What ATAR/UMAT should I aim for to be competitive for medicine in 2018? (1 Viewer)

[TuQuoi]

Each uni has different requirements eg. 90 vs 96 ATAR for Monash and UNSW, some of the requirements don't even mean anything e.g. 150 for UMAT won't get you an interview at UNSW even though it is a minimum requirement.

I know it varies for each university, but in general, what is a reasonable ATAR/UMAT to aim for to be competitive for medicine?

 

[si2136]

Sorry for being lazy, I'll link it in the morning but there is an image that gives the guidelines of entry for each uni for med.

EDIT: Linked below (iStudent)

 

[iStudent]

For UNSW

People say that you want to have 99 ATAR and 95+ UMAT to be competitive

You'll get an interview with scores lower than that, but to be competitive that's the sort of scores you want to obtain.

Coz I heard somewhere that the median atar is like 99.6
Median umat is like 97-8%ile
So it goes to follow that if an imaginary linear cutoff is in place, then 99 ATAR and 95ish%ile is appropriate.

Naturally though - if you're a beast at interviews there can be some leniency (and you do get people who get in with scores lower than that, but what I said above is my sort of approximation of being "competitive")

Here's a guide as to cutoffs and the like
http://medstudentsonline.com.au/for...-selection-criteria-y12s-non-standards.31845/

 

[TuQuoi]

I saw the guide, but I'm wondering about a good "general" aim that applies to a majority of universities. I know it's a bit vague, but's what a reasonable goal, something that I could stick up on my bedroom wall and if I achieve that I could think "I have a decent chance at medicine"?

I know I'm not getting a 99.95 ATAR so USyd is out of the question, and I know there's no real "correct" answer to my question, but what ATAR/UMAT should make me competitive for a decent number of universities?

 

[shrapnel220200]

I've always wanted to know the answer to this question myself, I'm like you trying to get med 2018.
Just curious, are you rural or city? Rural seems to make things a lot easier.
I had a friend who got unsw med with an atar 98.5 and a umat of 83 percentile... I thought that Umat was way too low but obviously not. He is a good speaker, so I imagine he owned the interviews, which is probably why he got in.

 

[TuQuoi]

I'm a city person.

 

[iStudent]

A reasonable atar/UMAT combo imo is 99 atar/90 UMAT.

That gets you interviews in many places

 

[boredsatan]

Each uni has different requirements eg. 90 vs 96 ATAR for Monash and UNSW, some of the requirements don't even mean anything e.g. 150 for UMAT won't get you an interview at UNSW even though it is a minimum requirement.

I know it varies for each university, but in general, what is a reasonable ATAR/UMAT to aim for to be competitive for medicine?

atar - 99.50+
umat - 99+

 

[A1P]

I know it varies for each university, but in general, what is a reasonable ATAR/UMAT to aim for to be competitive for medicine?

Define what you mean by "competitive" first, having 50% chance or 80% chance of getting place at the interview round?

My estimate is for UNSW you need a near top interview with 99.0/90%ile. With an average interview, probably 99.5/95%ile or equivalent combo.

Edit: If you can put up with moving to Qld, 99.0 + 91-92%ile would get you a UQ bonded place without an interview. I suppose that makes it a competitive score?

 

[TuQuoi]

Okay, let's say there's a 50% chance of a successful interview. Or, 50% chance of getting in if the uni doesn't have an interview.

 

[TuQuoi]

Is that a reasonable chance interview or a "yeah we'll give you a pity interview but there's no chance you're getting in lol" interview?

 

[iStudent]

Where do you want to study medicine anyway?

Coz like A1 said - some uni's like UQ require 97 ATAR (if you did 4u maths) and around 90ish UMAT - imo, this is about the easiest way to get into medicine

 

[A1P]

Okay, let's say there's a 50% chance of a successful interview.

Bear in mind it's not a pass/fail interview. The pool's interview scores are standardised to a scale comparable to the pool's ATAR & UMAT ranges, then the three scores are added together for final ranking. Let's say 50% chance success means it's 50% likely you achieve a pool-average interview score and the ATAR/UMAT needed to get in with that

- UNSW/Monash : 99.3-.5 + 93-95%ile
- WSU : 97-98%ile (since ATAR doesn't count afterwards and interview counts more than UMAT)

- Adelaide : 99.6 + 96%ile (they give ATAR bonuses to many your "raw" ATAR is worth relatively less and offers ratio is like 1 in 5. I first didn't get in with 99.8/100%ile)

- JMP : even 150%ile UMAT won't give you 50% chance, since it's all on the interview an average interview score = zero chance

Edit: Adding a little explanation to make it clearer. Success ratio at UNSW/WSU is approx 1 in 3, JMP 1 in 4, Adelaide 1 in 5. A pool-average interview score only places you at the half mark, your ATAR/UMAT must help pull you up to the top 20-30% or failing that you aim for an impressive interview.

Or, 50% chance of getting in if the uni doesn't have an interview.

With no interview uncertainty you can almost see where 100% chance is based on previous years' cutoffs
UQ 99.0 + 91-92%ile, Flinders 99.85 + ~90%ile, Griffith 99.8 no UMAT.

 

[BenHowe]

I've always wanted to know the answer to this question myself, I'm like you trying to get med 2018.
Just curious, are you rural or city? Rural seems to make things a lot easier.
I had a friend who got unsw med with an atar 98.5 and a umat of 83 percentile... I thought that Umat was way too low but obviously not. He is a good speaker, so I imagine he owned the interviews, which is probably why he got in.

If you live in a rural area you are disadvantaged, that's why it exists...

 

[A1P]

Is that a reasonable chance interview or a "yeah we'll give you a pity interview but there's no chance you're getting in lol" interview?

In principle no uni gives an interview with no chance you getting in, that would be just a waste of your and *their* time too. If your ATAR/UMAT combo is near bottom relative to the interview pool you need a near top interview score, low chance but not impossible. Last year UNSW sent an interview offer to an interstate applicant saying his chance of success was approx 5%, up to him to decide if worth flying over.

Btw I've added an explanation in my post above. It's tough but you can do it if you really try, good luck to everyone.

 

[spagett]

If you're rural you can get in with much lower scores than what the people in this thread are saying. Last year I got an interview at UNSW with a 92.95 atar and a UMAT score of 154 (like 59th percentile I think?). As it turns out I didnt get in (UNSW was the only place i applied), but I mustve been closer than most if I got an interview. My mate got in with a 96.5 atar and a UMAT score of 165 . I plan on resitting the UMAT and getting >75 percentile ,since Im currently on a distinction average with my current uni course, so hopefully I'll have a second chance this time around.