University of Sydney 2021 Thread

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Starting this thread as it looks like we don't have one this year for Sydney--anyone else applying here?

Also I did have a question, don't know if anyone would be able to help out. In the international admissions guide it says this:
Offers of places are made on the basis of merit, as indicated by applicants’ final rankings.

Applicants will be ranked on the basis of admissions test results. This will generate a single ranked list of applicants.

Offers will be made in sequence commencing with the applicant with the highest ranked score. Should it arise that applicants are ranked equally, the University reserves the right to use an additional selection tool, such as an interview or Situational Judgement Test (SJT). The University will give these applicants due notice of any additional requirements. If further separation is required, the applicants' GPA at the time of application may be used, at the discretion of the University.

That seems to imply that interviews aren't always required, but last year it looks like everyone who got in got an interview. Did something change since last year, or do they use interviews much more often than their policy implies?

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Starting this thread as it looks like we don't have one this year for Sydney--anyone else applying here?

Also I did have a question, don't know if anyone would be able to help out. In the international admissions guide it says this:


That seems to imply that interviews aren't always required, but last year it looks like everyone who got in got an interview. Did something change since last year, or do they use interviews much more often than their policy implies?

I am wondering this as well. Does anyone happen to know?
 
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According to the admissions guide 2021, there will be no interview just for this year.
 
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Hey guys! Not sure if this has been answered as of yet, but I'm applying this cycle for USyd and while they won't be using interviews this cycle for applications, they're making the application 100% based on DAT scores. So they're making one list using DAT scores, and if applicants have an exact tie that needs a tie-breaker, they can either use an interview a judgment test.

Only if necessary after THAT, aka the interview used to break ties, doesn't help them land on a decision, they can look at applicant GPA to further break the tie. Assuming all works out and your DAT is strong enough, you basically skip an interview and get an offer right away!
 
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I’ve applied to Syd as well, but for MD. Any Canadians on here?
I’m debating the age old question between UQ and Syd
 
I’ve applied to Syd as well, but for MD. Any Canadians on here?
I’m debating the age old question between UQ and Syd

Applied and considering uSyd as well pretty sure I’ll get in since I have pretty strong stats. Attracted to UQ more just cus it’s cheaper to live in Brisbane and longer permitted rotations (UQ doesn’t have to adhere to the 12 week rule of new York for IMG). I’m thinking of applying to residency in the US so for me that matters.
 
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Just got the confirmation page and submitted it. Really glad to get it since my GPA was very borderline! I guess we'll have to wait until September to hear more.
 
I’ve applied to Syd as well, but for MD. Any Canadians on here?
I’m debating the age old question between UQ and Syd

Current USyd student here.
I can reassure you that coming to USyd for med is not a wise idea.
You will very unlikely get residency/internship position (US, Canada, Aus) after you graduate.

reach out to me or ANY current USyd med student and they'll be able to tell you the same thing
 
Current USyd student here.
I can reassure you that coming to USyd for med is not a wise idea.
You will very unlikely get residency/internship position (US, Canada, Aus) after you graduate.

reach out to me or ANY current USyd med student and they'll be able to tell you the same thing
How is the internship situation this year? Could you elaborate why you think it’s not a good idea going to USyd?
 
I’ve decided on UQ and to apply to the states for residency but I did have a chance to talk on Facebook with 3 students at uSyd one in third and one in second the last I’m not sure (willing to send screenshots) that I found through LinkedIn and all of them told me the outlook was very good in terms of internships. I had a chance to look at the most recent HETI report (state reporting on internship placement) and it states the same thing everyone last yr got internships. Are you specifically talking about this yr I can imagine with Covid 19 it would be a challenge to do rotations and match in US/Canada ? I’m attaching the 2020 report below obviously it can’t predict the future bit it does paint a very good pic based on past data rather than anecdotal info. Not saying you’re wrong or invalidating you’re claims but I prefer data.

