Scotch College

Extension and University Studies

Several universities offer a special program for VCE students who are very talented academically. University studies in the 2009 program are equivalent in content and assessment in every respect to one or more of current first year studies and are at least 20 per cent of a full-time first year university course of a level for an exceptional student and therefore, a clear advance on the designated preparatory VCE Unit 3/4 study and commensurate in workload with an additional VCE study of a level which will normally allow the student, on successful completion, to proceed to second year study at the university in that discipline.

Students are selected by schools to participate in the program, taking into account selection guidelines provided by universities, which may include specific tests. The Principal will certify that selected students meet the following criteria.

Students enrolling in university studies must have demonstrated outstanding achievement and have a VCE study score of 41 or more in the preparatory study. In studies whose VTAC scaled mean is above 40 in the preceding year, the Principal may consider selecting outstanding students whose VCE study score is below 41. If students have not had the opportunity to complete the preparatory Units 3/4 sequence prior to enrolment in a university study, a student may be selected on the basis of the Principal’s evaluation of the student’s Year 11 performance.

The student must:

• be judged overall as an excellent student

• be judged as having demonstrated exceptional achievement in at least Units 1 and 2 of the preparatory VCE study

• realistically be evaluated as likely to achieve a study score of 41 in the preparatory study

• undertake the designated preparatory Units 3 and 4 concurrently with their university study

If a student is studying their first language as a Language Other than English (LOTE) and wants to pursue this as an Extension Study, the Principal must certify him as outstanding in his other studies. A student who successfully completes university studies has the titles of the study(ies) and the university reported on his VCE Statement of Results. These studies do not contribute to satisfactory completion for the award of the VCE. VTAC will award an increment of 4 points, 5 points or 5.5 points, according to level of achievement, for a ‘passing’ result.

A Year 11 student may enrol in a Unit 3/4 study if he has attained at least a GPA of 7 in the equivalent Year 10 study and maintained an overall GPA of 7 for both Semester One and Semester Two.