Five facts about university offers

As the new year gets underway, so too does the nervous wait for university offers. If your child is currently awaiting an offer, here are five facts you need to know.

1. There’s more than one offer round

If your child doesn’t receive an offer for their first preference, or they don’t receive an offer at all, they may still be offered a place in subsequent offer rounds. Further offer rounds give students another chance to gain entry to their preferred course — usually, places open up due to students rejecting or deferring their offers. It is important to note that not all institutions make offers in these later offer rounds and not all courses will have vacancies.

2. Your child can still be considered for their first preference if they accept another offer

If your child receives an offer for a lower preference in the first round, but is holding out for a place in their preferred course, they are still eligible for their first preference — even if they accept the initial offer. In Victoria and New South Wales, applicants are automatically considered for preferences higher than an offer they’ve received, or all preferences if they are yet to receive an offer. In Queensland, students have the option of conditionally accepting their offer if they wish to be considered for higher preferences in subsequent offer rounds. This means that they forfeit their right to a previous offer if they receive another, but still retain the original offer if they do not receive an offer to study a higher preference.

3. Students can defer their offer

Students wanting to take a break after school have the option to defer their offer — most take some time out to relax, work full time or head overseas. Most commonly, students defer for a semester or a year; however, two-year deferrals are available at some universities. This saves them from reapplying for the course when they are ready to resume study.

4. Cut-off scores vary each year

Course cut-off scores are not static, so if your child’s ATAR or OP is below the cut-off score for the previous year it doesn’t mean they won’t receive an offer. Offers are based on the number of places available in a given course, not a specific score, so they change each year depending on the number of applicants and the results they achieved. Keep in mind, however, that there are certain courses (law and medicine, for example) that will always have tough cut-off scores, no matter the year.

5. There are many alternative pathways

Students can make the most of a range of pathway options to help them gain entry to their desired course, even if they don’t receive an initial offer. This may mean accepting an offer for a lower preference and transferring into the desired course once they have some university study under their belt; completing a more general course at undergraduate level with the intention to complete postgraduate study in their area of interest; completing a lower-level qualification in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector before commencing higher education study; or starting out in a foundation program. Some pathways even offer guaranteed entry into a course, at times with credit.

Useful links:

• A parent guide to university offers
• Beyond school
• The facts about your child’s ATAR/OP