Ordering Preferences

2008/2009 Year Round Admissions

A single QTAC application lodged from July 1, 2008 can include courses starting in Semester 3 2008, Semester 1 2009 and Semester 2 2009.

It is essential that preferences are ordered carefully as offers are made to eligible applicants in order of the major offer round date. For example, if January is the major offer round for your first preference, and December is the major offer round for your second preference, you will not be considered for a place in your second preference in December as offers for it are released prior to your application being assessed for your first preference. You would of course be considered for this second preference in the January offer round if you were unsuccessful in receiving an offer for your first preference and places still existed for your second preference.

To see which courses will be offered in the December major offer round, click here.

With this in mind, you should order your preferences using the following plan...

Course Preferences
1st 2nd	Ideal Courses	These are the courses you would really like to study even though your chances of gaining entry may not be assured
3rd 4th	Realistic Courses	These courses are less competitive.  Realistically, they should provide another way to the career you want or to a second choice career.  They can be used to upgrade to your 'ideal' course.
5th 6th	'Foot in the Door'	These courses are the ones you are prepared to do if you miss out on all the others.  They should be courses that in the past have been quite easy to get into (especially the 6th preference).  They can help you upgrade.

 

Please note, you can apply for the same course with different start months, however each start month would be a new preference.

Follow the two steps below to practise choosing your preferences.

1. My Preferences (considering the Preference Plan above):

Preference #	Course Name/QTAC Code	Start Month*	Major offer round Date
1
2
3
4
5
6

*Start Month/s are listed against each course entry.

2. Do all of your course preferences have the same major offer round date?

Yes – on your QTAC application, enter your preferences as listed above. Example 1 on the next page, shows this scenario.

No – Reorder your preferences chronologically by major offer round date. Example 2 shows this scenario. This way, if you are offered a place in an earlier offer round but prefer a course offered in a later offer round, you can rearrange your preferences after the initial offer is received and ‘Conditionally Accept/Reject/Defer’ the offered course. If you conditionally accept the offer and are subsequently offered a higher preference, you will be able to take up the new offer, or if a subsequent offer is not received, you would retain the earlier offer.

My Preferences - reorder by offer round dates:

Preference #	Course Name/QTAC Code	Start Month	Major offer round Date
1
2
3
4
5
6

Don’t forget to reorder your preferences after a major offer round if you would really prefer a course offered in a future major offer round.

Example 1 – All preferences start in Semester 1 2009 and have the same major offer round

Using the Preferences Plan above, the applicant’s course preferences are:

Preference #	Course Name/QTAC Code	Start Month	Major offer round Date
1	Brisbane University - B Commerce	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
2	Metro University – B Commerce	Feb 2009	Jan 2009
3	Brisbane University – B Business Management	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
4	Metro University – B Business Management	Feb 2009	Jan 2009
5	Accounting Institute – D Accounting	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
6	Accounting Institute – D Arts	Mar 2009	Jan 2009

As all preferences are offered in the same major offer round, on the QTAC application the course preferences are listed as above.

Example 2 - Preferences have different major offer rounds

Using the Preference Plan, the applicant’s preferred courses are:

Preference #	Course Name/QTAC Code	Start Month	Major offer round Date
1	Brisbane University - B Commerce	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
2	Metro University – B Commerce	Feb 2009	Jan 2009
3	Brisbane University – B Acting	Mar 2009	Dec 2008
4	Metro University – B Acting	Feb 2009	Dec 2008
5	Accounting Institute – D Accounting	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
6	Accounting Institute – D Arts	Mar 2009	June 2009

As all course preferences do not have the same major offer round date, the applicant re-orders their preferences on their QTAC application by order of major offer round date as follows:

Preference #	Course Name/QTAC Code	Start Month	Major offer round Date
1	Brisbane University – B Acting	Mar 2009	Dec 2008
2	Metro University – B Acting	Feb 2009	Dec 2008
3	Brisbane University - B Commerce	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
4	Metro University – B Commerce	Feb 2009	Jan 2009
5	Accounting Institute – D Accounting	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
6	Accounting Institute – D Arts	Mar 2009	June 2009

In the December major offer round, the applicant is offered their first preference of B Acting at Brisbane University. The applicant decides to ‘Conditionally Accept’ this offer and rearranges their preferences so they are considered for the courses that they really want, which are offered in January. Below are the reordered preferences.

Preference #	Course Name/QTAC Code	Start Month	Major offer round Date
1	Brisbane University - B Commerce	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
2	Metro University – B Commerce	Feb 2009	Jan 2009
3	Brisbane University – B Acting	Mar 2009	Conditionally accepted offer in Dec 2008
4	Metro University – B Acting	Feb 2009	Dec 2008
5	Accounting Institute – D Accounting	Mar 2009	Jan 2009
6	Accounting Institute – D Arts	Mar 2009	June 2009

If the applicant is offered their new first or second preference in the January offer round, they will forfeit their place in B Acting at Brisbane University. If the applicant is unsuccessful in gaining a place in their new first or second preference in the January offer round, they will retain their original offer for the B Acting at Brisbane University. Preferences listed below the offered course will not be considered.

 

 

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