QTAC Applications Now Open – Supporting Your Child’s Next Step

QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) is now open for applications, marking an exciting and important time for our Year 12 students as they begin to plan their post-school pathways.

Mrs Ingram, Guidance Officer for the senior school, recently delivered a presentation to Year 12 students on how to apply through QTAC and how to preference courses effectively to maximise their chances of receiving an offer. This session aimed to demystify the application process and ensure students feel confident in navigating their options.

Parents and carers play a key role in supporting students through this next stage. We encourage families to talk together about goals and interests, explore courses through the QTAC website https://www.qtac.edu.au/essential-information/

If you have any questions or would like further support, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs Ingram at the school.

Parents' and guardians' guide to university

Here is the help you need to support your teen through the applications process 

The article below has been provided by Griffith University.

5-minute read

In between all the decisions, deadlines and jargon, applying to university can be a stressful experience. But it doesn’t have to be. In this article, we’ll provide plenty of helpful info—from how to help your teen choose the right degree to getting your head around Tertiary Admissions Centre’s (TACs), adjustment factors and early offers.

Choosing the right degree

While your teen might already have an idea of what they want to study, they might also still be considering their options. Fortunately, there’s plenty you can do to help them.

Get started by discussing what your teen is good at, what they’re interested in and the sort of career they want to pursue. This can help inform their thinking, both about their immediate future at university and where they’re headed after. Try to encourage your teen not to be overly influenced by peer pressure, family expectations or misconceptions—like if they receive a better ATAR than they expect, they’ll be ‘wasting’ it by choosing a degree with lower entry requirements.

You and your teen should also check out our Degree Finder, which lists all the information you’ll need about our degrees, including entry requirements, majors and potential career outcomes. For up-to-date guidance on career pathways, employability rates and job growth areas, you can also check out Australian government sites like:

• Jobs and Skills Australia
• MyFuture
• YourCareer

Doubling your options

If your teen is torn between a few options, a double degree might be the perfect solution. They can combine two related degrees to become a specialist or choose from different areas to broaden their knowledge and career options. And while it might seem counterintuitive, a double degree does not necessarily mean double the work. In fact, they’re generally cheaper and faster to complete than the two single degrees they’re comprised of.

There are plenty of other benefits to choosing a double degree including:

• a future-proofed career with the flexibility to work in different fields and industries
• a wider and more diverse network of student, academic and industry contacts
• a greater understanding of the requirements and ways of thinking required in other disciplines

Demystifying the applications process

The applications process has plenty of moving parts, and it’s easy to get caught up in all the jargon. Here’s what you need to help your teen skip the confusion and sail through to success.

What’s an ATAR?

An Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student’s position in relation to their peers. It’s expressed as a number on a 2000-point scale from 99.95 to 0.00 that progresses in steps of 0.05. An ATAR of 80.00 does not mean a student got 80 per cent. Instead, it indicates they placed within the top 20 per cent of their age group.

What are QTAC and UAC?

Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) and Universities Admission Centre (UAC) are state authorities, known as TACs. They administer the application and offer processes for places at tertiary or higher education providers, such as Griffith. QTAC and UAC administer the majority of our undergraduate degrees.

How do QTAC preferences work?

Preferences are designed to help keep students’ options open as they decide what they want to study. When they apply, your teen will be asked to select up to six preferences, with their first preference being the degree they want to study most.

When your teen chooses preferences, it’s important to remember:

• some degrees have earlier offer rounds than others—so make sure to check, so they don’t miss out
• adjustment factors might mean your teen’s ATAR is better than expected, allowing them to aim higher with their first preferences
• pathway options—such as undergraduate diplomas—make a great choice for fifth and sixth preferences as they can help your teen transfer into their desired degree without adding time or cost.

What’s an offer round?

Offers for undergraduate degrees are released on specific dates, known as offer rounds. These dates are listed on the TAC websites. As a general rule, the earlier your teen applies, the more offer rounds they’ll be considered for.

Applicants will only receive one offer per round—generally their highest eligible preference. Once they’ve received an offer, your teen will need to respond to it by a certain time.

What’s an adjustment factor?

Adjustment factors are a way for universities and other tertiary institutions to account for Year 12 students’ various academic achievements and personal circumstances when considering their application. They don’t actually change an overall ATAR—instead they act like a one-time only offer that can increase a student’s selection rank to help them get into their degree of choice.

It’s important to note that students are only eligible for adjustment factors if they apply to university for the year after they finish Year 12. For example, if your teen graduates from Year 12 with an ATAR of 65.00 and applies to Griffith, they could receive up to 8.00 adjustments to bring their ATAR up to 73.00. If they choose not to accept an offer but apply again next year, their effective ATAR reverts back to 65.00.

What’s the difference between a prerequisite and assumed knowledge?

Prerequisites are subjects your teen must have studied previously as a condition of entry. Assumed knowledge is knowledge that your teen is expected to have gained through certain subjects at school—and while it’s not required as a condition of entry to a degree, it will make the material more accessible.

Except for a few exceptions, most degrees at Griffith only have assumed knowledge, not prerequisites, but you can check on the relevant degree page. If your teen doesn’t meet the prerequisites for a particular degree or they need extra support, we offer Griffith Bridging English and Foundations of Academic Writing.

What’s the Year 12 Early Offer Guarantee?

The Year 12 Early Offer Guarantee provides certainty to eligible students by allowing them to receive an offer before they get their ATAR or IB diploma results. This eliminates the anxious wait for results and offer rounds, so your teen can enjoy their break before starting at university.

What’s the Guaranteed Admission Scheme?

Guaranteed Admissions Schemes create increased opportunities and greater certainty about future study choices by offering a range of guaranteed admission options. These include schemes for teens who attain an ATAR of 80.00+ or an IB of 28+ or have completed a VET qualification.