WATCH: Student gets dream uni offer in first major QTAC round

Almost 11,000 university offers have been made to Queensland’s Class of 2023 graduates. These were the most popular fields.

Almost 11,000 university offers were made to Queensland’s Class of ‘23 graduates on Thursday in the first tertiary offer round since last week’s nerve-racking ATAR reveal.

The moment one Year 12 student found out they had been offered a place in their first preference university course next year was even captured via video call.

In total, 13,858 tertiary offers were sent out on Thursday, with 10,717 of these to this year’s Year 12 graduates. This is on top of 8195 early offers already received.

The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) revealed the five most popular fields among Thursday’s offers.

• Health (Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Naturopathy, Speech Pathology) – 3502
• Society & Culture (Law, Economics, Psychology, Sport & Recreation) – 2409
• Management & Commerce (Hospitality Management, Banking & Finance) 1734
• Natural & Physical Sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Laboratory Technology) – 1572
• Engineering (Chemical, Automotive, Civil, Aerospace, Biomedical, Surveying) – 1551

The Courier-Mail also contacted the 11 major universities across the state this week to gauge specific trends among this year’s school leavers.

Kelvin Grove State College graduate Abdul Alaa couldn’t contain his relief when offered a place in the University of Queensland’s Bachelor of Pharmacy – his first preference.

“I’m really happy about that. Years of dedication, work and sacrifice. I’m really proud of where I’ve come from,” he said on a recorded video call with QTAC.

Kelvin Grove State High School graduate Abdul Alaa. Photo: Supplied.

He achieved an ATAR of 79.3, but this will be bumped up to 81.3 due to his Arabic studies.

Mr Alaa lived in Iraq until Year 3. He then had to do most of his Year 9 and 10 study from Iraq after being trapped in the country during the pandemic.

“Cancelled flights were an ongoing issue, so we were stuck in Iraq. It was a bit scary, because we couldn’t go back to the stability of Australia,” he said.

“There were political protests (in Iraq) at the time, so school was always cancelled. There was no proper education. So I was really excited to come back.”

Mr Alaa’s reasons for pursuing a health career, specifically pharmacy, revolve around family.

“When I went back to Iraq, I reconnected with my uncle, who struggles with addiction and mental health issues. He’s never been properly diagnosed, he suffers through life,” he said.

“I’ve always wanted to find a treatment for him. No doctors have ever offered proper diagnosis and treatment, so I dream of helping him, and people like him.

“By the time I’m 30, I’d like to be a doctor, either through completing a PhD in pharmacy or through taking pharmacy as a postgrad and then continuing my studies.

“I want to carry on the family legacy. My father completed a PhD and I want to start a family tradition by doing the same.”

QTAC chief executive Dr John Griffiths said it was particularly encouraging that more than 3000 adult applicants received offers to pursue further study on Thursday.

“We are delighted to witness Queensland’s recent Year 12 graduates obtaining offers as we enter this holiday season. We’re equally as happy to see a strong number of adults securing offers and taking on tertiary development,” he said.

“The diverse paths chosen by these learners contribute to a rich tapestry of knowledge and experience within our institutions and within our communities.”

The main QTAC offer round takes place on January 11, with applicants able to change their preferences until January 3.

QTAC CEO Dr John Griffiths. Photo: Supplied.