ANU rethinks admissions process

The Australian National University (ANU) has made early offers for undergraduate places to 4,744 school leavers who meet the University’s rigorous standards.

Students' applications are not only assessed on their academic results, but also their extra-curricular achievements and personal circumstances.

The University saw a 70 per cent increase in applications for undergraduate programs compared to the same time last year after announcing it would consider students for 2021 on the basis of their Year 11 results earlier this year.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the early offers would give thousands of young students “certainty in an extremely challenging year massively disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic”.

“Finishing your high school studies is tough at the best of times,” Professor Schmidt said.

“But it has never been tougher than in 2020, with thousands of students across the country facing significant hurdles to complete year 12.

“That’s why earlier this year we announced we would consider students for places at ANU in 2021 based on their Year 11 results. We wanted to give these students as much certainty about their future as possible.

“From the incredible jump in applications it would seem that school leavers who are on course to meet our high standards have taken to this opportunity like the famous ANU campus ducks do to water.

Under the University’s altered admissions for 2021, school leavers still had to complete Year 12 to be eligible for a place at ANU. The University has also given students the option of using their Year 12 results for a potential place if they are better than their Year 11 marks.

ANU Chancellor the Hon Julie Bishop noted there had also been strong increases in applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as well as students from schools in disadvantaged areas.

“ANU aspires to be a truly national university that reflects the diversity and range of experiences across Australia,” she said.

“It is vital all our students learn from these differences. It makes our lecture theatre, campus and living spaces richer, and opens young minds to a diversity of important perspectives and viewpoints.”

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Data on popular programs as well as offers and applications by state and territory is available upon request.