University of Sydney C/O 2025

[youstinatutti]

nevermind haha I just got an acceptance!!!!! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!

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[DrinkWater95]

Hi! I was wondering if you could share a bit more about the online courses and what other international students already in the program have done this year? Are they mostly based in Australia like yourself, or are there many who are now overseas and taking courses online?

In general how have the online courses been?

I emailed the school and they confirmed core classes will be held online next semester so I wanted to hear your perspective on the unusual experience

Heya!

There are a handful of international student from each year stuck overseas. The school is trying to work with these students, but it’s hard in some cases.

The students who are in the US and Canada are in the best position to progress through the degree. The school has managed to get accredited vet schools in these countries to allow the students to take essential practical classes in person. There’s still a chance that these students will have to defer if Australia doesn’t open the borders. I predict the US students will be the last students to be allowed back given how bad COVID is in the US.

The school has urged students to not leave Australia as it may affect their progression through the degree. I’m really not sure how the school plans to deal with incoming classes.

All in all, the online classes are high quality and better in some ways. You can pause and rewind the recordings and can really digest the material opposed to missing things like you might in an in-person classe. There are still some interactive lectures, tutorials and practicals held via zoom. I find these high quality as well. The chat feature is good for students who want to ask questions but are too shy to normally ask when in person.

All in all, the staff has done a wonderful job at accommodating the majority of students throughout these weird times.

 

[phyllostachys]

nevermind haha I just got an acceptance!!!!! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!

When did you get yours? Congratulations!!!

 

[youstinatutti]

When did you get yours? Congratulations!!!

I got mine 15 minutes ago!

 

[youstinatutti]

I'm confused. I got a conditional acceptance because I'm still wrapping up my BS and don't graduate until December which is fair. But in the offer letter it says "and (ii) there being sufficient places available in the year in which you have applied for course commencement." Does this mean that I don't have a spot saved and there's a chance I can still get rejected if more unconditionals accept their offers leading to no more seats? Can anyone clarify please?

 

[HappyToro]

I got mine too!!!

 

[crs527]

I got mine too!!!

Congrats!!!!!!!!! What time did you get yours?

 

[HappyToro]

Congrats!!!!!!!!! What time did you get yours?

Thanks! i heard back last night.

 

[crs527]

Has anyone else on this thread not heard anything from Sydney yet?? I’m starting to get a lil nervous

 

[deleted1072412]

Has anyone else on this thread not heard anything from Sydney yet?? I’m starting to get a lil nervous

I haven't heard anything either. However, currently it's about 5:15am in Sydney so it may be awhile before we hear back if they send anything out today haha. Doesn't make it any less stressful!

 

[phyllostachys]

I haven't heard anything either. However, currently it's about 5:15am in Sydney so it may be awhile before we hear back if they send anything out today haha. Doesn't make it any less stressful!

I haven’t heard anything either. They need to put me out of this misery 🥺

 

[Burritocat]

I didnt hear back either! I know they’re sleeping right now but i cant stop checking my email just incase🤪

 

[youstinatutti]

I didnt hear back either! I know they’re sleeping right now but i cant stop checking my email just incase🤪

According to Google they celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday instead of Thursday, so they may be closed? I'm not too sure. I'm pretty sure they are sending out decisions still! Also, according to their timeline online, if you don't get one in November, they are still sending invites out in December! If you also really want to know and need an ease of mind since emails are taking forever, you can call them (through Google Voice international calls are 1 cent per minute), and they will tell you your decision over the phone or if your application is still with faculty.

 

[DrinkWater95]

I'm confused. I got a conditional acceptance because I'm still wrapping up my BS and don't graduate until December which is fair. But in the offer letter it says "and (ii) there being sufficient places available in the year in which you have applied for course commencement." Does this mean that I don't have a spot saved and there's a chance I can still get rejected if more unconditionals accept their offers leading to no more seats? Can anyone clarify please?

