Travelling times

The selection committee does not consider distances, travelling times and transport arrangements from the student's home to the selective high school. Before listing any school, you should consider available transport and the time your child will take to reach the school.

Order of choice

Ensure that you consider your choices and the order in which you put them carefully before completing the application form (see Change of choice below).

You may make up to four choices. The order in which you list those choices matters only if the child qualifies for more than one choice. If your child qualifies for more than one choice, you will be offered only the highest choice for which the child qualifies.

Suppose you made the following choices:

1. James Ruse Agricultural 

2. North Sydney Girls

3. Blacktown Girls

4. Fort Street

a) If your child qualified for Blacktown Girls and Fort Street, you would receive an offer only for Blacktown Girls, the higher choice for which the student qualified.

b) If your child qualified only for Fort Street, you would be offered a place at that school regardless of whether you placed that school first, second, third or fourth on your list.

The entry score required for each school varies from year to year depending upon the demand for the school and the scores achieved by those students who have listed the school as a choice.

Change of choice

Before 3 May 2010

If you wish to change your choice of schools before 3 May 2010 you should notify the Unit in writing of your request. This is the date by which all information starts to be prepared for selection committees.

After 3 May 2010

Changes of choice cannot be accepted after this date as they cannot be processed in time for selection committees to be presented with the relevant information.

If you have clearly demonstrable extenuating circumstances such as the purchase of a new residence in a suburb or town very far from the previous residence, you may request a change of choice accompanied by a full explanation and supporting documents. The request for a change of choice will be subject to approval by the delegate of the selection committees.

Approval will not be given for a change of choice on the grounds that the student did not qualify for the original choices.

Transfers

Once students have begun attending a selective high school they cannot automatically transfer to another. If a student is already enrolled at one selective high school and wants to go to another, the parents must fill out a different application form for entry to Years 8 to 12 and lodge it directly with the selective high school they want their child to attend. These forms are normally available from selective high schools in late June.

General school and subject material contributions

As with all government schools, tuition at selective high schools is free, but schools may ask for a voluntary contribution to cover services such as library, textbooks and curriculum-related resources. Schools may also ask for contributions to cover the purchase of materials in certain subjects and to cover costs associated with sport or excursions.

If seeking entry as a boarding student at a residential agricultural high school, confirm with the school the boarding fees payable.