Undergraduate applications and offers

Early offer schemes for Year 12 students

While the ATAR is still the main selection tool used by most unis, there are other ways for you to show that you’re ready to succeed at tertiary study.

Many institutions have one or more early offer schemes for Year 12 students. Through these schemes, the institutions will assess you using criteria other than (or in addition to) your ATAR. Always check the institution websites to make sure the courses you are applying for are covered by the schemes.

Listed below are the key dates, assessment criteria and application details for the available early offer schemes.

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Other entry options

Educational Access Scheme (EAS): Institutions use this to take into account the educational disadvantages many applicants experience (eg financial hardship, illness, severe family disruption). If you think this might apply to you, make sure you complete an EAS application and claim all the disadvantages that have affected your studies. How to apply for EAS.

Pathway courses: If you successfully complete a non-degree course, such as foundation studies, a preparatory course, or a certificate or diploma, a university may guarantee you entry into a degree. Otherwise, you can use your non-degree studies to apply and compete for admission to other degree courses. You may also be awarded credit for studies undertaken in your non-degree course. Some unis offer an even larger range of prep courses to help you move into your degree. Contact the individual institutions to get the most up-to-date information. Other pathways to uni.

The following institutions will make early offers to Year 12 students through the Schools Recommendation Scheme:

  • AIE Institute
  • Australian Catholic University
  • Australian College of Physical Education
  • Charles Sturt University
  • International College of Management, Sydney
  • Macquarie University
  • National Art School
  • SAE Creative Media Institute
  • Torrens University Australia
  • University of Canberra
  • University of New England
  • University of Newcastle
  • University of Notre Dame Australia
  • University of Technology Sydney
  • Western Sydney University.

These institutions use one or more of the following assessment criteria:

  • Year 11 studies
  • school’s rating of your aptitudes
  • Education Access Scheme (EAS) application
  • ATAR
  • other institution-specific requirements (eg course prerequisites, interview, portfolio).

Applications are processed by UAC and close 18 September 2023.

Important dates
  • 5 April 2023: applications open
  • 2 December 2023: applications close
Assessment criteria Year 11 academic achievements and creative works
How to apply Apply online via the AIE Institute website.

ACU Guarantee

Important dates
  • 24 Jul: Applications open
  • 18 Sep: Applications close
  • 8 Sep: offer round 1
  • 22 Sep: offer round 2
  • 6 Oct: offer round 3

Offers for the following courses will not be made until offer round 2:

  • Bachelor of Midwifery
  • Bachelor of Nursing
  • Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Business Administration
  • Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Paramedicine
  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
  • Bachelor of Paramedicine
  • Bachelor of Speech Pathology

Important information for ACT applicants: Due to a delay in receiving ACT Year 11 results you are unlikely to receive an offer until offer round 3. The outcome of your application will not be affected.
Assessment criteria

To be eligible you must be a 2023 Year 12 student (domestic or international) who completed Year 11 (including the IB) in Australia.

You need to have successfully completed Year 11. You can also choose to supply a brief statement outlining your personal circumstances and motivation for university study, which may help improve your selection rank.
How to apply Apply online via the ACU website.

After you submit your application, you’ll receive an email detailing what to do next.

Early Entry Scheme

Important dates
  • April 2023: applications open
  • Late Nov: Applications close
  • Conditional offers released within three days of submitting application
Assessment criteria
  • Year 11 and 12 reports
  • Responses to application questions
How to apply

Apply online via the ACPE website.

Priority Entry Scheme

Important dates
  • Late April 2023: applications open
  • Mid-December 2023 onwards: offers released
  • Mid-February 2024: applications close
Assessment criteria
  • Results in relevant Year 12 subjects (including English)
  • Responses to application questions
How to apply

Apply online via the ACPE website.

Direct application early admission

Important dates
  • 15 May: Applications close
  • 4 Sep: Early Conditional offers released based on your ANU selection rank.
  • Late Dec: First unconditional offers released
Assessment criteria
  • Demonstration of co-curricular or service activities during Years 10 to 12
  • ANU selection rank
How to apply

Apply online via the ANU website.

Charles Sturt Advantage

Important dates
  • 7 Apr: Round 1 applications close
  • Early May: Round 1 offers released
  • 30 Jun: Round 2 applications close
  • Late Jul: Round 2 offers released
  • 31 Aug: Applications close
  • Late Sep: Round 3 offers released
Assessment criteria
  • Short written submission demonstrating soft skills such as resilience, empathy and the motivation to create a world worth living in
  • Year 11 results
How to apply

Apply online via the Charles Sturt website.

Early Entry

Important date

8 Sep 2023: Applications close
How to apply

Apply for ICMS Early Entry.