When I received my offer I got the same conditional offer. I think technically they can fill to capacity because they send out more acceptances than they can fit. However, I don’t see that happening - especially this year. I don’t think they have a hard cap on how many people they accept either. My class size is ~135.

According to Google they celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday instead of Thursday, so they may be closed? I'm not too sure. I'm pretty sure they are sending out decisions still! Also, according to their timeline online, if you don't get one in November, they are still sending invites out in December! If you also really want to know and need an ease of mind since emails are taking forever, you can call them (through Google Voice international calls are 1 cent per minute), and they will tell you your decision over the phone or if your application is still with faculty.

Also, they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here - it’s an America holiday. Although I think they may do some Black Friday sales lol. The school is open today

 

[Chiblits]

nevermind haha I just got an acceptance!!!!! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats!!!! Also, to answer your question from before yes, I am an international student (from US).

 

[Chiblits]

Heya!

There are a handful of international student from each year stuck overseas. The school is trying to work with these students, but it’s hard in some cases.

The students who are in the US and Canada are in the best position to progress through the degree. The school has managed to get accredited vet schools in these countries to allow the students to take essential practical classes in person. There’s still a chance that these students will have to defer if Australia doesn’t open the borders. I predict the US students will be the last students to be allowed back given how bad COVID is in the US.

The school has urged students to not leave Australia as it may affect their progression through the degree. I’m really not sure how the school plans to deal with incoming classes.

All in all, the online classes are high quality and better in some ways. You can pause and rewind the recordings and can really digest the material opposed to missing things like you might in an in-person classe. There are still some interactive lectures, tutorials and practicals held via zoom. I find these high quality as well. The chat feature is good for students who want to ask questions but are too shy to normally ask when in person.

All in all, the staff has done a wonderful job at accommodating the majority of students throughout these weird times.

I can confirm some of this because my brother is currently finishing his second year over there. He said that the school told him and other international students that they are free to leave for holidays and to see family, but it is not recommended because they may not be able to come back into Australia with closed borders. So, we won't be seeing him for Christmas or anything because there is a chance that he may not be able to go back.

All of his classes are online (through zoom and some prerecorded lectures) and the only thing he has to ;eave for is to do his placements. As far as anything else goes it's just all by ear.

 

[Chiblits]

I have a question that maybe someone here could shed some light on. Has anyone accepted the offer yet as an international student with the intention of paying with government loans? I ask because my brother before he accepted his position the school specifically said not to until he received an email with revised tuition charges (so instead of paying 50% of the cost up front it was only 5%).

I have already emailed the school with the same inquiry, and I'll admit I'm just a tad impatient because I don't want to lose the opportunity, but I also don't want to accept before I get confirmation. I imagine they must all be pretty busy with tons of students probably asking about the classes and COVID so I was just wondering what happened with you guys. If i get a response soon I will let you know what they say!

 

[HappyToro]

Heya!

There are a handful of international student from each year stuck overseas. The school is trying to work with these students, but it’s hard in some cases.

The students who are in the US and Canada are in the best position to progress through the degree. The school has managed to get accredited vet schools in these countries to allow the students to take essential practical classes in person. There’s still a chance that these students will have to defer if Australia doesn’t open the borders. I predict the US students will be the last students to be allowed back given how bad COVID is in the US.

The school has urged students to not leave Australia as it may affect their progression through the degree. I’m really not sure how the school plans to deal with incoming classes.

All in all, the online classes are high quality and better in some ways. You can pause and rewind the recordings and can really digest the material opposed to missing things like you might in an in-person classe. There are still some interactive lectures, tutorials and practicals held via zoom. I find these high quality as well. The chat feature is good for students who want to ask questions but are too shy to normally ask when in person.

All in all, the staff has done a wonderful job at accommodating the majority of students throughout these weird times.

Thank you!

How was your first year experience? Was the workload manageable, or was it an intense experience? Did you find that the prerequisites (biochem, ochem, chem 1 and biology) were enough to prepare you for the first year? Just wondering how heavy the workload is, and what to expect! Thanks again! So helpful to have someone in the program that to answer questions!

