Early Offer program

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Early Offer program

At RMIT, your life skills count towards your course. Secure a place in your dream course before your final exams by using your skills and experience beyond the classroom.

Register your interest

Use your experience to secure an early spot in your dream course at RMIT 

Are you a Year 12 student who has experience being a leader, working with different people, showcasing your creativity or making an impact in the tech world? 

In 2023, your hobbies, weekend projects and passions can be considered alongside your ATAR. Through RMIT’s Early Offer program, your life experience outside the classroom can count towards your dream associate or bachelor’s degree, allowing you to be accepted on a lower ATAR and taking some of the pressure off your final year at high school.  

It’s part of RMIT's commitment to diversity and equitable learning, and it means you’ll get your conditional uni offer in September. 

RMIT Early Offer deadlines for courses commencing in 2024

Submit your application once they open in mid-2023

Ready to submit your application for the Early Offer program? Explore the student application guide to ensure your application has the best chance of acceptance.

Download the application guide

Get your applications in before the close date

You will have a few months to submit your application through the RMIT website.

Receive your Early Offer

If your Early Offer application is successful, you will be notified once it has been processed. Please note that the Early Offer is not an official VTAC offer. The intention is to assist you in making your final choice of course preferences.

Don’t forget to add your Early Offer course to your VTAC preferences

To receive a full offer from RMIT, your Early Offer course must be the highest eligible preference in your VTAC application.

Tanya Setyawan - RMIT Bachelor of Communications student, smiling, sitting at a table holding a mobile phone

Receiving your official offer through VTAC

You will be guaranteed an offer if you meet the Early Offer ATAR and all course prerequisites. The VTAC offer that you receive will be for the course listed highest on your list of preferences where you have met all selection requirements.

VTAC offer dates

What to include in your application

To submit a successful Early Offer application, you need to be able to summarise your experiences outside the classroom and align them to two of the below categories. Learn more about how your application is marked in the student application guide.  

Leadership

Are you a natural-born leader? Whether you’ve managed groups, coached a team or planned and coordinated events, your leadership experience counts towards your Early Offer program application.

Communication

Have you mastered the art of expressing your ideas or thriving in a team? Your attention to detail, experience working with people from different backgrounds and ability to lead conversations and negotiations are great examples to discuss. We want to hear about specific instances in which you motivated and worked with others, built relationships, delegated tasks respectfully or adapted as a team member.

Creative Thinking and Innovation

Is thinking outside the box your specialty? Show us how you’ve got the imaginative and creative touch, discuss your curiosity for learning in new and different situations, or explain your experience in being entrepreneurial.

Analytical and Critical Thinking

Do you love the challenge of solving problems? In your Early Offer application, tell us about how you're able to identify strengths and weaknesses, analyse information to find solutions, or apply analytical reasoning to solve tricky problems. 

Browse the courses available for Early Offer applications

FAQs for the Early Offer program at RMIT

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The Early Offer ATAR is a set ATAR, so you don’t need to worry about what the entry score is. If you meet the Early Offer ATAR and the course prerequisites, you will be eligible for an offer.   

Refer to the above course list to explore the RMIT courses that are accepting Early Offers, including the ATAR you’ll need.   

The selection rank is your ATAR plus any adjustments. 

The published entry score for a course is determined by the lowest selection rank where an offer was made. 

The Early Offer ATAR applies to successful applicants of the Early Offer program. This is a set ATAR that is lower than the Guaranteed ATAR.   

The Guaranteed ATAR is a set ATAR listed for several courses (regardless of what the entry score is) this and is applicable to all applicants.  

To apply for RMITs Early Offer program, you must:

  • Be a current Australian Year 12 or IB (or equivalent) student
  • Apply through VTAC
  • Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident of Australia. 

Your interests, hobbies and talents are what make you – not just your ATAR.  

That’s why at RMIT, we recognise the value of extracurricular activities, including work experience, volunteering, involvement in youth clubs or committees, leadership positions at high school, participation in hackathons, team sports or local theatre productions, organising community events, building your own app or website, diverse life circumstances and more.

