How universities choose Year 12 applicants

Applying for uni straight from school? Understanding how universities assess Year 12 applicants can help you make smarter decisions about your course preferences and your UAC application. While selection is competitive, the process is also transparent – and knowing what universities look for can give you a clearer picture of your options.

Your ATAR and selection rank

Around 50,000 Year 12 students apply for uni through UAC every year, and most are selected based on their selection rank.

Your selection rank for each course is your ATAR (or equivalent) plus any adjustment points the uni awards you. Selection rank adjustments are due to factors like strong performance in HSC subjects related to the degree you are applying for, living or attending school in a certain area (eg regional or remote, or in a university’s catchment area), or being eligible for schemes like the Educational Access Scheme and the Elite Athlete and Performer Scheme.

Each UAC course description (accessed via the UAC course search) includes an ‘ATAR profile’, which shows you the lowest ATAR and lowest selection rank required for entry into that course in the previous year. Use it as a guide only: the required ATAR and selection rank can change year to year.

Non-ATAR selection criteria

Depending on the course, you might also be assessed on other criteria, such as:

• interviews
• auditions
• portfolios
• applicant statements
• standardised tests.

Let's say you're planning to study medicine. You'll need to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) during July and August this year. End-of-year in-person interviews and assessments are also an important part of the selection process for medicine, dentistry and some veterinary medicine degrees. You’ll be selected for an interview based on your UCAT results or your ATAR, or both. (By the way, institutions advise you not to pay for interview coaching: they are looking for authentic responses from passionate students.)

And if you're leaning towards creative or performing arts courses, you might be asked to demonstrate your skills and passion through portfolios or auditions.

Different unis handle these extra requirements in their own way. Some give specific weightings: your ATAR might count for, say, 50 per cent, your portfolio for 25 per cent, and your interview for another 25 per cent. Others use a minimum ATAR to filter applicants, then rank everyone based on other criteria. In some cases, your audition or portfolio might matter more than your ATAR. It really depends on the course and the uni.

Check extra requirements for health, welfare and teaching courses

Course prerequisites

While it’s not common, some degrees do require you to have studied specific Year 12 courses. If you haven’t studied them, you can’t be selected. For example, a degree in biomedical science might require you to have studied a maths or science course.

Any prerequisites will be listed in the UAC course descriptions.

Gap year considerations

Thinking about taking a gap year? If you're in Year 12 right now, you should know that you're eligible for early offer schemes and adjustment factors that might not be available once you're considered a non-school applicant. UAC's advice? Apply now and defer if you need to, rather than waiting and applying later.

Understanding the competitive nature of selection

Remember that selection is competitive. Each uni and college sets its own bar for admission, and just meeting the minimum requirements doesn't guarantee you a spot. You need to compete against other eligible applicants for the available places.

Domestic undergraduate applicants can choose up to five course preferences in their UAC application. You can shuffle them around whenever you want – or replace them altogether – before each offer round. Take the time to understand what each course requires (especially if there are additional selection criteria) so that you can make smart decisions about where to apply.