 

[DrinkWater95]

Thank you!

How was your first year experience? Was the workload manageable, or was it an intense experience? Did you find that the prerequisites (biochem, ochem, chem 1 and biology) were enough to prepare you for the first year? Just wondering how heavy the workload is, and what to expect! Thanks again! So helpful to have someone in the program that to answer questions!

Nothing you do really prepares you for vet school.

In undergrad, I often had 16 credit semesters and worked 30 hours a week while commuting 1.5 hours each way to school 3 days a week. This helped me with my time management, but didn’t really prepare me for the workload in vet school. I didn’t have to study in undergrad.

For vet school I literally study like 2-4 hours a day on top of the 7-9 hours of class work each day. We have
24 credits each semester. I dedicate about 50-60 hours to vet school each week. I don’t have a formal job but a lot of my classmates manage to work 1 day a week.

I think the thing that will help you the most is finding a study method that works best for you. I had to learn how to study and it was trial and error. It’ll still be trial and error for some people who know how to study. Sometimes it just depends on the content that you’re learning.

There’s definitely a learning curve at the beginning but you get the hang of it. First year was tedious. Second year has been great, you start learning about diseases and things fall into place a bit more. I’m sure third and fourth year just get better and better because you’re that much closer to being a vet.

 

[HappyToro]

Nothing you do really prepares you for vet school.

In undergrad, I often had 16 credit semesters and worked 30 hours a week while commuting 1.5 hours each way to school 3 days a week. This helped me with my time management, but didn’t really prepare me for the workload in vet school. I didn’t have to study in undergrad.

For vet school I literally study like 2-4 hours a day on top of the 7-9 hours of class work each day. We have
24 credits each semester. I dedicate about 50-60 hours to vet school each week. I don’t have a formal job but a lot of my classmates manage to work 1 day a week.

I think the thing that will help you the most is finding a study method that works best for you. I had to learn how to study and it was trial and error. It’ll still be trial and error for some people who know how to study. Sometimes it just depends on the content that you’re learning.

There’s definitely a learning curve at the beginning but you get the hang of it. First year was tedious. Second year has been great, you start learning about diseases and things fall into place a bit more. I’m sure third and fourth year just get better and better because you’re that much closer to being a vet.

Thank you! When you mentioned the 7-9 hours, did you mean 7-9 hours including gaps/breaks in between class? Or did you mean actual contact hours (and so the day itself would be much longer than 9 hours since there are breaks between classes)?

Was it the amount of material that was demanding? Or the course content itself is quite hard? I was reading the course descriptions online — is the Foundations of Vet sciences that is most challenging, or are the other classes also quite difficult?

Sorry to bombard you with so many questions! trying to get a handle on the work load, especially since we’ll be online. Thanks again!

 

[DrinkWater95]

Thank you! When you mentioned the 7-9 hours, did you mean 7-9 hours including gaps/breaks in between class? Or did you mean actual contact hours (and so the day itself would be much longer than 9 hours since there are breaks between classes)?

Was it the amount of material that was demanding? Or the course content itself is quite hard? I was reading the course descriptions online — is the Foundations of Vet sciences that is most challenging, or are the other classes also quite difficult?

Sorry to bombard you with so many questions! trying to get a handle on the work load, especially since we’ll be online. Thanks again!

Ah no worries, the unknown is exciting and scary!

Each day is usually 9-5 with a 1 hour break for lunch. So usually 7ish hours of content. However, it can sometimes go longer or shorter. Additionally, if you’re involved in clubs and such you’ll have the occasional lunch time meeting.

Not sure how they plan to do it this year, but for my first year we did in person classes 2x a week for animal handling (Vets6101 I believe it was). There days ranged from half days to 10 hour days depending on where you live. Transport could take 2ish hours one way if you go by train.

