The University of Queensland has again attracted the dominant share of the State`s most academically able Queensland Year 12 students to its programs.
This is according to latest data compiled by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC).
Data show that 324 students, or 66 percent, of the top OP 1 students chose to study at UQ this year. This was out of the total 490 school leavers earning an Overall Position (OP) of 1 last year and enrolling in tertiary study through QTAC for 2005.
QTAC data also showed that enrolment at The University of Queensland for students receiving results in the top three OP bands was almost three times more than its nearest competitor.
Some 990 students (57.9 percent) with OP scores of 1, 2 or 3 were admitted to UQ out of the total pool of 1710 students in these bands enrolling in Queensland universities.
UQ also attracted a higher proportion of students in OP bands 4, 5 and 6 (39.2 percent) than its nearest competitor.
UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay AC said there were good reasons that the State`s most academically able students had selected UQ as their number one choice.
"Students are attracted by the University`s outstanding facilities, programs and its consistent record for having one of the nationís best graduate outcomes, and above average graduate salaries," he said.
The University was recently ranked by UK`s The Times Higher Education Supplement as one of the worldís top 50 universities. This international ranking follows the recent Good Universities Guide ratings, which saw UQ receive the best overall rating of all Queensland universities and one of the best Australian university rankings. UQ has also won more national teaching excellence awards than any other Australian university.
The University is a member of the Group of Eight, an elite group of universities which conducts 70 percent of all university research in Australia. UQ is one of only three Australian members of Universitas 21, an international network of comprehensive, research-intensive universities committed to quality through benchmarking against world-best practice
The University of Queensland is holding UQ options sessions at its St Lucia campus next month to help school leavers with final decision-making.
Students can talk with the experts and get advice before the QTAC change of preference deadline.
The UQ Options Evening will be held on Wednesday December 21 from 5-8pm at the UQ Centre, Union Road, St Lucia (parking underneath). The event is organised by UQ Student Admissions and aims to help school leavers who receive their OPs and need urgent advice regarding entry to UQ. The session involves a presentation on entry requirements, upgrading, prerequisites, QTAC process, alternative pathways and scholarships. Representatives from all faculties are also present to answer specific questions.
QTAC offer dates for 2006 are: Early round offers — Thursday, December 8; major round offers — Thursday, January 12; final round offers — Wednesday, February 1.
For more information, contact the UQ Admissions Office telephone (07) 3365 2203, email: AdmissionsEnquiries@admin.uq.edu.au or visit www.uq.edu.au/study/.
Media: Further information, Jan King at UQ Communications 0413 601 248.
