Thousands of Ballarat students received university offers on Tuesday and many were ecstatic to secure a place in the course of their choice.
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Federation University made more first round offers to students in 2018 than the previous year and offered scholarships to high-achievers.
Former Damascus College student Meg Jessup was excited to see an offer from Federation University for a place in their primary education course in Ballarat.
“I was stoked because I got the ATAR so I knew I would most likely get in. But there is still a part of you that is an excited kind of nervous. There is such a big build up for this,” she said.
“You put in all of that work throughout Year 12 and all throughout school, so to get an outcome where you get to do what you want to do is an amazing feeling.”
Ms Jessup said receiving an offer to study near home in Ballarat was an added bonus, as she had hoped to not have to move to Melbourne.
“I was worried about moving to Melbourne and commuting because it costs so much money. It is just so convenient to be able to stay at home. I have a really tight knit family and it is easy to get support from your friends as well.”
Ballarat student Kelsey Cook was offered a place at Federation University to study civil engineering.
With a dream to go to Mars and a love for all things outer space, Ms Cooke said the gender imbalance in the engineering industry was not a consideration when choosing her course preferences.
Students will now be required to accept, deny or defer their offer. Those who accept will soon enter the university’s enrollment process and prepare for orientation in February.
Creswick resident Kate Flynn will begin her studies at Australia Catholic University (ACU) in Ballarat as a mature-aged nursing student.
Ms Flynn took a break from studying after completing VCE at Loreto College in 2014. She spent the time travelling, working and gaining life experience, which she says has prepared her to return to study.
“I didn’t think I would get into the course based on my ATAR so that is why I waited a few years to build up a bit more experience and to get comfortable and ready for studying,” Ms Flynn said.
“Being a mature aged student, I am really ready to go to uni now and I think I will do a lot better than what I would have because I have had more life experience.”
Nursing at ACU was ranked as the ninth most popular university course in Victoria, with 585 first preference applications, according to VCAT figures as of December 20, 2017. Paramedicine at ACU was ranked at 19.
VCAT data shows 76 per cent of those who applied to a university in Victoria received an offer in the early and first round offers.
But the total number of university applications decreased 2.2 per cent from 2017, with domestic applicants down 3.4 per cent and international applicants up 28.2 per cent.
Round two offers will be released on February 2 and mid-year offers made in late June.
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