Foundations will be your hard class. It’s basically anatomy, physiology and histology all in one. The content isn’t super hard, it’s just a lot of content to remember. There will honestly be things you just need to remember for tests and forget. While there are other things that are important to remember. It’s a juggling act for sure

 

[youstinatutti]

When I received my offer I got the same conditional offer. I think technically they can fill to capacity because they send out more acceptances than they can fit. However, I don’t see that happening - especially this year. I don’t think they have a hard cap on how many people they accept either. My class size is ~135.

Also, they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here - it’s an America holiday. Although I think they may do some Black Friday sales lol. The school is open today

I saw in the thread you posted when you first got accepted that they said they'd hold your seat for you until you submit your documents. Is that true? I really want to go to USYD, but it sucks that I'm at the mercy of my University's timeline and it's not something I can really control. Also, I understand that we have to submit proof of graduation which can either be an Official Transcript or Diploma. My diploma isn't coming in until late February, and my university does not provide electronic official transcripts to us. Can we just upload an Unofficial transcript as our supporting document, or would this not count? I'm sorry, I know this is typically a question I should be asking them but I'm hoping that you'd have an answer. Also, I tried reaching out to you privately to ask more questions but for some reason it is not allowing me to start a convo with you

 

[Chiblits]

I saw in the thread you posted when you first got accepted that they said they'd hold your seat for you until you submit your documents. Is that true? I really want to go to USYD, but it sucks that I'm at the mercy of my University's timeline and it's not something I can really control. Also, I understand that we have to submit proof of graduation which can either be an Official Transcript or Diploma. My diploma isn't coming in until late February, and my university does not provide electronic official transcripts to us. Can we just upload an Unofficial transcript as our supporting document, or would this not count? I'm sorry, I know this is typically a question I should be asking them but I'm hoping that you'd have an answer. Also, I tried reaching out to you privately to ask more questions but for some reason it is not allowing me to start a convo with you

Maybe I can be of assistance. I applied for USYD in the summer/fall of 2019 and at the time I was finishing up courses/bachelor's so I did not have anything but unofficial transcripts. I was able to upload those unofficial documents in the meantime and there wasn't any problem with it and once my transcripts were available, I believe I emailed the department directly. However, it is always best to ask them yourself and have a written email in case there is ever any problem about something being different than what you were told. I would contact them directly and just make sure it's alright.

Plus, with COVID-19 they may be more lenient on timelines especially since now the semester is finishing up for many students.

 

[Chiblits]

I have a question that maybe someone here could shed some light on. Has anyone accepted the offer yet as an international student with the intention of paying with government loans? I ask because my brother before he accepted his position the school specifically said not to until he received an email with revised tuition charges (so instead of paying 50% of the cost up front it was only 5%).

I have already emailed the school with the same inquiry, and I'll admit I'm just a tad impatient because I don't want to lose the opportunity, but I also don't want to accept before I get confirmation. I imagine they must all be pretty busy with tons of students probably asking about the classes and COVID so I was just wondering what happened with you guys. If i get a response soon I will let you know what they say!

Update if anyone had the same question. I got an email back and USYD needed me to fill out a form for Federal Aid and renew my 2020-2021 FAFSA. They told me not to accept my offer until they change the tuition amount and that I would receive another offer with the correction in 24-48hrs.

 

[Burritocat]

According to Google they celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday instead of Thursday, so they may be closed? I'm not too sure. I'm pretty sure they are sending out decisions still! Also, according to their timeline online, if you don't get one in November, they are still sending invites out in December! If you also really want to know and need an ease of mind since emails are taking forever, you can call them (through Google Voice international calls are 1 cent per minute), and they will tell you your decision over the phone or if your application is still with faculty.

According to Google they celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday instead of Thursday, so they may be closed? I'm not too sure. I'm pretty sure they are sending out decisions still! Also, according to their timeline online, if you don't get one in November, they are still sending invites out in December! If you also really want to know and need an ease of mind since emails are taking forever, you can call them (through Google Voice international calls are 1 cent per minute), and they will tell you your decision over the phone or if your application is still with faculty.

wow i didnt even know google voice existed, thanks for the tip! + which number did you call? the general admissions office?

