I just received the good news that I got into USYD's BA (Media and Communications). Now, my UAI was 96.75 but together with my written application and portfolio, I have made it!
For anyone interested, I am posting some things I learnt about the flexible entry (and also about the Broadway scheme) and also some tips that are not shown on the USYD website. I know that everyone's really caught up with uni offers now and this may be outdated for my peers, but I feel it'll be useful for future students and I want to write it while it's fresh in my mind. (When I was preparing my entry, there was very little information available here.) Hopefully this thread will still be visible next year for hopefuls.
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Why BA (Media and Communications) at USYD?
A common question asked by students wishing to pursue journalism (especially here in Sydney) is whether USYD or UTS would be a better place to study for journalism. The truth is, in journalism, your work experience counts more than your degree. (In fact, you can be a journalist without a university degree. Popular freelance journalist Sam de Brito, who authors the blog All Men Are Liars and comes from a family of journalists, is a good example.)
Having said that, one of the most significant choices I had to make after getting my UAI was between USYD's BA (Media and Communications) and UTS' BA Communications (Journalism).
A quick rundown:
BA (Media and Communications) @ USYD
-UAI cut-off in 2009 is 98.45*
-4 year course. If you wish to pursue a post-graduate degree in America (as many people do), your undergraduate degree in journalism has to have been at least 4 years long.
-May be combined with Law (UAI 99.55)
-Was revamped in response to many journalism degree around Australia (see UTS below). In particular, it seeks to provide students with a broader understanding an appreciation of the arts.
-Work experience completed in the final year of the degree. Arguably, students are less well-equipped then as they have to learn on the job.
BA Communications (Journalism) @ UTS
-UAI cut-off in 2009 is 95.05
-3 year course
-May be combined with Law (UAI 97.20) or International Studies (UAI 95.30). Combining Journalism with either Law or International Studies will make your double degree a 5 year course.
-Combining with Law offers an understanding of legal boundaries which would be useful in journalism.
-In combining with International Studies, you learn another language and another culture, which will enable you to move into foreign correspondence in future.
-Work experience is built up over the course of your degree.
-Unlike USYD's degree, this degree has is highly specialised with little or no focus on literature or the arts.
-Essentially, this degree is very focused on producing a journalist ready for the workforce.
*all UAIs listed are for Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP)
Why I chose USYD finally
As a writer, I felt it was important to have a solid education in literature that only USYD would be able to provide. At the end of the day, to be a journalist, work experience counts more than anything and even though USYD does not provide as strong a journalism degree as UTS, I felt that I would be able to get work experience on my own throughout my degree anyway. Hence, USYD provided the right balance between journalism and arts in general for me.
What is flexible entry?
If your UAI is 5 points below the cut-off, you are eligible to apply for flexible entry to USYD's BA (Media and Communications) course. (International students are ineligible.) This involves submitting a personal statement and a portfolio of relevant work.
Forms for flexible entry application are available from September and must be returned to USYD's art faculty early January (generally the day UAC preferences for the main round offers must be finalised).
I'm told by lecturers that if you submit your flexible application but your UAI is below the cut-off, that they do not really consider your UAI with your application. Rather, they consider the merit of your portfolio, work experience and your personal statement.
Allocation of places
There are about 90-100 places in the course. Each year, about a dozen of these places are allocated to flexible entry entrants and about half a dozen are allocated to ACCESS students. It is important to note that these places are allocated, so that the UAI cut-off only applies to the rest of the students. It means that your chances with flexible entry do not depend on whether there are vacancies, but on your merit in your statement and your portfolio.
A note about ACCESS students. These are students who apply through UAC by the end of Septemeber because of extreme circumstances they may have faced during the year or two leading up to the HSC. If deemed deserving, they become eligible for the ACCESS scheme. By the time UAC applications close in September, if they have placed at least one USYD course amongst their preferences and they are later eligible for ACCESS, they will then be eligible for USYD's Broadway scheme.
If you qualify for the Broadway scheme, it means that even if your UAI is 5 points under the cut-off, you may still be eligible for consideration. This is not a guarantee of admission. After UAC preferences for the main round close, the university will gather the names of Broadway applicants who also applied for BA (Media and Communications) and rank them in order of UAI. Half a dozen or so students usually enter through this scheme, meaning the top half a dozen Broadway students will gain entry.
