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Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme

Recognises your commitments as an elite athlete or performer by applying adjustment factors to boost your selection rank.

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Benefits

If you competed or performed at the elite level during your HSC or equivalent secondary or tertiary qualification, you may be eligible for up to five adjustment factors to raise your selection rank.

Eligibility

Each applicant is assessed on a case-by-case basis. We cannot confirm your eligibility for this scheme without a formal application. Use the below as a guide to determine whether you are an elite athlete or elite performer and should apply.

To be eligible for the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme, you must:

  • be a domestic student
  • apply for an undergraduate course commencing in Semester 1
  • be able to demonstrate that you competed or performed at the elite level during the NSW HSC or equivalent secondary or tertiary qualification recognised for admission (this includes students completing their studies outside of Australia)

You will be considered an elite athlete if you compete at a national or international standard in your sport, often identified by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), a state institute/academy of sport, or a recognised professional sporting body.

Learn more about the SUS program
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The Elite Athlete Program is a separate support program run by the SUS to help elite and emerging student athletes balance their sporting ambitions with their academic goals throughout university. Program membership provides access to a range of valuable benefits and services. This program is not related to the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme and requires a separate application.

Sydney Uni Sport (SUS) Elite Athlete Program

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You will be considered an elite performer if you have achieved at a professional or elite level in the performing arts, usually through a recognised company, conservatorium, or industry body.

How to apply

1. Submit your undergraduate course application through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC)

2. Gather the necessary supporting documentation to apply for the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme 

3. Navigate to the Entry Scheme tab in your UAC application, fill out the entry scheme form and provide supporting documentation 

4. (Elite Athletes only) Fill out the Additional Information Form

5. Place a University of Sydney course as one of your UAC preferences

If you are notified that you are eligible, you will need to place your chosen course as your highest eligible UAC preference. Then, if you meet the course selection rank and any other admission criteria and there are places available in the course, you will be made an unconditional offer.

Adjustment factors are added to your selection rank for all eligible courses in your preference list.

Applications open

8 April 2026

Applications close
  • To be considered in time for December Round 2: 5 pm (AEDT) 30 October 2026
  • To be considered in time for January Round 1: 5 pm (AEDT) 13 November 2026

Elite Athletes must submit both an Elite Athletes and Performers application through UAC and the Additional Information Form by the applicable deadline to be considered.

Notification of outcome
All applicants will be notified via email. Contact admissions.office@sydney.edu.au if you do not receive your outcome by this date.
  • Notification of outcome for December Round 2: Wednesday, 16 December 2026
  • Notification of outcome for January Round 1: Wednesday, 23 December 2026
Course offers released via UAC
  • December Round 2: 7:30 am (AEDT) Wednesday 23 December 2026
  • January Round 1: 7:30 am (AEDT) Friday 8 January 2027

Provide at least one of the following in your UAC application:

  • letter of recognition from a relevant sporting organisation
  • evidence of participation and achievements, such as competition certificates or team rosters
  • third-party corroboration, such as a coach’s statement or official website references.

Elite Athletes must also fill out the Additional Information Form, which requires additional details regarding:

  • your level of representation (e.g. national, state)
  • your ranking if you competed in an individual sport
  • your membership with a sporting institute/academy or professional team.

You are also required to provide the name and contact number of a referee who can verify your elite athlete status. This person should be a staff member of a national or state/territory sporting organisation, a national or state/territory sporting institute or academy, or professional sporting organisation.

Provide at least one of the following in your UAC application:

  • letter of membership or engagement from a relevant artistic organisation
  • evidence of significant success in performances, such as reviews or program listings
  • record of audition processes and sustained performances
  • evidence of competition success at a national or international level
  • third-party corroboration, such as a director’s statement or official website references.

Eligible courses and adjustment factors

Explore the courses and adjustment factors available through this scheme. Some courses have additional admission criteria you’ll need to meet, in addition to the course selection rank. These can be found on the course page.

