Change of preference

In your final year of school? Congratulations! It's a massive milestone after many years of life and learning experiences. Around mid-year, you likely applied to uni through your state or territory's tertiary admissions centre. Did you know you can update or change your course preferences up until the application closing dates? This is what we call 'change of preference'.

So if you change your mind, change of preference allows you to add, remove or re-order courses on your preference list. Every year, thousands of Year 12s log in to their state or territory’s tertiary admissions centre to change preferences. Sometimes multiple times.

Why change your preferences?

You might want to change your preferences because your ATAR was lower or higher than expected, or you might have had a change of heart. The last chance to update your course preference starts when you get your Year 12 results – right before we start to make the main university offers in December.

Change of preference dates

If you're a Victorian resident, dates can be found on the VTAC website. For the main university offer round in December 2024 – change your preferences by 14 December (closes 12pm). You can also change your preferences during the January and February offer rounds, too. Non-Victorian residents should consult their local state or territory’s tertiary admissions centre for info on how to apply. You can also check out our key dates for all the information you need.

Is your uni application ready?

If you’re a current Year 12 student, you can submit your application to VTAC in seven easy steps. Remember that every state and territory is different, so familiarise yourself with all the acronyms, like SEAS (special entry access scheme), by checking out your local admission centre or VTAC resources.

Login to your your VTAC account or local admission centre account and open the course applications section. Then follow these steps:

1. Check your course entry requirements closely.
2. Add, remove or reorder courses on your preference list – if you need to.
3. Click on the ‘change my preference’ button to submit your change.

Not in Year 12? Find out how to apply directly with Deakin.

Your preference order is important

You only receive one offer per round for the highest preference you are eligible for – so list courses in the order you want to study them, not the order in which you think you’ll get in. Remember, if you don’t get the offer you want in the first round, we recommend you accept your first offer, but try again for your preferred course during the second round.

If you didn't get an offer to Deakin, you can still change your course preferences between offer rounds, as many times as you like. There is a pathway to Deakin!

Match your ATAR to another course at Deakin

If you didn’t get the ATAR you hoped for, there’s more than one path to your ultimate course. Take control of your next step and discover some alternative pathways to your ultimate course. Many students use alternate pathways to uni, like bridging courses and associate degrees. Or you could study the same course, but at a different campus.

Your pathway to university with guaranteed RPL

Moving from TAFE to university just got easier! Deakin recognises your achievements and offers guaranteed recognition of prior learning (RPL) for eligible TAFE qualifications, as well as Deakin’s associate degrees and Deakin College qualifications. Guaranteed RPL saves you study time and money, getting you closer to your dream course faster. Use our Pathways Finder tool to unlock your potential and discover the many pathways to a degree at Deakin.

When you preference Deakin you have access to a bunch of fantastic scholarships. Our scholarships recognise your achievements in and outside the classroom, and provide a financial boost throughout your journey at university.