How to order your UAC preferences
No matter what your UAI is or what the cutoff for the course is, my best advice is to arrange your UAC preferences according to how much you want to get in, not the cutoff of each of your preferences. It's impossible to overstate this. Even if you have fallen under the previous year's cutoff, there are other criteria in determining if you succeed in entering the course. This flexible entry is an example of that, where flexible entry applicants who have fallen under the cutoff are judged based on merit of their portfolio and statement, and not ranked according to UAI.
What they look for
In your application, you must demonstrate:
-work experience
-media portfolio: production, creation, presentation
-references
-personal statement
Word experience
It is any relevant work you have done in the media or public relations field, paid or unpaid. This includes any publicity you may have done for local charity or school events, or, more commonly for people our age, a website you may have been involved in (including designing, writing for it or just managing it in general). If you have made an contacts in the media industry, list them down (and also in the references section--see below) as they may be able to corroborate your work and also provide your statement with weight.
If, up to this point, you have had little or no experience, you should seek to build it up after the HSC. Call around and speak to your local paper or even web design companies and ask if you can get work experience.
Media portfolio
You detailed your portfolio the bottom of the form. You do not submit any documentation other than this form or your personal statement, so list your previous achievements or relevant media work with a succinct description. Any certificates or additional documentation will be discarded. Relevant media work includes any publications in a school newspaper, press releases or even web design work.
While USYD states that any work involving fictional writing (short stories, etc) and acting does not count, lecturers at USYD personally told me to put everything in order to demonstrate your ability to just get out there. Especially if you have won any awards for this work, you should include it as it shows that people of authority recognise your ability and talent.
References
These are people who can corroborate your statements, work or achievements listed above. You should put their name, position, place of employment and telephone number. The only way USYD will verify your application is through these people. In high school, you would probably have gotten a teacher to write a reference for you.
You should put this teacher down, as well as few media contacts. By listing any people in the media industry who know your work and are willing to vouch for you, you demonstrate your aptitude and ability to network (a skill very important in this industry). These weigh more than a teacher who simply verifies information. Of course, these media contacts must be able to verify any work you have done that you have listed.
I was told by USYD lecturers that in most cases, they do not check your references. While the form states that you may only list 3 references, I went ahead and listed about 5 references (one a teacher, and the rest media contacts). There is no harm is showing off as you are competing with many other students and you want to maximise your chances of getting in.
Personal statement
This is where you impress the lecturers who will be judging your application. The limit is 3000 words and my advice is to maximise those 3000 words. There will be other out there who will do so and writing any less puts you at a disadvantage. Of course, may sure it's quality writing.
In your personal statement, you should celebrate yourself and your achievements. They will be judging you on how well you TELL A STORY.
Additionally, I would advise that even as much as you are showing off yourself, that you be honest in your writing. Think about how it would sound to the lecturers reading it. Sounding haughty and insincere would be a great turn off. On the other hand, if you write honestly, you will be able to connect with the lecturers. If they can empathise with you, you are more likely to gain a spot.
Things to include in your personal statement. You should demonstrate an understanding of:
-what media is really about - Many people seem to think it's a high flying job. It is not necessarily. Show that you know what it really involves.
-what is required for the job and for the degree
-your career aspirations and why you think this degree is best suited to your career choice
-evidence that you are one of the best candidates for such a career path - ie. highlights from your work experience and portfolio that are relevant to media and communications that demonstrate what you are able to do
-here, you expand on what you listed in the application, which includes work experience, portfolio and media contacts.
-how you gained an interest in this field
-something that everyone usually forgets: what you can contribute to the degree and the university
-remember, you are also judged on your ability to tell a story and engage your reader
Useful links
General info about the flexible scheme at USYD
More info about the flexible entry for BA (Media and Communications)
General info on BA (Media and Communications)
---
Well, that was some post! But, as I said before, when I was preparing my application, there was so little information available. It was only when I spoke to the lecturers on USYD's info day in January that I found out more. You will notice that a lot of what USYD said you should not include is actually worthy to be included. Just go ahead and list everything. In the end, it's about showing your ability to move around, to get out there and to take initiatives.
