How You Can Get Early Entry Into Uni to Take the Pressure Off

Pressure’s got nothing on you.

This post is presented in partnership with RMIT University. 

If there is one thing that sucks about your final year of high school, it’s the pressure to perform well.

Right now, heaps of students are heading towards their final set of Year 12 exams with a similar thought in mind: "Doing well at my exams means a better ATAR; a better ATAR improves my chances of getting into a good uni; and a good uni leads to a long and happy career in my dream job after graduating."

Here’s the thing though: that kind of thinking ain’t healthy for anybody.

To help get rid of all that pressure, RMIT University have created the Early Offer program so you can secure your place at uni before exams even start. Consider that pressure now gone.

Here’s how RMIT are taking the pressure off to help you get into uni.

RMIT doesn't just recognise grades.

If you want to go to uni but you're worried that your grades might not be good enough, don’t fret.

Through the Early Offer program, RMIT University also considers your life experience outside the classroom, and counts that towards your dream course, allowing you to be accepted on a lower ATAR if exams don’t go your way.

This means that any volunteer work, hobbies, tutoring, umpiring and work experience can be considered. In your application, you'll simply need to align your life experiences with two of the categories, which include leadership, communication, interpersonal skills and teamwork, creative thinking and innovation, and analytical and critical thinking.

So, if you were the captain of your soccer team or were on the school debating team, you could highlight those under the leadership and communication categories. 

Get accepted before exams even start.

Imagine how chill you’d be going into exams if you knew you were already accepted into uni? That’s exactly what RMIT’s Early Offer program does.

RMIT University will let you know by 24 September if your application is successful, taking away all the pressure of having to ace your exams—you just need to meet the lower ATAR. On top of that, it frees your mind to study at your own pace (because it's still important to try your best!). 

Don’t worry if you bomb out in your exams.

Have you ever got into an exam, looked through the paper and thought, “I don’t understand any of this?"

Alternatively, has stress kicked in and made you forget everything you've studied? 

Sadly, these things can happen, and it can lead to getting an ATAR lower than what you would have got if you weren’t impacted by stress and anxiety.

With RMIT’s Early Offer program, you can rest easy knowing that your marks aren’t the only thing that RMIT consider in your application. Remember those life skills you wrote about in your application? They can get you over the line on the lower ATAR and into your dream uni degree.

Applying is easy.

Of course, the pressure doesn’t stop once you finish your last exam. You must wait to receive your marks, and then hope that you’ll get accepted into your preferred course. Let's just say: it’s a stressful process.

On the other hand, RMIT’s Early Offer program isn’t stressful at all. It’s actually super easy!

When applying, be sure to include a 200-word statement for each category you’re applying for. Don’t be afraid to show off specific examples of your epic work!

You'll also need to provide different types of evidence to support your 200-word statements. Evidence could include a reference letter, completion certificate or a link to something you created. Simple, right? 

Applications close 30 August so make sure you hustle and get yours in.

To find out more about RMIT’s Early Offer program and take the pressure off your future, click here.

Header Image: Unsplash via @michael_sturgeon