Relevant info from the doc: “On commencement of the Late Vacancy Management (LVM) Process in November 2019, NSW had 8 positions unfilled. By the close of the LVM on 27 March 2020, there were 14 medical graduates from Monash Malaysia (Category 6) who will remain unplaced for NSW for the 2020 clinical year.”

 
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How is the internship situation this year? Could you elaborate why you think it’s not a good idea going to USyd?
I’ve decided on UQ and to apply to the states for residency but I did have a chance to talk on Facebook with 3 students at uSyd one in third and one in second the last I’m not sure (willing to send screenshots) that I found through LinkedIn and all of them told me the outlook was very good in terms of internships. I had a chance to look at the most recent HETI report (state reporting on internship placement) and it states the same thing everyone last yr got internships. Are you specifically talking about this yr I can imagine with Covid 19 it would be a challenge to do rotations and match in US/Canada ? I’m attaching the 2020 report below obviously it can’t predict the future bit it does paint a very good pic based on past data rather than anecdotal info. Not saying you’re wrong or invalidating you’re claims but I prefer data.

Relevant info from the doc: “On commencement of the Late Vacancy Management (LVM) Process in November 2019, NSW had 8 positions unfilled. By the close of the LVM on 27 March 2020, there were 14 medical graduates from Monash Malaysia (Category 6) who will remain unplaced for NSW for the 2020 clinical year.”


I think you need to ask the right questions. The question you should be asking is how "your" chance would be (for someone starting 2021/2022) not "their" chances. As a current USyd student, my chances are alright, but I can't say the same about yours... and this is why

1. USyd changed their curriculum (commences in 2020). it's completely different from what it used to be (hence, ask about "your" experience, not "theirs"). The new curriculum is more disorganized (reasonably so, as it is new). What's concerning is that USyd's electives are now in year 3 instead of year 4 (it makes elective a bit harder to apply. and FYI electives are very important to match to Cad/US).

2. USyd no longer has ties with Cad/US schools (the Pacific bridge program that you read about hardly exists anymore)

3. Australia opened up a few med schools/positions in the past few years (esp. last year), without much increase in internship positions. staying in Aus after med school is no longer a feasible option (I will get one if i'm lucky, but i can look and tell you that you'll need much more luck than i do)

And without having to mention, COVID also changes things (idk how or if it makes it harder, but certainly not easier). Oh did I mention the tuition increase? Don't be surprised if you pay $90k+ a year (not including cost of living)

@TheIndianHustler I suggest you reach out to the same people but reframe your questions. Ask about the pacific bridge program (or whether it still exists), the importance of electives and organizing electives (specifically mention that now that it's in third year and how that affects things), faculty's unwillingness to accomodate international students, and internship opportunity trends (not the current situation).
 
How is the internship situation this year? Could you elaborate why you think it’s not a good idea going to USyd?

But FYI and to answer your question about current situation (which I reiterate, does not apply to you):
internship situation is okay here. we will likely get a position (it is just a matter of how rural). going to USyd was also a great idea, as it had good reputation, teaching, and research opportunities. the cohort very supportive. clinicians and acedemics are always available and happy to answer questions. It is definitely possible (but not easy or even likely for that matter) to match to US/Canada.
 
1. According to this link below (Note that this is the new 2020 curriculum and clearly stated so and separate from the pre 2020 curriculum which is also in the same link electives are in fact in yr 4 and not in yr 3) :

apart from this link the webinar they did this yr for incoming students which I can’t find a link to they also stated that electives are in 4th yr?