For anyone interested, I am posting some things I learnt about the flexible entry (and also about the Broadway scheme) and also some tips that are not shown on the USYD website. I know that everyone's really caught up with uni offers now and this may be outdated for my peers, but I feel it'll be useful for future students and I want to write it while it's fresh in my mind. (When I was preparing my entry, there was very little information available here.) Hopefully this thread will still be visible next year for hopefuls.
---
Why BA (Media and Communications) at USYD?
A common question asked by students wishing to pursue journalism (especially here in Sydney) is whether USYD or UTS would be a better place to study for journalism. The truth is, in journalism, your work experience counts more than your degree. (In fact, you can be a journalist without a university degree. Popular freelance journalist Sam de Brito, who authors the blog All Men Are Liars and comes from a family of journalists, is a good example.)
Having said that, one of the most significant choices I had to make after getting my UAI was between USYD's BA (Media and Communications) and UTS' BA Communications (Journalism).
A quick rundown:
BA (Media and Communications) @ USYD
-UAI cut-off in 2009 is 98.45*
-4 year course. If you wish to pursue a post-graduate degree in America (as many people do), your undergraduate degree in journalism has to have been at least 4 years long.
-May be combined with Law (UAI 99.55)
-Was revamped in response to many journalism degree around Australia (see UTS below). In particular, it seeks to provide students with a broader understanding an appreciation of the arts.
-Work experience completed in the final year of the degree. Arguably, students are less well-equipped then as they have to learn on the job.
BA Communications (Journalism) @ UTS
-UAI cut-off in 2009 is 95.05
-3 year course
-May be combined with Law (UAI 97.20) or International Studies (UAI 95.30). Combining Journalism with either Law or International Studies will make your double degree a 5 year course.
-Combining with Law offers an understanding of legal boundaries which would be useful in journalism.
-In combining with International Studies, you learn another language and another culture, which will enable you to move into foreign correspondence in future.
-Work experience is built up over the course of your degree.
-Unlike USYD's degree, this degree has is highly specialised with little or no focus on literature or the arts.
-Essentially, this degree is very focused on producing a journalist ready for the workforce.
*all UAIs listed are for Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP)
Why I chose USYD finally
As a writer, I felt it was important to have a solid education in literature that only USYD would be able to provide. At the end of the day, to be a journalist, work experience counts more than anything and even though USYD does not provide as strong a journalism degree as UTS, I felt that I would be able to get work experience on my own throughout my degree anyway. Hence, USYD provided the right balance between journalism and arts in general for me.
What is flexible entry?
If your UAI is 5 points below the cut-off, you are eligible to apply for flexible entry to USYD's BA (Media and Communications) course. (International students are ineligible.) This involves submitting a personal statement and a portfolio of relevant work.
Forms for flexible entry application are available from September and must be returned to USYD's art faculty early January (generally the day UAC preferences for the main round offers must be finalised).
I'm told by lecturers that if you submit your flexible application but your UAI is below the cut-off, that they do not really consider your UAI with your application. Rather, they consider the merit of your portfolio, work experience and your personal statement.
Allocation of places
There are about 90-100 places in the course. Each year, about a dozen of these places are allocated to flexible entry entrants and about half a dozen are allocated to ACCESS students. It is important to note that these places are allocated, so that the UAI cut-off only applies to the rest of the students. It means that your chances with flexible entry do not depend on whether there are vacancies, but on your merit in your statement and your portfolio.
A note about ACCESS students. These are students who apply through UAC by the end of Septemeber because of extreme circumstances they may have faced during the year or two leading up to the HSC. If deemed deserving, they become eligible for the ACCESS scheme. By the time UAC applications close in September, if they have placed at least one USYD course amongst their preferences and they are later eligible for ACCESS, they will then be eligible for USYD's Broadway scheme.
If you qualify for the Broadway scheme, it means that even if your UAI is 5 points under the cut-off, you may still be eligible for consideration. This is not a guarantee of admission. After UAC preferences for the main round close, the university will gather the names of Broadway applicants who also applied for BA (Media and Communications) and rank them in order of UAI. Half a dozen or so students usually enter through this scheme, meaning the top half a dozen Broadway students will gain entry.
