1. New Careers Practitioners Briefing July/August, 2013

2.  Public and free resources  Accessing course information ◦ Downloading course entries ◦ Printing course entries ◦ QR codes  CourseSearch and the short-listing  Understanding a course entry  Course codes and types ◦ International student definition ◦ New VET code structure  The course application ◦ An overview of the registration ◦ Payment ◦ The course application  CourseLink an overview  Special Entry Access Scheme ◦ What is SEAS ◦ Categories ◦ Evidence  Scholarships – general overview  Results and the ATAR release ◦ VCE student access of the ATAR ◦ Advice about CT access for 2013 ◦ Protocols for IB schools to release results to VTAC  Offers ◦ Main round ◦ Negotiated ◦ Supplementary  Key dates and stay up to date All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

3.  VTAC Website: the definitive resource for current information www.vtac.edu.au www.vtac.edu.au  CourseSearch and CourseLink  VTAC publications i.e. VTAC Guide 2014; ABC of Applying; Choice and VICTER ◦ Printed book, available from newsagents (RRP: $12.00 incl.GST) ◦ Online information  Social media Stay up to date with timely information, provided when you need it by subscribing to one of the following: ◦ VTAC Blog - http://vtacmedia.wordpress.comhttp://vtacmedia.wordpress.com ◦ Facebook - Facebook.com/vtacguide ◦ Twitter @vtacguide All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

4.  VTAC course information including course descriptions, prerequisites, extra requirements, majors etc can be accessed by: ◦ Downloading course entries to print or save to use offline on a device ◦ By using the QR code in the printed Guide to access course listings for individual institutions online ◦ By short-listing courses from CourseSearch and emailing the list All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

5.  The download can be:  Saved onto a smart device for use offline.  Printed Step 1: Save the PDF to your device Step 2: Open the PDF in the relevant ‘books’ section i.e. iBooks for apple.  To print the VTAC Guide go to: ◦ Publications at the bottom of the VTAC Home page ◦ Open the relevant PDF section and select the most appropriate option All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

6. Using the print icon All material in this presentation is copyrighted. Apple device options Android device options The old fashioned computer!!

7.  A quick response code is a barcode that can be scanned and linked directly to websites.  The printed VTAC Guide includes individual QR codes for each institution (and its courses) and each chapter.  This means that complete course entries are at your smart device fingertips. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

8.  Users with smart devices are able to access complete course detail by scanning the institutional code in the VTAC Guide. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

9. The simple search The advanced search Choose search results i.e. Course name and/or subject name Choose institution Choose Qualification type i.e. VET or HE qualifications Choose Area of interest Choose Application method

10.  Creating a shortlist of courses and sending them to students, parents, teachers etc  A shortlist facility will also enable users to shortlist courses from CourseSearch and email the list or search

11. To shortlist a course. Select the course you are interested in.

13. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

14. Vocational Education Training (VET) – TAFE qualifications Higher education Certificate II Certificate III Certificate IV Diploma Advanced Diploma Note: VTAC accepts and publicises courses from Certificate II and above Undergraduate Advanced Diploma Associate Degrees Bachelor Postgraduate ◦ Masters ◦ Graduate entry teaching All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

15. VTAC heading: This heading is created for the VTAC Guide and CourseSearch only. Qualification, title, length: The official title of the course and number of years to complete the course. All material in this presentation is copyrighted. Campus, VTAC course code and fee-type: Only courses with applications through VTAC have VTAC course codes. These codes show which institution, campus, course and type of course fees you are applying for. Check the application method. Brief description about the course.