Also this video Specifically about the new curriculum states that electives are in yr 4:

how could you be at uSyd and not know this? Not trying to challnege you I mean it in the most respectful way @kmf_51920

2. With regards to the pacific bridge program I was sent this by a current student it seems hardly dead to me:
567DA84D-5936-4A9E-90D0-3533D9F7EDB4.png


3. wrt to more schools vs internship positions that’s I’m not sure about but this link suggests otherwise and more of a plateauing of anything of commencing grads until 2019 https://www.amsa.org.au/sites/amsa.org.au/files/Internships for International Students (2019).pdf

4. The tuition is high but cheaper than most US MD schools and esp cheaper than SGU the “best” in the Carib which is 320 USD or 450 AUD but expensive nonetheless
 
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@TheIndianHustler
1.
It's your life and the choice is yours. We were also told the same thing by USyd that electives are in 4th year but it is in fact in 3rd year for entering class of 2019 (like you said, how can one be in the program and not know about it...). USyd might have changed it back to 4th year for the cohort after us, but bottom line is "USyd does what they want and they can't be trusted". talk to the student you spoke with again and ask specifically about electives timeline for the 2019 entering class. Again, you can say oh that's just for the 2019 class. 2021 class will be fine- well, maybe, maybe not- USyd is volatile and you shouldn't count on it.

2.
I see where you're coming from. That's the elective program not the pacific bridge program. The global health office is no longer existent. Ask the people you spoke with, specifically bring up pacific bridge program (as opposed to elective program) and they'll tell you. I did mention that electives "could be" in 3rd years for you (and definitely "is" in 3rd year for us) so you won't be eligible for a handful of them right? When I applied, under "Canada" and "US", there were more than 3 schools per country. that's what it looks like now: Sydney elective placements. (if the GHO is even still a thing)

3.
Self-explanatory. If you want to think that Australia will miraculously open up hundred of int spots to accomodate international students, I can't change your mind. Future is unpredictable. Maybe they will

4.
Again, choice is yours. I'd rather pay more to get a job than pay $450k and not have a job.
 
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@kmf_51920 I really appreciate you providing your insight here. What's the difference between doing an elective in the US/Canada and the pacific bridge program?
 
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@kmf_51920 I really appreciate you providing your insight here. What's the difference between doing an elective in the US/Canada and the pacific bridge program?

Pacific Bridge Initiative traditionally means that you can do a specialty/core block (e.g. surgery) in one of their partner schools.
Now: they no longer have as many (if at all) partner schools so PBI is just self-arranged electives with a bit more paper work (than electives).

It's not the biggest deal, but the main point is that USyd changes things without telling its international students
 
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Thanks @kmf_51920 I'm not personally going to uSyd but it’s important to know your experience for others who are. UQ has been much more transparent as to where ppl matched for residency in US/CANADA and internship locations (All of them were employed last yr somewhere). I think it’s a risk either way though. I have talked to many more UQ students/grads through LinkedIn and they are happy with the education and internship chances and rightly so cus all of them have gotten one until now. If you have any friends at UQ @kmf_51920 that have differing opinions let us know as well Cus I think most of us here are debating UQ and uSyd (if we get in).
 
Might find these data sets helpful, breaks down info on intern commencements in each state:

medicaldeans site also has good info on medical student number projections and enrolment:

In my opinion WA and VIC are the two best states for internship chances. Both states have int'l graduates as having priority over interstate domestic applicants (with the exception of those who did high school in WA). Plus I believe they have the lowest percentage of int'l students, with WA having the lowest at around 6-7%. Don't think it's a coincidence there. But the downside is both of those schools do not have much support for North Americans.
 
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If anyone is curious, as of last year and among the Canadians I know, all of them secured internship positions.

With regards to the 2021 cohort, I'm not sure what is going to happen because no non-Australian is allowed in the country under current travel restrictions. Unsubstantiated rumour has it that they may not take international students next year due to this hurdle; regardless there will likely be additional fees required to pay for 14 day quarantine at a designated hotel on arrival ($3000).
 
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I think that rumor is driven by an increase in CSPs associated with the Dubbo program, I don't know the exact details but it's something like 25 students per year meaning a total of 100 new CSPs. It's really unlikely they'll refuse to take international students this year given how much they rely on tuition. I guess we'll see next week though when they release offers!
 