How to order your UAC preferences
No matter what your UAI is or what the cutoff for the course is, my best advice is to arrange your UAC preferences according to how much you want to get in, not the cutoff of each of your preferences. It's impossible to overstate this. Even if you have fallen under the previous year's cutoff, there are other criteria in determining if you succeed in entering the course. This flexible entry is an example of that, where flexible entry applicants who have fallen under the cutoff are judged based on merit of their portfolio and statement, and not ranked according to UAI.
What they look for
In your application, you must demonstrate:
-work experience
-media portfolio: production, creation, presentation
-references
-personal statement
Word experience
It is any relevant work you have done in the media or public relations field, paid or unpaid. This includes any publicity you may have done for local charity or school events, or, more commonly for people our age, a website you may have been involved in (including designing, writing for it or just managing it in general). If you have made an contacts in the media industry, list them down (and also in the references section--see below) as they may be able to corroborate your work and also provide your statement with weight.
If, up to this point, you have had little or no experience, you should seek to build it up after the HSC. Call around and speak to your local paper or even web design companies and ask if you can get work experience.
Media portfolio
You detailed your portfolio the bottom of the form. You do not submit any documentation other than this form or your personal statement, so list your previous achievements or relevant media work with a succinct description. Any certificates or additional documentation will be discarded. Relevant media work includes any publications in a school newspaper, press releases or even web design work.
While USYD states that any work involving fictional writing (short stories, etc) and acting does not count, lecturers at USYD personally told me to put everything in order to demonstrate your ability to just get out there. Especially if you have won any awards for this work, you should include it as it shows that people of authority recognise your ability and talent.
References
These are people who can corroborate your statements, work or achievements listed above. You should put their name, position, place of employment and telephone number. The only way USYD will verify your application is through these people. In high school, you would probably have gotten a teacher to write a reference for you.
You should put this teacher down, as well as few media contacts. By listing any people in the media industry who know your work and are willing to vouch for you, you demonstrate your aptitude and ability to network (a skill very important in this industry). These weigh more than a teacher who simply verifies information. Of course, these media contacts must be able to verify any work you have done that you have listed.
I was told by USYD lecturers that in most cases, they do not check your references. While the form states that you may only list 3 references, I went ahead and listed about 5 references (one a teacher, and the rest media contacts). There is no harm is showing off as you are competing with many other students and you want to maximise your chances of getting in.
Personal statement
This is where you impress the lecturers who will be judging your application. The limit is 3000 words and my advice is to maximise those 3000 words. There will be other out there who will do so and writing any less puts you at a disadvantage. Of course, may sure it's quality writing.
In your personal statement, you should celebrate yourself and your achievements. They will be judging you on how well you TELL A STORY.
Additionally, I would advise that even as much as you are showing off yourself, that you be honest in your writing. Think about how it would sound to the lecturers reading it. Sounding haughty and insincere would be a great turn off. On the other hand, if you write honestly, you will be able to connect with the lecturers. If they can empathise with you, you are more likely to gain a spot.
Things to include in your personal statement. You should demonstrate an understanding of:
-what media is really about - Many people seem to think it's a high flying job. It is not necessarily. Show that you know what it really involves.
-what is required for the job and for the degree
-your career aspirations and why you think this degree is best suited to your career choice
-evidence that you are one of the best candidates for such a career path - ie. highlights from your work experience and portfolio that are relevant to media and communications that demonstrate what you are able to do
-here, you expand on what you listed in the application, which includes work experience, portfolio and media contacts.
-how you gained an interest in this field
-something that everyone usually forgets: what you can contribute to the degree and the university
-remember, you are also judged on your ability to tell a story and engage your reader
Useful links
General info about the flexible scheme at USYD
More info about the flexible entry for BA (Media and Communications)
General info on BA (Media and Communications)
---
Well, that was some post! But, as I said before, when I was preparing my application, there was so little information available. It was only when I spoke to the lecturers on USYD's info day in January that I found out more. You will notice that a lot of what USYD said you should not include is actually worthy to be included. Just go ahead and list everything. In the end, it's about showing your ability to move around, to get out there and to take initiatives.
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