In your final year of school? Congrats, it's the culmination of many years of life and learning experiences. It's huge. Around mid-year, you likely applied to uni through your state or territory's tertiary admissions centre. Did you know that when you submit an application, you can then update or change your course preferences at different times? 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.
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.
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 4pm). You can also change your preferences during the January and February offer rounds, too. Not a Victorian resident? Your state or territory’s tertiary admissions centre will have info on how to apply and application closing dates. You can also check out our key dates for all the information you need.
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.
Remember, VTAC will offer you a place in the highest preference you’re eligible for. So, while it’s important to include courses you think you’ll get into, your top preferences should be the courses you want to get into – shoot for the stars!
Not in Year 12? Find out how to apply directly with Deakin.
Join us for Open Day this August to get course information, chat with your future teachers and current students, and enjoy fun entertainment. Plus, you have year-round opportunities to connect with Deakin, from in-person campus tours to unparalleled one-on-one support via our prospective student enquiry centre.
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.
Many Year 12s browse courses filtered by ATAR to help them confirm preferences and make an informed decision about their future.
Our handy tools make it easy to take charge of your future. Use our ATAR calculator to estimate your ATAR, or estimate your scaled and raw study scores using our VCE study score calculator.
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!
If you didn’t get the ATAR you hoped for, there are a range of 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.
You can change your preferences as often as you like. Even if you accept your first offer you can still change it later to a course you’ve listed higher in your preferences.
Need help navigating the transition from student to graduate to employee? We can help you power your career by finding the job or industry that suits you best. Browse our career stories for motivation and inspiration.
Our friendly student advisers are available to speak to you one-on-one about your study options. Take advantage of personalised discussions with Deakin experts and get all the information you need about courses, pathways, scholarships and the VTAC process.
It's only natural to have lots of questions as you prepare for uni. Our Deakin experts have heaps of course advice and guidance through enrolment, but your parent or caregiver might have some great advice too. They survived VCE!
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.
Arm yourself with the right information to refine your list of preferred courses.
Selecting your uni course preferences doesn't have to be daunting. Here are some useful tips to help you create your perfect preference list.
Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. For more information, visit our list of sources.
We're ready to help you make an informed choice. Our friendly Deakin experts are available to speak to you one-on-one about your preferences and how we can help you start your study journey at Deakin.
Domestic students
1800 693 888
Enquire online
International students
+61 3 9918 9188
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