If anyone is curious, as of last year and among the Canadians I know, all of them secured internship positions.

With regards to the 2021 cohort, I'm not sure what is going to happen because no non-Australian is allowed in the country under current travel restrictions. Unsubstantiated rumour has it that they may not take international students next year due to this hurdle; regardless there will likely be additional fees required to pay for 14 day quarantine at a designated hotel on arrival ($3000).

Where did you get that rumor from? I've just received an e-mail from Usyd that the offer release date for international students has been postponed to 10/7 and wonder if this has anything to do with what you've said..?
 
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Rumor is probably from the Pagingdr forums, which is focused primarily on Australian students applying to medical school.

Yeah the delay makes me wonder as well, not sure what's going on...
 
I think that rumor is driven by an increase in CSPs associated with the Dubbo program, I don't know the exact details but it's something like 25 students per year meaning a total of 100 new CSPs. It's really unlikely they'll refuse to take international students this year given how much they rely on tuition. I guess we'll see next week though when they release offers!

Dubbo campus commences 2022 so won't have an effect on our class
 
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Just wanted to post to say, wtf is going on here! It's crazy to think USYD will require mandatory deferrals this year, with the prospect of the Australian border remaining closed until the start of classes. And USYD confirmed that they will not be offering classes online. if there was ever a time to pressure the university, it would be now.

Take care, and ja bless!
 
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Just wanted to post to say, wtf is going on here! It's crazy to think USYD will require mandatory deferrals this year, with the prospect of the Australian border remaining closed until the start of classes. And USYD confirmed that they will not be offering classes online. if there was ever a time to pressure the university, it would be now.

Take care, and ja bless!

btw where did Usyd say they won't be offering online courses?
 
btw where did Usyd say they won't be offering online courses?

a university partner has been informed of this. It is simply too much to coordinate for them, and they were only able to do so pn an ad-hoc and emergency basis for the existing class.
 
Finishing up my last two secondaries and waiting for interviews (as well as communication from USyd) while finishing my last semester and continuing my volunteering. Not really much else to do to be honest.
 
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Where did you get that rumor from? I've just received an e-mail from Usyd that the offer release date for international students has been postponed to 10/7 and wonder if this has anything to do with what you've said..?

I can't remember if it was from a faculty meeting or from one of the webinars they ran for international students. Regardless, the border remains closed until at least October, when I believe they are going to trial admission of around 300 international students to determine its impact. Still, $3000 is the cost to put you up at a government-designated hotel for a 2-week mandated quarantine, though that may not matter in light of a $80k tuition.

source: www.sbs.com.au/language/english/will-the-first-batch-of-international-students-return-to-australia-before-christmas
 
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I have a 513 as well. In the past years, it seemed like anything above 510 was solid unless you did poorly in the interview. Things are a bit unpredictable this year with no interview, border restriction, etc. We will have to wait and see..
 
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I have a 513 as well. In the past years, it seemed like anything above 510 was solid unless you did poorly in the interview. Things are a bit unpredictable this year with no interview, border restriction, etc. We will have to wait and see..
Did you apply anywhere else? All my eggs are in he USYD bucket lol other than a few local schools.
 
Nope. Usyd is the only school I've applied to. lol The waiting definitely feels like ages. Will you still be attending Usyd if you get in and also get into any of the other local schools?
 
Nope. Usyd is the only school I've applied to. lol The waiting definitely feels like ages. Will you still be attending Usyd if you get in and also get into any of the other local schools?
No, most definitely not. But local schools start way later, so I wouldn't find out until having to start at USyd if accepted.
 
No, most definitely not. But local schools start way later, so I wouldn't find out until having to start at USyd if accepted.

But that's really quite a hassle if you move down to Sydney then have to move all the way back...

Oh wait, what if you start at USyd, then find out you have a domestic acceptance? Will you continue at USyd?
 
But that's really quite a hassle if you move down to Sydney then have to move all the way back...