 

[DrinkWater95]

I saw in the thread you posted when you first got accepted that they said they'd hold your seat for you until you submit your documents. Is that true? I really want to go to USYD, but it sucks that I'm at the mercy of my University's timeline and it's not something I can really control. Also, I understand that we have to submit proof of graduation which can either be an Official Transcript or Diploma. My diploma isn't coming in until late February, and my university does not provide electronic official transcripts to us. Can we just upload an Unofficial transcript as our supporting document, or would this not count? I'm sorry, I know this is typically a question I should be asking them but I'm hoping that you'd have an answer. Also, I tried reaching out to you privately to ask more questions but for some reason it is not allowing me to start a convo with you

I cannot remember exactly how it went down, but whatever I’ve said in previous threads would be correct. I recall being a bit overwhelmed/confused like you but it all ended up working out. It’s tough when the timeline is so short compared to other schools starting in August/Sept.

I’m sure the University will work with you and your individual circumstance. I’m sure they’re aware of the usual hiccups students may face along the way. If I remember correctly, I provided them with an unofficial transcript but later updated them with my official transcript. I recall sometime during my 1st year they spot checked some student’s academic records to ensure things were forged - mine was one of the ones spot checked. I think they made direct contact with my previous schools to verify classes I had taken.

I would just wait for the schools response to see how you proceed. I’m sure they’re inundated with emails but will get to it.

I’ll try to send you a message so you can ask any further questions if you’d like.

 

[youstinatutti]

wow i didnt even know google voice existed, thanks for the tip! + which number did you call? the general admissions office?

This is the number I called +61 2 8627 1444. I used Google Voice, which as I mentioned, is only 1 cent per minute (which I still can't believe!). They're really great with answering the calls quickly and don't have you on hold for an hour! Longest I've been on hold is like 5 minutes.

I cannot remember exactly how it went down, but whatever I’ve said in previous threads would be correct. I recall being a bit overwhelmed/confused like you but it all ended up working out. It’s tough when the timeline is so short compared to other schools starting in August/Sept.

I’m sure the University will work with you and your individual circumstance. I’m sure they’re aware of the usual hiccups students may face along the way. If I remember correctly, I provided them with an unofficial transcript but later updated them with my official transcript. I recall sometime during my 1st year they spot checked some student’s academic records to ensure things were forged - mine was one of the ones spot checked. I think they made direct contact with my previous schools to verify classes I had taken.

I would just wait for the schools response to see how you proceed. I’m sure they’re inundated with emails but will get to it.

I’ll try to send you a message so you can ask any further questions if you’d like.

Thank you! So I called again last night to ask a few questions regarding the program and the conditional offer, and they reassured me that my conditional offer does secure a spot for me and I will not lose that spot unless I don't graduate or provide the graduation proof by January. They also mentioned that all internationals will be completely online for our first semester in February. Only the domestic students have that "hybrid" option. They also said that, as of now, we will be required to move for Second semester unless the pandemic is still going on. If the pandemic is still going on by second semester, they mentioned that our studies will be paused as the hands-on training is mandatory and critical for the program, and we will resume once borders open. This means they will push our graduation too if need be. Although not set in stone yet because they are taking it day by day, this is what they have been discussing they will do worst case scenario and what has been happening with current second semester students. So be aware of that and consider it in your decisions. Regardless, they will continue to try their best to have as many things online as possible if the borders are closed, but, obviously, when it comes to hands-on experience that need to be done there, their hands are tied.

 

[HappyToro]

Nothing you do really prepares you for vet school.

In undergrad, I often had 16 credit semesters and worked 30 hours a week while commuting 1.5 hours each way to school 3 days a week. This helped me with my time management, but didn’t really prepare me for the workload in vet school. I didn’t have to study in undergrad.

For vet school I literally study like 2-4 hours a day on top of the 7-9 hours of class work each day. We have
24 credits each semester. I dedicate about 50-60 hours to vet school each week. I don’t have a formal job but a lot of my classmates manage to work 1 day a week.

