To all the Year 12 students who are trying to conquer the HSC exams, but have to pretend to understand what your friends mean when they talk about UAC, pre-requisite subjects and assumed knowledge for university applications.
You’re not the only one asking: what is UAC?
We’ve got your back with this blog.
UAC stands for the Universities Admissions Centre and is a private company that manages almost all university applications in NSW and ACT.
Year 12 students across New South Wales can use its website to start applying for university. The UAC website allows you to apply to each university course you’re interested in, all in one place.
1. Create Your Account: Head to uac.edu.au and hit “Apply.” You’ll need some personal information and more importantly your Year 12 student number.
2. Choose Your Preferences: List up to five university courses, in order of what you want most.
3. Apply for Schemes (Optional but Recommended!): UAC can inform you if your eligible for any scholarships as well as teach you about early entry and Atar adjustment factors (also known as bonus points).
4. Pay the Fee: There’s an application fee (cheaper before the early bird deadline in Late September). Pay online via card.
5. Wait for Offers: Uni offers come in rounds — the main one is in January, but you might get early or multiple offers. You’ll get an email when offers are released. You can: Accept, defer or decline
The UAC website will have all the available admissions criteria for NSW university degrees.
You should check out our step by step guide which shows you how to find all the different courses you can apply for through UAC, as well as their admissions criteria.
Click here: How to research university course admissions criteria using UAC
If you’re not sure what you want to do, there are some key things that will help.
First, research into career paths you’re interested to gain more information: attend open days, read biographies and keep an eye out for Knoji career blogs or Industry Insider Seminar Invitations.
Deep dive into the lifestyle, career trajectory and key skills required for different vocations. What’s their day-to-day like? What skills do they use the most on the job? This will help you understand which path you may be more suited for.
For instance, we all know doctors work to treat patients, but what percentage of their day-to-day is treating the patient and what percentage is paperwork? What percentage is coordinating logistics and communications? You might enjoy one aspect of a job, but find that the other 80% is intolerable – don’t romanticise job titles, see through to the reality of the job.
Secondly, decide if you want to pursue lifestyle first or passion first. If you want to pursue lifestyle first, identify which area of study aligned with your strengths will offer the best pay, work-life balance or any other lifestyle qualities you value.
If you prioritise finding your passion before all else, take a broader, more generalist degree first. Commerce, arts, science, and computer science are broad degrees that build versatile skills. If you’re unsure about a career path, they give you time to explore interests before specialising through work or postgraduate study
No – UAC only services NSW and ACT university applications.
Each of the other states will have their own different admissions centres, and you’ll need to submit a new application for each state you’re interested in studying at. Find the link for each state below:
Check out the rest of our blog for more no fluff expert tips on high school study strategy, HSC performance, and choosing the right path forward.