Oh wait, what if you start at USyd, then find out you have a domestic acceptance? Will you continue at USyd?

You're exactly right, Hazle. My local schools are much cheaper however. Also, if we are required to defer, that may actually help the whole process of not having to waste money for one tuition if I get into the other.
 
You're exactly right, Hazle. My local schools are much cheaper however. Also, if we are required to defer, that may actually help the whole process of not having to waste money for one tuition if I get into the other.
That's so true. I have a 516 and I am applying to 40 schools in the US - regardless of the border restriction, I may still request to defer so that I won't have the hassle of figuring out I have an acceptance back here in February.
 
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That's so true. I have a 516 and I am applying to 40 schools in the US - regardless of the border restriction, I may still request to defer so that I won't have the hassle of figuring out I have an acceptance back here in February.

I'm sure one of those schools will pan out for you! The more shorts you take... right!?

Deferring is a good option. But starting in January is also good as I REALLY WANNA BE BACK IN SCHOOL.
 
I'm sure one of those schools will pan out for you! The more shorts you take... right!?

Deferring is a good option. But starting in January is also good as I REALLY WANNA BE BACK IN SCHOOL.

Lemme just say that with a 513 (paired with decent GPA), you WILL get in somewhere.
 
Did you guys receive an email from USYD?
 
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I don't understand why they wouldn't even take into account that the situation is still evolving. Although it is highly unlikely that the border reopens by the early 2021 at the moment, no one can be 100% sure. What if it does reopen at the end of this year? I just read an article that came out yesterday saying the NSW state minister is working very hard towards letting international students in by the end of 2020/early 2021. I think it is absurd that they make the final decision only based on the current location of the students without any further consideration of possible changes that may happen in the future..I don't know. Just ranting.

Best of luck everyone and hope those of you who have been waiting get in somewhere.
 
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I don't understand why they wouldn't even take into account that the situation is still evolving. Although it is highly unlikely that the border reopens by the early 2021 at the moment, no one can be 100% sure. What if it does reopen at the end of this year? I just read an article that came out yesterday saying the NSW state minister is working very hard towards letting international students in by the end of 2020/early 2021. I think it is absurd that they make the final decision only based on the current location of the students without any further consideration of possible changes that may happen in the future..I don't know. Just ranting.

Best of luck everyone and hope those of you who have been waiting get in somewhere.

Exactly. This seems to speak volumes about USYD as an organization: they’re uncaring and not at all considered with being empathetic. This comment specifically was echoed by many current int. students and is what heeded me to choose UQ over USYD. I’m certainly glad I did this. As amazing as USYD is, it’s unfortunate it’s this deaf to its students.
 
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Just postponed my application to 2022. Like... what?

On a side note, I was contacted three months ago pre-secondary by LECOM citing that as an international student I may be subject to travel bans and they automatically postpone my application to the next cycle, even if I told them that I am living right next to Pennsylvania border. :confused:
 
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So this is what USYD is all about, in case any one wanted to know.

Thank you for your application to undertake the Doctor of Medicine at the University of Sydney.

New requirement for courses requiring physical presence in Australia
In light of government restrictions on travel to Australia, the University has amended the eligibility criteria for admission to your course to require students to be physically present in Australia: see clauses 13A and 19A of the Coursework Policy.

As a result, international applicants will be eligible for admission only if they are able to demonstrate they are physically present in Australia. To enable us to further consider your application and eligibility for admission, please confirm by clicking this link to confirm your current location

Please provide your response by 30 September 2020.

Depending on your responses you may be asked to indicate whether you wish to suspend your application until 2022 or withdraw your application. If applicants decide to suspend their application, their application will be held over until 2022 and will not need to pay a further application fee. Applicants who decide to withdraw will have any University of Sydney application processing fee paid for the Doctor of Medicine and/or Doctor of Dental Medicine 2021 intake, refunded.

