VTAC step-by-step guide

While VTAC will 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 an account and choose up to 8 preferences from different courses across different colleges and universities in Victoria. These institutions then assess each student's eligibility for their preferred courses and notify VTAC of their intention to offer a place to study with them. 

Yes. You can change your preferences as much as you like until your offer round. Preferences are locked several days before each offer round for VTAC can coordinate with all institutions to ensure each application receives the right offer.

Applications for VTAC’s main round offers usually open around the end of July/start of August each year. 

VTAC applications for 2027 entry are expected to open in early August 2026, with timely deadlines usually falling in early October 2026. Late and very late application periods may continue through late October and into early December, with higher fees applying.

Because VTAC dates can change slightly each year, we recommend checking the official VTAC website for the most up-to-date deadlines and fees.

Yes. While you can set up an account without making a payment, you will only receive an offer through VTAC if you’ve paid their fee. We recommend making your payment before the timely application deadline, as the fees increase significantly. Read more about the fees and deadlines on the VTAC website here. 

Not if you’re currently completing year 12. While we love to hear from prospective students, we cannot offer any year 12 students a place based on a direct application through our website due to VTAC rules.

Anyone who has previously completed year 12 can apply directly through our website but please be advised that if you do apply via VTAC, we must go through their process. We won’t be able to offer you place directly once a VTAC application has been made. 

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 VTAC, we must also wait for the official VTAC offer rounds to issue an offer based on your submitted preferences — Collarts cannot issue an official offer outside of the VTAC process.

Once you have your conditional offer, you won’t need to do anything else until the VTAC offer rounds. During the offer rounds, you will receive 1 offer for the course that is highest on your course preference list which 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. 

During the offer rounds, you will receive a notification from VTAC, 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.