UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway
Unlock your access to UNSW
What is the Gateway Admission Pathway?
You're more than your ATAR
If you're in Year 12, the Gateway Admission Pathway is an alternative pathway to UNSW which considers more than just your ATAR. It offers early entry to UNSW or a significantly lower ATAR entry requirement for a range of degrees.
Watch our short video to learn how the pathway works.
Map your future career
Step 1
Not sure what you want to study? Use our InsideOut app to discover how your values match with different degrees at UNSW and map your future career.
Write your personal statement
Step 2
Write your personal statement based on the degree you list as your first preference. You are required to answer three questions about yourself. Check out our web app Nail It!, designed specifically to help you write your personal statement.
Apply now
Step 3
Apply for an early offer to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway. Applications for 2024 are now open, with Round 1 closing on Wednesday, 24 July.
Join the Gateway Program
The Gateway Program is for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 who want to discover UNSW degree options, explore future career opportunities and access additional resources for the HSC. Participating in the Gateway Program also provides critical support to receive an early offer to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway.
Check your eligibility
To be eligible for the Gateway Admission Pathway, you must:
- be an Australian Permanent Resident, Australian Citizen, or New Zealand Citizen
- be completing an Australian Year 12 qualification in the year of application
- attend a Gateway school or live in a low-socioeconomic area based on IRSAD and IEO indexes of SEIFA criteria.
Check our list below to see if you attend a Gateway school. Don't see your school on the list or unsure if you're eligible? Contact us.
Consider a Diploma program
If you are a domestic student and qualify for the UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway but do not meet the required ATAR for entry into this program you may also be eligible to study a UNSW College Diploma program as an alternative entry pathway to UNSW.
For more information, download the Diploma flyer.
- About
- Eligibility
- Application
- Offers
- Awards & Scholarships
- Adjusted ATARs
- Degree-specific
More about the Gateway Admission Pathway
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UNSW is committed to student equity, and we want to ensure that as many young people as possible can access and succeed in higher education. The Gateway Admission Pathway is UNSW’s primary pathway for students who are traditionally underrepresented at UNSW and in higher education more broadly.
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All Gateway Admission Pathway applications are considered based on your written personal statement and your Year 11 results.
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This year, you will have the opportunity to receive an early offer (with the requirement of receiving an ATAR regardless of the result) or an early conditional offer (with a significantly reduced ATAR requirement).
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You can apply for all undergraduate degrees at UNSW Sydney, excluding degrees at UNSW Canberra.
Note:
- Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine has different eligibility criteria and a different application process - see Gateway Medicine Entry Scheme for more information
- B Aviation (Flying) has considerable costs associated and final entry to the program is dependent on additional selection criteria - see Bachelor of Aviation (Flying) for more details
- B Vision Science/M Clinical Optometry will prioritise places for regional/remote students and less than 10 places are available
- The Co-op Program has a separate application process and offers up to four places with adjusted Gateway academic requirement - see UNSW Co-op for more information and to apply
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Degrees offered at the UNSW Canberra City campus through the Canberra School of Professional Studies are eligible for the Gateway Admission Pathway. This includes the Bachelor of Cyber Security.
Please note: Programs offered through UNSW Canberra at ADFA are not eligible for the Gateway Admission Pathway.
Eligibility for the Gateway Admission Pathway
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To be eligible for the Gateway Admission Pathway, you must:
- be an Australian Permanent Resident, Australian Citizen, or New Zealand Citizen
- be completing an Australian Year 12 qualification in the year of application
- attend a Gateway school or live in a low-socioeconomic area based on SEIFA criteria*.
If you’re unsure whether you meet these criteria, contact us.
If you meet these criteria but are in Year 10 or 11, you are able to participate in the UNSW Gateway Program. This program is for students who want to discover UNSW degree options, explore future career opportunities and access additional resources for the HSC.
* Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) ranks areas in Australia according to relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage based on the Index of Education and Occupation and Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage.
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No, unfortunately only domestic students can be considered through the Gateway Admission Pathway. International Students considering alternative entry pathways into UNSW can consider a university pathway program through UNSW College. To find out more about our Academic and English programs, visit our UNSW College website.
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Gateway schools are identified by taking the three-year average of Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) for schools across NSW or the three-year average of the proportion of students in the bottom SEA quartile. The ICSEA and proportion of students in the bottom SEA quartile of a school can be found on the My School website.
Applying to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway
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Application dates are below:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 1 Opens: Monday, 29 April
Round 1 Closes: Wednesday, 24 July
Round 1 Early Offer and Early Conditional Offer Release: Thursday, 5 September
Round 2 Opens: Friday, 6 September
Round 2 Closes: Monday, 11 November
Round 2 Early Offer and Early Conditional Offer Release: Friday, 6 December
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You will need to upload a personal statement answering the following three questions. If you have chosen two degrees to be considered for in your application, you only need to address the degree you have listed as your first preference.
