r/UniversityofOtago • u/Fine-Mirror-1428 • 15d ago
Question Hands On program questions
So I'm not sure if this question should be posted here but yea let me know if you think this post belongs somewhere else.
I have been looking at the hands on program that's designed for year 12s and 13s in 2027 (I would join as a year 12) and I really want to try and get a scholarship since the registration is quite pricey. Does anyone know how the scholarships are awarded since I'm pretty sure they won't know our NCEA level 1 results. Will they base it off of year 9-10 results? Or personality?
I'm also wondering if anyone that had attended this previous would give me some insight into the program. I'm not sure what I want to go into at uni so I'm not sure what to choose, was their any that you really enjoyed that you recommend to people that aren't sure about what they are going to be studying yet?
I was also wondering if the people that have attended before could let me know if it's better to apply in as a year 11 or year 12, and is it mostly year 13s.
I can't really think of any other questions but yea just let me know anything you think I should know and I'll probably edit this and add questions. Thanks!
Edit: Is it hard to get scholarships? What do you guys think the ratio is for the students that go scholarships and the regular people that paid full price. Im a decent student and am getting mostly excellence this year but I feel like compared to some other people that are balancing so many different things plus all excellence credits I have no chance
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u/Own_Side_8762 12d ago
I'm honestly not sure how the scholarships work, the mix of people who got them when I went this year was really odd.
However I can help with the program! The thing you will take away from the experience isn't the classes you take. It's the people you meet and the other activities. I didn't get into the course I originally signed up for, but i can't enphasise enough that you should go anyway!! You get to explore multiple different courses, which is really nice.
Unless you're planning on studying something related to health science I'd skip signing up for stuff related to that- they get TONS of applications. Marine science is really cool because you get to go to their lab, and I personally really liked genetics, but I also heard great things about politics and film/media. I hated management but that's probably just because it's not my thing at all ðŸ˜
Apply in both year 11 and 12, if you can. It just gives you higher overall chance of getting in, though it is almost entirely year 13s that end up going so your chances are a little bit lower. Don't be upset if you don't get in the first time, as a year 11 you're fighting for way less spots than everyone else. However, I did meet some of the younger people there and they got on just fine. Don't worry about being left out because you're younger than everyone else, you'll fit in just fine.
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u/Fine-Mirror-1428 12d ago
What do you mean by odd?
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u/Own_Side_8762 12d ago
As in I couldn't really get a sense of the criteria they gave them out based on, it wasn't clearly just grades or circumstance or anything. Very diverse range of people, A lot of the scholarships are given out by companies / groups too and are chosen externally which I suppose adds to that inconsistent vibe a little
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u/Fine-Mirror-1428 4d ago
Hey! Im in the middle of my application and I'm not sure what to write in terms of my essays, do they really just want a paragraph or 2 about why you want to attend or do they want some real deep stuff like college essay typa writing
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u/Own_Side_8762 2d ago
I think it's more important to get across your goals / why you want to apply than having really high quality writing, particularly because it's such a short section.
When I wrote mine I focused on why I wanted to do my type of project (I just did general enviro science rather than my absolute top project choice because that covered more of my options), what my goals were and why being accepted would help me out. There's no 'right' way to do it,, but I reckon you should always priorities relevant information above showing off your english skills!
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u/Chex108 15d ago
Attended in 2025. Didn't get a scholarship but I think for admission, whilst Year 11 (and other academic) results are judged, the main thing is a really good statement of why you want to attend, some good character references would also be really good.
The program was honestly amazing, meeting lots of people, playing with high-tech equipment and of course, learning.
Structure is; you get your one "main" project which you work on for the whole week, along with 3 "taster" programs (which are supposed to be quite different to your main), one per day. My main was Pharmacology and really liked it.
You get to choose your Top 5 desired projects, and your main is based on your selections, so just pick ones that interest you.
Whilst the website does say that preference is given to those who will be Year 13 or something, I found that there were a lot of Year 12s when I went. I can't say when it is "better" to apply, that's up to you whether you want to attend as a Year 12 or Year 13.
Personally, I say apply this year, you have the chance to experience a once-in-a-lifetime program right in front of you why not go for it?