SATAC information

South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) applications for Year 12 students



Most Prince Alfred College Year 12 students are considering University or TAFE courses next year. As such they are currently preparing for the application process for 2011 entry to undergraduate courses. In South Australia this is done through the SATAC website, http://www.satac.edu.au/. At school, students have received a “show bag” which contains relevant information for University and TAFE entry, as well as specific information about the three major Universities in Adelaide. The “show bag” will be supplemented by a SATAC seminar on Friday August 27 which will inform students of how to complete the application process, and the resources available. The SATAC website has links for those applying to Interstate Tertiary Admission Centres. The SATAC application is completely online. The process is straight forward and can be completed at home.

Students should not need individual help with applications. Appointments with Ms Magann, Mr Bruford or Mr Parker can be arranged to ask related questions. The College devotes time to informing and preparing students for this important process; however, it is ultimately the individual student’s responsibility to ensure they apply on time, and to check that they have chosen the correct courses at the correct Universities and locations.

The three important closing dates for applications are:

August 31: for Medicine and Dentistry at Adelaide University

September 30: last day to apply for most other courses before incurring a late fee

December 3: last date to apply to still receive equal consideration, however, a late fee applies

Parents and Year 12s may also be interested in searching the SATAC site for special admission information. In particular, the mature age entry through the STAT(Special Tertiary Admissions Test) process is now eligible to students who turn 18 on or before February 1st 2011. This provides, for some students, another potential avenue for University entry apart from an ATAR(Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking) calculation.

IB students who apply through SATAC will need to use their IB personal code which can be obtained directly from Mr Bruford. Pastoral Care Teachers will also be given this information.

Scott Parker

Year 12 Coordinator

Trial Examinations: Information for students

Year 12 IBD and SACE Trial Examination Timetable

Year 12 BBQ fundraising

Our second BBQ(to celebrate Intercol Week) raised $578.00 which when combined with our first BBQ total allows us to donate over $1000.00 to the Future Project. That's a fantastic effort boys! I will have Duncan Soang report on this blog of our progress with this worthy cause. Thanks to all the boys who helped with organising the event, and particularly Duncan and his family who have been so generous with their time and their donation of food.

SATAC meetings

By now you should have collected your SATAC "showbag" from Mr Parker's office. In this information pack there is a range of resources related to TAFE and University undergraduate entry in 2011. Please ensure you read this carefully as it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure you apply correctly online and that you are aware of any pre requisites or assumed knowledge for the courses you have applied for.


To support you with your online application, we will be having some sessions at school regarding SATAC applications. The first is next Wednesday in room N13 for those interested in Medicine and Dentistry applications, as these close on August 31 which is earlier than all other SATAC applications.

On Friday August 27 there will be a Year 12 meeting in the Chapel during Module 4(PC time) to discuss the application process for all students. This will be presented by careers counsellor Ms Magann and Mr Bruford. Your attendance is compulsory.

If you have a specific question before this meeting please contact Ms Magann or Mr Bruford directly.

On a related matter, we will have a representative visiting us from University College at Melbourne University on Wednesday August 25 at 8.30 am in Ms Magann's office. If you are interested in attending please contact Ms Magann

Adolescent use of technology and cyber bullying:

On Friday I was lucky enough to attend a fantastic professional development seminar by Robyn Treyvaud(founder of cybersafekids.com.au) on how young people use digital technologies. As we know, technology is a wonderful business and learning resource to us all and it often becomes part of our social and cultural currency. However, the convenience, impulsivity and anonymity of many digital mediums does make the use of them potentially harmful to both ourselves and to others.


If you are a Year 12 student reading this post please carefully consider your digital identity. Information about you, either written or visual can appear on the internet and you have very little control over its content, validity, or its movement. Impulsive actions by you can leave a lasting effect on your identity across these digital mediums which could cause you embarrassment or even restrict your opportunities for future employment/careers. If you are concerned about your digital identity you could consider www.reputationdefender.com. This site is aimed at ensuring that potential unwanted or harmful content about you is not left in cyberspace. It is not an automatic saviour however, as it can only access public sites, and so social networking sites like facebook cannot be reviewed. It also is not intended to give you anonymity for any poor/inappropriate choices you make when using digital media. Nevertheless, it is a useful site for your digital peace of mind allowing you to enjoy adolescence without the potential stigma of your own personal experiences becoming public, and remaining digitally accessible for years to come.


If you are a parent reading this post there are a number of great sites that can help you consider the best way to support your family using digital technologies responsibly and safely. Try:


www.cybersmart.gov.au
https://onlinefamily.norton.com/
www.cybersafekids.com.au

Also consider this article: www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25privacy-t2.html

Wearing of Year 12 jumpers

enjoyexams.com

This is an excellent Australian site set up buy a guy not much older than you! Get onto it and take some time to read some of the info and watch the videos. It will be well worth your time.

Scholarship opportunities