By ensuring you're prepared for the worst yet poised for the best, you can rest easy knowing that at the very least your mind is in check. After all, there are many low ATAR success stories that prove no matter your score, there are options galore.
Although a high ATAR is a strong predictor of academic success at university, particularly in the first year of study, research shows that a low ATAR does not correlate to failure.
The higher the ATAR, the higher the student's first-year GPA is likely to be. Further, the ATAR is related to the likelihood of obtaining a failing first-year GPA (defined as less than 4). The higher the ATAR, the less likely the student would get a failing first-year GPA.
The ATAR is a number from 0 and 99.95 in intervals of 0.05. The highest rank is 99.95, the next highest 99.90, and so on. The lowest automatically reported rank is 30.00, with ranks below 30.00 being reported as 'less than 30'. Find out more about how ATARs are calculated.
What is the lowest ATAR ever? In theory, the ATAR is a number ranging from 0.05 to 99.95 in intervals of 0.05. The lowest rank is 0.05, the next lowest 0.10, and so on. But the lowest reported rank is 30.00, with all ranks below 30.00 simply reported as 'less than 30'.
The average ATAR usually sits at around 70.00. Why is this? Although an ATAR of 70 places a student in the top 70% of year 12 students overall, it only places them in the top 50% of students who get an ATAR (since certain students will not finish their year 12 studies).
Rank, not a score
So an ATAR of 70 doesn't mean you got 70 percent – it means that you're in the top 30 percent of your year group.
Sure, it's important in terms of acting as a gateway to tertiary study and securing your place in a course at university. What does matter however is work experience. Employers don't look at your ATAR, but at your experience.
In Australia, the lowest minimum ATAR required by a medical program is an ATAR of 90 (Monash University) or adjusted ATAR of 90 (University of Adelaide). If you're a rural student, you could also apply to La Trobe's medical program, which has a minimum unadjusted ATAR requirement of 80.
An ATAR score of 80+ is generally considered 'good' and an ATAR of 90+ is generally considered 'great'. Students who score ATARs of 95+ often put in countless hours of study, work consistently throughout the year, and get extra help through private tutoring.
Universities use the ATAR to help them make decisions around admissions to their courses. The ATAR score helps students and course administrators feel confident that they'll be academically able to meet the demands of higher study. ATAR is only one part of getting into a chosen course of study.
The ATAR is a commonly used criterion for admission to undergraduate study. It is a nationally comparable percentile rank (given between 0 and 99.95 in increments of 0.5) signifying a student's position relative to other students.
That's right. If you're studying the HSC, VCE, QCE, SACE, WACE or any other equivalent local curriculum, you can 100% use your ATAR rank (the holy grail being the 99.95) as part of your application to international universities like Harvard, Oxford, Stanford and more.
Your ATAR is a rank that will help you get into uni – that's it. It isn't the key to the universe; it doesn't shoot laser beams at your enemies or even help you meet people in O-Week (major turn-off). As soon as you get that offer and enrol in your program, no one is going to care or ask what your ATAR was.
Changing your university choice
Whether it be nursing, engineering, business or law, just because you didn't get the ATAR for a certain university doesn't mean you have to let go of that degree altogether. It might not have even crossed your mind but you could consider universities outside of the major cities.
Achieving a high ATAR is not worth lowering your mental health, psychologists warn - MOJO News. Current year 12 VCE students may develop anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts from the stress of their upcoming VCE exams, a clinical psychologist says.
HSR – your high school rank at the end of grade 12 may need to be an ATAR of 99 or better for direct entry into medical school, but it is lower for some medical schools; click here for ATAR and entry requirements for every medical school in Australia in 2022.
Your rank is based on how you went compared to other Year 12 students. So even if your test scores are lower than you'd hoped, if you're still ranked in the top 20% of students, then you'll receive an ATAR of 80. As long as you try your best with what you have, chances are, you'll do better than you expect.
After the dust of Year 12 has settled, it's important to remember that your ATAR is just a number that represents two years of your life. A high score suggests future academic success, but it definitely doesn't guarantee it.
You may want to include your school or ATAR results and any relevant awards if you're a recent graduate and they're reflective of your academic success. Make sure you're listing your educational qualifications in order of their relevance. Your most recent academic achievement (such as a degree) should be first.
NSW universities are admitting students with ATARs as low as 30 into some of the state's top tertiary degrees, a Fairfax Media investigation into confidential university data has revealed.
Ultimately, getting 99 ATAR is no easy undertaking. It requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to use all of the resources available to you. For those students who are aiming for the top universities, a high ATAR score is essential – and it is within your reach.