16. Major studies: Provide a broader picture of what the course is about. Should be used as a research tool. i.e. Journalism Prerequisites: Are compulsory – if a student doesn’t meet prerequisites then won’t be considered for the course. Middle-band: Provides additional bonus to the ATAR – it can assist students whose ATAR is a bit lower than the required ATAR. Selection mode: provides a broad overview of what is considered as part of the selection. Extra requirements: are compulsory requirements that must be done, in addition to applying. Must be taken seriously. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

17. VTAC  Applications are submitted through VTAC if the course entry states ‘Apply: Through VTAC’ Direct to institution  If the course entry states ‘Apply: Direct to institution’, prospective applicants must contact the institution to lodge a direct application for the course All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

18.  must be holding or obtaining an Australian temporary resident/student visa and be: ◦ a current student of a standard Australian Year 12 program or International Baccalaureate in Australia or New Zealand

19.  Codes ending in ‘1’ are government subsidised  Codes ending in ‘2’ are full fee  Codes ending in ‘3’ are for international students  Codes ending in ‘4’ are for courses where the fee is determined by the provider’

20.  VET course codes all end in 4 – fee determined by provider.  Nothing has changed for current year 12 students, under 20. Key message to take back to students is: Year 12 students will be eligible for a government subsidised place in VET if they meet residency and are under 20 on 1 Jan 2014. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

21.  Register to set up a user account. Keep the VTAC ID and PIN safe. Don’t give it to anyone!!  Once registered applicants can log in and make a course application.  They can also: ◦ Update personal details ◦ Change preferences as many times as they like ◦ Lodge a SEAS and scholarships application ◦ Refer to messages ◦ Pay the processing fee ◦ Email VTAC ◦ Get their ATAR (when released in December) ◦ Get an offer (when released in January)

22.  Identification: ◦ Students need to include their name and date of birth as registered with VASS and on CourseLink. If different use what’s registered then change.  Citizenship type

24.  Residential address ◦ Always use an Australian address – if students are going overseas get them to check their messages from the message centre in the User account.  Include a four digit PIN  Confirmation for students before submitting:

25.  Demonstration screens will be available after 5 August from www.vtac.edu.au for:www.vtac.edu.au ◦ The registration process ◦ Course application ◦ SEAS application ◦ Scholarships application ◦ STAT bookings ◦ Personal statement

26. The SEAS application is activated once the course application has been submitted.

27.  Can list up to 12 courses/institutions on one application  Always list them in the order you want to get into the course NOT the order you think you will get into the course

28. To add course preferences: Select institution and/or course or type in the course code. To move a course on the preference list use the up/down buttons. To delete a course use the x button.

32. Payment is online via Debit Visa or credit card or PayPal.  Don’t need a PayPal account, can pay as a guest.  Have until closing date to pay.  Don’t pay, won’t be processed or be eligible for an offer or receive an ATAR statement.  Processing fees: ◦ $27.00 timely ◦ $91.00 late ◦ $116.00 very late All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

33. Applicants apply to institution (not VTAC) Institution decides to make an offer or not Institution can make early offers whenever they choose  Need to apply directly to each course you’re interested in. So if you’re interested in 5 courses that state ‘Apply: Direct to institution’, you will need to submit 5 individual applications (one for each course) All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

34. An overview

35.  Password protected  Subject to strict privacy and Terms and Conditions  Students have the right to withdraw permission  Student data updated daily from 9 August  Lost PIN function automated, no need to contact VTAC when: ◦ You have lost the password/PIN ◦ When one of your students accidentally submit a request for the password/PIN

36.  There are two levels of access for CourseLink: ◦ Teacher access ◦ Student access  Teacher access is password protected and provides an opportunity to view:

37.  Student data is a summary screen that lists a summary of all students from here you can: ◦ link to the individual’s file ◦ check enrolment status, student number, ATAR, residency status, application and payment status ◦ sort data by any of the headings ◦ download the file into an excel format ◦ To view an individual student’s profile select the surname – you will then have access to that student’s personal data including preferences, ATAR, calculation etc

38. This screen includes all of the student’s details and status The screen is then broken into sections: Study program ATAR calculation Careers preferences, offers Notes

39. Student name Student number Date of birth Gender Mobile and email Address Course application status Payment status Permissions: offer in press; supplementary offer ATAR (when it’s available) Enrolment status (when it’s available)

41.  The ATAR calculation will be available in December and you will be able to see the contribution of each study to a student’s ATAR. You access this by hitting the expansion tab for ATAR calculation.

