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Vol. 16 No. 7
March 2002
International Affairs
Looking Down Under for
a College Degree
WHERE IN THE WORLD can a student
earn a respected undergraduate degree in three years? At less
than one-half the cost of a private U.S. college? While participating
in a fascinating, contemporary, high-tech culture? Australia,
that's where; and that's where thousands of international students
are heading each year to study in one of the 2,000 separate degree
programs thriving in Australian universities.
AN OLYMPIC GOLD TOUCH
During the 2000 Summer Olympics, a billion television
viewers and tens of thousands of tourists from around the world
were charmed by the natural beauty and creative culture of contemporary
Australia.
But the English-speaking nation, with a high standard of living,
great quality of life and awesome natural resources, also has
developed an advanced educational system that is aggressively
reaching out to recruit overseas students from around the globe.
Currently, more than 70 nations are represented at many Australian
"unis," as Aussies call them. In the words of Prime
Minister John Howard, Australia wants to become an "Education
Nation," a knowledge leader on the global stage.
Australia's universities are already on the world wide web
with distance courses and are actively establishing campuses
across Asia. Its university recruiters are aggressively looking
for qualified students to bring to the great southern continent.
"The global education business has taken off," says
Murray Laurance, managing director of Insearch, Ltd., which recruits
overseas -students in Asia for the University of Technology in
Sydney. "It's really amazing."
What study options are available for U.S. college-bound students
who want to explore Australia?
To find out for our readers, CB editors journeyed to the "Land
Down Under" to speak with university administrators, educators
and students, and to look at the diversity of its programs. Here
is some of what we found:
AUSTRALIA: THE EDUCATION
NATION
Australia is the geographic size of the U.S., with
a population of just 19 million. The world's only nation/continent
is home to 40 universities, 38 of which are public institutions.
These are spread out through 150 campuses which support 2,000
different courses of study. All of Australia's capital cities
and suburbs from Perth on the Atlantic West Coast to Sydney on
the Pacific East Coast, plus the regional cities on the coastlines
and the vast land in between, host university programs for 672,000
students.
Of those, only 210,000 come directly from high school into
university. The rest are what Australian education calls "mature"
students. Another 30,000 overseas students come from countries
outside of Australia. Russia, Japan, China, Malaysia, India and
many others in the Asian Pacific rim send their students overseas
to Australian unis.
STUDY ABROAD OPTIONS
U.S. students have many options when considering study
in Australia.
Semester Abroad. Perhaps the easiest is to enter a
U.S. college or university and during either the sophomore or
junior year, study for a semester or two in Australia through
one of the scores of overseas study programs. Most U.S. students
who currently come to Australia follow this path.
Three-year Option. However, other U.S. students who
are seeking an education in a new country plus a new living experience,
and for what could be considered a bargain both in terms of the
tuition costs and the length of time of study, might be tempted
by the Aussie three-year degree options.
For these degrees, students apply directly to an Australian
university during the senior year of high school. If accepted,
they could take their full university study in Australia right
out of high school and finish in three years.
Four-year Honors Program. Australia also offers the
Honors program, a four-year degree. Also, some pre-professional
programs such as engineering require five years. Each degree
option needs to be explored separately.
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ADVANTAGES TO STUDY IN
AUSTRALIA
After the initial jet lag, there is little "culture
shock" for U.S. travelers.
Common Language. The greatest advantage for U.S. students
heading into Australia is that they already speak the language.
The typical student coming to Australia from the United States
will find a language that is essentially the same as in their
high schools. Accents are charmingly different, but pose no real
barrier to academic or social progress.
Tuition Break. Also, tuition to many Australian schools
is much less than at many U.S. universities and particularly
private colleges. The Australian dollar is currently pegged at
about half of the U.S. dollar on the money markets, which is
a great advantage for American students. (All prices in Australian
college guides will have $ signs that stand for Australian dollars.)
So, while costs may seem high at first, the rate of exchange
makes them generally less than in the U.S.
Tuition varies from field to field with $11,170 (Australian)
on average for accounting in 2000, $24,900 (Australian) a year
for veterinary -science. Add to that between $10,000 and $14,000
(Australian) per annum for travel and living expenses at these
universities or -surrounding environs.
