Why Australia?

Every year, plenty of students in Hong Kong apply to study at Australian universities, and it is easy to see why. Australia is vast, and has plenty of top-ranked universities, as well as great opportunities for personal growth for all students who wish to apply there. Australia boasts the third highest number of international students at its universities in the world, just behind the US and UK. This means it’s easy for any student starting out in Australia to make friends from all over the world, and enhance their university experience.

What are Australian universities like?

There is a large range of types of universities and higher-education institutions in Australia. The country boasts a number of top research and teaching universities, including several ranked in the top 100 universities in the world. This presents a fabulous opportunity for prospective students to enhance their education for future endeavours. Students apply for a course at the university, and often have the opportunity to take “electives” outside of their chosen subject, making the Australian system a good middle ground between the breadth and depth of the US and UK respectively.

What is the application process?

Australian universities are very distinct in their application process as compared to those of the US and UK. Whereas the UK requires use of the centralised UCAS platform, and a detailed personal statement, and the US often requires a number of personal essays and applications to individual institutions, Australian universities take a very different approach. While you do need to apply to each institution individually, it is made easier by the fact that they most often do not require any personal essays or cover letters. Instead, Australian universities want to see your academic transcripts, predicted grades, and employment history. This makes the applications less time-consuming, although still absolutely essential to securing a place at the university of your choice.

Applying for a student visa

For any prospective international student looking to attend university in Australia, there is really only one major hurdle: the student visa.

Entering Australian university will mean having to prove your English-language proficiency through the IELTS (International English Language System) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). You will need an IELTS score of at least 5.5, or a TOEFL of 46 (or equivalent) in order to meet this requirement. What’s more, when it comes to applying for a student visa, applicants will have to prove that they have a bank account with sufficient funds to support themselves, and pay for their education. Sometimes, this process also requires a letter from the applicant explaining why they wish to study in Australia, so be sure to check the application guidelines carefully. Overall, the process of applying for a student visa can take up to 4 months.

How can university admissions consultants help?

At BartyED, admissions consultancy is done differently. The initial consultation session with the student (and parent) helps our admissions team identify what the applicant is looking for, in order to discern the best application strategy. This includes determining where in the world is best suited for that student. We aim to meet the expectations of both parent and child, and get everyone on the same page before the application process even begins.

Our multilingual consultancy services in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin ensure that we can tailor the right application for you. This includes guiding the candidate through every step of the application process, including for Australian universities. For information about our admissions consultancy programmes, take a look at our website. If you are ready to work on your applications with an expert BartyED admissions consultant or SAT/ACT tutor, feel free to contact us today at (852) 2882 1017 or enquiries@bartyed.com.