First-round university offers are out. Here’s how to make the system work for you

Victoria’s largest round of university offers is here, and educators have a key piece of advice for hopefuls.

“Keep calm, celebrate the offer that you have received, and make sure that the offer you accept is one that you really want to do,” La Trobe University education expert Therese Keane said.

“It is a substantial commitment, both in time and finances.”

University offers via the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) started rolling in at 10am on Monday. This round will be the largest for school-leavers, unlike in previous years, when the most offers came through in January.

If graduates do not get their first pick, the advice is not to panic. Here’s what the experts say about how to make the university offer system work for you.

If you get an offer

Those who want to accept an offer need to enrol in the related course.

Students are encouraged to have their courses listed from most to least preferred, with their first preference generally aspirational, Keane says.

It is then up to the admissions centre to do the “matchmaking” by looking at a number of factors including the school-leavers’ subjects, prerequisites, academic performance and any other criteria courses might have.

Graduates who get an offer that is not their first choice could be offered it in a later round.

“There is always the chance that you might get an offer in a later round, depending on the number of places available, and how many students accept, reject or defer their offer,” Keane said.

VTAC’s advice is that graduates should only ever decline an offer if they are certain they do not want to take that course even if it ends up being their only offer.

Graduates should not reject an offer because they were hoping for a better one in a later round, the admissions centre said.

There are two further university offer rounds, on January 10 and 28, and then a further three on February 4, 11 and 18.

But about 80 per cent of university offers are made in the December and January rounds.

“Accept any offer that you are made, then if you are made a more favourable offer in another round, accept the new offer and un-enrol in the original offer,” Keane said.

“Once you receive an offer, you will not be considered for anything below that offer, i.e. your lower preferences.”

Students who want to defer will need to check with the institution that they can do this.

Methodist Ladies’ College careers head Chris Walkley said: “If you did not receive one of your top preferences, it’s natural to feel disappointed. However, it’s important to remember that there are always other ways of reaching your pathway goals.”

If you don’t get an offer this time

“Wait – as there will be other rounds but keeping in mind with each round that goes by, the chances of getting a course get smaller,” Keane said.

VTAC advises school-leavers to reconsider their preferences and seek institutions’ advice about pathway courses if they do not receive an offer in the first round.

They can change their preferences between 10am on Monday and 4pm on Tuesday, and on another four occasions in January and February.

Keane said graduates should ensure their ATARs were realistic for the course they wanted.

“Students should also consider whether they have other interests they might want to pursue,” she said.

If you don’t get an offer in any of the rounds

The advice is not to fret. Graduates have a number of options in this case, including TAFE, taking a gap year to reconsider their future, waiting until they are considered a mature-aged student (typically when they are aged over 21), jumping straight into employment, or taking other study pathways.

“Students need to do some homework to explore all their options,” Keane said.

People can also register their interest with VTAC for supplementary offers, which some institutions make from February.

July founder and RMIT University graduate Athan Didaskalou.Credit: July

Those offers are for courses with remaining places for people who have not received any offers in the previous rounds.

RMIT University graduate and July Luggage founder Athan Didaskalou did not begin his bachelor’s degree in business until he was several years out of school, after studying an advanced diploma.

“I did not care about year 12, and I ended up with a really bad [score],” Didaskalou said.

“Your score for [entering university] out the gate is the most trivial part of growing up that has a lot of importance placed on it.”

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