That totals about $25,000 Australian dollars. But divide the
total by half for current U.S. value and the cost falls to about
$12,500 U.S. a year, times three years instead of four.
Faster Completion. For example, the popular Bachelor
of Business degree is a three-year program. Many Australian graduates
are ready to go on to graduate school while U.S. students are
still doing their undergraduate work. "It's certainly an
advantage," says Dennis Meehan, Manager of International
Marketing at UTS, the University of Technology, Sydney.
Work Experience Permitted. Also, overseas students
can get work permits for 20 hours a week during the academic
year and more work time during the break. Jobs are available.
"We encourage students who are over here for three years
to get a job," says Meehan. "It's value added, to be
able to say that you have not only studied, but worked in a foreign
country. That's particularly true for students in international
business."
A GOOD UNIVERSITIES GUIDE
The Sydney Morning Herald's The Good Universities
Guide, 11th edition, by Dean Ashenden & Sandra Milligan
(Hobsons Australia) lists the particulars about the various programs
for all 40 of the nation's universities. It also ranks Australian
universities based on its surveys. Its next update is July.
What are top "Prestige Schools" listed in the guide?
The University of Adelaide (www.adelaide .edu.au), Australian
National University (www.anu.edu.au), University of Melbourne
(www.unimelb.edu.au) and Monash University (www.monash. edu.au).
Also listed as top schools are University of Queen-sland (www.uq.edu.au),
University of Sydney (www.usyd.edu.au), University of New South
Wales (www.unsw.edu.au) and the University of Western Australia
(www.uwa.edu.au).
But most of the 32 other schools also run challenging, quality
programs.
The Good Universities Guide also rates "entry flexibility"
high among these schools: Australian Maritime College, Bond University,
Charles Sturt University, Curtin University of Technology, National
Institute of Dramatic Art, University of Notre Dame, Southern
Cross University, University of Western Sydney and University
of Wollongong offer flexible admissions.
Universities with the highest number of students from abroad
include: Central Queensland University (www.cqu.edu.au), Charles
Sturt University (www.csu.edu.au), Curtin University of Technology,
(www. curtin.edu.au), Deakin University (www. deakin.edu.au),
Melbourne, Monash, Queens-land University of Technology (www.qut.edu.au),
RMIT University (www.rmit.edu.au), University of Sydney, University
of South Australia (www. unisa.edu.au), University of South Queensland
(www.usq.edu.au) and University of Western Sydney (www.uws.edu.au).
CONTACT POINT
Who should a U.S. or overseas counselor or student
contact about possible admission to an Australian uni? According
to Meehan at UTS, "The contact point at any Australian university
is the International Office or something with a similar name.
All applications from overseas students go through this office.
Students should contact them first and last."
At UTS (www.uts.edu.au) students can apply at any time during
the year, but the Australian academic calendar runs from early
March to December, with two in-take periods between semesters
at most of the schools. Australia's summer break is during winter
in the U.S. when Australians often travel.
An overseas student should apply four months in advance, because
a student visa and travel arrangements also must be completed
and housing confirmed.
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VARYING DEGREES OF TOUGHNESS
The Good Universities Guide also lists information
about the various academic programs, where they are offered and
the varying degrees of "toughness" at getting in. Overall,
accounting, for example, is a relatively easy field to enter
(with some exceptions), while veterinary sciences is among the
toughest.
"Generally, students in the top quarter of their high
school classes, with good SATs and AP scores are likely to gain
admission to Australia's highest profile schools," advises
Murray Laurance of Insearch.
He notes that since government grants to universities have
been cut in recent years, many Australian universities now rely
upon full-paying overseas students. Thus, they recruit actively
overseas, most prominently in Asia, but have recruiters around
the world.
U.S. students will need to submit certified copies of their
academic transcripts and test scores to the university's international
office, advises UTS's Meehan.
REQUIREMENTS VARY PER DISCIPLINE
In Australia, entry into the specific pre-professional
fields requires different requirements. Some are rigorous, others
easier to gain entry.
In Australia, all high school students take high-stakes national
tests with scores that determine whether they can enter into
specific fields of study such as engineering or communications.
