier to evaluate your chances of admission.
Most universities in Australia have strict ATAR cutoffs for admitting students. These vary by both year and course, but are designed to make sure the process is transparent and that popular courses don’t become overwhelmed with students. This makes it relatively straightforward for domestic students to make their college choices, but means international students are generally flying blind.
Because international students must apply directly to specific universities, there is going to be a lot of repeated paperwork for you to complete. While universities differ slightly in what they ask for, they generally require the same things. We’ll go through each component of a standard international application here.
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The University of Sydney lays this out well; students must have certain academic qualifications to prove that they are academically qualified to enroll in their university. For US students specifically, they want a high school diploma, and scores from the ACT or SAT (though they also accept scores from AP exams). There is no provision for homeschooled students.
Note that what scores you are required to have depends on your course of study. Just as with domestic students admitted with an ATAR, some courses of study require higher scores. This is true of every university in Australia. Unlike US universities, you cannot change your course of study; make sure you pick one carefully when you apply, and then make sure your scores qualify you for admission.
English Proficiency Scores
These are required for all students who did not have English as their primary language of instruction during high school. (Note that any documents not in English must also have official English translations made and submitted). Australian colleges accept IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Cambrdige generally; but we advise checking specifically what the universities you are applying to ask for. The exact score asked for varies as well (as with US colleges); make sure you pass the benchmarks each school sets. This doesn’t increase odds of admission, but applications will be rejected if you can’t meet this benchmark.
Passport Scan
You need a full-color scan of your passport. It must expire at least six months after your proposed term of study ends. Note that youth passports in the US expire more rapidly; if you are under eighteen, this may be more difficult.
Statement of Purpose
There’s no Common App for Australia, no personal statement. Instead, you will generally be asked to complete a statement of purpose. This is a 800-1,000 word essay where you lay out your reasons for choosing this field of study, both in terms of past experiences and for your future career goals. This is something which you must write when applying to graduate programs in the US; not all undergraduate programs in Australia require this, but most of the top ones do.
This statement should contain the following sections. Each of these should ideally be its own paragraph:
- Introduction: a brief story about why you’re interested in this field, and a strong direct statement of interest.
- Academic background: lay out what you have done academically related to this field. This may be limited, especially for fields which are not easily explored in high school. Cover coursework, certifications, and research.
- Why Australia: why here, and not elsewhere? This can and should be tied into the next point.
- Why this university: for this, you want to be very specific. Discuss professors you want to work with, or research opportunities which are available at this school.
- Career goals: explain how this course of study fits into your larger career goals.
- Conclusion: tie everything together, summarizing your intentions, and your enthusiasm for both the course of study and this particular university.
You will need to write one of these for every university you apply to. If you are applying for the same or similar courses, then much of the statement can remain the same between universities, with just edits to the portion on why you want that university in particular. If you are applying to courses which are significantly different, you will need a whole new statement tailored to that course of study.
While you are not required to have significant engagements with a subject before applying, they will make your statement more impactful, and increase your chances of admission. As with US universities, your chances of acceptance are highest when you can clearly demonstrate your interest in and prior involvement with a particular field.
Letters of Recommendation
You will generally need one to two letters of recommendation. These should come from teachers who know you well, and who are able to speak to your work and academic potential. If you are also applying to universities in the US, the letters will have the same format, and you may have the same teachers write and submit them. For explicit guidance on getting great letters of recommendation, see our article here.
Portfolio
If you are applying for a course of study in the arts or architecture, then you will need to submit a portfolio. Applicants to other courses are not permitted to submit one. Research portfolios, which exist for some US colleges, are not a thing; if you have undertaken research related to your intended course of study, you should discuss it in your statement of purpose.
The Application Timeline for Australian Universities
Applications for Australian universities generally open two full years before the deadline. We, and others in the field, recommend submitting your applications six to nine months before they are due. Note that Australia, being in the southern hemisphere, has seasons reversed from those of us in northern latitudes. Their first semester begins in February, their second begins in August.
You may apply for either semester; beginning in August is perhaps simpler for students from the US, as it aligns more closely with how school years are arranged in the US system. Most universities in Australia accept applications year-round; the specific deadlines vary by university and the course you are applying to.
Once you submit your application, you will generally hear back in four to six weeks (though response times vary). If you are admitted, then you must begin your visa application immediately, and also arrange your Overseas Health Coverage; health insurance for your time in Australia. In some cases, your university will bundle the fees for this with your tuition.
Your visa application will require a separate statement of purpose, describing why you want an Australian visa. We advise speaking with an immigration attorney about the visa process if you have concerns; we are not lawyers, and cannot give you any legal advice.
Should You Apply to an Australian University?
This is an important question to ask, given the many steps required to apply to one. Australian universities have many things to recommend them, but have downsides as well depending on your interests; we’ll run through these in order, so you can properly judge whether or not what they offer appeals to you.
A Focused Course of Study
Much like universities in the UK, at an Australian school, you are there to study one particular subject. Your coursework will all be related to that subject, and you won’t be able to change your area of focus. This is quite different from American colleges, where changing a major may be difficult, but is rarely impossible, and taking courses across a range of disciplines, a broad liberal arts core, is the norm.
If you are quite certain what you want to study, and would rather leave off some subject altogether, then this kind of focused study may appeal to you a great deal. If you are uncertain of what you wish to pursue, or have an academic background unrelated to your future interests, then Australian universities may be too restrictive for you.
Costs and Scholarships
Australian universities do cost less than their US counterparts, but offer far less financial aid (to international students at least). International students are self-pay for the most part, bearing the full expenses. If you think you’ll get stuck with the costs regardless, then Australia can be commensurate with what you’d pay for a public university in the US. If you are relying on financial aid, however, then it isn’t an ideal choice.
A Change of Setting
College is a chance to broaden your horizons, go to new places and experience new heights. Some students experience that across their state, some head to the other side of the country, and others seek to travel further afield. This is neither right nor wrong, but if you are struck by wanderlust, there are few places further afield you can travel than Australia.
Final Thoughts
There are many many colleges out there; most students in the US stay within the confines of the country when choosing where to apply, but you do not need to do so yourself. We hope this article has helped you understand how this process works for Australian universities, and whether or not one of these universities may be the right fit for your own needs.
If you are looking for help navigating this somewhat alien admissions process, or advice on crafting your essays, be they the personal statement or Australia’s statement of purpose, then Ivy Scholars can help. Our mentors are experts of admissions, and can help guide you to the schools which will best fit your unique needs. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more; we’re always happy to hear from you.