If you aren’t sure what can count towards your application, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

To assist you with your application, here are types of experience you may wish to reference:

  • Work experience (e.g. your part-time job, working in your family business or work experiences)
  • Bootcamps or hackathons
  • Hobbies (e.g. your involvement in a gaming community or social media influencing)
  • Youth clubs
  • Youth committees (e.g. Freeza music, Australian Youth Climate Coalition, etc.)
  • Volunteering of any kind (e.g. tutoring students or volunteering at community facilities)
  • Participating in community events or running market stalls and fundraising activities (e.g. run days at school and fundraising for specific charities)
  • Tutoring
  • Clubs, societies or groups (e.g. your sports club, social activities, or environment groups)
  • Coaching or umpiring sports teams
  • Team hobbies
  • Additional roles at school (e.g. your role as a mentor, class representative or school captain)
  • Diverse life circumstances, such as primary or secondary caring responsibilities, or care in the community
  • Local productions (e.g. theatre or environmental events)
  • Creating your own app or website
  • Making a short film or music production
  • Overcoming personal challenges
  • Participating in social activities representing minority groups (e.g. Pride festivals)
  • Providing support for family or community members, such as being an interpreter for parents at appointments, home schooling support for siblings or supporting family decisions
  • Living and learning in other countries
  • Additional language skills

To assist you with your application, here are some examples of evidence you may use for your application:

  • Reference letter from your employer, teacher, supervisor or coach
  • Completion or participation certificates
  • Awards or citations
  • Hyperlinks to websites, apps, videos or blogs you have created or written

You have 200 words to address as many of the criteria as you can under two categories and summarise your top skills and experiences, so here are some tips and tricks to make your Early Offer application count:

  • Write a statement of up to 200 words against each criterion that you have relevant example/s for under two categories. In your answers, outline a situation, task and action where you have demonstrated the criteria and what the outcome was. You will also need to attach evidence to support your responses. Draw upon specific examples of your skills. For example, rather than stating that you’re the captain of a sports team, explain a time you diffused conflict in your team or helped train a new team member.

  • You don’t need to address every criterion, only those you can provide a suitable answer to. You can fill in one to four criteria under each of the two categories and still be considered for entry; however, the more criteria you address, the stronger your application will be.  

  • Collect different types of evidence of your experience for each criterion. This could include (but is not limited to) a reference letter from your boss or mentor, a course completion certificate, or customer feedback.

  • The categories “Analytical and Critical Thinking” and “Leadership” require you to demonstrate experience of more than 2 months duration. If you cannot provide evidence of this, you should choose another category.  

To submit a successful application, you need to:

  • Summarise a situation, task, action, and outcome for as many criteria as you can in separate 200 words statements that align with your two chosen categories.
  • Provide evidence of your experience in your application (such as a completion certificate, reference letter, or link to something epic you’ve created).

Congratulations! To be eligible to receive your official offer through VTAC, make sure you have paid your VTAC course fees and have the course listed on your preference list.   

You are eligible to receive one offer per round in VTAC. The official VTAC offer that you receive will be for the course listed highest on your list of preferences where you have met all selection requirements. Your preferences should be ordered by which course you want to do the most, to the course you want to do the least.

Yes, successful applicants still need to complete their VCE exams.   

Your Early Offer is conditional, meaning you still need to meet the Early Offer ATAR and prerequisites in order to study your course.  

You may still be eligible to receive an offer for this course through the regular selection process.  

This is because the Early Offer ATAR refers to your 'raw' ATAR score (i.e. the ATAR you receive from VTAC, which is before adjustment factors are applied). 

For example, if you receive an Early Offer for the Bachelor of Business, and receive an ATAR of 60, while you would not meet the conditions of your Early Offer course, you may be eligible for adjustment factors (such as SEAS and subject adjustments). Therefore, you may still receive an offer for the course through the regular selection process.  

At RMIT, we have a range of ways you can enter your dream course. These are known as pathway options. We have pathways available for most of our courses, which step you through a diploma or associate degree first, and then on to the bachelor course. Our pathways can be added to your VTAC preference list. 

For additional information and support, please contact EarlyOffer@rmit.edu.au. 

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information