Leadership Entry Program

Important date

2 Feb 2024: Applications close
How to apply

Apply for ICMS Leadership Entry Program.


Aspire Community Contribution

Our Aspire Community Contribution Program rewards your involvement in community, leadership and volunteering with an early conditional offer into your chosen course at La Trobe.

Visit the La Trobe University website for further information about the Aspire program, including 2024 selection criteria and dates.

Important dates
  • Apr: Applications open
  • Aug: Applications close
  • Sep: Conditional offers released
  • Dec: Unconditional offers released after this date based on ATAR
Assessment criteria Two 100–word descriptions of involvement in and impact of your community engagement and/or volunteering.
How to apply Apply online via La Trobe University website.

Aspire Year 11 Conditional Entry

The Year 11 Conditional Entry program uses your performance in Year 11 to secure an early conditional offer into a range of La Trobe courses.

Visit the La Trobe University website for further information about the Aspire program, including 2024 selection criteria and dates.

Important dates
  • TBC: Applications close
  • TBC: Conditional offers released
  • Dec: Unconditional offers released after this date based on completion of Year 12
Assessment criteria
  • Your Year 11 results
  • Your school's endorsement of your academic achievement and other essential skills
How to apply Apply online via La Trobe University website.

Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme

Important dates
  • 1 Jun: Applications open
  • 31 Aug: Applications close
Assessment criteria Applicants need to demonstrate their leadership qualities and/or how they have contributed towards positive change in their community and consistently achieved good results at school.

There are two selection components:
  1. demonstration of leadership and service to their community by completing the Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme questions when applying online
  2. Year 11 studies.

Note that applicants for the Bachelor of Marketing and Media and the Bachelor of Actuarial Studies and its double degrees are required to have undertaken specific English and/or mathematics subjects in the HSC, ACT Senior Secondary Certificate or International Baccalaureate.

Applicants for teaching courses need to complete and pass a survey before an offer is made.

All applicants must complete their Year 12 examinations (10 units of HSC courses, including at least 8 units from Category A courses and 2 units of English) or comparable ACT Senior Secondary Certificate or International Baccalaureate subjects.
How to apply

Apply online via the Macquarie University website.

Early Offer

Important dates
  • Sep: Applications close
  • Nov: Offers released
Assessment criteria
  • High school results
  • Principal’s recommendation
How to apply

Apply online via the SCU website.

Early Entry Program

Important dates
  • 30 Nov: Applications close
  • 48 hours after applying: conditional offers released
Assessment criteria

Standard course admission criteria
How to apply

Apply online via the Torrens University website.

UC Early Offer Round

Important dates
  • 15 May: applications open
  • 27 Aug: applications close
  • 31 Jul: change of preference closing date (Domestic)
  • 7 Sep: offers released (Domestic)
  • 7 Sep: change of preference closing date (International)
  • 14 Sep: offers released (International)
Assessment criteria
  • Year 11 results
  • Completion of Year 12
How to apply
  • Submit your UAC application
  • Submit your Year 11 results to UC
Apply online via the University of Canberra website.

Early Entry Direct

Important dates
  • 15 Sep: applications close
  • 3 Nov: offers released
Assessment criteria

Your school’s assessment of your attributes and abilities. The assessment is based around your ability to work and learn independently, as well as your overall potential for academic success at UNE.

All direct Early Entry offers will assume that applicants will complete all requirements of their 2023 Australian Year 12 qualification (or an equivalent program via TAFE).
How to apply

Apply online via the UNE Early Entry website. Ensure any additional supporting documentation is attached.

Your application will be sent electronically to your school for the principal’s review. In order for your application to be considered, your school needs to approve and submit the application to UNE on your behalf before the closing date.

Early Entry Scheme

Important dates
  • 8 May: applications open
  • 29 Aug: applications and preferences close for the first offer round
  • 7 Sep: first round offers released and applications and preferences re-open
  • 25 Sep: applications and preferences close for the final offer round
  • 5 Oct: final round offers released
Assessment criteria

Strong performance in Year 11

Open to domestic Year 12 students completing one of the following qualifications in 2023:

  • NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC)
  • ACT Senior Secondary Certificate
  • International Baccalaureate (IB).
How to apply

Submit a direct application via the University of Newcastle website.

Indigenous and Refugee Law Early Entry Law Scheme

Important dates
  • Midnight 11 Sep: Newcastle School of Law and Justice application deadline
  • 6 Oct (October Round 1): offers released
Assessment criteria
  • Strong performance at school
  • School recommendation
  • Selection interview
Visit the University of Newcastle website for details of program requirements.
How to apply

List 483100 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Combined as a UAC preference.
Submit a direct application via the University of Newcastle website.


