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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 your rehearsal, training or competitive commitments significantly impacted your Year 12 studies or equivalent, 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 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 at the University of Sydney starting in Semester 1
  • be able to demonstrate that your sporting or performance commitments have impeded your performance in the NSW HSC or equivalent secondary or tertiary qualification recognised for admission (this can be in Australia or overseas).

In addition, the following will also be taken into consideration when you apply for this scheme.

  • The type of competition or performance, for example, representation at state, national, or international level.
  • Your rank and position in major competitions or performances.
  • Membership with an institute, academy, or other performing arts association.
  • Time away from studies devoted to competition or performances during your HSC (or equivalent).
  • The number of students competing for entry and the number of places available in the course.

You will be considered an elite athlete if you compete at the highest level in your sport, participating in competitions at state, national or international levels.

You must also be able to demonstrate how your participation adversely and significantly impacted your preparation for the HSC (or equivalent).

Other competitive activities, such as chess, can be considered if undertaken at the elite level.

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 you throughout your degree if your sporting commitments continue throughout your uni studies. 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 performed in extended or significant productions that adversely and significantly impacted your preparation for the HSC (or equivalent).

Examples of performer categories include orators or debaters, dancers, musicians and singers. 

How to apply

Steps

  1. Create an undergraduate course application with the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) and indicate that you would also like to apply for the University of Sydney Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme.
  2. Submit your undergraduate application, then click on the Elite Athlete and Performer Scheme (EAPS) link on the confirmation page, or log back in to your application and navigate to the EAPS tab.
  3. Complete an application for the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme before the closing date.
  4. Place an eligible course as your highest eligible preference in your UAC application.

Important dates

Applications open When UAC applications open in April
Applications close 31 October 2025, 11:59 pm
Notification of outcome All applicants will be notified by 18 December 2025
Late applications Late applications may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Contact admissions.office@sydney.edu.au to confirm whether your late application will be accepted. Late applications are submitted through UAC.

Supporting evidence

Your application will require you to submit at least one of the following to support your entry.

  • A 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.

To demonstrate the impact of your competitive or performance commitments, you should consider including additional documentation such as:

  • a personal statement that details how your commitments impacted your academic performance during your HSC (or equivalent)
  • the average number of hours per week you spent training, rehearsing or practising, and the number of school days missed during Year 12 due to sport or performance commitments
  • a copy of your official school attendance record during your HSC year (or equivalent) that shows absence due to elite sport or performance
  • reference letters showing support from your sports coordinator, year advisor, principal, coach, team official, or state or national organisation.

Eligible courses and adjustment factors

Adjustment factors are combined with your ATAR or equivalent to boost your selection rank for the following eligible courses.

Course Adjustment factors
B Architecture and Environments 5
B Design (Interaction Design) 5
B Design and B Advanced Studies (Interaction Design) 5
B Design in Architecture 5
B Design in Architecture (Honours) and M Architecture 5

Course Adjustment factors
B Arts 5
B Arts and B Advanced Studies 5
B International Studies 5
B Languages 5
B Media and Communications 5
B Politics, Philosophy, and Economics 5
B Visual Arts 5
B Visual Arts and B Advanced Studies 5

Course Adjustment factors
B Commerce 5
B Commerce and B Advanced Studies 5
B Commerce and B Arts 5
B Commerce and B Science 5

Course Adjustment factors
B Economics 5
B Economics and B Advanced Studies 5
B Economics and B Arts 5

Course Adjustment factors
B Education (Early Childhood) 5
B Education (Health and Physical Education) 5
B Education (Primary) 5
B Education (Secondary) 5
B Education and B Advanced Studies (Secondary) 5
B Social Work 5
B Arts and B Social Work 5

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

Course Adjustment factors
B Applied Science (Diagnostic Radiography) 1
B Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science) 5
B Applied Science (Exercise Physiology) 5
B Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) 1
B Applied Science (Physiotherapy) 1
B Applied Science (Speech Pathology) 1
B Arts and M Nursing 5
B Biomedicine and Health 5
B Nursing (Advanced Studies) 5
B Pharmacy (Honours) and M Pharmacy Practice 5
B Pharmacy and Management (Honours) and M Pharmacy Practice 5
B Science and M Nursing 5
B Science (Health) and M Nursing 5
B Science and M Nutrition and Dietetics 5

Course Adjustment factors
B Music 5
B Music (Composition) 5
B Music and B Advanced Studies (Composition) 5
B Music (Music Education) 5
B Music (Performance) 5
B Music and B Advanced Studies (Performance) 5

Course Adjustment factors
B Agricultural Science 5
B Agricultural Science Honours 5
B Animal and Veterinary Bioscience 5
B Liberal Arts and Sciences 5
B Liberal Arts and Sciences (Advanced) 5
B Mathematical Sciences 5
B Psychology 5
B Psychology Honours 5
B Science 5
B Science (Advanced) 5
B Science (Health) 5
B Science (Medical Science) 5
B Science and B Advanced Studies 5
B Science and B Advanced Studies (Advanced) 5
B Science and B Advanced Studies (Health) 5
B Science and B Advanced Studies (Medical Science) 5
B Science and B Arts 5
B Veterinary Biology and D Veterinary Medicine 3
B Wildlife Conservation (Taronga) 5

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

Arts and social sciences

  • B Arts and B Advanced Studies (Dalyell Scholars)
  • B Arts (Dual Degree: Sciences Po, France)

Business

  • B Commerce and B Advanced Studies (Dalyell Scholars)

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 Oral Health
  • B Science and D Dental Medicine
  • B Science and D Medicine

Science

  • B Science and B Advanced Studies (Dalyell Scholars)

Frequently asked questions

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by email. Emails will be sent from the University of Sydney no later than 18 December 2025.

Most undergraduate courses at the University of Sydney have Guaranteed Entry. If you achieve the guaranteed selection rank and meet any other admission criteria that apply to the course, you will be eligible to receive an offer if you place that course as your highest eligible preference.

Guaranteed Entry only applies to the first UAC offer round you are eligible to receive an offer in. Guaranteed Entry is also subject to available places in the course you apply for.

The Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme aims to encourage students to place their preferred course as their highest eligible preference, even if their ATAR is a few points below the entry requirements. The adjustment factors can raise your selection rank for eligible courses helping you potentially achieve the guaranteed rank.

Yes. All other admission criteria including the mathematics course prerequisites still apply where relevant.

If you are applying with a qualification other than an ATAR, you will have any earned adjustment factors added to your ATAR-equivalent rank.

You can combine your adjustment factors from three eligible entry schemes up to a maximum of 10 adjustment factors. Eligible entry schemes are the Academic Excellence Scheme, the Educational Access Scheme, and the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme. All other schemes are excluded.

Check the entry scheme eligibility and exclusions for your course, as the following apply.

  • Some competitive courses have a maximum number of allowable adjustments that is lower than the 10 potential adjustments you could receive from combining three eligible schemes. 
  • Combining adjustment factors does not override any course exclusions from schemes or the maximum number of allowable adjustments at a course level across schemes. 
  • E.g. if you receive five adjustments from one entry scheme and five from another, if the maximum number of allowable adjustment factors for your course is eight, you will receive eight adjustment factors.
  • You will be awarded the adjustment factors from the schemes that are of the highest benefit to you.

No. The 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.