UTS has TWO courses with a 99.9 cut-off this year :x (1 Viewer)

[msh]

609290 B Design Vis Comm BA Int Stds 99.90
609260 B Design-Fash&Tex BA Int Stds 99.90


Isn't this one bizarre change in our culture?

Are we coming to an age where designers are the new lawyers/doctors?

I always knew the design school at UTS is prestigious but 99.9 seems radical and unbelievably high.
It literally makes the two courses equal highest in the state, if not the entire country in terms of cut-offs and puts it above Law degrees at Usyd.

What do you guys think of this.

 

[jannny]

Damn thats insane.. could there be a possibility that UTS is just "bumping up" the cutoff to increase their prestige?

Oh also, UTS gives the highest bonus points for EAS (+10) so basically a lot of people who got 89.9+ with EAS applied for it.

 

[poppop]

At first I couldn't believe my eyes, and thought it was a typo.

99.9??? It's ridiculously HIGH.

I got into Interior Design / International Studies so I'm quiet happy with that.

I personally think it's due to the design industry becoming a mass knowledge due to reality tv shows like America's/Australia's next top model, Project Runway becoming household names. May I add the box office success of The Devil Wears Prada about a fashion publishing company.

It's insane.


EDIT: I have another theory on the rise of the popularity of design courses and I wrote this several comments below this one, to almost the bottom of the page. It seems more likely why.

And no, I don't think EAS is the reason for the cut-off bump. I listed the reason below too.

 

[loser101]

but why would nerds with a UAI of 99.9 really influenced by a reality tv show?

 

[poppop]

Damn thats insane.. could there be a possibility that UTS is just "bumping up" the cutoff to increase their prestige?

I'm also curious about this. Who actually controls the cut-offs?

I always thought it's based on demand and popularity. Can universities manipulate cut-offs to increase their prestige?

 

[poppop]

but why would nerds with a UAI of 99.9 really influenced by a reality tv show?

They might not be the stereotypical 'nerds' considering they are looking into a future career in design.

 

[loser101]

I'm also curious about this. Who actually controls the cut-offs?

I always thought it's based on demand and popularity. Can universities manipulate cut-offs to increase their prestige?

to restrict supply and have excess supply is not in the unis best interest.

i.e $$$$$$$$$$$$

you see there is no vacancies in that UTS course

usually the courses that have vacancies, but where there is still demand, is when the uni says "no we cant lower the UAI any lower, even if there are vacancies" mainly due to the fact that anyone with a UAI lower than 60 or so has a really poor chance of passing anyways

 

[poppop]

btw what is EAS?

 

[jannny]

Anyway as I said, the +10 EAS bonus points may have contributed somehow.

edit : Educational access scheme, its for disadvantaged students e.g. jst came to australia and having language difficulty

 

[poppop]

Anyway as I said, the +10 EAS bonus points may have contributed somehow.

edit : Educational access scheme, its for disadvantaged students e.g. jst came to australia and having language difficulty

ohhh. i see.

but would that allow them to publish the cut-off at 99.9?

I do know a friend of a friend who went to a private school in north, that received uai of 100 and is studying Design in Visual Communications at UTS.

 

[loser101]

edit : Educational access scheme, its for disadvantaged students e.g. jst came to australia and having language difficulty

thats a retarded reason. so someone who cant speak english gets to get into a course? yeah great way to lower the uni standards.

i'm all for a disabled person or an aboriginal, but not for people who lack english language skills.

 

[Triangulum]

I'm also curious about this. Who actually controls the cut-offs?

I always thought it's based on demand and popularity. Can universities manipulate cut-offs to increase their prestige?

They can and do. Unless they're letting in a ridiculously small number of people (since only about 60 people in the state get a UAI of 99.90+, and I can't imagine that a big portion of them are applying for visual design courses), they're letting people in underneath the cutoff.

EAS/transfers also probably have something to do with it.

 

[jannny]

thats a retarded reason. so someone who cant speak english gets to get into a course? yeah great way to lower the uni standards.

i'm all for a disabled person or an aboriginal, but not for people who lack english language skills.

lol it's not like that. People who go for EAS, e.g. having language difficulty claim that having the disability has affected their chances of getting higher UAI.
For example Person A. has just been here for 2 years, but is having expressing his ideas in english on subjects that require English proficiency e.g. Ancient History or soemthing like that.

Oh and you have to be a permanent resident, so a "retarded person" who just came from china can't apply for it.

 

[poppop]

thats a retarded reason. so someone who cant speak english gets to get into a course? yeah great way to lower the uni standards.

i'm all for a disabled person or an aboriginal, but not for people who lack english language skills.

You can't draw this conclusion yet, I know plenty of people that were going for these degrees and most of them received extremely high uais (97~99 point somethings) and none of them needed this EAS thing. Hopefully at least one of them got in :angry:
I think some people have to of entered with a pure 99.9 or above to allow them to cut it at that and let others in through alternative entries, for remaining spots, (isn't this the case with every other course in the state)

Besides why would someone with english deficiency torture themselves by applying for an Arts/design degrees that would be a lot to do with communication and expression that gets marked on numerous essay writing and verbal presentations etc, as opposed to analytical and calculative skills with definite right or wrong answers like maths. After all, maths is a universal language.