42.  If a student has applied for courses you will be able to see their preferences which will be updated on CourseLink daily from Friday 9 August. You will be able to see when and how often students change their preferences and whether they meet the prerequisite subject satisfaction. Change of preference history: In this section, VTAC records each transaction. So when a student comes to you and says they haven’t been into their file, you can check to see if they have and prompt their memory. Notes: This section is for your use

43.  CourseLink tutorials are available from: http://www.vtac.edu.au/careers/demos.html http://www.vtac.edu.au/careers/demos.html

44.  Tuesday 27 August Session 1 : 9.30am - 12.00noon Session 2: 1.00pm - 3.30pm  Thursday 29 August Session 3: 9.30am - 12.00noon Session 4: 1.00pm - 3.30pm Location: VTAC 40 Park St, Sth Melbourne  Offered to new Career Practitioners and attendance is by registration only!  4 half day sessions, over 2 days  Numbers are capped at 20 participants per session

45. An overview

46.  Allows selection officers to grant special consideration to applicants for course entry whose education has been impacted by disadvantage  It is not a get out of jail free card or a guarantee of getting into a course

47.  Key message is for students who have suffered long-term disadvantage to start making appointments, collecting supporting statements NOW! Don’t wait until applications open.  Students should get medical practitioners to: ◦ Clearly outline the condition. ◦ Include the timeline on how the patient has been impacted.  Evidence is the key.  Everyone is encouraged to answer yes to Category 1. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

48.  Category 1: Personal Information and Location  Age  Recognition as an Indigenous Australian  Living or school postcode  Under represented schools  Gender  Category 2: Non-English speaking background  Category 3: Difficult circumstances  Category 4: Disadvantaged financial background  Category 5: Disability or medical condition  Category 6: SALT (La Trobe University), PPP (Victoria University) and REEP schemes (University of Ballarat) All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

49.  All of the categories are on one page and it will look something like this.  Applicants can fully edit their SEAS application until the deadline. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

51.  Applicants must be able to demonstrate that the disadvantage has impacted on their educational performance.  Students who have suffered long-term disadvantage must start preparing now! ◦ Make appointments, collect supporting statements ◦ Don’t wait until the SEAS closing date it will be too late All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

52.  Talk to students about the program  Encourage students to make appointments now and ensure supporting statements : ◦ clearly outline the condition ◦ include the timeline and how this patient has been impacted  Students should ensure their own names are on Centrelink documents as well as the relationship of the third party.  Start educating other school teachers about preparation

53.  If providing evidence you must be: ◦ familiar with the issue ◦ exposed to the educational impact  Evidence must: ◦ be brief, to the point, corroborate the impact statement ◦ be tangible and clear about the issue ◦ provide a timeframe for the disadvantage Note: If this is the first time you’ve heard about the disadvantage you’re probably not the right person to write the statement of support

54.  Last year students were disadvantaged by poor statements of support e.g. ◦ “Call me for more details” ◦ “The student has told me” ◦ “The school is aware of the circumstances” – if this is so, be explicit! VTAC will not contact the school! ◦ Vague support i.e. not mentioning the circumstance ◦ Generic statements that didn’t differentiate between student impact when a group is affected

55.  “See scholarships”  “See above” – referring to another category  Blank impact statements (assuming statement of support is sufficient)  “Contact me for details”  “Long winded”

56.  Everyone is encouraged to answer yes to Category 1. ◦ Being proactive you can do this as a class exercise ◦ Expose students to the other categories  Tragedies in the last few days before SEAS closes are better handled by the VCAA exam allowance rather than SEAS: ◦ Using the VCAA process alleviates pressure for generic statements ◦ Generic statements don’t help your students  Remember: It is easier to edit something that exists rather than create a new file.

