Early Entry Program FAQs

The University of Newcastle's Early Entry Program is specifically designed for students completing Year 12 in 2024 in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Early entry is based on your Year 11 results, allowing you to receive an offer before you start your final exams.

By applying for our Early Entry Program, you gain access to valuable learning resources that support your academic journey through your final year of school. You’ll have opportunities for leadership development and networking that emphasise collaboration and engagement.

Receiving an early offer from the University of Newcastle secures your place, providing you with peace of mind during what can be a stressful time.

To qualify for an early offer, applicants must have completed Year 11 in NSW or the ACT.

UAC will calculate a selection rank for each early entry applicant based on their Year 11 results where results have been released and made available to UAC. Predicted ranks are calculated for students with 4 or more RoSA results (8 units) including at least 2 units of English.

Students in Year 12 who are enrolled in Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects under the NSW Curriculum Framework (or equivalent in the ACT) can apply for the Early Entry Program if they are following an ATAR-eligible course of study. Here's some useful information from UAC for both Year 11 and Year 12 students: Steps to Uni for Year 11 and 12 Students (uac.edu.au)

Year 12 students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate or those from interstate are not eligible for early entry and must apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).

You will need the Year 12 student number assigned to you by your state or territory board of studies, such as NESA for NSW applicants. Ensure that you do not include spaces or dashes in the number.

For NSW applicants, use the 8-digit student number issued by NESA.

ACT Year 12 applicants should use the 7-digit student number issued by the ACT BSSS.

Your PIN is the first four digits of your date of birth. For instance, if your date of birth is 03/10/2001, your PIN would be 0310.

Please note that you can only apply for Early Entry once. Duplicate applications will be withdrawn.

If you are a NSW or ACT Year 12 student, simply enter your student number and PIN to have your Year 11 results automatically uploaded to your application. You will receive an email if any additional supporting documentation is required.

Certain degrees, such as Medicine and Midwifery, are not available in the Early Entry Program due to limited available places or additional admission criteria.

No, adjustment factors are not considered in the Early Entry Program.

Each degree offered through the Early Entry Program has a specific threshold rank. Your Year 11 results are converted into a selection rank, and if your selection rank meets or exceeds the degree's threshold rank, you should receive an offer.

For degrees with limited places, offers are granted to the highest ranked applicants.

If you miss out on your preferred degree through early entry, we encourage you to apply through UAC, where applications consider ATAR, Year 12 subject performance, and eligible adjustment factors.

Please note that additional admission requirements apply to certain degrees such as the Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts and the Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts/Bachelor of Arts. For further details, please visit newcastle.edu.au/degrees/bachelor-of-music-and-performing-arts/admissions.

The following degrees have limited availability due to placement or registration quotas. We will allocate some places through our Early Entry Program and reserve places for the UAC offer rounds.

• Bachelor of Biomedical Science
• Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Honours) (Diagnostic Radiography)^
• Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Honours) (Nuclear Medicine)
• Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Honours) (Radiation Therapy)
• Bachelor of Nursing
• Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours)
• Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)^
• Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy^
• Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)^
• Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)^
• Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine
• Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)
• Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
• Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (Combined)

^These programs can be highly competitive. We recommend selecting only one of these programs as one of your three preferences if possible.

Accelerated Year 11 subjects completed in Year 10 will contribute to your selection rank for early entry. However, accelerated Year 12 subjects completed in Year 11 will not be considered. Early entry assessments are solely based on Year 11 subjects.

You can select three programs to include in your preferences.

By selecting your preferred programs wisely, you increase your chances of receiving an offer for the program that aligns best with your academic and career goals.

We suggest you order your preferences in the following way:

Preference 1: Dream degree
Preference 2: Degree in a similar study area/lower-ranked degree
Preference 3: Pathway program

For instance, if your dream degree is the Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Laws (Honours), you would list your preferences in the following way:

Preference 1: Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Combined
Preference 2: Bachelor of Business
Preference 3: Diploma of Business

The programs you select and your selection rank for early entry will determine which program you receive an offer for.

If you are not eligible for an early offer to any of your preferred degrees, we will review your preferences and provide you with an early offer to an alternative degree or a pathway program, such as a Diploma or Open Foundation.

Remember, you will receive only one early offer through our Early Entry Program so how you prioritise and utilise your preferences is vital!

You have the flexibility to change your preferences as many times as you like during the admission period for the offer round you participate in. However, once the admission period for that offer round ends, you will not be able to make any further changes to your preferences.

Early Offer Round 1: for applications submitted between 8 April and 29 August.

Early Offer Round 2: for applications submitted between 30 August and 12 September.

Early Offer Round 3: for applications submitted between 13 September and 26 September.

If you have already selected three programs and wish to change your preferences, you must first remove some programs. To do this, click on the red cross next to the name of the program you wish to remove, and save your changes.

Once you remove programs from your preferences, use the search function to find the program you wish to add. To add a program, click on the program's start date. For instance, 24-Feb-2025.

Depending on when you submit your Early Entry application, you can expect to receive an offer on one of the following dates:

Early Offer Day 1: September 5, 2024

Early Offer Day 2: September 19, 2024

Early Offer Day 3: October 4, 2024

Please note that once you receive an early offer, you will not be able to modify your preferences or be considered for any subsequent offers through the Early Entry Program.

Early offers are contingent on your successful completion of Year 12 and eligibility to receive the NSW HSC (Higher School Certificate) or the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate (ACT SSC) in 2024.