U.S. students will be judged against Australian students and
expected to be academically capable.
WHERE TO GET STARTED.
Start an Australian college search by contacting the
Australian Embassy in Washington DC at www.austemb.org. Other
Australian consulates can be found in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San
Francisco. The Australian Embassy website is an astounding resource
with maps identifying the location of an individual university
and links to other educational organizations.
Also, visit an individual university on the web. Locate the
International Student programs at those web sites for information
on admissions as an overseas student.
High school students can find out more information about a
study abroad program in Australia from a U.S. institution. College-bound
students should make inquiries during their campus visit, or
examine promotional materials from the college on study abroad
programs.
ADDITIONAL WEB SITES
A copy of The Good Universities Guide can be
ordered on-line with delivery in three to six days in the U.S.
Approximate cost: A$47. That web address is www.thegoodguides.com.au.
The info is available to members on-line (A$11, about $5 U.S.).
Every college has its own web page. Information on other Australia
universities can be found at:
Australian National University in Canberra: www.anu.edu.au;
Australian Catholic University of North Sydney: www.acu.edu.au;
University of Canberra: www.canberra.edu.au; Macquarie University
outside Sydney: www.mq.edu.au.
Also, Murray Laurence can be e-mailed at murray.laurence@insearch.edu.au.
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A New Freshman Profile
FOR THE LAST 30 years, researchers
at the University of California at Los Angeles have surveyed
the nation's freshmen as they enter college to find out their
attitudes about school and society. Now researchers are looking
more closely at how students experience their first year of college.
Their research report has just been released and is called,
"Your First College Year," a follow-up survey taken
in spring 2000 at the end of freshman year. Over 3,680 students
and 50 colleges and universities were surveyed by the Higher
Education Research Institute at UCLA. Here are some of the key
findings that should be of interest to the college bound.
Hard on Health
The results showed that today's freshmen are experiencing
physical and mental stress and are often not finding the educational
experiences they hoped to find. Only 45 percent of them said
they had "above average" mental health at the end of
their first college year.
But that was a serious decline from the 52 percent who felt
that way at the beginning of the school year. Students also recorded
a 10 percent decrease in the quality of their physical health
by the end of the year.
Depression is a major problem as well. In the fall, just 8
percent of students said they were depressed. By spring, 16 percent
reported feeling depressed. Many students simply said they were
"overwhelmed" by their college experience.
Academic Shortcomings
Study habits among these students were less than impressive:
only 65 percent of students spent more than 15 hours studying
each week. About 40 percent reported they were "bored by
their classes." In the fall, about 30 percent of students
were concerned with issues of racial harmony. But by spring,
that number had increased to over 38 percent.
Students often experienced disappointment in their learning
situation. Most students came to college seeking to learn through
discussion, but instead encountered extensive lecturing. And
60 percent were interested in internships, but only about 5 percent
had that experience by the end of the year.
That means college-bound high school students must take time
to check to see if prospective schools actually have these opportunities
for them and ask, "What type of internships are available?
What percent of students participate in internships?"
Financial Problems
Credit card debt was also a problem for almost 17 percent
of the students, while 60 percent actually overspent their budgets.
Meanwhile, more than 73 percent of the students aspired to be
well off financially, and 66 percent aspired to be an authority
in their field. But only 20 percent sought to influence the political
structure.
For the full results of this UCLA freshman year experience
survey at www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/yfcy.
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THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
 Early Plans
A Counselor's Perspective
AS SOMEONE ASSOCIATED with
college admissions for longer than my students have been alive,
I have both thoughts on, and a reaction to, the current debate
about "early" programs. The most recent national foray
into this murky arena is an article in the January 28, Newsweek
by Robert Samuelson. Each big news article brings the hope
of clarity and the reality of added confusion.
My initial reaction to the January Newsweek piece?
College admissions is a big business. Those lost in the ivory
tower notion that it is all about education probably should "snap
out of it." College admissions has become a buyer-seller
relationship with a twist.
Up to the point of application, students and parents are buyers.
Then the roles reverse. Students become the "sellers"
and the colleges become the "buyers." "Caveat
Emptor."