57.  Make sure you have plenty of time  Friends, close relatives or those in a close relationship cannot provide supporting statements.  Clear and concise statements are key  Bad, incomplete and generic statements disadvantage  Last minute rush – use the VCAA process Remember: If this is the first time you’ve heard about the disadvantage you are probably not in the correct position to comment on the impact. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

58.  Encourage all students to apply for scholarships. There are scholarships through VTAC and direct to institutions.  They are not just for smart kids, there are lots of access and equity scholarships too.  While no-one is guaranteed a scholarship, we can guarantee that if students don’t apply, they won’t be considered. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

59.  Institutional Access and Equity Scholarships  Merit scholarships  Commonwealth Indigenous scholarships  Other scholarships not through VTAC The scholarships application opens: 9.00 am, Monday 5 August 2013 and closes at 5.00 pm, Friday 18 October 2013 All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

60. An overview

61. The ATAR: ▫ Is not a score out of 100 it is a rank between 0.00 and 99.95 ▫ It is not the be all and end all of a person. It is a tool that: ▫ Allows tertiary institutions to rank students ▫ Provide a level playing field for applicants who have done different types of programs All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

62. ▫ Is calculated by VTAC for tertiary entrance ▫ A 75.00 means that the student is in the top 25% ▫ Very few courses select only on the ATAR. Most courses look at a range of factors including: ▫ Extra requirements ▫ Middle-band bonuses ▫ SEAS consideration and other bonus or special consideration programs that students have applied for

63.  To calculate the ATAR VTAC uses: ◦ English plus three other permissible scorable studies (primary four) ◦ Plus up to two other studies (5 th and 6 th increments)

64.  Only one of the following can be used in the ATAR calculation: ◦ English/English as an Additional Language (EAL) ◦ Chinese (FL)/Chinese (SL)/Chinese (SL Advanced) ◦ Indonesian (FL)/Indonesian (SL) ◦ Japanese (FL)/Japanese (SL) ◦ Korean (FL)/Korean (SL) ◦ Mathematical Methods (CAS)/Mathematical Methods (CAS).  In each of the study areas of English, mathematics, history, Contemporary Australian studies, information technology, languages and music: ◦ at most two results can contribute to the primary four ◦ at most three results can contribute to the ATAR.

65.  A legitimate one-year student is a student who has moved to Victoria to complete year 12 (VCE) and who the VCAA has exempted from Units 1 and 2.  A Victorian student who completed year 11 of the IB certificate in Victoria prior to transferring to year 12 of the VCE is not classified as a one-year VCE student.  VTAC does not determine this categorisation it is based on what is received from the VCAA.

66.  Just because studies are scaled up – doesn’t mean a student will get a ‘good’ ATAR.  Students need to perform well in all studies to get a ‘good’ ATAR. Sarah loves textiles, she got a 39 and was scaled down to a 37. Chris was told that if he did specialist mathematics he would get a better ATAR because it is historically scaled up. Chris got a 15 that was scaled to a 19 in specialist mathematics Which scaled subject score is a better contribution to the ATAR. The one scaled up? Or the one scaled down?

68.  Protocols currently being reviewed  Will be meeting with a reference group to develop a protocol  Will have strict rules in place if breaches of any type occur  Ignorance is no excuse and principals and their nominee are responsible for the privacy of CourseLink! All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

69.  The ATAR will be released to all eligible VCE students on Monday 16 December 2013 from 7am.  All students who are eligible to receive an ATAR, irrespective of whether or not they have applied, can access their ATAR online or via SMS.  Two ways to access the ATAR on that day: ◦ Internet at resultsandatar.vic.edu.au ◦ SMS – must preregister for instructions go to www.vtac.edu.au/sms www.vtac.edu.au/sms ◦ VTAC will be discussing the protocols for ATAR release to schools at the upcoming briefing sessions. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

70.  Creating a fake ATAR is against the law  Doctoring a screen shot or actual ATAR statement is illegal  If any forged documentation is used or presented as being the actual result, it is fraud and is reported to the police.  What would you do if a student presents with an ATAR (usually with a family member) that is different to what is recorded on CourseLink? All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

71.  Submit a results release form to Cardiff  Cardiff will release the results to your school and VTAC in early January  Students can obtain their results from their IB co-ordinator in early January.  Only if: ◦ VTAC receives the results and ◦ the Victorian IB student has sat the GAT and ◦ the student has applied for courses through VTAC They will be eligible to receive a notional ATAR and statement. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

72. Change of preference opens on Monday 16 December 2013 at 11am. All students are able to change their course preferences up until 12noon Monday 23 December 2013. Institutional change of preference days, these are worth checking out (see December 2013 Bulletin). All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

73.  Before changing preferences students should check: ◦ Last year’s selection data – don’t panic if the ATAR is slightly lower, still put it down. Selection data fluctuates annually. ◦ Extra requirements to make sure they are complete ◦ Prerequisites – to make sure they meet them. All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

74.  In a lot of courses you will see last year’s selection data.  This gives you a guide of the ATAR standard for last year. It is not prescriptive!!

