University set to welcome the next crop of future leaders
More than 10,500 offers have been made for prospective students to study at the University of Sydney in 2017, including 587 students under a new leadership initiative.
School captain of Patrician Brothers' College, Delahoya Manu (right), will study a Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney through the Future Leaders Scheme.
The University announced its main round offers at 6pm this evening to more than 6000 students, who will commence their studies in March. More than 4500 students have already been offered a place at the University in earlier rounds.
A record number of students will join the University this year under the Future Leaders Scheme, which has almost doubled compared to previous years with a 93 percent increase in the number of early guaranteed offers made.
Previously called the Dux Scheme, the Future Leaders Scheme was expanded in 2016 to include not only dux students but also school captains, in recognition of the qualities these school leaders bring to the University community.
School captain of Patrician Brothers' College in Blacktown, Delahoya Manu, will become the first person in his extended family to study outside of the Western Sydney region when he starts a Bachelor of Health Sciences through the initiative.
"I'm of Samoan descent, and the first Polynesian school captain of my school in its 52 year history. That really pushed me to always study and work hard in my younger years and follow through with my goals," he said.
"Last year I played rugby at the University of Sydney home ground, and seeing the campus in person made me want to study there."
I know how competitive it is to get into Sydney, and words can't describe the feeling of how surprised and excited I am to be studying here.
Delahoya Manu first visited the University of Sydney while playing rugby.
Delahoya intends to pursue a career in physiotherapy or as a high school sports teacher after graduation to continue making a difference to the lives of others.
Degree trends in 2017
Among the most popular courses this year were Combined Law, Arts and Commerce with strong growth also seen in Engineering degrees. Demand was strong for Science, indicating student preferences shifting towards STEM fields in recent years.
First preferences data from the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) shows that more students chose to study at the University of Sydney this year than at any other institution in NSW.
The University of Sydney also attracted the highest number of the state's top-performing students, receiving 46 percent of the share of first preferences from those students with an ATAR of 99.5 or above.
"We are very pleased that so many of the state's most talented students have chosen to join us in 2017. Every year we continue to be impressed by the calibre of our incoming cohort, and this latest intake is no different," said Professor Tyrone Carlin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Registrar) at the University of Sydney.
"Our students are among the best and brightest in the country, and go on to become some of the most highly sought-after graduates in the world. This was made clear in the latest QS Graduate Employability rankings, where Sydney alumni were rated fourth globally and first in Australia for employability.
"At Sydney we are privileged to teach the world’s future leaders, and our students make a difference not only on the world stage but also in their communities. We look forward to officially welcoming many of them over the coming months."
Prospective students with questions about accepting their offers or exploring other options are encouraged to visit the University of Sydney's Start website or call the future student helpline on 1800 SYD UNI (793 864).
