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Understanding your early offer: A guide for students
12/12/2024 | Domestic

Understanding your early offer: A guide for students

As a year 12 student, you have many avenues available when it comes to applying for courses at tertiary institutions. At the University of Canberra (UC), one such option is the Early Offer Scheme.

We spoke to Sarah and Eleanor - two early offer holders from 2023 - to learn more about their experiences. Read on for the lowdown on early offers; what they are, how they work and how they might benefit you. 

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UC’s Early Offer Scheme 

Put simply, an early offer from UC means an opportunity to secure a spot in a course before you have received your ATAR.

To be eligible, you need to be:

  • A current year 12 student enrolled in the ACT or NSW
  • Intending to go to university

When you apply, your admission will be based on your year 11 results and a 300-word personal statement. You can find out more details, including a step-by-step application guide, here.

Are all courses available?

Most undergraduate courses at UC are available in the Early Offer Scheme. Check out the 2025 course list to see what’s included.

Let’s meet our early offer holders!

Sarah Ahmad, Bachelor of Design student Sarah Ahmad is a first-year student at UC studying a Bachelor of Design, specialising in Interaction Design. A lover of all things creative, she is often immersed in drawing, reading and fibre arts in her spare time. 

"I chose to study at UC because…I wanted to specialise in UI/UX," Sarah explains. Interested in studying locally in the ACT, she determined UC was the best fit for her as she completed high school. Simply for the closure of knowing you have secured your study,"

Sarah recommends other students consider the Early Offer Scheme, too. It's an opportunity to ease the burden of making a decision about your studies and you have the chance to change it later. Practically put, "you don't lose anything by applying either

Eleanor Smith

Eleanor Smith is in her second year at UC, currently undertaking a Bachelor of Arts, specialising in Culture and Heritage. A self-described anglophile, you can find her reading English literature and enjoying British comedy.

Like Sarah, Eleanor was keen to study locally in the ACT. "UC…offered opportunities that were not possible at any other university unless I travelled," she explains, "…such as hands-on internships [or the chance to] study an Indigenous Studies minor with the privilege of being taught entirely by First Nations women."

UC's annual Open Day left a lasting impression too, providing a "welcoming atmosphere", which confirmed Sarah's decision to study under the Early Offer Scheme. "As a neurodiverse person, speaking to the Inclusion and Wellbeing teams at UC from my first day helped me gain the support and put the plans in place that I needed."

 

Utilise your careers support services at school

Both Sarah and Eleanor first learned about UC’s Early Offer Scheme while in high school.

“It was mentioned as something you could do with your year 11 predictions,” Sarah recalls.

When in doubt, speak to a teacher or careers counsellor. They’re equipped with the knowledge and resources to help you consider your options.

“Our student wellbeing coordinator…encouraged [our class] to apply to early offer programs,” Eleanor mentions, “[to reduce stress before final exams and provide] a sense of certainty about the future.”

Keeping it straightforward

The application process is “super easy and accessible,” Eleanor assures. “I only had to fill out a few forms that were very straightforward…”

  1. Make sure you have a copy of your official year 11 results and a 300-word statement explaining why you have decided to apply for your chosen course at UC.
  2. Head to the Early Offer Scheme webpage and find the course you want to apply for. Click ‘Apply Now’.
  3. Register an account with UC (remember to use a personal email address, not your school one).
  4. Follow the steps—you’ll be required to fill out some important information including personal details, contact details and government statistics.
  5. You will then need to provide your secondary academic qualifications. This is where you upload your year 11 results and personal statement too.
  6. Finally, read over an applicant declaration and check your details are correct.
  7. You are ready to submit. You will receive a confirmation email with an application number.

“The most difficult bit of the process was waiting to find out if my application was successful,” Eleanor says. “Thankfully, the wait wasn’t too long, and receiving that early offer lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.”

Finishing high school with peace of mind

“I would recommend an early offer to prospective students because it gives you so much confidence and space…before the end of year 12 [to] smash your exams,” Eleanor explains.

Sarah shares the same sentiments, adding, “although I did put pressure on myself to excel as I wanted to see what I could achieve, it was nice to have a guaranteed offer regardless of the outcome…it was a nice safety net to have.”

Questions?

If you’re curious to learn more or have some burning questions, get in contact with UC.

Telephone: 1800 864 226

Email: study@canberra.edu.au

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