As VCE results day approaches nearer and nearer, it’s important to fully understand how preferences work so that you can make the most informed decision.
- Put your preferences in the exact order of your actual preferences
A mistake people often make is thinking that they should put something they’re likely to get into first. However, it’s better to put what you want first – even if you don’t qualify for this, you’ll be considered for your next options.
For example, let’s say you want to study Commerce at Melbourne University, but as a backup you decide you might be interested in Arts too. The ATAR for Commerce is around 93, and for Arts is around 85. Now, if you put Arts as first preference, and end up getting a 95 ATAR, you would receive an offer for Arts at Melbourne, and no offer for Commerce. However, if you put Commerce first, you would have received an offer for the course you actually wanted to do. See more about this here on VTAC’s page.
It’s worth noting that institutions do not see in what position you preference their course – if you put Commerce first and Arts second, and received an 86 ATAR, you should still get an offer for Arts. It’s worth remembering that with bonus points you could gain entry to a course with a higher cut-off, and it’s also possible to get a second or third-round offer.
- Check the deadlines for change of preferences
Even after you receive your ATAR, you can change your preferences. Check here for the breakdown of dates – make sure you don’t miss them!
- Always accept course offers
Accepting a course offer does not lock you into that course or stop you from receiving new offers. However, it does offer some safety just in case you don’t receive another offer. If you rearrange your preferences after the first round and move the course which offered you a place to the bottom of your list, it’s still possible for you to receive another offer.
If you loved this article, you will LOVE all of our other articles, such as: 3 Facts You Should Know About Your ATAR, Tips for Supporting Your Child in Year 11 and 12! and Will anyone care about your ATAR in a year?
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