ENTER scores rise despite Deakin increasing the number of offers it has made

Deakin University has lived up to its reputation as a popular, high quality and accessible place to study.

Deakin has increased the number of offers to applicants, including disadvantaged students, but, at the same time, increased the Tertiary Entrance Ranks for most of its courses.

The University will make 6,642 offers for undergraduate Commonwealth Supported Places through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre this week. This is 11 per cent more than in 2009.

Despite increasing the number of offers to students, the Clearly-In ENTER score for most (77 per cent) of Deakin's courses has increased. This continues a trend of several years. It is an indication of the demand for Deakin's courses.

Deakin University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sally Walker, said: "This is a particularly good outcome as it is unusual for a University to increase the number of offers to prospective students and, at the same time, increase its ENTER scores. Higher ENTER scores are an indication of the popularity of Deakin's courses with secondary school students.

"Staff at Deakin are delighted that there was a 16 per cent increase in the number of students who put Deakin as their first preference for 2010 for undergraduate studies before the change of preference period. This is the true measure of the popularity of Deakin's courses. Over the period 2006-2010 Deakin's first preferences in the 'POP Polls' have increased by an extraordinary 52.4 per cent."

Offers have been made to more than 1,800 disadvantaged applicants through the Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS), an increase of 783 on last year.

Professor Walker said: "For many years, Deakin has had a core commitment to equity and access for those who might not otherwise enjoy the benefits that flow from participation in higher education. Students know that Deakin is authentic about this. Our commitment is to true access and genuine equity."

Professor Walker said the University had been pleased to be able to offer more Special Entry Access Scheme places.

"By increasing the number of SEAS offers, we champion true access and genuine equity in higher education to ensure that people can realise their potential," she said.

Course areas to show significant increases in ENTER scores include:

• Melbourne Campus at Burwood - Arts, Health Sciences, Nursing, Law, Physical Education and Science
• Geelong Campuses (Geelong Waterfront Campus and Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds) - Nursing, Science, Engineering and Information Technology
• Warrnambool Campus – Psychology, Law and Law combined with other courses.

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By Campus:

• The number of offers made at the Melbourne Campus at Burwood has increased from 3,469 to 3,730 (an increase of 7.5%)
• The number of offers made at the Geelong Campuses has increased from 1,880 to 2,085 (an increase of 11%)
• The number of offers made at the Warrnambool Campus has increased from 509 to 526 (an increase of 3%)

Courses to show significant increases in ENTER scores:

• Bachelor of Physical Education at Burwood – up 5.55 to 81.65
• Bachelor of Health Sciences at Burwood – up 6.55 to 82.80
• Bachelor of Science at Geelong – up 5.85 to 72.25
• Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Geelong – up 6.10 to 86.45
• Bachelor of Information Technology at Geelong – up 11.25 to 64.35
• Bachelor of Psychology at Warrnambool – up 7.60 to 61.85

Combined courses to show significant increases in ENTER scores:

• Bachelor of Arts (Chinese)/Bachelor of Commerce at Burwood – up 5.25 to 75.80
• Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery at Geelong Waterfront – up 6.75 to 85.30
• Bachelor of Nursing/ Bachelor of Psychology at Geelong Waterfront – up 6.85 to 72.50
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law at Warrnambool – up 5.50 to 70.70
• Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Law at Warrnambool – up 6.80 to 73.25

About ENTER scores:

VTAC defines the 'clearly in' ENTER as the rank at or above which all ranked (eligible) applicants who applied for that course were offered a place; many of those offered places will in fact have ENTER scores significantly higher than the 'clearly in'.

An increase in the 'clearly in' ENTER score from one year to the next is generally seen as indicating that there is an improvement in the quality of those receiving an offer as they have performed better in the VCE.

The 'clearly in' ENTER can, however, also be affected by the supply of more or fewer places – if there are more places offered, one would usually expect ENTER scores to decrease; if they do not decrease, it suggests that demand for places at that University has increased.

About SEAS

The Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) is aimed at applicants who have experienced educational disadvantage. It allows Universities to grant extra consideration for course entry to applicants, but it is not used as a replacement for course entry requirements. Consideration of SEAS may relax some aspects of the specific requirements, but not exempt them.