What is the ATAR?
ATAR, also known as the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, often is seen as an opportunity to reach a higher education. It ranges between 0 and 99.95 and compares a student’s year 12 educational performance to other year 12s.
Some people may say, “Your ATAR defines who you are” – others might say “Your ATAR is not important” – but how should you view ATAR?
What is ATAR used for?
ATAR is used as a ticket for university entry, depending on the course you desire, i.e. different courses require different ATARs or above to be accepted. In essence, ATAR is useful and used in one moment in time for this purpose.
With this in mind, should you just aim for your minimum ATAR requirements?
ATAR reflects on how well you did for your final subjects in VCE – the Victorian Certificate of Education, however, it is also an opportunity for you to create good habits for your studies, cultivate efficient work ethic, punctuality and an excellent way to deal with things under pressure.
You could also gain real life skills for your future career, including creativity, resilience, leadership, empathy, and problem-solving – these of which are not measured by ATAR but are crucial in life and careers.
Does that mean I HAVE to get a high ATAR?
Not necessarily, there are plenty of people around Victoria who don’t get a 80+ or 90+ ATAR but have fruitful careers.
How? ATAR and VCE aren’t the only pathway you could choose after VCE. There are also multiple pathways aside from University like bridging courses, vocational education, mature-age entry, and portfolio submissions, which all have career pathways if you did not meet your ATAR requirements for your university course.
Not just that. There are countless people who did not get a profound ATAR, but are still successful at their University, due to their hard work and great habits that they formed when they were in VCE.
ATAR should not be viewed as a key to one door, rather a key that unlocks a ton of golden opportunities for you in the future.
Don’t pressure yourself
Not many talk about this, but ATAR stress is a large one of the many problems that VCE students face throughout their VCE journey. Students would often think that their worth is tied to their scores, which induce stress and anxiety, leading to making unfortunate mistakes in their final exams. Students also often feel lost about what to do during their VCE journey. These psychological weights could potentially affect the type of students you are and the hard work you’ve been putting in since the start of VCE.
With that said, the key takeaway is to try your absolute best to build up your work ethics and habits to get the scores you want, while also maintaining your physical health, mental health and relationships. VCE only happens once in your lifetime, so make it count – enjoy your time and make it worth it.
ATAR may open doors, but it doesn’t define you. It’s a starting point, not a finish line. Your passions, values, relationships, and experiences ultimately shape your identity and success.