I think the thing that will help you the most is finding a study method that works best for you. I had to learn how to study and it was trial and error. It’ll still be trial and error for some people who know how to study. Sometimes it just depends on the content that you’re learning.

There’s definitely a learning curve at the beginning but you get the hang of it. First year was tedious. Second year has been great, you start learning about diseases and things fall into place a bit more. I’m sure third and fourth year just get better and better because you’re that much closer to being a vet.

Do you know if the practicals that are typically held in person on campus (the Sydney city campus, not the Camden one) has been recorded or moved online as well? I know the Camden ones are still in person, and not online, but was wondering about the Sydney city ones. Thanks!

 

[DeeQ12]

Update if anyone had the same question. I got an email back and USYD needed me to fill out a form for Federal Aid and renew my 2020-2021 FAFSA. They told me not to accept my offer until they change the tuition amount and that I would receive another offer with the correction in 24-48hrs.

This is so helpful to know! What email did you use to contact the university? I would like to do the same thing

 

[Burritocat]

Just as an update to those who did not get the first round of acceptances! I emailed the school and got a reply saying that I have officially been waitlisted. She also mentioned that this means my application will be considered in the next few rounds as other students decline, and spots become available. The rounds of offers will keep going until the end of January and the final decision is made then.
I was initially disappointed as I have managed to pull off a higher than average cGPA and a variety of experiences, however, I am trying to not take this personally and it goes to show that grades aren't everything. I'm still waiting to hear from other schools as well, I hope everyone else also hears good news and finds the perfect program for them

 

[crs527]

Just as an update to those who did not get the first round of acceptances! I emailed the school and got a reply saying that I have officially been waitlisted. She also mentioned that this means my application will be considered in the next few rounds as other students decline, and spots become available. The rounds of offers will keep going until the end of January and the final decision is made then.
I was initially disappointed as I have managed to pull off a higher than average cGPA and a variety of experiences, however, I am trying to not take this personally and it goes to show that grades aren't everything. I'm still waiting to hear from other schools as well, I hope everyone else also hears good news and finds the perfect program for them

Hey this update is super helpful!! When did you email? I sent one to [email protected] on the 24th and haven’t heard yet

 

[Burritocat]

Hey this update is super helpful!! When did you email? I sent one to [email protected] on the 24th and haven’t heard yet

I emailed “[email protected]” and got a reply in exactly 24 hrs. make sure to include your full name, bday and vmcas or sydney identification number in the email!

 

[DrinkWater95]

Do you know if the practicals that are typically held in person on campus (the Sydney city campus, not the Camden one) has been recorded or moved online as well? I know the Camden ones are still in person, and not online, but was wondering about the Sydney city ones. Thanks!

Most practicals for the big foundational class are held online. I believe there may have been 1 or 2 last semester that needed to be in person.

All practicals for the professional skills class are held in person (typically 1-2 days a week)

 

[phyllostachys]

Just as an update to those who did not get the first round of acceptances! I emailed the school and got a reply saying that I have officially been waitlisted. She also mentioned that this means my application will be considered in the next few rounds as other students decline, and spots become available. The rounds of offers will keep going until the end of January and the final decision is made then.
I was initially disappointed as I have managed to pull off a higher than average cGPA and a variety of experiences, however, I am trying to not take this personally and it goes to show that grades aren't everything. I'm still waiting to hear from other schools as well, I hope everyone else also hears good news and finds the perfect program for them

I’m on the same boat as you. Officially waitlisted. If I haven’t heard back from them before I have to answer Melbourne, I might accept Melbourne’s offer. To those that was accepted, how long do you have before you need to make a decision?

 

[youstinatutti]

I’m on the same boat as you. Officially waitlisted. If I haven’t heard back from them before I have to answer Melbourne, I might accept Melbourne’s offer. To those that was accepted, how long do you have before you need to make a decision?

