Universities in Australia have two intakes in February and July. Typically, candidates' applications include a Grade 12 GPA and an IELTS certificate (6.0 or higher).

To attract international students, many schools offer scholarships ranging from 20% to 100%. According to Mr. Andy Pham, Senior Manager of Mekong Region at Australian National University (ANU), students need to achieve as high a GPA as possible if they want to apply for these scholarships.

ANU offers more than 200 scholarships to international students each year. For Vietnamese students, the school offers 50% undergraduate scholarships, applicable to students from 92 high schools that ANU highly values.

"Last year, students with a GPA of 9.4/10 were considered good. But then, the GPA increased to 9.5-9.7 because of many excellent applications," said Mr. Andy.

Mr. Andy explained that the school only bases on GPA, does not require extracurricular activities, essays, interviews or SAT/ACT scores (standardized tests used for admission to American universities) to reduce pressure on students. ANU is currently ranked 4th in Australia and 34th in the world, according to QS .

Similarly, the University of Melbourne , Australia's number 1 school, also bases its scholarships on scores, specifically GPA and SAT. Lam Minh Khoa, admissions representative in Vietnam, said that depending on the quantity and quality of applications each year, if they achieve a GPA of 9.8-9.9 and SAT of 1550/1600 or higher, most students can receive a 50% scholarship.

"The score must be almost the maximum, GPA 9.9, SAT 1600, to be considered 100%," said Mr. Khoa. "Last year, no Vietnamese student achieved this level."

According to admissions representatives, Australian universities do not offer many scholarships of 50% or more at the undergraduate level. Therefore, in addition to GPA, many schools also consider "additional criteria".

The University of Technology Sydney also assesses candidates on their leadership ability, social responsibility and practical values ​​through awards or projects and activities. Mr. Nguyen Nhut Hung, Admissions Manager in Vietnam, said that the 50% scholarship is only for candidates with A level (minimum 3 B points) or IB (minimum 33 points). These are two popular international high school certificates in the world. For a 100% scholarship, candidates need to have a GPA of 8.5 or higher.

"Even if candidates reach this minimum level, it will be difficult to win a scholarship," said Mr. Hung.

According to Mr. Hung, Vietnamese students' GPAs are very high, so to make an accurate assessment, the school will base it on the candidate's academic awards or personal projects. This year, Pham Nguyen Minh Tuan, a former student of the Natural Science Specialized School, received a full scholarship with a GPA of 9.9, SAT 1570 and a gold medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Deakin University has an additional interview round for candidates applying for the Chancellor's Scholarship worth 50-100%. According to Ms. Thu Nguyen Vo, Director of Admissions in Vietnam and Cambodia, those who pass this round usually have a GPA of 9.5-9.9.

Ms. Thu said that from 2020 to now, the number of Vietnamese students receiving scholarships has increased steadily every year.

"Every admission period, there are students who receive 50-100%," said Ms. Thu.

In addition, the school also offers 20-25% scholarships, with requirements of a GPA of at least 8 points, letters of recommendation, scholarship application letter, essays and extracurricular activities. Ms. Thu advises candidates to apply for high-value scholarships because if they fail, they will automatically be transferred to a lower level.

Some schools, such as the University of Sydney, do not set a minimum GPA. Currently, the school offers scholarships ranging from 10% to 20% or 10,000 AUD, with the 50-100% level only being applied next year. Mr. Alex Vu, admissions representative, suggests that students should study SAT, AP (advanced subjects, taught in advance knowledge at American universities)... to have a competitive advantage.

Australia is one of the most popular study abroad destinations for Vietnamese students. As of January, there were more than 27,000 Vietnamese students studying in Australia, ranking fifth in terms of the number of international students there.

Dawn