Concerned About Your ATAR? Read This

‍

Imagine this: you've worked hard all year towards your dream ATAR, but you just fall short of achieving it, missing out on your desired course. This may be due to unforeseen circumstances, or simple bad luck on the day of your exam. 

‍

Whatever the case, don’t stress. If you miss out on the score you are aiming for, this might be a small setback, but it is only the beginning of your post-school journey. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some next steps you can take — that dream of yours is still very much alive!

‍

Changing preferences

‍

Once your results are published, you'll have the option to adjust your course preferences before offers are sent out. Make sure you stay on top of the important dates — these can be found on the relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre website (see below). 

‍

If your ATAR is only a few points below the previous year's cut-off for your desired course, it is best to keep it as your top preference, since these benchmarks may change slightly from year to year, depending on demand. However, if you ATAR falls significantly below the cut-off range, you may want to consider alternative options. 

‍

Tertiary Admissions Centre Websites by State:

‍

• NSW (UAC): https://www.uac.edu.au/
• Victoria (VTAC): https://www.vtac.edu.au/
• Queensland (QTAC): https://www.qtac.edu.au/
• Western Australia (TISC): https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/home.tisc
• South Australia (SATAC): https://www.satac.edu.au/
• ACT (UAC): https://www.uac.edu.au/
• Tasmania (University of Tasmania): https://www.utas.edu.au/
• Northern Territory (SATAC): https://www.satac.edu.au/

‍

Alternative pathways

‍

Taking a bridging course or pursuing an alternative pathway to get to your dream university course is far more common than you may think! 

‍

Many people will elect to enrol in a related course at their university of choice, and then transfer into their preferred course after a year or two. For example, if you don't have the ATAR required for a law degree, you could start off with a Bachelor of Arts and eventually transfer into law. 

‍

You can also look into similar courses at other universities with lower ATAR requirements. It is slightly more difficult to transfer across universities, but certainly still doable!

‍

Bridging courses are another great alternative offered by many universities. As the name suggests, they are intended to 'bridge' the gap between high school education and university studies, equipping students with the relevant qualifications to reapply for their desired course upon the conclusion of the program. 

‍

‍

Special Consideration 

‍

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a Special Entry or Educational Access Scheme. Students who are adversely affected by circumstances out of their control, such as coming from a disadvantaged school, suffering from a medical condition or experiencing a family loss, may receive bonus points on top of their ATAR. Universities take these adjustment factors into consideration to allow students into courses that they might otherwise not have been eligible for. 

‍

If you fall under one of the following categories, it is worth looking into your relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre and university websites to find out whether you qualify for special consideration: 

‍

• Attending school in a regional or rural area

• Coming from a non-English, Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander or refugee background

• Being the first in your family to attend university

• Suffering from a disability or medical condition

• Experiencing financial hardship or severe family disruption

• Experiencing any other types of difficult circumstances for an extended period of time during your Year 12 studies

‍

It should be noted that these equity schemes do not necessarily guarantee an offer; they simply boost your ATAR by a couple of points to increase your chance of qualifying for a particular course or scholarship. 

‍

Still worried?

‍

The thought of receiving your ATAR is no doubt confronting and nerve-wracking. It's important to be kind to yourself during this time, and to remember that your ATAR is nothing more than a number, which future employers will barely pay any attention to. Rest assured that many successful people have overcome the initial setback of a lower-than-expected ATAR, finding alternative pathways into their dream careers. 

‍

So keep everything in perspective and trust that it will all work out! No matter how many times it's already been said, your ATAR does not define you - remember that. 

‍

‍

Thanks for reading! If you're interested in more information about the ins and outs of the ATAR system, check out our comprehensive collection of blog articles on the topic here.

Concerned About Your ATAR? Read This

‍

Imagine this: you've worked hard all year towards your dream ATAR, but you just fall short of achieving it, missing out on your desired course. This may be due to unforeseen circumstances, or simple bad luck on the day of your exam. 

‍

Whatever the case, don’t stress. If you miss out on the score you are aiming for, this might be a small setback, but it is only the beginning of your post-school journey. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some next steps you can take — that dream of yours is still very much alive!

‍

Changing preferences

‍

Once your results are published, you'll have the option to adjust your course preferences before offers are sent out. Make sure you stay on top of the important dates — these can be found on the relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre website (see below). 

‍

If your ATAR is only a few points below the previous year's cut-off for your desired course, it is best to keep it as your top preference, since these benchmarks may change slightly from year to year, depending on demand. However, if you ATAR falls significantly below the cut-off range, you may want to consider alternative options. 

‍

Tertiary Admissions Centre Websites by State:

‍

• NSW (UAC): https://www.uac.edu.au/
• Victoria (VTAC): https://www.vtac.edu.au/
• Queensland (QTAC): https://www.qtac.edu.au/
• Western Australia (TISC): https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/home.tisc
• South Australia (SATAC): https://www.satac.edu.au/
• ACT (UAC): https://www.uac.edu.au/
• Tasmania (University of Tasmania): https://www.utas.edu.au/
• Northern Territory (SATAC): https://www.satac.edu.au/

‍

Alternative pathways

‍

Taking a bridging course or pursuing an alternative pathway to get to your dream university course is far more common than you may think! 

‍

Many people will elect to enrol in a related course at their university of choice, and then transfer into their preferred course after a year or two. For example, if you don't have the ATAR required for a law degree, you could start off with a Bachelor of Arts and eventually transfer into law. 

‍

You can also look into similar courses at other universities with lower ATAR requirements. It is slightly more difficult to transfer across universities, but certainly still doable!

