Queensland University of Technology

CRICOS No. 00213J

WHICH PREFERENCE MATTERS?

Jeff Holmes

AAIR Forum

9 – 11 November 2011

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC – Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre

Each application can be for up to six courses

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC

QTAC is a non profit, public company established in 1990 by the six State universities that existed in Queensland at that time.

The institutions that participate in QTAC have complete autonomy in determining their own admission requirements and principles of selection.

Once these are determined, QTAC's role is to ensure that the admission rules and related procedures are correctly administered on behalf of these institutions.

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC

QTAC's role is to provide and operate a centralised tertiary application system and to publish comprehensive information for prospective applicants. QTAC currently receives and processes applications for admission to the majority of undergraduate courses offered by the publicly funded universities in Queensland, Bond University, the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania, and to some courses at universities in Northern New South Wales. It also processes applications for selected courses for Queensland institutes of TAFE, Southbank Institute of Technology and some private providers of post secondary courses. 

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC Data

• Available from the QTAC website• 2007/1 to 2011/1

• From the end of the QTAC process– Post churn across:

• Courses;• Disciplines;• Institutions;• Period (3, 1 and 2)

– Post churn after the December and January rounds– Post churn after the release of Queensland School

Leavers Overall Position - OP

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC Data

By preference – First preference to sixth– Applications – Offers– Acceptances– Enrolments

• Enrolments are from the verification of enrolment process post semester 1 census

– Acceptance rates– Enrolments rates

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC Data

• By institution• By QTAC in total

• All applicants• School leavers• From these two – non-school leavers has been

derived

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC’s advice to applicants

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC 1st Preferences 2007/1 to 2011/1

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

• 1st preferences: 12%

• Offers (all preferences): 6%

• Acceptances (all preferences): 9%

• Enrolments (all preferences): 7%

Growth from 2007/1 to 2011/1

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the worldrealR

QTAC Offers2007/1 to 2011/1

Offers by preference as a percentage of total2007/1 to 2011/1

School leavers Non-school leavers

QTAC Acceptances2007/1 to 2011/1

Acceptances by preference as a percentage of total2007/1 to 2011/1

School Leavers Non-school leavers

QTAC acceptance rates by preference2007/1 to 2011/1

School leavers Non-school leavers

QTAC Enrolments2007/1 to 2011/1

Enrolments by preference as a percentage of total2007/1 to 2011/1

School leavers Non-school leavers

QTAC enrolment rates by preference2007/1 to 2011/1

School leavers Non-school leavers

School leavers by preference as a percentage of total2007/1 to 2011/1

Offers Enrolments

Non-school leavers by preference as a percentage of total2007/1 to 2011/1

Offers Enrolments

Which preference matters?• In 2007/1 for school leavers:

– 74% of enrolments came from the 1st preference;– 15% of enrolments came from 2nd preference;– 6% of enrolments came from 3rd preference; and– 2% of enrolments came from 4th preference.

• In 2011/1 for school leavers:– 62% of enrolments came from the 1st preference;– 18% of enrolments came from the 2nd preference;– 10% of enrolments came from the 3rd preference; and– 5% of enrolments came from the 4th preference.

Which preference matters?• In 2007/1 for non-school leavers:

– 85% of enrolments came from the 1st preference;– 10% of enrolments came from the 2nd preference;– 3% of enrolments came from the 3rd preference; and– 1% of enrolments came from the 4th preference.

• In 2011/1 for non-school leavers:– 80% of enrolments came from the 1st preference;– 12% of enrolments came from the 2nd preference;– 5% of enrolments came from the 3rd preference; and– 2% of enrolments came from the 4th preference.

Observations

The growth of applications has been greater than the growth of offers and enrolments;

Non-1st preference enrolments have increased, more so for school leavers;

Enrolment rates vary depending on the preference of the offer, and between school leavers and non-school leavers.

Conclusions1. If the growth of applications continues to be greater than the growth of

offers, the number of offers to non-1st preferences will continue to grow;

2. This will lead to more enrolments from non-1st preferences;

3. Since enrolment rates decrease moving from 1st preference down to 6th preference, there will be fewer enrolments;

4. Since enrolment rates for each preference for school leavers have generally increased over the years, there will be more enrolments; and

5. Since enrolment rates for each preference for non-school leavers have largely stayed the same, there will be the same number of enrolments.