How to Submit a UAC Application in 2023
Updated: Aug 7, 2023
Apply for Uni following these 8 Steps.
So, you’ve decided to take on University and the thought of applying is DAUN-TING.
We know. We’ve been there.
Like many of us, you are probably asking the following questions:
How do I apply for Uni?
I’m so busy with study, will it take long to apply?
My course isn’t showing up on UAC??
How should I order my UAC preferences?
What documents do I need?
When do I need submit my UAC application anyway?
Don’t worry. We got you!
We’ve created a step-by-step, stressed-student-proof guide to submitting your undergraduate application.
Check out our Short Video Course on How to Apply for University in Australia that goes through our insider tips and tricks to receive multiple offers!
For those of you who prefer reading, whether you’re in Year 12 or you’re a mature age student, this comprehensive application guide will help you!
We will walk you through the 8 steps to submit your UAC application in 5 minutes.
The main goal of this post is to get your application submitted ASAP so that you can take advantage of the current UAC fees and avoid pesky late fees.
To submit your application ASAP in time for the Early Bird Fee, skip step 4 and put random courses in random preference order for step 6 & 7. Just don't forget to come back to them later!!
Step 1 - Creating Your UAC Application
Let's start with our trusty friend, Google.
Search 'UAC' and go to the UAC Home Page (https://www.uac.edu.au/).
In the top right-hand corner, there is a button “Apply or Log In”.
If it is your first degree, you will be applying for an undergraduate degree.
So, click on “undergraduate application”.
Great! Now we can get started.
Click the “Start here” button.
Step 2 - Student Numbers & UAC pins
Before you get into application, you’ll need to indicate your citizenship status and provide your student number.
So, what is my student number?
Your student number would have been given to you by your state or territory board of studies.
NSW HSC students
This is your 8-digit number allocated to you by NESA.
You can call 1300 13 83 23 if you don’t know it.
Your UAC pin would have been emailed to you earlier in the year. (Note: It is different to your HSC pin). Call UAC at 1300 275 822 if you can not find it.
ACT Year 12 students
This is your 7-digit number issued to you by the ACT BSSS.
Your UAC pin would have been emailed to you earlier in the year.
Call UAC at 1300 275 822 if you can not find it.
Other Year 12 students
Click on the little question mark circled as per the image below to find out what your student number is.
Call UAC on 1300 275 822 if you're having problems with creating your application.
Step 3 – Personal Details
Fill out your personal details as below.
Make sure you enter you personal email address and not your school email address. UAC and other institutions will be needing to contact you AFTER you finish school.
Note: The address you enter at (2) below, will be used to calculate any location-based adjustment factors.
If you have 2 residential addresses, make sure you enter the one that qualifies for any location-based adjustment factors.
Step 3.2 - Statistics & Support Services
UAC will ask you a few other questions about your circumstance to collect statistics.
They also ask these questions to determine if you need additional support with your application / studies.
Click 'next'.
Now your UAC application has been created (woohoo!). You will be provided with an application number and pin.
Make sure you keep a record of the application number and pin.
You will use it to log in and “manage” your application when you want to upload documents, change your courses, or reshuffle your preferences.
Step 4 - Qualifications
Feel free to skip over this step and come back to it after you have submitted the application.
In this step, you only need to enter qualifications that are relevant. You can read each type of qualification listed below to see which ones you are required to enter!
Note: Not all of you will have qualifications in all of the areas.
If you don’t have any qualifications to enter or want to submit your application quickly, you can advance to Step 5 by clicking 'next'. You can always log back in and enter your qualifications later.
Step 4.1 - Secondary Studies (High school studies)
Current High School Students
If you are a high school student, you will not need to enter any details here. They have already been added for you! Simply click ‘next’.
Current High School Students with no other relevant qualifications should skip straight to Step 5.
Post School Applicants / Mature Age Students
If you are a post-school applicant or mature age student, you will need to upload your secondary studies.
Note: Only enter the final qualification you have received (e.g. completed year 12 qualification, not year 11 as well).
Non-Standard Australian Year 12 Qualifications
If you have a non-standard Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. ICCE or Home Schooled), you may need to sit another test such as American Scholastic Aptitude Test 1 (SAT 1) and/or the STAT test.
Check with UAC and the relevant institutions as to whether:
your qualifications will be accepted and
what additional test you are required to sit.
If you need help with this or finding appropriate pathways, chat to a Higher Education Expert at Yourcompass here.
Step 4.2 - Tertiary Studies (Uni / TAFE etc. )
This step will be relevant to Post School Applicants (Mature Age Students).
If you have any of the following qualifications, they will be entered as ‘Tertiary Studies’.
AQF study at Certificate III level and above (Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma)
any Australian undergraduate or postgraduate degree, including non-award study
an overseas equivalent of any of the above.
Do NOT enter the following qualifications:
Certificate I or II
short courses run by a university
other short courses such as First Aid certificates etc.
statements of attainment
TAFE Statements
courses delivered by Australian private providers that are not accredited.
To ensure you put your best foot forward in your application, enter the details for ALL your study attempts:
finished or unfinished
whether the qualifications are related to the course/s to which you're applying or not
if you started at one institution and continued at another – make sure you enter evidence of your study at both institutions
Step 4.3 - Preparatory Studies
Preparatory courses are a good pathway for applicants who don’t have formal qualifications.
Examples of preparation courses:
TAFE NSW Tertiary Preparation Certificate
UNSW University Preparation Program
University of Newcastle Open Foundation course
Examples of courses which are NOT preparation courses:
Certificate III and above – (enter these under Tertiary Studies above)
Certificate II and below
short courses e.g. First Aid certificates.