- Why are you interested in the degree you are applying for and how does it relate to your passions and goals?
- What are your learning strengths and how have you applied them to overcome challenges in school or other aspects of your life?
- Thinking about your future self at university, what do you identify as the key challenges for you and how do you plan to manage these?
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You can choose up to two UNSW degrees to be assessed on. However, only preference two degrees if you would be happy to receive an offer for either of those degrees. When writing your personal statement, you should reference the degree you have listed as your first preference.
Please note whilst you can preference up to two degrees, you can only receive one offer to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway.
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Your personal statement is a very important part of how we assess your application. Here are the key qualities we are looking for in your personal statement:
- A high degree of clarity
- Address all aspects of the questions
- Reference relevant concrete examples to illustrate sophisticated links between personal interests and chosen discipline
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of your chosen degree and its requirements
- Extensive and detailed evidence of reflective thinking and analysis of own learning strengths
- Thoughtfully describe potential challenges and solutions for your projected future self
- A well-integrated, complex and thoughtfully structured paragraph
- Sophisticated use of persuasive written language
Check out our Nail It! app designed specifically to help you write your personal statement.
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Yes, you can resubmit your personal statement if necessary. However, we strongly encourage you to finalise it before submitting it.
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No, we won’t have access to information about special provisions and won’t consider it as part of the application process.
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If you are successful in receiving an offer you will be notified in in our offer rounds. 2024 offer round dates will be shared soon.
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You do not need to start a new application when reapplying for Round 2. Simply visit the portal and update your existing application via the "Manage your application" button. Once you're in, you can change your degree preferences.
Offers for the Gateway Admission Pathway
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Early offers have the requirement of you sitting the HSC and receiving an ATAR regardless of the result.
Early conditional offers are made with a significantly reduced ATAR requirement. If you meet or exceed the adjusted ATAR you will receive a firm offer to that degree. -
There will be two offer rounds.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 1 Opens: Monday, 29 April
Round 1 Closes: Wednesday, 24 July
Round 1 Early Offer and Early Conditional Offer Release: Thursday, 5 September
Round 2 Opens: Friday, 6 September
Round 2 Closes: Monday, 11 November
Round 2 Early Offer and Early Conditional Offer Release: Friday, 6 December
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No, you will only receive one offer to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway.
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Most degrees offered through the Gateway Admission Pathway are not capped.
The exceptions are:
- Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Clinical Optometry: Fewer than 10 places are available and students from regional and remote areas will be prioritised for these places
- Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine: Up to 10 places are available to students who meet the eligibility criteria and apply for the Gateway entry scheme via the Medicine Application Portal.
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Yes. So long as you have met the requirements of your offer and converted it to a firm offer by the set date, you will be able to defer your studies for one year.
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If you live in an eligible low-socioeconomic area, receive an offer from UNSW and enrol for Term 1, 2025, you will be eligible to receive the $10,000 UNSW Advantage Award to support you in your first year of studies. Low-socioeconomic areas are based on 2021 IRSAD and IEO indexes of SEIFA criteria.
Additionally, for 2025, all students who attend a Gateway school, apply through the Gateway Admission Pathway and enrol at UNSW will receive a $1,000 one-off payment to make the transition to uni easier, meaning you could be eligible for a total of an $11,000 award to make the most of your studies.
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For 2025, all students who attend a Gateway school, apply via the Gateway Admission Pathway and enrol at UNSW will receive a $1,000 Gateway Award to make the transition to uni easier.
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If you have applied to UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway, you will be advised if you’re eligible to receive the UNSW Advantage Award when Round 1 and Round 2 early offers and early conditional offers are released. Round 1 offers will be released on Thursday, 5 September 2024. Round 2 offers will be released on Friday, 6 December 2024.
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The award will be paid in $2,500 instalments in your first year of university. The first instalment will be at the beginning of Term 1 and other payments will be within 4 weeks of the Term 1 Census Date, Term 2 Census Date and Term 3 Census Date.
Students who attended a Gateway school will also receive a $1,000 one off payment at the beginning of Term 1, 2025.
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To be eligible for the UNSW Gateway Award applicants must have applied through the Gateway Admission Pathway and enrolled at UNSW. You will be advised if you’re eligible to receive this award when Round 1 and Round 2 early offers and early conditional offers are released. Round 1 offers will be released on Thursday, 5 September 2024. Round 2 offers will be released on Friday, 6 December 2024.
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Students who attended a Gateway school will receive a $1,000 one off payment at the beginning of Term 1, 2025.
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Students are not able to defer commencement of the UNSW Advantage Award or the UNSW Gateway Award.
However, you can reapply through the UAC Equity Scholarships portal to be considered for any Equity scholarships available. Please keep in mind there is no guarantee that you will receive an Equity Scholarship offer in a future round.
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Yes, your eligibility will be determined as part of the regular UAC admissions process which happens throughout December and January. You will be advised if you are eligible to receive the UNSW Advantage Award in early 2025 before the start of Term 1.
