Leaders & Achievers early entry scheme

For high achievers with initiative and commitment

You could receive an early entry offer to study at Macquarie if you have performed well academically in Year 11 and demonstrate leadership skills, personal development and dedication through your extracurricular activities.

Key dates

Applications are now closed.

Round	Apply by	Outcomes released on
1	11.59pm on Friday 26 July	Monday 2 September
2	11.59pm on Friday 30 August	Wednesday 25 September

Your application will only be assessed once and an outcome, whether successful or unsuccessful, will be released on one of the dates listed above*. You can only receive one outcome through the Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme and will not be considered for subsequent rounds in this early entry scheme.

*Outcome release dates will correspond to the date you submitted your application.

To apply for Macquarie Leaders and Achievers entry scheme, you must meet both academic and leadership criteria.

Academic requirements

Eligible applicants are:

high-achieving students who have performed well in their Year 11 studies
receiving either of the following qualifications in 2024:
- Australian Year 12 (NSW HSC or equivalent interstate qualifications)
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

Additional eligibility requirements based on residency:

Domestic students* completing onshore or offshore Australian Year 12 qualifications (NSW HSC, Interstate equivalent) or IB will be eligible to apply.
International students^ completing an onshore or offshore Australian Year 12 certificate (NSW HSC or Interstate equivalent only) will be eligible to apply. However, international students will only be able to apply with IB results completed within Australia.

* A domestic student is a person who intends to study in Australia and is one of the following:

an Australian citizen
a New Zealand citizen
a holder of an Australian permanent visa.

^ All other applicants intending to study in Australia are considered international students, including those on Australian bridging or temporary protection visas.

Leadership requirements

Applicant must demonstrate each of the following qualities through at least two of the activities (activity examples are listed further below):

Leadership: mentorship, coaching or leading a team, collaboration and teamwork skills, empathy and self-awareness.
Service and community engagement: positive benefit to others and active engagement in the school, local or wider community.
Contribution and commitment: genuine connection with your chosen purpose, persistence and dedication to manage self and/or work with others to achieve a goal.
Initiative: independent thought and action; ability to anticipate needs.
Self-efficacy: self-awareness, personal learning and development.

Relevant activities include – but are not limited to – the following:

attending leadership conferences or camps
carer responsibilities within your family
coordination of a sports gala day, cultural performance, concert etc
Duke of Edinburgh's Award
leadership in cadets
leadership roles within a sporting or performing arts group
leadership roles within your school, eg school captain, prefect, or committee member of a student-led group
NSW Institute of Sport membership
paid or voluntary work in a position of responsibility or leadership
participating in the FIRST Robotics competition
social justice activities such as the Model United Nations
youth leadership at your local place of worship.

All our undergraduate courses are offered through Macquarie Leaders and Achievers, except for the following:

Bachelor of Actuarial Studies with Bachelor of Professional Practice (Honours) (Co-op)
Diplomas, undergraduate certificates and Standard Foundation and Intensive programs.

International students who are awarded onshore or offshore year 12 qualifications (NSW HSC, interstate equivalent) or International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma within Australia can apply for on-campus single bachelor degrees only.

Selecting your preferences

You can list up to five courses in your application. You'll receive an offer for your highest eligible preference. Your Year 11 results will be used to determine your eligibility for a course. You can only receive one offer for this scheme, so select a variety of different courses to give yourself the best chance of qualifying for one.

Double degrees

If you’re interested in studying a double degree you can now select from our suite of 38 double degree options. The Bachelor of Combined Studies (UAC Code 302000) will no longer be available from 2025.

If you’d like help reviewing which single or double degree course options may be right for you, contact the Future Students Team on (02) 9850 6767 or book a 1:1 consultation with an expert student adviser.

The Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Scholarship recognises your potential and provides you with financial support while you study at Macquarie University. Eligible students will be awarded $10,000 per year for up to five years.

This scholarship:

does not have a separate application and will be assessed upon submission of a Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry application
will not be available to all students who get an offer of admission through this early entry scheme
will be offered based on merit and awarded to exceptional applicants.

The Macquarie Business School Grant aims to reward academic excellence by providing a head start to support university study for high-achieving and motivated students. Eligible students will be awarded a one-off payment of $2500 in their first session of study.

The eligible programs are:

This grant does not have a separate application and will be assessed upon submission of a Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry application. This grant will not be available to all students who get an offer of admission through this early entry scheme.

A number of outstanding applicants who have received an early offer for the aforementioned programs and its double degrees through the Macquarie Leaders and Achievers scheme and have demonstrated a record high achievement will be eligible for this grant.

Our award-winning Global Leadership Program (GLP) is one of the many advantages of being a student at Macquarie University as it is a highly valued co-curricular program recognised by employers. Participation in the GLP is open for all students to join and is completely free.

Being part of this active and engaged community will help you become a multi-faceted global citizen. With the opportunity to obtain points through participation in sessions, workshops, internships, international exchange, volunteering activities and more, the program is designed for you to build your networks and develop a global mindset.

Successful completion of the GLP alongside your degree will give you an edge when you graduate, and your hard work and commitment will be recognised with:

micro-credential (digital badge)
a letter of recommendation
a certificate of achievement
an official record of your activities.

If you receive an offer via the Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Entry Scheme and enrol at Macquarie, you'll be eligible to receive a kickstart of 10 GLP points when you join the GLP.

Visit the Global Leadership Program webpage for more information.

Macquarie’s double degree suite has been simplified for Session 1 2025, in response to student demand for greater clarity and a more integrated double degree experience.

As a result, we have streamlined our undergraduate double degree offerings into a suite of 38 high-quality and in-demand combinations to reduce complexity for students when planning their study pattern and schedules.

These changes are now reflected in the list of courses available for selection as part of the application for Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme. The Bachelor of Combined Studies (UAC Code 302000) will no longer be available from 2025. Our online tool can help you search for available double degree options.