HIGHS AND LOWS
When Early Decision (requiring a binding commitment
if accepted) works well, it works from both sides of the admissions
desk. A truly focused student, with a clear notion of what constitutes
a great student-college match, does the needed research, including
visits, and is comfortable committing early to the "dream"
school. Successful ED families use this approach.
But ED can be calamitous. Things that make the picture murky
include: coaches, or anyone, encouraging athletes to apply early
as an admissions strategy; student and parent notions that this
is "the only way" the student can possibly get into
his top-choice college; students grabbing the ED option without
serious understanding of the process and/or without appropriate
research; and differential aid packaging that makes the situation
impossible-the word gapping comes to mind. The college selection
process is a major purchase, much like the purchase of a house,
and should get the same quality investigation.
WHAT COUNSELORS REALLY
THINK
Do high school counselors in general like early programs?
Almost universally, the answer is "No." (See Atlantic
Monthly, September, 2001.) Do many of us appreciate and respect
the position of our friends in the admissions office? "Yes."
But, given the concept of college admissions as a business, consider
ED from the following viewpoints:
- Bond agencies, I suspect, are most interested in ratings
that are generated, in part, by real or perceived selectivity
issues. These are the guys who, when Wow U wants to add another
expensive facility on campus, make doing so easier or more difficult;
- College presidents and boards are driven by the notion that
their institution be perceived as both competitive and desirable.
What better way than through high early applicant rates?
- Alums everywhere want their alma mater to be in demand, improving
their rate of giving, and adding to the perceived value of their
own educations;
- Admissions offices want to bring in the interested best and
brightest to their college campuses. They want happy, satisfied
customers, something any successful business wants;
- American society, obsessed by ratings of all kinds, wants
a way to quantify something that may not be so easily quantified.
NATIONAL FORUM NEEDED
The topic of "early" as it relates to college
admissions begs for a national forum to address its eccentricities,
values and future. At its worst, early admissions forces students
through a fast funnel-tunnel and fails to produce the quality
of introspection on a student's part that leads to a good match.
It also can limit diversity on campus: those in most need of
comparing aid packages are shut out of the early programs through
fear of, or reality of, cost.
At its best, early admissions serves the colleges that truly
get students who have university x as their first choice
school. It can make the mystique and hype surrounding the selection
process far more manageable, especially for those with strong
college advising programs.
In reality, early admissions isn't going away. Students need
to see it as more than an admissions strategy. It must be re-analyzed,
clarified and redefined to serve both the universities who use
it, and the students who select it as an admissions option. That
won't happen without meaningful dialogue, involvement of the
powerful admissions players and a public that demands a needed
review.
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WHAT SHOULD STUDENTS AND
PARENTS DO?
Given that it may take everyone involved some time
to sort out the needed new particulars, students and parents
considering ED should:
- Keep in mind that the decision to apply Early Decision, like
any college search, takes work. The term "super-campus sleuth"
comes to mind. This work must be done earlier than the regular
college search. The paperwork must be a front burner concern
too;
- Begin research on schools early. If Juniors haven't started,
they are behind;
- Consider that with over 4,000 institutions of higher education
to chose from, falling in love with the "only one"
probably serves the college's interest more than the student's.
(One of my first ED's at my current school, after her freshman
year at college, told her mom: "This is a great place for
me, but now I know it is a great place among many of the great
places where I could have been happy.");
- Remember that ED acceptance is binding. All other applications
must be withdrawn. Therefore, the ability to compare aid packages,
merit or need based, is removed from the student and family;
- Know that a lot of change occurs from fall of senior year
to graduation. Developmentally, it is a fascinating process to
watch. ED programs really don't appreciate or reward that growth;
- Visit the Harvard web site and read the piece written by
Harvard's Director of Admissions, William Fitzsimmons.
Much has been written about the hyper-stressed senior. ED
adds to the senior year pressure cooker.
Back to "Caveat Emptor."
ED isn't going away. It has both beneficial and unhealthy
sides. Dialogue is essential and can bring us closer to consensus
of where we ought to be. Change in this arena has profound consequences.
It won't come easily.