We have 7 days to respond from the moment we receive our acceptance. For unconditional offers, they have 7 days to pay their deposit. For conditional offers, we have 7 days to accept or reject, and then we have until Jan. 4, 2021 to get our final transcripts and documents in. If we don't get our stuff in by Jan., or if our documents aren't approved, our offer is retracted.

 

[youstinatutti]

I know we discussed suspicions earlier in the thread, but we just received a definitive answer as to how it'll work because of COVID for our incoming class. We received a formal letter from the dean stating that we will be online for our first semester. However, one of our courses requires a hands-on portion that cannot be replaced. So we will receive an "incomplete" for this course and will have to wait until semester 2 to finish it if the borders open. If the borders do not open in time for semester 2, we will essentially have to pause our studies completely for 12 months and will resume year 2 in 2023 (which should have been our scheduled year 3). This, of course, pushes back our graduation by a year... possibly more depending on COVID. It is stated in the email that we cannot move onto year 2 until each and every course in year one is completed (including the hands-on. Which is why our year 2 is deferred by a year if borders don't open).

They also mentioned that they will try to work with the government to gain some kind of exception for international students to come if the borders are still closed. We will receive an update once they receive a definitive answer. Honestly, I don't see why we wouldn't get an exception. I heard that a few international vet schools have gotten that exception from the government for their students. So hopefully they'll do the same.

For those of you still waiting for your acceptance, this is to keep you guys in the loop so you can start thinking about your decisions with this in mind.

 

[Burritocat]

I know we discussed suspicions earlier in the thread, but we just received a definitive answer as to how it'll work because of COVID for our incoming class. We received a formal letter from the dean stating that we will be online for our first semester. However, one of our courses requires a hands-on portion that cannot be replaced. So we will receive an "incomplete" for this course and will have to wait until semester 2 to finish it if the borders open. If the borders do not open in time for semester 2, we will essentially have to pause our studies completely for 12 months and will resume year 2 in 2023 (which should have been our scheduled year 3). This, of course, pushes back our graduation by a year... possibly more depending on COVID. It is stated in the email that we cannot move onto year 2 until each and every course in year one is completed (including the hands-on. Which is why our year 2 is deferred by a year if borders don't open).

They also mentioned that they will try to work with the government to gain some kind of exception for international students to come if the borders are still closed. We will receive an update once they receive a definitive answer. Honestly, I don't see why we wouldn't get an exception. I heard that a few international vet schools have gotten that exception from the government for their students. So hopefully they'll do the same.

For those of you still waiting for your acceptance, this is to keep you guys in the loop so you can start thinking about your decisions with this in mind.

Is deferring the acceptance 1 year to start 2022 Feb an option? Instead of doing sem 1 next year and pausing.
I assume people wouldn't want to finish an entire semester just to be in limbo for 12 months when we can wait for other schools that send out acceptances after feb 2021.

 

[HappyToro]

Is deferring the acceptance 1 year to start 2022 Feb an option? Instead of doing sem 1 next year and pausing.
I assume people wouldn't want to finish an entire semester just to be in limbo for 12 months when we can wait for other schools that send out acceptances after feb 2021.

I also asked about this. They did not allow deferring unfortunately. They did say that they would try to work with institutions overseas for us to take the practicals, but it is not confirmed and I was told to not decide based on this.

 

[youstinatutti]

Is deferring the acceptance 1 year to start 2022 Feb an option? Instead of doing sem 1 next year and pausing.
I assume people wouldn't want to finish an entire semester just to be in limbo for 12 months when we can wait for other schools that send out acceptances after feb 2021.

So what @HappyToro said. They do not allow defers under any circumstances unfortunately. I know some international students who go to USYD have currently been going to University of Tennessee to get their hands-on stuff done (in partnership with USYD), but I don't know if they will continue this partnership. Honestly, I doubt they will continue this partnership as U.S. vet schools are still trying to get a handle of their own students plus some of the caribbean students who are doing clinicals. We'll see though. But in the email they did tell us to make sure we understand that graduation deferment is a huge possibility and to consider that before we make a decision. Remember, once you get that acceptance, things go super fast and you likely won't have a second to think. So I encourage you to think about these things from now so once that acceptance comes in, you'll feel confident in your decision with no regrets. I'll try to update as any more emails come along with new information. Good luck guys!!

