policy & reform
campusreview.com.au
Needless worry
ATAR is the start of the
journey, not the end.
By Tim Laurence
M
ore than 55 per cent of senior
high school students questioned
in a recent survey claimed to
be aiming for an ATAR of 90 or more.
This is despite the fact that more than
half the students participating in the
survey considered an ATAR over 90 to be
“impossible”. The Australia-wide survey,
reported in The Conversation, also
revealed that 57 per cent of participants
rated the attainment of a certain ATAR as
“extremely important”.
When students place unrealistic
pressure on themselves, the whole of
Year 12 and the period before their ATARs
are released can be a very anxious time.
At UTS Insearch, not only do we talk to
students daily who are transitioning from
high school to tertiary education, many
of my teaching colleagues here have also
helped their own children negotiate the
challenges of the HSC and the transition
to university. We see first-hand how
often stressed students can take an ‘all
or nothing’ view, imagining that if their
ATAR is lower than expected, they will be
permanently locked out of their preferred
course and career.
If, as an educator, I could share one
piece of advice with HSC students, it would
be that even if their ATAR doesn’t meet
expectations, they should not lose sight
of their goal in terms of study and career.
The ATAR is the start of the journey, not the
end. The system is more flexible than many
students and parents think.
Indeed, it often surprises people to
learn that just one in four undergraduates
is currently admitted to an Australian
university purely based on their ATAR.
If university is the goal, a determined
student can still get there, even if they
take detours along the way. There are
always other ways into their chosen
university course. Certainly, pathway
options like UTS Insearch have enabled
many thousands of students to enter
their preferred university courses and
pursue the careers they want.
Students should also bear in mind that
their ATAR is not meant to be a measure
of their potential. It is simply a number
based on select data. It cannot measure
anyone’s entire school experience,
or their individual wealth of skills and
overall abilities. Many times I have seen
talented students who missed a place in
their chosen course by only a few marks.
The good news is I have seen many such
students go on to achieve great success
in their university careers and beyond.
We recognise leading alumni each
semester with an Outstanding Alumni
Award – presented at our graduation and
prize-giving ceremony. It inspires students
completing their diplomas and moving on
to UTS to hear from real role models who
have been in the same situation and know
that they can succeed.
It’s also often the case that students
whose ATAR wasn’t as high as they’d
hoped still have strong results – and
genuine aptitude – in certain subjects.
That’s one reason we admit students on
an average, calculated on their results
for English and their three best non-VET
subjects. It means that when a student’s
results have been affected by scaling, or
when their HSC performance has perhaps
been compromised for any number of
reasons, they may still be able to enrol
in a diploma in science, engineering,
communication, business, IT, architecture
or design. This way, such students will
still have an opportunity to go on to study
their preferred course.
We work hard to help students develop
the skills, knowledge and experience
they need to succeed at university and
beyond. When they complete their
diploma, and achieve the required grade
point average, students who missed
out on an offer for their desired course
first time around can fast-track into the
second year of their UTS undergraduate
degree (depending on the course chosen
and results achieved). It’s a transition that
works, and the motivation and lifelong
learning skills developed during their
diploma studies help students to perform
throughout their degree and well into
their careers. ■
Tim Laurence is the dean of studies at
UTS Insearch.
13