Early offer students – how do they fare compared to other cohorts?

An analysis of early offer students at a regional university

Abstract

Early offer programs have been increasing across the higher education sector in Australia in recent years, allowing school leavers to be assessed on criteria other than ATAR. There are mixed opinions on the value of early offer programs. This research evaluates the performance and experience of early offer students in the Faculty of Science and Health at Charles Sturt University, NSW. We found that in most fields of education, early offer students have lower progress rates than students who entered based on ATAR, but not compared to the cohort as a whole. In addition, we found that predicted ATAR is often significantly lower than final ATAR. This paper forms the beginning of a work in progress, but these early results suggest that the early entry process needs to be carefully managed to ensure equity in the offers process and appropriate supports for this cohort to increase their probability of success.