Sydney University offers international students a guaranteed path into its undergraduate degree programs through the University of Sydney Foundation Program (USFP) delivered by Taylors College, located at Waterloo in central Sydney.
The alternative entry method caters to students who need to improve their English or academic results in order to meet the requirements of their preferred university course. Students who complete the course to the appropriate standard are automatically offered at place at the University of Sydney.
In 2015, 88.4% of the program’s 460 graduates went on to study at the University of Sydney and all graduates were offered a place at an Australian tertiary education institution.
Of the students who progressed to the University of Sydney, just over half were accepted into Business or Economics degrees, 64 graduates chose Engineering, nine were accepted into the university’s medical school and six students embarked on combined law degrees.
The balance enrolled in Nursing, Veterinary Science, Pharmacy, Applied Science, Education, Architecture, and Music and Visual Arts.
Underlying this excellent result is the college’s focus on teaching the key learning skills that students need to excel academically and succeed at university, says international marketing manager James Flannagan.
“We have an extensive and strong relationship with the University of Sydney. Our programs are university-approved and designed to ensure that the students are learning specifically for their degree path.”
Experienced staff and excellent support mechanisms are also key components of USFP.
“All our teachers are experts in their subject areas and specialise in international education. We provide counselling in all our programs and one-on-one tutoring sessions. We prepare our students professionally, personally and academically for university,” Mr Flannagan says.
Taylors College was founded in 1920 to provide coaching for University of Melbourne students. It accepted its first students from China in 1925 and opened its Sydney campus in 1936. Further expansion to Perth and Auckland followed and today the college is part of the Study Group network of international education providers.
Over its long history of teaching foreign students, Taylors College has developed a unique approach.
“We don’t have student uniforms. Kids are treated as adults and encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and become independent learners within a nurturing school environment,” says Mr Flannagan.
“Students are all international, with a large cultural mix from throughout Asia, but we have students from all over the world. By integrating them fully into college life we can support them in dealing with the cultural change. It’s essential that students develop social networks to help them navigate a new cultural landscape and to help prepare them for the university experience,” Mr Flannagan says.
The college offers a personalised, flexible education experience with three streams in the USFP:
* Standard Program — five subjects, 25 hours per week of class time, over 40 weeks.
* Standard Intensive Program — the fast track to university. Students take eight subjects and class time is increased to 30 hours per week to enable course completion in 30 weeks.
* Extended Program — incorporating a pre-foundation course of 19 weeks followed by the Standard Program, this 59-week course is delivered over three semesters.
Academically gifted students with fluent English skills are encouraged to consider the University of Sydney High Achievers Preparation Program. This 17-week course instills high-level academic competencies along with teaching specific study topics aligned to students’ intended Bachelor Degrees.
The USFP is available only to international students but local students are very welcome in the senior High School stream at Taylors College. Comprising Years 10-12, Taylors High School is a university-preparation academy that applies the same methodologies as the USFP to ensure that students achieve to their highest potential in the HSC.
For more information about Taylors College, see: http://www.taylorscollege.edu.au/ or come meet school representatives in person at the Sydney Independent Schools Expo at Luna Park, Sunday, March 12, 2017.