Queensland university early offer numbers soar as Year 12 students accept early to ease exam stress

Some Queensland universities are reporting increases of 70 per cent or even double last year’s early offer numbers.

There has been a major spike in early offers made to this year’s graduating class, with some Queensland universities reporting increases of 70 per cent or even double last year’s levels.

Griffith University made 800 early offers in 2022, but they’re up to around 1700 this year.

“Decisions to offer more certainty, earlier for Year 12 students, come after consultation with schools and their rising concerns around the pressures their outgoing cohort are experiencing,” a Griffith spokesman said.

Yeronga State High School Class of 2023 graduate Ellana Magarry, 18, accepted an early offer to study a double degree in Forensic Science and Criminology at Griffith.

She said the QTAC application process was “really easy”. She submitted copies of her internal results to-date and they simply needed to meet her preferred course requirements.

Ellana Magarry, 18, took an early offer to study a Bachelor of Forensic Science and Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University next year. Photo: Matthew Poon.

Ms Magarry received her offer on the last day of scheduled classes, before the start of the external exam block. She described it as “a huge weight taken off my shoulders”.

“Some of my friends who haven’t got offers yet haven’t been sleeping properly and they don’t want to fully relax at Schoolies,” she said.

“Whereas I’m able to fully relax and enjoy myself and celebrate being finished without having to worry about what comes next, because I’m all set.

“It also took the pressure off my external exam marks too.”

Meanwhile, the Queensland University of Technology expects to send out 1925 early offers during the first QTAC round, which began on Friday.

The scheme has been extended this year to include 26 extra courses, and have led to a significant increase on the 1108 early offers made during the first QTAC round last year.

University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Bartlett.

University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Bartlett said UniSC is also seeing an increase in overall applications, leading to more early offers.

“This reflects increasing demand from students to reduce stress at exam time by securing an offer early,” she said.

Elsewhere, James Cook University has experienced a 10 per cent increase in early offers compared to the same time last year, with 812 already sent out. They partly attributed this to “increased engagement with schools” as well as “more generous scholarship offers”.

While there has not been an increase at the University of Southern Queensland, early offer numbers have remained strong over the past four years.

The university has made 315 early offers to this year’s graduating class, with 292 students accepting. In 2022, the university made 319 early offers and 300 were accepted.

“Offers are conditional on completing Year 12 to ensure students remain on track in the final weeks of their senior schooling and are possible through UniSQ’s extensive relationships with schools in our region,” a UniSQ spokesman said.

“UniSQ’s overall preference numbers from school leavers have increased in the last 12 months due to the commencement of new Allied Health programs.”

Finally, the University of Queensland doesn’t do early offers, except for music which is audition-based. UQ instead offers guaranteed ATAR entry thresholds across most programs.