Mary Ann Willis is college counselor at Bayside Academy
in Daphne, Alabama, and a member of CB's Board of Advisors.
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
College Crime Update. The U.S. Department of Education
has released its most recent statistics (2000) on college crime.
The greatest increase was for hate crimes which rose by 38 percent
at the 6,269 schools in D.O.E.'s survey. Some observers said
that statistical leap was due to more accurate reporting.
Drug and alcohol arrests increased over 10 percent nationwide.
Murders were also up, with 16 in 2000, an increase of 5 over
1999.
Forcible sex offenses slightly decreased last year, while
non-forcible sex offenses rose by nearly 2 percent. Burglaries,
robberies and aggravated assaults rose marginally. Arson also
grew by almost 10 percent.
But car thefts and weapon violations declined. The numbers
for all of these categories were considerably higher when statistics
for surrounding neighborhoods were considered.
To find the crime statistics for individual -colleges and
universities of interest, go to: http://ope.ed.gov/security.
Millions Dream of Millions.
About 75 percent of junior high and high school boys think they
will become millionaires by age 40. But only 33 percent of girls
think they'll make it to the promised land by the same age. These
are the results of a new survey by Junior Achievement. Whether
the gender disparity indicates a lack of hope or different desires
on the part of the young women than to invest their lives in
pursuit of gold, was not studied.
Expensive Children. According
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it now costs $165,630
to raise a child for 17 years. That is up $5,000 since 1999.
About one-third of expenses go for housing. Another 17 percent
is eaten up by food. The Ag department said costs have gone up
13 percent since 1960.
Black College Web Sites.
Which black colleges have the best web sites? According to Howard
University's Digital Learning Lab's Archimedes Project, which
surveyed 103 historically black colleges, the honor falls to
Tennessee State University and Spelman College. Find complete
results at: http://data.dll.org/HBCUWebSiteRatings/October2001/default.asp.
Counseling Heavy Loads.
Statistics from the American Counseling Association indicate
that high school counseling workloads are getting heavier. The
association says an ideal caseload is about 250 students for
one counselor. But that number pales in the face of reality.
In California, for example, counselors face an unbelievable
workload of 1,029 students for every one counselor. Minnesota
has the second highest ratio with 880 students per counselor.
Arizona ranks next with 776 students per counselor. Illinois
has 698 students per counselor. Utah has 663 per counselor.
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ADWATCH
I.U. Soars. All the controversy surrounding Indiana
University's former basketball coach Bob Knight two years ago
didn't appear to hurt university admissions. Last year, 19,120
students applied to I.U., up from 18,698 the year before. This
fall, applications were running a full 30 percent higher, in
part because of Time magazine's profile of the school
as one of its "colleges of the year." At cross-state
rival Purdue, applications were running 10 percent ahead of last
year. Both schools are presumed beneficiaries of the trend for
students to stay closer to home, and perhaps out of the cities
during this time of trouble.
DePaul Getting Tougher. DePaul
University's "admit rate" is going down. That key barometer
declined from 81 percent in 1997 to 72 percent in 2001, DePaul's
associate vice president for enrollment management, Raymond Kennelly,
told the school's newspaper, The DePaulia.
During that same period, applications increased by 65 percent,
from 5,136 to 8,452. The university is projecting about 9,000
applications this year. About 1,900 students are expected to
make up the first-year class in 2002. Many have been attracted
by the university's aggressive building campaign, which includes
a new multi-purpose student center, the Ray Meyer Fitness and
Recreation Center, and a science building on its Lincoln Park
campus in Chicago's trendy Near North Side.
Kennelly says DePaul seeks students who are not only academically
prepared, but who demonstrate "character, leadership, compassion
and an ability to contribute to the campus environment."
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COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig
Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally
Reed; Contributor: Marc Davis; Circulation: Irma
Gonzalez-Hider; Illustration: Louis Coronel; Board
of Advisors: Rosita Fernandez-Rojo, Choate-Rosemary Hall;
Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford (N.Y.) Central School District;
Howard Greene, author, The Greenes' Guides to Educational
Planning Series; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D., educational
counselor; Virginia Vogel, Educational Guidance Services;
M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in St. Louis,
Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).
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