75.  The Clearly in ATAR is the point at or above which everyone with that ATAR or higher was made an offer.  The percentage below the clearly in tells you how many applicants got into the course with an ATAR lower the clearly in via: ◦ Bonuses ◦ SEAS

76. An overview

77.  If students do not pay their processing fee they won’t be considered for offers.  All offers are provisional and subject to accurate information being supplied by the applicant.  Students should:  List their courses in the order they want to get into them, not the order they think they will get into them  Always accept an offer – do not wait for round two, you may miss out completely  Do not second guess the system. There is no guarantee of a negotiated offer.

78. ▫ Early round offers – for non-year 12 applicants ▫ International VCE ▫ Main round offers – majority of offers to all applicants at any preference for graduate entry teaching and undergraduate places. ▫ Round two offers – smaller number of offers – filling places ▫ After round 1:  Negotiated offer (for all applicants)  Supplementary offers (for all applicants)

79.  Accept the offer – there are no guarantees of a round two offer  If they get a round two offer – they can withdraw from their round one and accept/enrol in round two.  Students who receive an offer and don’t accept any: ◦ are not eligible for a supplementary offer ◦ are eligible to submit a negotiated offer for a course not listed on their preference list

80.  Round 1 offer made – accept – still eligible for a higher preference in round two. Don’t wait!!! ◦ If you accept an offer made through VTAC, can withdraw if get a round two offer and get monies refunded  Round 2 – about 3,000 offers made – no guarantees.  After round 1: ◦ Can submit a negotiated offer for a course lower than one you’ve been offered or NOT listed on your course preferences. ◦ Can check your user account for the status of the negotiated offer.

81. Can apply for a negotiated offer if its lower than one you’ve been offered or the course is not on your application. Always: Ensure course requirements have been met Check place availability with the course selection officer and what additional documentation you may have to provide. Then complete the negotiated offer request in the VTAC user account Once you have received a negotiated offer, you are not eligible for any more offers. It is your new first preference! All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

82.  Are only available to applicants who have not received any offers in round 1 or round 2.  Applicants must give VTAC permission to be eligible for consideration  Supplementary offers are processed weekly in February 2014 ◦ Applicants may receive two or more offers at the same time ◦ Applicants will need to decide which offer to accept

83. Always accept an offer you receive Never wait to see if you get a better offer in round two If you don’t accept any of the offers you have been made, you are not eligible for a supplementary offer Negotiated offers are no guarantee for an offer, unless the institution accepts you All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

84. ApplicationOpenCloseFees VTAC Guide 2014Week beginning 29 July$12 rrp Download: Free Course applications Timely Late Very Late 9am 5 August 5pm 27 September 5pm 8 November 5pm 6 December CY12 $27 NONY12 $41 CY12 and NONY12 $91 CY12 and NONY12 $116 SEAS9am 5 August5pm 8 October Scholarships9am 5 August5pm 18 October ATAR Release7am 16 December Change of Preference9am 25 November12 noon 23 December Round 1 undergraduate offers 2pm 17 January 2014 Round 2 undergraduate offers 2pm 6 February 2014 All material in this presentation is copyrighted.

85.  Check out careers practitioners website for all resources to assist with counselling: www.vtac.edu.au/careers www.vtac.edu.au/careers  Course updates, amendments and other information is updated weekly on the VTAC website.  Subscribe to our blog to receive updates directly into your email account:  vtacmedia.wordpress.com  vtacschools.wordpress.com for careers practitioners  Facebook: facebook.com/vtacguide  Twitter: @vtacguide All material in this presentation is copyrighted.