Step 4.4 - Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT Test)
As mentioned above, the STAT test is used to assess your competency for admission purposes.
There are many pathways into university and the STAT test can be one of them.
Chat to a Higher Education Expert at Yourcompass to see if the STAT test is the right pathway for you.
Step 4.5 - Online Open Courses
Online open courses include Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
MOOCs are free online courses available to anyone. (You normally just have to pay for to download the certificate at the end)
Some MOOCs, such as Macquarie University Big History, will provide students with adjustment factors.
Others, such as Introduction to Calculus MOOC at University of Sydney, will satisfy the pre-requisite requirements for some courses.
If you have completed a MOOC and purchased the certificate, enter those details here.
Step 4.6 - Professional Registration or Qualification
Examples of professional registrations / qualifications to enter:
Certified Practising Accountant (CPA)
Defence Forces service/rank
Trades
Health-related qualifications or registrations e.g. registered nurse
Musicianship qualifications.
Do NOT include:
short courses e.g. First Aid certificates
memberships granted based on fees alone should not be included.
Step 4.7 - Employment Experience
You should only include full-time, paid employment for the duration of 1 year or more.
What documentation to include:
Statement of service
Updated CV/Resume
Do NOT include evidence of unpaid or voluntary work.
Remember, work experience is only relevant to SOME undergraduate applications.
Make sure you check the selection criteria.
If you are unsure whether your work experience will be relevant to your application or not, have a chat with a Higher Education Expert here.
Step 4.8 - English Language Proficiency
Every domestic student must prove English Language Proficiency (ELP).
Normally, ELP requirements are met through completed Secondary Studies or Tertiary Studies in an English Speaking Approved Country.
However, if you haven't completed High School or did so overseas, you may need to meet the ELP Requirements in another way, such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Still unsure about whether you meet ELP Requirements?
Step 4.9 - Uploading Qualification Documents
Now that we've got the types of relevant qualifications covered, it's time to provide evidence of your qualifications.
If the type of qualification states ‘documents must be provided’, you will need to provide documentation, otherwise the qualification may not be considered.
Note: You do NOT need to provide any of the documentation in order to proceed. But be aware of document deadlines for each offer round.
You can always log back in later and submit your documentation once you have gathered the relevant documents.
Just make sure you check the UAC key dates, as each offer round has a document deadline.
How to upload your documents:
To upload documents, click 'Upload' under each qualification type
o Your document will need to be in a PDF file, smaller than 5MB
o If your document is not a PDF, you can convert it by emailing the document to
conv2pdf@uac.edu.au. You will receive an email back with the converted document
within a few minutes!!
You can upload 5 supporting documents for each qualification
Be aware: documents you upload and save cannot be deleted.
Step 5 - Selecting Course Preferences
Now, the fun part.
Step 5.1 - Three Handy Tips
Firstly, you don't need to pick your dream course RIGHT NOW. The main goal today is to get your application paid for and submitted. That way you will avoid any late application fees. You can always log back in and change your courses and/or reshuffle your preferences later.
You can add up to five course preferences in your application. Each preference is considered one at a time, in the order that you’ve listed. You can only get 1 offer per offer round. So, you will want to log back in and re-shuffle your preferences after each offer round. This will maximise your opportunities to receive an offer.
When selecting your courses, make sure you select your preferred start date (e.g. Start Date: February 2024 or Start Date: July 2024). You will also want to make sure you check the attendance pattern when listing your preferences. There are a variety of attendance patterns:
Full-time
Part-time
Online or Distance Education
On-campus
The attendance pattern will be listed in each course description. Keep in mind, that some institutions offer flexible attendance patterns.
Step 5.2 - Searching for courses
There are multiple ways to add your courses to your preference list.
Search via Institution
This good if you know what Institution you want to go to.
Search via All Institutions
You can select all institutions. This is good if you want to study 1 particular degree, and you don’t mind where you go!
Search by the Name of the Course / Course Code
If you don’t want to scroll and you know exactly which courses you want to apply for, just type in the name or course code to the search bar.
If your course isn't showing up - applications for it might not be open yet! Double check the institution's website.
Note: In most cases, you won't be able to apply for the major. You will select your major once you have the offer.
Don’t know what course to pick? If you’re having trouble narrowing your list down to 5 courses, have a chat to the Yourcompass Team about maximising your preferences.
Step 6 - Adding Courses to Your Preference List
This step is a little confusing at first, because there is no ‘add’ button!
But, all you need to do is click on the start date and a little green tick will appear.
This green tick means it has been added to your preference list!!
Step 7 – Arranging Your Preferences
Again, this step can also be a little confusing. There is no clear click and drag, or numbering system.
Instead, you will click on the “up” and “down” arrows to shuffle your preferences around.
Remember, this is not the last time you will be arranging your preferences. So, don’t stress too much.
HOT TIP: If you’re short on time, we recommend just entering random courses and arranging them in any order. Then submit & pay your fee ASAP. This way you can take advantage of either the Early Bird Application Fee ($78.00) or the On-Time Application Fee ($215.00).
You can log back in later to change your courses and/or reshuffle your preferences.
Step 8 – Review and Submit
So, you’ve entered the courses & you’ve put them in some kind of order.
Now it’s time to make the payment.
Please note, this payment is non-refundable. Even if you don’t get any offers – you can’t get it back.
Don’t delay in making the payment. Depending on when you’re applying, the fee of the application may rise. So, take advantage of the price now, avoid late fees and submit the payment.
You can always edit the application later.
And that’s it! You’re all done. Now it’s time to wait for the offer rounds. Good Luck!
If you need any help at all along the way, the Higher Education Experts are more than happy to chat. Get your FREE Kickstarter Call here.
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