7 tips to complete your application

If you are from NSW or the ACT, you will need to include your NESA student number in your application. This number is assigned to you by your school. If you have forgotten your NESA number, contact your school. By supplying your NESA Student number, you will not need to supply documentation of your Year 11 results because it will be sourced directly from NESA or the ACT BSSS.

If you are studying year 12 interstate, or an International Baccaulareate, you will need to upload a pdf copy of your year 11 results as part of your application.

As well as your year 11 results, you will need to respond to four questions. We recommend that you prepare your responses using Word, Google Docs or something similar. You’ll need to save a copy for two very good reasons:

1. You won’t be able to access the application portal after applications close. If you want to refer back to your responses, having a copy will be the only way to get them directly.
2. You’ll also need to check that each response fits within the 500 character limit (including spaces!).

• When answering each question, you are welcome to respond in summarised dot points to make the most of the limited character count.
• Here’s a sneaky tip: do not format the dot points in Word and then copy and paste into the application form. This is because these Word-formatted dot points can use up valuable character spaces!

You know how your teachers have always told you to check your work? Turns out they were right.

As the saying goes, there is no such thing as good writing. There is only good rewriting. Re-read your work a day later to see if the intent is clear. Always check your spelling and grammar, and if you’re prepared ahead of time, have a teacher, parent or friend read your responses too.

How to respond to the Indicator of Success #1:

Academic Readiness: What are your study strategies when preparing for an important assessment task?

At uni, you’ll need to be more self-driven and autonomous than at high school. In this question, we’re looking for more than your results:

• We want to hear about your personal study strategies. What works for you?
• How do you manage your time? Do you plan out your work with milestones? Can you juggle multiple deadlines?
• Share some examples from your school or extra-curricular experiences that indicate you are organised, well planned and self-motivated.

How to respond to the Indicator for Success #2:

Motivation and Passion: What has influenced your decision to pursue your course or courses of interest?

Your time at UOW is about uncovering your passions and kick-starting your career. You’ll be more successful if you’re genuinely interested in your area of study. We're looking for:

• What made you choose this course? This is your opportunity to tell us a bit about yourself outside your studies. Share the things you love doing. From sport coaching, to gaming, to debating – what are the similarities between what you love and the course you’ve chosen?
• You can also use this question to show your ability to prioritise tasks and manage multiple deadlines to fit in the things you love around your studies.
• Have you excelled in sport, or music exams? Your achievements can be used to demonstrate your passion and motivation to succeed – even if they’re not directly linked to your course of interest.
• Have you taken part in a UOW Summer Masterclass or University Preparation Program? Share the details here.

How to respond to the Indicator for Success #3:

Communication and Collaboration: Describe a time when you worked with others to achieve a goal.

As a uni student you’ll need to have clear communication skills. More importantly, you'll also need to be able to collaborate. You’ll often take part in group work and work-integrated learning. You may work with an actual business or industry on a real-world problem and have the opportunity to present your ideas. In your response, share some examples of your collaboration experience:

• In your studies, or life outside school, have you had to work with people from different backgrounds on a shared project?
• In group situations, how have you ensured that everyone’s ideas were voiced and the work was completed on time?
• In hobbies, like sport, volunteering or performing arts, how have you successfully collaborated with others?
• What methods of communication are your strongest? Do you have public speaking experience? Or are you a five-star report writer?

How to respond to the Indicator of Success #4:

Planning and Persistence: Tell us about a time when you set yourself a goal and worked really hard to achieve a good result.

Persistence is a really important soft skill, both at uni and in your future career. While we have a lot of support services available to students, to be successful you’ll need to be able to plan your workload and persevere through tough times to reach your goals.

• Explain the goal you were aiming for – was it difficult to achieve?
• This is an opportunity to explain how you have shown resilience. Talk about any setbacks you may have overcome along the way. What went wrong? How did you keep yourself motivated?
• For students who feel their Year 12 results are better than their Year 11 results, you can discuss your experience here. How is your persistence improving your marks?
• This is another chance to showcase your organisational skills. How have you managed competing priorities or multiple deadlines to achieve your goal?