Headstart Accelerated

How to apply

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Headstart Accelerated place in 2013 students should be completing SACE Stage 2 or the International Baccalaureate (IB) at Year 12, with less than a full year's workload.

A special case will need to be made by schools on behalf of students who have met the SACE requirements, but are not yet in Year 12.

Applicants must also meet the following criteria:

SACE Students

• A minimum grade of B (15) or better for SACE Stage 2 subjects already taken, and at least A- (17) for any SACE Stage 2 subject that constitutes a prerequisite for the university course to be studied (except Mathematics).
• A SACE grade of at least A (19) in Mathematical Studies and Specialist Mathematics is required to enrol in university Mathematics IA/lB.
• Students undertaking Physics IA must enrol in Mathematics IA as a corequisite subject, and so must have a minimum grade of A- (17) in SACE Stage 2 Physics and A (19) in Mathematical Studies and Specialist Mathematics.

IB Students

• An average score of 6 or higher at the Standard Level and 5 or higher at the Higher Level.
• A score of at least 6–7 in IB higher level Maths is required to enrol in university Mathematics IA/lB.
• Students undertaking Physics lA must enrol in Mathematics lA as a co-requisite subject, and so must have for physics an average score of 6 or higher at the Standard Level and 5 or higher at the Higher Level, plus a score of at least 6–7 in Higher Level Maths.

All applicants must be recommended by the school principal, who will take into account basic eligibility, study load at school, academic ability, the practicalities of attendance at classes and capacity to manage the social and organisational demands.

Please note that only a limited number of places will be offered and each application will be assessed on its merits.

Applications

Students wishing to apply for a Headstart Accelerated place should complete the application form, which can be found in the Headstart brochure, by the closing date for either Semester 1 or 2. This form must be accompanied by proof of the student's academic performance in the appropriate SACE Stage 2 subject/s, a letter of recommendation from the school principal, contact details of the applicant's nominated mentor, and a timetable of 2013 school classes detailing class times.

Any queries about the application should be directed to Angela Ballantyne (Mon–Wed only) phone: (08) 8313 8381 or email: angela.ballantyne@adelaide.edu.au.

Mid-year entry

Students who were unable to apply to the Headstart Accelerated program in Semester 1 can now be considered for entry into courses (subjects) beginning in Semester 2. Mid-year entry is only available into courses that do not have a Semester 1 university course prerequisite or assumed knowledge (see course descriptions for further information).

Students applying for Headstart Accelerated at the beginning of the year apply for both semesters in the initial application (they do not need to complete a second application for Semester 2 courses.)

Headstart timetable

When applying for the program, students, their parents and mentor teachers should take into consideration timetabling. Courses (subjects) are offered on the North Terrace campus only, and Headstart students should attend regularly to gain maximum benefit from their university studies. We encourage students to investigate the timetable requirements of the courses for which they may apply. Class details will be available from December 1 so that a potential timetable can be investigated. A 2013 school timetable detailing class times should be submitted with the application form.

View 2013 courses

Costs

Successful applicants receive a full scholarship from the University of Adelaide which waives the tuition fees and Student Services and Amenities fees for any courses studied as part of the Headstart program. Costs associated with textbooks, materials, equipment and field trips are the responsibility of the student.

Application closing dates

The closing dates for Headstart applications are:

Semester 1 courses: Monday, 11 February 2013
Semester 2 courses: Monday, 8 July 2013

Please note that teaching begins 3 weeks after the closing date. Applications received after the closing date each semester cannot be considered due to the time required for students' enrolment and orientation.