UAC step-by-step guide

While UAC may be new to some high school students, teachers and career counsellors will provide lots of information about the process when you reach Year 12.

Students set up a UAC account and choose up to five course preferences from participating universities and institutions, ranked from most to least preferred. 

Each institution assesses whether a student is eligible for their preferred courses, and UAC then issues offers based on those assessments and the student’s preference order.

Yes — you can change your preferences as often as you like during the UAC application period, up until the published preference closing deadline for each offer round. After that deadline, preferences are locked so UAC can process applications and issue offers.

Applications for UAC’s 2026–2027 domestic undergraduate admissions open on 8 April 2026 at 9:00 am (Sydney time).

Applications for 2027 entry through UAC open on 8 April 2026. Timely applications usually close in early October, with late and very late application deadlines extending into late October and early December.

Exact closing dates are published each year on the official UAC Key Dates page.

Yes — once you register and submit your application through UAC, a processing charge applies.

There is a $215.00 AUD processing fee for domestic undergraduate applications, and your application is not complete until payment has been received.

Be sure to submit and pay by the relevant deadlines to be considered for upcoming offer rounds.

You can read more about UAC fees, charges, and key application dates here. 

For most current Year 12 students in NSW/ACT, undergraduate applications for courses participating in UAC must be submitted through UAC, so we can’t offer places directly via our website for the main UAC application cycle.

Some institutions also operate direct or early entry application pathways for Year 12 students, but for courses and offer rounds managed by UAC, offers are issued through UAC rather than directly by the institution. If you do apply via UAC, the offer process will follow the UAC schedule and rules.

If you have already completed Year 12 or are a non-school-leaver, you can apply directly through our website.

Auditions are run on set days and places are limited so we recommend booking your audition as soon as you can. Speak to a member of our Admissions team to find out when the next auditions are available and secure your place. Applicants to our Performing Arts courses (Acting, Stage Management, Writing & Directing) can find more information on the audition dates and process on our website. 

Read more about our entry requirements and admissions process here.

Almost! A conditional offer means you’ve met the course’s pre-selection requirements, but your place isn’t officially confirmed yet. All conditional offers are subject to you successfully completing Year 12 (or equivalent) and meeting any additional conditions specified.

If you’re applying through UAC, we must also wait for the official UAC offer rounds to issue an offer based on your submitted preferences — Collarts cannot issue an official offer outside of the UAC process for UAC-listed courses.

Once you’ve received your conditional offer, the next step is to ensure your UAC application is complete and wait for the official UAC offer rounds.

During each offer round, you can receive one offer, and it will be for the highest-ranked course preference on your list that you are eligible for.

To maximise your chances of receiving an offer for the course you want, make sure your preferences are always listed in order — with your first choice at number 1.

If a course has an ATAR requirement, you will need to meet it to be eligible for an offer. At Collarts, entry is generally based on your creative potential and pre-selection requirements rather than your ATAR.

For current year 12s, the first offer round is usually in December. 

Check UAC's official key dates page for more info. 

During the offer rounds, you will receive a notification from UAC, followed by call from Collarts. You will only receive 1 offer per round, so it’s important that your preference order reflects where you most wish to study.

After the offer round, you will have the choice to follow the institution's instructions to accept your offer or not.

You can wait for a later offer round to see what other offers you receive. Accepting an offer doesn’t automatically commit you to study that course, so you can move forward with an offer and still change your mind if you get a better offer in a later offer round. 

Yes, you can. At Collarts, you have the option to defer your enrolment for up to 1 year from the date it was offered. This means you could receive an offer to study with us in February 2027 and defer to February 2028 and your place will still be secure. As we have 3 intakes per year, you can also choose to start your course in May or September, if February is not the right time for you.