It is crucial to strive for excellence and maintain your dedication throughout Year 12. Our Early Entry Program offers support to assist you in your Year 12 studies, ensuring you achieve your best results in your final exams.

Congratulations! You have seven days to accept your offer and secure your place at the University of Newcastle.

We recommend accepting your offer as soon as possible, which you can do by clicking here.

Congratulations on receiving an offer to your highest eligible preference! This means that your early entry selection rank met or exceeded the threshold rank required for entry into a program that you selected as either your second or third preference.

We recommend accepting your offer within seven days to secure your place at the University of Newcastle, which you can do by clicking here.

If you wish, you can also apply through UAC by the early bird closing date of Friday 30 September 2024 and list your chosen degree as your first preference in your application by Wednesday18 December. The first round of offers to Year 12 students after the HSC results are released takes place on Monday 23 December (December Round 2).

UAC applications consider ATAR, performance in Year 12 subjects, and eligible adjustment factors.

Accepting your early offer now doesn’t stop you from being considered for your first preference through UAC.

If you received an early offer for a program that wasn't among your preferences, including a Diploma or Open Foundation, it indicates that your early entry selection rank didn't meet the threshold rank required for the degrees you selected as preferences in your Early Entry application.

There is a place for you at the University of Newcastle. We recommend accepting your offer within seven days to secure your place, which you can do by clicking here.

If you haven’t already, we strongly advise you to apply through UAC by the early bird closing date of Friday 30 September 2024 and preference the University of Newcastle in your application by Wednesday 18 December. The first round of offers to Year 12 students after the HSC results are released takes place on Monday 23 December (December Round 2).

UAC applications consider ATAR, performance in Year 12 subjects, and eligible adjustment factors.

Accepting your early offer now doesn’t stop you from being considered for your chosen degree through UAC.

In most cases, you can defer your Early Entry offer for up to 12 months.

If you have questions about deferring your offer, you can reach out to us AskUON

Absolutely! The Early Entry Program and the UAC offer rounds operate independently. You can receive an offer through the Early Entry Program and still be considered for offers in the UAC offer rounds.

Early entry offers are solely based on your Year 11 results. Offers made through UAC can also consider your Year 11 performance, such as the Schools Recommendation Scheme. Once your HSC results become available in December, they may contribute to your eligibility for offers through UAC. Furthermore, you might qualify for adjustment factors in the UAC offer rounds, which can enhance your chances of admission.

You have the option to apply for admission to a different degree through UAC.

UAC applications consider ATAR, performance in Year 12 subjects, and eligible adjustment factors.

Yes! You need to apply for the SRS through UAC.

You have several options available if you're not satisfied with the early offer you received or if you've had a change of heart regarding your preferred program:

Apply through UAC: You can apply for admission to a different degree through UAC, including the Schools Recommendation Scheme.

Yes. Applying for the University of Newcastle’s Early Entry Program does not prevent you from applying to other universities.

To receive a guaranteed accommodation offer you must follow the steps below:

1. accepted your first round Early Entry Program offer to study in 2025, by Tuesday 12 September 2024 and
2. completed your 2025 accommodation application via the Student Living portal between 4pm Thursday 12 September and 5pm Thursday 19 September 2024.

If you choose to change your degree program, you may still be eligible for guaranteed accommodation if you meet the requirements for early entry and apply/accept within the timelines.

For applicants that receive a second or third round Early Entry Program offer to study in 2025 (released 19 September and 4 October), Student Living will prioritise your accommodation application once a completed accommodation application is received and you’ve e-mailed us as detailed below.

Once you’ve lodged your accommodation application please contact Student Living at studentliving@newcastle.edu.au so that we may confirm your eligibility for a prioritised accommodation offer. Please note that not all prioritised applications can receive an accommodation offer due to demand.

Please note:

• The guarantee / prioritisation is for an offer to live on campus. Whilst we will try to offer an applicant their top room preference this is not always possible and you may receive a second, third or fourth preference offer.
• If you choose to defer your studies you will need to re-apply for accommodation as per the standard process and enter the non-guaranteed/prioritised pool of applicants. The guarantee / prioritisation only applies for those commencing studies and on-campus living in Semester 1 2025.
• A list of excluded postcodes is below and is in place to prioritise those living out of our campus’ local areas.

*Guaranteed/prioritised accommodation at Callaghan excludes students located in the following postcodes:

2259,2261 2262, 2263, 2264, 2265, 2267, 2278, 2280, 2281, 2282, 2283, 2284, 2285, 2286, 2290, 2287, 2289, 2290, 2291, 2292, 2293, 2294, 2295, 2296, 2297, 2298, 2299, 2300, 2302, 2303, 2304, 2305, 2306, 2307, 2308, 2315, 2316, 2317, 2318, 2319, 2320, 2321, 2322, 2323, 2324, 2325, 2326, 2327, 2334, 2335, 2420, 2421.
*Guaranteed/prioritised accommodation at Ourimbah excludes students located in the following postcodes:
2071, 2074, 2075, 2076, 2077, , 2079, 2080, 2081, 2082, 2083, 2084, 2085, 2086, 2087, 2096, 2097, 2099, 2100, 2101, 2102, 2103, 2104, 2105, 2106, 2107, 2108, 2156, 2157, 2158, 2159, 2250, 2251, 2256, 2257, 2258, 2259, 2260, 2261, 2262, 2263, 2264, 2265, 2267, 2280, 2281, 2282, 2283, 2284, 2286, 2306, 2325, 2756, 2775.