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Architecture and Environments 85 5
B Design (Interaction Design) 80 5
B Design in Architecture 95 5
B Design in Architecture (Honours) and M Architecture 97 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Arts 80 5
B International Studies 90 5
B Languages 90 5
B Media and Communications 95 5
B Politics, Philosophy, and Economics 92 5
B Visual Arts 70 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment factors
B Commerce 96 5
B Commerce and B Arts 96 5
B Commerce and B Science 96 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Economics 91 5
B Economics and B Arts 91 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Education (Early Childhood) 77 5
B Education (Health and Physical Education) 80 5
B Education (Primary) 85 5
B Education (Secondary) 80 5
B Social Work 80 5
B Arts and B Social Work 80 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Advanced Computing 90 5
B Advanced Computing and B Commerce 96 5
B Advanced Computing and B Science 90 5
B Advanced Computing and B Science (Health) 90 5
B Advanced Computing and B Science (Medical Science) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Aeronautical Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Biomedical Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Civil Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Electrical Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Environmental Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Flexible First Year) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Mechanical Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Mechatronic Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Software Engineering) 90 5
B Engineering Honours with Space 99 5
B Engineering Honours and B Arts 90 5
B Engineering Honours and B Commerce 96 5
B Engineering Honours (Civil Engineering) and B Design in Architecture 95 5
B Engineering Honours and B Project Management 90 5
B Engineering Honours and B Science 90 5
B Engineering Honours (Biomedical Engineering) and B Science (Health) 90 5
B Engineering Honours and B Science (Medical Science) 90 5
B Project Management 86 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Applied Science (Diagnostic Radiography) 96 1
B Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science) 82 5
B Applied Science (Exercise Physiology) 91 5
B Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) 93 1
B Applied Science (Physiotherapy) 99.5 1
B Applied Science (Speech Pathology) 94 1
B Arts and M Nursing 80 5
B Nursing (Advanced Studies) 84 5
B Pharmacy (Honours) and M Pharmacy Practice 90 5
B Pharmacy and Management (Honours) and M Pharmacy Practice 90 5
B Science and M Nursing 80 5
B Science (Health) and M Nursing 80 5
B Science and M Nutrition and Dietetics 97.5 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Music 70 5
B Music (Composition) 70 5
B Music (Music Education) 70 5
B Music (Performance) 70 5

Course Selection
rank
Adjustment
factors
B Agricultural Science 75 5
B Agricultural Science Honours 75 5
B Animal and Veterinary Bioscience 80 5
B Liberal Arts and Sciences 70 5
B Liberal Arts and Sciences (Advanced) 95 5
B Mathematical Sciences 95 5
B Psychology 85 5
B Psychology Honours 97 5
B Science 80 5
B Science (Advanced) 95 5
B Science (Health) 80 5
B Science (Medical Science) 90 5
B Science and B Arts 80 5
B Veterinary Biology and D Veterinary Medicine 98 3
B Wildlife Conservation (Taronga) 80 5

The following courses are not available for entry through the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme:

Arts and social sciences

  • B Arts (Dual Degree: Sciences Po, France)

Economics

  • B Economics (Dual Degree: Sciences Po, France)

Engineering and computer science

  • B Engineering Honours (Dalyell Scholars)

Law

  • B Arts and B Laws
  • B Commerce and B Laws
  • B Economics and B Laws
  • B Engineering Honours and B Laws
  • B Science and B Laws

Medicine and health

  • B Arts and D Medicine
  • B Biomedicine and Health
  • B Oral Health
  • B Science and D Medicine

Frequently asked questions

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by email. Emails will be sent from the University of Sydney on a date TBC.

Yes. You can apply for this scheme with a recognised secondary or tertiary qualification other than an ATAR. This can have been completed overseas or in Australia.

Your qualification will be assessed and converted into an ATAR-equivalent selection rank by UAC. If you are eligible for adjustment factors, these will be added to this rank.

The Elite Athletes Program is a separate program designed to support elite student-athletes during university and is not related to the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme. It has a separate application process.

No.

Successful completion of a high-level AMEB may support your application, but you are unlikely to be assessed as eligible for this scheme if it is your only achievement.