Submit your application
Prepare your documents and video, submit your application and respond to an offer.
Step 1: Prepare your documents
When you apply, you'll need to upload documents that capture your background and career aspirations. They will be used to help our selection panel determine if you are a good fit for the program.
Before submitting an application prepare your:
- documents that demonstrate your family's financial situation
- copy of semester 1, Year 10 student report
- official school endorsement letter
- personal statement
- personal video.
Low-income financial documents
You will need to provide some information that provides insight into your family's financial situation, such as:
- current living arrangements
- current household experiences, such as housing insecurity, persons with disabilities, caring responsibilities
- Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, tax return or evidence of receiving Centrelink support.
Parents/guardian consent form
Your parent or guardian will need to sign a consent form that confirms your commitment to the program. You will be able to download this form during the application process.
Official school endorsement letter
You will need to provide an official letter of endorsement from your school.
Getting this letter is your responsibility and is a great way to show your initiative and discuss your plans to apply for the program with your school.
The letter can be provided by your: principal, deputy principal, guidance counsellor, Year 10 lead/head of year, or teacher.
Ensure your letter has an official school letterhead.
Your endorsement should be based on your knowledge and experience with the student’s abilities and achievements.
Include information about the student's:
- academic performance: grades and academic achievements
- personal qualities: work ethic, leadership and communication skills
- extracurricular involvement: outline volunteering, community service and other activities
Provide your letter on an official school letterhead.
Personal statement
You will need to write a personal statement (maximum 500 words) covering your background, career aspirations and reasons for applying.
Background and family environment
Include:
- your name
- where you're from and what it’s like living there
- your family arrangement and key people in your life.
Career aspirations
Tell us about your:
- academic and personal journey
- future short-term and long-term goals
- career aspirations and areas of interest for future studies
- motivation to pursue higher education in a specific subject or field of study.
Reasons for applying
Tell us about:
- what you hope to gain from being in the Young Achievers Program
- the benefits and opportunities you see coming from this experience
- why you would like to be involved.
Personal video
A video (maximum 1 minute) answering the question:
- Why you would like to be in the Young Achievers Program?
Your video should be a simple account of why you would like to be in the Young Achievers Program – we'd just like to get to know you. You don't need to write a script, follow a set structure or edit the video.
Once you have recorded your video, you must upload it to a file-sharing channel and provide us with a private viewing link so no one else has access.
We suggest using YouTube to upload and share your video.
To upload a video privately to YouTube:
- Create a YouTube account.
- Click 'Create' and select 'Upload video' from the drop-down selection.
- Click 'Select Files' and upload your 1-minute video.
- Title your video "first name_last name_YAP Video".
- Under Audience, select 'No, it's not made for kids'.
- Under Paid Promotion, do not click 'My video contains paid promotion like a product placement, sponsorship, or endorsement'.
- Under Altered content, select 'No'.
- Under License, untick the boxes 'Allow embedding' and, 'Publish to subscriptions feed and notify subscribers'.
- Under 'Comments and ratings', select 'Off'.
- Continue to press 'Next' at the bottom right until you reach the 'Visibility' section.
- In the Visibility section, select 'Unlisted. This ensures your video can only be seen by you and whoever you give the link to.
- Click 'Save'.
- Your video will appear in your Channel content. To get the private link, click the 3 dots that appear when you hover over the video.
- Select, 'Get sharable link'.
The link is now saved to your clipboard and you can add it to your application form.
Step 2: Submit your application
Applications will open in May 2025 and are open to students starting Year 11 in 2026.
Once you have applied, we'll review your application and contact you if we need more information.
A selection panel of UQ staff, program alumni and program donors will assess your application.
Step 3: Wait for an outcome
We'll email to let you know whether your application was successful or unsuccessful.
See key application dates to find out when you can expect to receive an outcome email.
Step 4: Respond to your offer
If your application is successful, you will be sent a congratulatory email asking you and your parents, or guardians, to formally accept your place in the program.
If you do not accept your place in the program by the due date you may lose your place.
Contact us
For more information email us at youngachievers@uq.edu.au or call 07 3346 0005.