Applicants are reminded that the University will rely on this information when assessing your eligibility for admission to the course. Any false or misleading statements would be grounds for the University to withdraw and cancel any offer of admission or to terminate your enrolment. Additionally, the University does not refund fees if a student’s offer of admission or enrolment is terminated due to the provision of false or misleading information.

How we will use your response
Your response will be used to determine whether you are eligible for admission to this course.
If you are not physically present in Australia, you will not be eligible and will not be considered for admission in 2021.
If you do not respond by the date specified, we will not be able to assess your eligibility and your application may be removed from further consideration.
If you are physically present in Australia, you will be considered eligible for admission and may receive an offer of admission subject to other relevant admission procedures.
If you receive an offer, you will be required to demonstrate that you are physically present in Australia by providing a statutory declaration to the University in the form attached to your letter of offer declaring and affirming that, as the date of the declaration, you are physically present in Australia.

When you make a statutory declaration, you are declaring that the statements in it are true. It is a criminal offence to intentionally make a false statement in a statutory declaration. The University will conduct a random audit of these declarations for compliance purposes.

Reasons for these changes
This course requires students to engage in extensive clinical and research training via face-to-face teaching and placements in Australia. This is to ensure graduates of the degree meet the requirements to be eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and that the University meets its obligations as a higher education provider.

After careful consideration, the University has determined this course is not able to be undertaken remotely. We consider it is unlikely that applicants who are currently overseas will be able to travel to Australia in time for Semester 1, 2021 due to the global coronavirus pandemic. This would mean you would not be able to meet the requirements for progression in your course and may forfeit your deposit or be liable for tuition fees while being unable to attend face-to-face classes in Australia.

We acknowledge these changes may be disappointing for some applicants and appreciate the interest you have expressed in studying at the University of Sydney.
You can contact Admissions Medicine at [email protected] or call us if you have any questions about the Doctor of Medicine or your application.
 
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Has anyone received this e-mail just a few hours ago?

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Dear student

Congratulations on your unconditional offer to study with us at the University of Sydney in 2021. We are writing to you to let you know that the Academic Board has recently determined to delay the start and end dates for the two main semesters in 2021 by one week as a response to the delay in Semester 2, 2020. This will not impact your course length or content, but it will mean that we will reissue your offer letter with the new commencement date.

Welcome Week for Semester 1, 2021 will now commence on 22 February 2021 and Semester 1 teaching will run from 1 March 2021 to 4 June 2021.  All 2021 semester dates will be updated on the University website over the next couple of weeks.

You will soon receive a revised unconditional offer that will reflect the revised start dates. Please accept the new offer once you are ready.

We look forward to welcoming you to the University of Sydney academic community in 2021. If you have any questions, please contact our Regional Experts who will be happy to assist you with the next steps.
 
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Has anyone received this e-mail just a few hours ago?

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Dear student

Congratulations on your unconditional offer to study with us at the University of Sydney in 2021. We are writing to you to let you know that the Academic Board has recently determined to delay the start and end dates for the two main semesters in 2021 by one week as a response to the delay in Semester 2, 2020. This will not impact your course length or content, but it will mean that we will reissue your offer letter with the new commencement date.

Welcome Week for Semester 1, 2021 will now commence on 22 February 2021 and Semester 1 teaching will run from 1 March 2021 to 4 June 2021.  All 2021 semester dates will be updated on the University website over the next couple of weeks.

You will soon receive a revised unconditional offer that will reflect the revised start dates. Please accept the new offer once you are ready.

We look forward to welcoming you to the University of Sydney academic community in 2021. If you have any questions, please contact our Regional Experts who will be happy to assist you with the next steps.
I'm a UQ stan just passing by but I'll leave my 0.02. Maybe they're changing the start dates so that the whole class has to re-accept their offers and confirm they're in the country. That way, the students who don't meet the second condition will be unable to accept the second offer and the school can say it didn't defer them, they just didn't meet the new enrolment requirements?
 
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