Early Offer Program

Important dates
  • 1 May: applications open
  • 30 Sep: applications close
Assessment criteria
  • NESA Preliminary Stage 6 (Year 11) courses and grades
  • Year 11 and 12 school reports
How to apply

Apply online via the University of Notre Dame website.

Gadigal Program

Important dates
  • 7 Aug: application deadline
  • Sep: conditional offers released
Assessment criteria
  • Gadigal application form
  • Confirmation of Aboriginality (COA)
How to apply

Complete your UAC undergraduate application, ensuring you self-identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, then put at least one University of Sydney course in your UAC preference list

Creative Arts Special Admissions Scheme

Important dates

For Visual Arts pathway
Applications close: Thu 31 August 2023, 5pm AEDT.
Portfolio submissions deadline: Thu 30 Nov 2023, 5pm AEDT.

For Music pathways
Audition dates and interviews: 3 to 7 July 2023 and 25 to 29 Sept 2023
Audition registration deadlines: 30 June 2023 (for July auditions) and 17 Sept 2023 (for Sept auditions)
Live auditions in: classical (except organ), historical, and non-western performance
Zoom interviews in: composition; creative industries; digital music; contemporary music; musicology

Music Theatre applicants: register and submit part 1 video on or before 3 September 2023.
Assessment criteria
  • For Music pathways an audition and interview in addition to Academic Results from Year 11 and Year 12 at the time of submitting an application
  • For Visual Arts pathway submission of a portfolio of work in addition to Academic Results from Year 11 and Year 12 at the time of submitting an application. Predicted ATAR scores will be obtained by the Sydney College of Arts through UAC for students sitting the HSC or they must be submitted directly if a student is an interstate applicant.
How to apply

Complete your UAC undergraduate application by the relevant August Round 1 or October Round 1 deadline and list your chosen degree as your highest eligible preference.

UTS Early Entry Program (including Engineering and IT Early Entry Program - Edge)

Important dates
  • 7 Jun: Applications open
  • 4 Sep: Applications close
  • 19 Sep: Provisional offers released
  • 18 Dec: Confirmation of offer and meeting of eligibility requirements email to Early Entry offer holders (NSW/ACT HSC students)
  • 21 Dec: Confirmation of offer and meeting of eligibility requirements email to Early Entry offer holders (interstate students)
  • 5 Jan: Confirmation of offer and meeting of eligibility requirements email to Early Entry offer holders (IB students)
Assessment criteria
  • Year 11 results
  • Meet minimum ATAR requirements to confirm provisional offer.
  • Completion of Australian Senior Secondary Qualification (eg HSC or interstate equivalent) or International Baccalaureate.
  • Engineering and IT applicants only: Edge points – composed of your Year 11 grades in relevant STEM subjects and the Women in Engineering and IT initiative. Find out more about the Early Entry Edge Program.
How to apply

Apply online via the UTS website.

Early Admission

Important dates
  • 19 Jun: applications open
  • 11 Aug: applications close
  • 4 Sep Early Admission offers released
Assessment criteria
  • You need to be on track to complete an Australian senior secondary qualification (eg HSC or interstate equivalent) or be an Australian citizen or permanent resident completing the IB Diploma.
  • Your Year 11 results and any Year 12 results, including trial results, available prior to application closing dates.
  • Your responses to questions in your application addressing the themes of academic readiness, motivation and passion, planning and persistence, communication and collaboration.
How to apply

Apply online via the University of Wollongong website.

UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway

The Gateway Admission Pathway is an alternative pathway to UNSW which considers more than just your ATAR. It offers early entry to UNSW or a significantly lower ATAR entry requirement for a range of degrees.

Important dates

Round 1

  • 1 May: applications open
  • 21 Jul: applications close
  • 1 Sep: offers released

Round 2

  • 2 Sep: applications open
  • 8 Nov: applications close
  • 8 Dec: offers released
Assessment criteria

To be eligible for the Gateway Admission Pathway, you must:

  • be an Australian resident
  • be completing an Australian Year 12 qualification in the year of application
  • attend a Gateway school or live in a low-socioeconomic area based on IRSAD and IEO indexes of SEIFA criteria.
How to apply

UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway Application Portal

HSC True Reward

Important dates
  • 3 Apr: applications open
  • Multiple offer rounds between September and January. Visit the HSC True Reward website for application closing and offer dates for each round,
Assessment criteria

HSC True Reward offers are made based on Year 11 and/or Year 12 results. Depending on the undergraduate degree you choose, you need to meet a specified HSC band outcome in nominated courses. Some degrees are excluded from this program.

Some conditions do apply. Visit the HSC True Reward website for more details.
How to apply

Apply online via the Western Sydney University website