 

[HappyToro]

So what @HappyToro said. They do not allow defers under any circumstances unfortunately. I know some international students who go to USYD have currently been going to University of Tennessee to get their hands-on stuff done (in partnership with USYD), but I don't know if they will continue this partnership. Honestly, I doubt they will continue this partnership as U.S. vet schools are still trying to get a handle of their own students plus some of the caribbean students who are doing clinicals. We'll see though. But in the email they did tell us to make sure we understand that graduation deferment is a huge possibility and to consider that before we make a decision. Remember, once you get that acceptance, things go super fast and you likely won't have a second to think. So I encourage you to think about these things from now so once that acceptance comes in, you'll feel confident in your decision with no regrets. I'll try to update as any more emails come along with new information. Good luck guys!!

On the plus side, I know Australia is already in the process of slowly letting students back into the country. They are starting first with certain countries, into Darwin. So i imagine they’ll start to expand it out more in coming months.

 

[jji3798]

Hey, just a quick question, which password do we use to log in to the portal? They’ve provided me with the ID number, but not the passwords, and I have never made a portal because I applied through VMCAS...

We have 7 days to respond from the moment we receive our acceptance. For unconditional offers, they have 7 days to pay their deposit. For conditional offers, we have 7 days to accept or reject, and then we have until Jan. 4, 2021 to get our final transcripts and documents in. If we don't get our stuff in by Jan., or if our documents aren't approved, our offer is retracted

 

[youstinatutti]

Hey, just a quick question, which password do we use to log in to the portal? They’ve provided me with the ID number, but not the passwords, and I have never made a portal because I applied through VMCAS...

Click "Need help logging in", it'll redirect you to a Q&A website. Scroll all the way down to "Applicants" and click the underlined hyperlink "retrieve your password online".

 

[fiena]

@DrinkWater95 I was wondering if you have heard anything about University of Melbourne? And the potential differences between Sydney and Melbournes programs. It has been hard to get an opinion on being a international at UoM, maybe being in oz you might know someone or be of some help.

 

[DrinkWater95]

@DrinkWater95 I was wondering if you have heard anything about University of Melbourne? And the potential differences between Sydney and Melbournes programs. It has been hard to get an opinion on being a international at UoM, maybe being in oz you might know someone or be of some help.

Sorry I don’t really have any information of Melbourne as I didn’t personally apply there.

I do have a classmate that completed a year or two there and got offered an acceptance at Sydney. They accepted the offer and started to scratch with Sydney. I’m not sure if there was some sort of monetary value to this offer though. I feel like there must have been if they were willing to start from scratch.

 

[HappyToro]

@DrinkWater95 hi there! I wanted to follow up with you on a question about the courses, but wasn’t able to PM you. Would you be able to send me a message? Thanks again for taking the time to help answer questions!

 

[youstinatutti]

For those of you waitlisted make sure to check your emails regularly! A few waitlists were offered acceptances this week.

 

[jji3798]

is anyone who has been accepted to Sydney also waiting to hear back from schools in the states?

 

[nikipatel28]

is anyone who has been accepted to Sydney also waiting to hear back from schools in the states?

I am waiting to hear back from other US schools! I wish we would hear decisions from all of them at the same time so it wouldn't be so challenging whether to accept early offers or to take a chance and wait

 

[jji3798]

I am waiting to hear back from other US schools! I wish we would hear decisions from all of them at the same time so it wouldn't be so challenging whether to accept early offers or to take a chance and wait

Right! So have you got back to Sydney regarding whether you would accept their offer or not?

 

[crs527]

Right! So have you got back to Sydney regarding whether you would accept their offer or not?

i’m in the same boat as you! i just got my unconditional offer yesterday and am having trouble deciding if/when i’ll get back to sydney. what are you thinking?