Anyways, back to topic. I think the reason is more and more people are choosing 'fun' jobs that supposedly pays well. On the exterior making money off designing does look glamourous and not all that difficult.

Look at the number of VACANCIES (V) in ENGINEERING and SCIENCE degrees across the state, despite the already low popularity (cut-offs).

I heard there is a global crisis of shortage in engineers lately, this 99.9 is the evident opposing effect from it.

 

[msh]

You can't draw this conclusion yet, I know plenty of people that were going for these degrees and most of them received extremely high uais (97~99 point somethings) and none of them needed this EAS thing. Hopefully at least one of them got in :angry:
I think some people have to of entered with a pure 99.9 or above to allow them to cut it at that and let others in through alternative entries, for remaining spots, (isn't this the case with every other course in the state)

Besides why would someone with english deficiency torture themselves by applying for an Arts/design degrees that would be a lot to do with communication and expression that gets marked on numerous essay writing and verbal presentations etc, as opposed to analytical and calculative skills with definite right or wrong answers like maths. After all, maths is a universal language.

Anyways, back to topic. I think the reason is more and more people are choosing 'fun' jobs that supposedly pays well. On the exterior making money off designing does look glamourous and not all that difficult.

Look at the number of VACANCIES (V) in ENGINEERING and SCIENCE degrees across the state, despite the already low popularity (cut-offs).

I heard there is a global crisis of shortage in engineers lately, this 99.9 is the evident opposing effect from it.

This seems right.

I have been reading numerous articles on the shortage of engineers and scientists lately, and the courses becoming less popular these days. This has been noticed by others as well.

Have a look at this article titled 'Which Degree? Fashion Design or Science?' published in 2007.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5528

I also remember reading a similar article on the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007 about Design degrees becoming harder to get into than Science degrees.

I do also think the high 99.9 cut-offs for design degrees is an adverse reaction from the science and engineering degrees becoming less popular these days.

This is an international movement, even in the USA, one of the most prestigious design school, Rhode Island School of Design is considered to be the 'new ivy league' of art schools, and I forgot the name of the Japanese one but there is one that is considered their 'ivy league' of creative arts learning.

Also reputable and influential magazines like Business Week has been publishing articles like this in 2007:

'CEOs Must Be Designers, Not Just Hire Them. Think Steve Jobs And iPhone.'

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2007/06/ceos_must_be_de.html#comments

No one can underestimate the influence of design on the recent success of the iPod. Cuz I must add, it's rather crappy in terms of technical features and it breaks so easily, but that didn't stop it from selling like pancakes thanks to its cool creative advertising and product design.

Perhaps the high cut-offs are a reaction from all of those cultural shifts.

 

[poppop]

This seems right.

I have been reading numerous articles on the shortage of engineers and scientists lately, and the courses becoming less popular these days. This has been noticed by others as well.

Have a look at this article titled 'Which Degree? Fashion Design or Science?' published in 2007.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5528

I also remember reading a similar article on the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007 about Design degrees becoming harder to get into than Science degrees.

I do also think the high 99.9 cut-offs for design degrees is an adverse reaction from the science and engineering degrees becoming less popular these days.

This is an international movement, even in the USA, one of the most prestigious design school, Rhode Island School of Design is considered to be the 'new ivy league' of art schools, and I forgot the name of the Japanese one but there is one that is considered their 'ivy league' of creative arts learning.

Also reputable and influential magazines like Business Week has been publishing articles like this in 2007:

'CEOs Must Be Designers, Not Just Hire Them. Think Steve Jobs And iPhone.'

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2007/06/ceos_must_be_de.html#comments

No one can underestimate the influence of design on the recent success of the iPod. Cuz I must add, it's rather crappy in terms of technical features and it breaks so easily, but that didn't stop it from selling like pancakes thanks to its cool creative advertising and product design.

Perhaps the high cut-offs are a reaction from all of those cultural shifts.

Thanks for those. It's a very interesting read.

The Business Week article definitely reassured me that I made the right decision on choosing a design degree.

I wonder if newspapers will publish another article like the above one about design degrees being higher in demand than science degrees. This year's 99.9 seems even more newsworthy.

 

[chrisbro1990]

but why would nerds with a UAI of 99.9 really influenced by a reality tv show?

It's the same with law and forensics. Think about Law & Order and CSI

 

[poppop]

It's the same with law and forensics. Think about Law & Order and CSI

haha that's true. Also it's not like 'nerds' don't have access to a television nowadays.

 

[msh]

It's the same with law and forensics. Think about Law & Order and CSI

lol and I wonder how many thought of being a doctor after watching Grey's Anatomy.

 

[jb_nc]

Isn't this one bizarre change in our culture?

No.

Are we coming to an age where designers are the new lawyers/doctors?

No.

UAI cut-off means absolutely nothing in the real world. If I saw someone put their UAI on their CV, I'd chuck it out pretty much, basically means "this guy is a pompous arse".

Anyone who thinks some dude who graduated with a B Design from UTS is more valuable than a doctor, a solicitor, a natural scientist, an engineer or an accountant (maybe not the ones out of HK) is stupid. Without science there would be no design or aesthetics.