Students get university offers

LA Trobe University offered more than one thousand places to prospective students last Friday at the institution’s regional campuses.

Among those who received their first-round offers were recent year 12 graduates Piper Dunlop and Abby Perdon.

Ms Dunlop, a basketballer for the Bendigo Spirit, will face the challenge of balancing university and professional sport but said she was excited to get a place in the university’s exercise science course.

“La Trobe’s been more than supportive in guiding me through schooling, and with basketball,” Ms Dunlop said.

“I’m really stoked to have gotten an offer here so I can maintain that level of basketball commitment and still progress in education.”

Ms Perdon said she wasn’t expecting to get into her first preference of physiotherapy.

“Originally I was looking at occupational therapy because I didn’t think I’d get the mark for physio,” she said

“Fortunately, I did and I was able to get into physio. I was super excited to get an offer.”

Having completed year 12 at Catherine McAuley College, Ms Perdon said there were a number of things that drew her to apply at La Trobe.

“They have such an amazing reputation for allied health, especially physiotherapy,” she said.

“I love that it was local and I could stay apart of the regional community.”

Associate Professor Carol McKinstry said La Trobe’s rural health school had been popular among prospective students.

“We’ve had strong demand for courses such as occupational therapy and paramedicine which is pleasing to see,” Associate Professor McKinstry said.

“Given the pandemic at the moment with the health workforce in the spotlight it’s really pleasing to see we’re going to have a future workforce in that area as well.”

La Trobe also received strong demand for other areas of study such as IT, cyber security, sciences, and education.

“At a campus like Bendigo we’re we offer a larger range of courses it’s pleasing to see we’re able to recruit rural and regional students,” Associate Professor McKinstry said.

As the new school year approaches, La Trobe hopes to have students back on campus for the start of semester one.

“With the Omicron situation at the moment we’re looking at safety first and online provision of courses for January and February,” Associate Professor McKinstry said.

“Then we’ll reassess and see what things will be like at the start of semester.”

Ms Dunlop said she hopes to be able to get the full uni experience after COVID-19 disrupted the last two years of her high schooling.

“I more than hope I will be on campus to take it all in and really experience uni life,” she said.