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Yes, if you receive the UNSW Advantage Award and/or the UNSW Gateway Award, you are still eligible for equity and merit scholarships at UNSW. Please check UNSW Scholarships for any scholarship opportunities available that are relevant to your studies.
However, in most cases, you won’t be able to hold both your UNSW Advantage/Gateway Award as well as an equity or merit scholarship. Recipients who are considering accepting or holding multiple Scholarships/Awards must contact UNSW Scholarships in writing for prior approval.
If you receive an equity or merit scholarship offer (including accommodation scholarships) in addition to being eligible for the UNSW Advantage/Gateway Awards, you will have the option to choose which scholarship/award you would like to hold.
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The Community Plus Scholarship covers on-campus accommodation expenses of up to $25,000 per year throughout your undergraduate journey. If you apply to study at UNSW through the Gateway Admission Pathway and you’re looking to move onto campus, you will be prioritised for this award. Note that there are a limited number of these scholarships available.
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UNSW offers a wide range of Equity Scholarships to assist commencing students to undertake full-time study for the standard duration of their coursework degree program.
If you apply through the Gateway Admission Pathway, you will automatically be considered on the basis of school disadvantage and socio-economic disadvantage of the area you live in. You don't need to submit a UAC Equity Scholarship application to be considered on the basis of these factors. You will automatically be considered for all relevant Equity Scholarships. However, if you’d like to be considered additionally on the basis of any of the below factors, you can also submit an Educational Access Scheme application through UAC.
- Financial Challenges
- Severe Family Disruption
- Excessive Family Responsibilities
- Personal Illness/Disability
- Refugee and Humanitarian Status
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The UNSW Co-op Program is a career development scholarship for high potential undergraduate students for selected undergraduate students in the disciplines of Business, Engineering, and Science. Co-op provides 15-18 months of industry training, professional development, networking and financial support ($21,600 p.a./4 years).
The Co-op Program requires an adjusted minimum ATAR of 90 (incl. EAS) for students from Gateway schools or low SES backgrounds. Up to 4 dedicated places each year are available through the Gateway scheme each year.
Applications for the Co-op Program Gateway places are through a separate application process from the main Gateway Admission Pathway. To apply, head to the Co-op website.
Applications are open now, and close on Monday, 30 September 2024.
Adjusted ATARs for the Gateway Admission Pathway
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ATAR adjustments consider additional factors when assessing a student’s capability to succeed at university. As part of UNSW's Gateway Admission Pathway, we consider the academic course requirements and the demonstrated academic standard of applicants. We then consider the Lowest Selection Rank and determine a reasonable adjustment for each degree. See our list of Gateway Adjusted ATARs for students enrolling in 2024.
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Through the Gateway Admission Pathway, there are several degrees that have an adjusted ATAR of 65. See our list of Gateway Adjusted ATARs for students enrolling in 2024.
If you don't qualify for the UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway you may still be eligible to study a UNSW College Diploma program as an alternative entry pathway to UNSW. For more information, download the Diploma flyer.
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The Gateway Admission Pathway sets a reduced ATAR requirement specific to the degree you are applying for. To convert your early conditional offer into a firm offer, your ATAR will need to meet this requirement without any other adjustment factors being considered.
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No, there is a separate entry scheme for elite athletes here. You cannot combine schemes.
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There are no implications. Your ATAR is only one indicator of your capacity to succeed at university, which is why we are considering other factors when assessing your application. You won’t be at a disadvantage compared to your peers.
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We understand that sometimes things don’t always go to plan. If you don’t meet the adjusted ATAR set in your early conditional offer, you may still be considered for alternate entry schemes to study your dream UNSW degree including:
Degree-specific information for the Gateway Admission Pathway
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Not to be confused with the Bachelor of Medical Science.
The Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine (often referred to simply as ‘Medicine’) is a very competitive degree and up to 10 places are offered each year via the Gateway Entry Scheme.
It is a different application process to apply for a Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine and requires additional selection criteria. Visit the Gateway Entry Scheme for more details.
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If you apply for a Bachelor of Laws through the Gateway Admission Pathway, you do not need to sit the Law Admission Test. LAT results will not be used to assess your Gateway Admission Pathway application. However, you can still register for and sit the LAT if you would like to retain the option of entry to the Bachelor of Laws through the LAT admission process.
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As a Co-op scholar you are provided with up to 18 months of relevant industry experience, leadership and professional development training, mentoring and support, career planning and events to help you create professional and social networks. There are various programs available in Business, Science and Engineering streams.
The application process for Co-op is separate to the Gateway Admission Pathway. You will need to submit an online application, nominate your Careers Advisor to complete your Schools Assessment Page and complete a video snapshot. For more information about the programs, application process and eligibility, see here.
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Yes, you can transfer in the same way as any student at UNSW can transfer degrees.