Melbourne has long been the artistic hub of Australia, and if you’re looking to kickstart your career in the music industry, nailing your VTAC preferences is one of the first steps to success after Year 12.
Whether you’re overwhelmed by course options or are still wondering whether the ranking really matters, we’ve deep-dived into some of your most burning questions to help take the stress out of your VTAC application process.
How do VTAC preferences work?
VTAC preferences allow you to rank up to eight course choices across several tertiary institutions in Victoria, based on the order you want each course to be considered for your application.
Your preferences are much more than just a wish list, as they are the order in which VTAC will assess and present offers to you. VTAC will only ever offer you the highest course on your list for which you are eligible in each offer round, regardless of whether you qualify for other courses further down your list.
For example, if you list a Bachelor of Music at the Australian Institute of Music as your first preference, you will qualify to be considered for an offer to that course during the first VTAC offer round.
If you put AIM lower down your preference list, you might still be eligible to receive an offer, but only if you do not qualify for any of the courses you have ranked higher. If you get accepted into multiple courses, you only receive one offer per round, for the highest preference that’s available.
Top tip: If you’ve gone through the audition/submission process, put AIM as your first preference to get your offer sooner.
Can you change VTAC preferences after submitting?
Yes, you can change your VTAC preferences after submitting your application.
VTAC allows applicants to update, reorder, add, or remove course preferences multiple times during official change of preference windows, which are open before and between each offer round.
The VTAC change of preference windows for 2025/26 are as follows:
- December Offer Round:
- August 4, 2025 – 12:00 pm, December 13, 2025 (Current VCE and IB students only)
- August 4, 2025 – 4:00 pm, December 15, 2025 (Current SA/NT Year 12 students only)
- August 4, 2025 – 4:00 pm, December 17, 2025 (Current TAS Year 12 students only)
- August 4, 2025 – 4:00 pm, December 18, 2025 (Current ACT/NSW Year 12 and IB students only)
- January Offer Round:
- November 18, 2025 – 4:00 pm, December 8, 2025 (post-school applicants only)
- For January Round 1: 10:00 am, December 23, 2025 – 4:00 pm, December 23, 2025 (Current Year 12 students only)
- For January Round 2: 2:00 pm, January 13, 2026 – 2:00 pm, January 14, 2026
What happens if I have already received another offer?
If you get a VTAC offer, congratulations! You can accept it to secure your spot, but if you’re still dreaming about life at AIM, don’t worry – you can still change your preferences and potentially get another offer in later rounds.
Just remember, you can only hold one offer at a time, so if you want to go for a different course, you’ll need to move your accepted course lower in your preferences and put AIM in the top spot before the next offer round.
If you decide to reject an offer through VTAC, you usually can’t get that same offer again through VTAC, so you’d have to contact the institution directly. If you think you may have accidentally declined your AIM offer through VTAC, please reach out to us directly.
Make sure to accept and enrol on time to lock in your place, and once you’ve made your final choice, it’s best to decline other offers you no longer want. VTAC and AIM want to support you every step of the way, so take your time, ask questions, and know you’ve got options!
How to apply for the Australian Institute of Music
If you’re ready to make your mark on the music industry, you can submit your application to AIM through VTAC, or you can apply directly through our website.