‍

Bridging courses are another great alternative offered by many universities. As the name suggests, they are intended to 'bridge' the gap between high school education and university studies, equipping students with the relevant qualifications to reapply for their desired course upon the conclusion of the program. 

‍

‍

Special Consideration 

‍

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a Special Entry or Educational Access Scheme. Students who are adversely affected by circumstances out of their control, such as coming from a disadvantaged school, suffering from a medical condition or experiencing a family loss, may receive bonus points on top of their ATAR. Universities take these adjustment factors into consideration to allow students into courses that they might otherwise not have been eligible for. 

‍

If you fall under one of the following categories, it is worth looking into your relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre and university websites to find out whether you qualify for special consideration: 

‍

• Attending school in a regional or rural area

• Coming from a non-English, Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander or refugee background

• Being the first in your family to attend university

• Suffering from a disability or medical condition

• Experiencing financial hardship or severe family disruption

• Experiencing any other types of difficult circumstances for an extended period of time during your Year 12 studies

‍

It should be noted that these equity schemes do not necessarily guarantee an offer; they simply boost your ATAR by a couple of points to increase your chance of qualifying for a particular course or scholarship. 

‍

Still worried?

‍

The thought of receiving your ATAR is no doubt confronting and nerve-wracking. It's important to be kind to yourself during this time, and to remember that your ATAR is nothing more than a number, which future employers will barely pay any attention to. Rest assured that many successful people have overcome the initial setback of a lower-than-expected ATAR, finding alternative pathways into their dream careers. 

‍

So keep everything in perspective and trust that it will all work out! No matter how many times it's already been said, your ATAR does not define you - remember that. 

‍

‍

Thanks for reading! If you're interested in more information about the ins and outs of the ATAR system, check out our comprehensive collection of blog articles on the topic here.

Concerned About Your ATAR? Read This

‍

Imagine this: you've worked hard all year towards your dream ATAR, but you just fall short of achieving it, missing out on your desired course. This may be due to unforeseen circumstances, or simple bad luck on the day of your exam. 

‍

Whatever the case, don’t stress. If you miss out on the score you are aiming for, this might be a small setback, but it is only the beginning of your post-school journey. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some next steps you can take — that dream of yours is still very much alive!

‍

Changing preferences

‍

Once your results are published, you'll have the option to adjust your course preferences before offers are sent out. Make sure you stay on top of the important dates — these can be found on the relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre website (see below). 

‍

If your ATAR is only a few points below the previous year's cut-off for your desired course, it is best to keep it as your top preference, since these benchmarks may change slightly from year to year, depending on demand. However, if you ATAR falls significantly below the cut-off range, you may want to consider alternative options. 

‍

Tertiary Admissions Centre Websites by State:

‍

• NSW (UAC): https://www.uac.edu.au/
• Victoria (VTAC): https://www.vtac.edu.au/
• Queensland (QTAC): https://www.qtac.edu.au/
• Western Australia (TISC): https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/home.tisc
• South Australia (SATAC): https://www.satac.edu.au/
• ACT (UAC): https://www.uac.edu.au/
• Tasmania (University of Tasmania): https://www.utas.edu.au/
• Northern Territory (SATAC): https://www.satac.edu.au/

‍

Alternative pathways

‍

Taking a bridging course or pursuing an alternative pathway to get to your dream university course is far more common than you may think! 

‍

Many people will elect to enrol in a related course at their university of choice, and then transfer into their preferred course after a year or two. For example, if you don't have the ATAR required for a law degree, you could start off with a Bachelor of Arts and eventually transfer into law. 

‍

You can also look into similar courses at other universities with lower ATAR requirements. It is slightly more difficult to transfer across universities, but certainly still doable!

‍

Bridging courses are another great alternative offered by many universities. As the name suggests, they are intended to 'bridge' the gap between high school education and university studies, equipping students with the relevant qualifications to reapply for their desired course upon the conclusion of the program. 

‍

‍

Special Consideration 

‍

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a Special Entry or Educational Access Scheme. Students who are adversely affected by circumstances out of their control, such as coming from a disadvantaged school, suffering from a medical condition or experiencing a family loss, may receive bonus points on top of their ATAR. Universities take these adjustment factors into consideration to allow students into courses that they might otherwise not have been eligible for. 

‍

If you fall under one of the following categories, it is worth looking into your relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre and university websites to find out whether you qualify for special consideration: 

‍

• Attending school in a regional or rural area

• Coming from a non-English, Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander or refugee background

• Being the first in your family to attend university

• Suffering from a disability or medical condition

• Experiencing financial hardship or severe family disruption

• Experiencing any other types of difficult circumstances for an extended period of time during your Year 12 studies

‍

It should be noted that these equity schemes do not necessarily guarantee an offer; they simply boost your ATAR by a couple of points to increase your chance of qualifying for a particular course or scholarship. 

‍

Still worried?

‍

The thought of receiving your ATAR is no doubt confronting and nerve-wracking. It's important to be kind to yourself during this time, and to remember that your ATAR is nothing more than a number, which future employers will barely pay any attention to. Rest assured that many successful people have overcome the initial setback of a lower-than-expected ATAR, finding alternative pathways into their dream careers. 

‍

So keep everything in perspective and trust that it will all work out! No matter how many times it's already been said, your ATAR does not define you - remember that. 

‍

‍

Thanks for reading! If you're interested in more information about the ins and outs of the ATAR system, check out our comprehensive collection of blog articles on the topic here.