Everything you need to know about ATARs

Editor's note

Australian year 12 students across the country are about to receive their tertiary admissions rank, or ATARs. Many of them are waiting in anxious anticipation to receive this mark, which will influence the courses and universities they can get into. But then what? There are some things young people and their parents should know before deciding on their next steps.

Ittima Cherastidtham wrote for us this week things are looking good for education and health university grads, but not so peachy for the science and humanities. Shane Duggan wrote you should consider all your options before making a decision. Perhaps a gap year would be the best route for you?

We’ve collated the essential reads from The Conversation’s experts on ATARs and what to do once they’re released. All young people need to make informed decisions, but ultimately the choice should be one that fits with your values and the goals you have in mind.

And if you’re interested in regularly keeping up to date with education content, we have a new Facebook group where we post all the content from the section. You can join here.

Sophie Heizer

Commissioning Editor, Education

Essential ATAR reading

About one in five school leavers who start university will not complete a degree within nine years. www.shutterstock.com

Three things high school graduates should keep in mind when they have their ATARs

Ittima Cherastidtham, Grattan Institute; Will Mackey, Grattan Institute

Before deciding what to study at which university, high school graduates should consider the drop-out rates, early-career employment prospects and lifetime earnings their program is likely to yield.

Regardless of your ATAR, it’s important to keep vocational pathways in mind, not as a lesser option, but as a way of getting experience in an industry you’re interested in. Shutterstock

So you’ve got your ATAR, now what? Here are some options

Shane Duggan, RMIT University

Students should consider all their options and remember the ATAR is just one measure that doesn't necessarily dictate how well they will do in future.

Students who have a gap year achieve more highly at university than students who enter university straight after school and mature age students, the study found. Frontierofficial

Study links a gap year to better university grades

Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation; Sophie Boyd, The Conversation

Students who take gap years are more successful in their university studies than mature aged students or students who enter…

Doing poorly at school doesn’t mean you’ll do poorly at university. from www.shutterstock.com.au

ATAR found to be a poor predictor of how well students do at uni

George Messinis, Victoria University

New research has found that results at high school aren't good predictors of how students will perform at university.

Many mainstream schools seem to reinforce the message that the ATAR is everything. from shutterstock.com

Your ATAR isn’t the only thing universities are looking at

Sarah Pilcher, Victoria University; Kate Torii, Victoria University

In 2017, around 60% of domestic undergraduate university offers were reported as non-ATAR, meaning there's a diversity of pathways to higher education.

Waiting for the bleep … how did your results go? from www.shutterstock.com

My ATAR is too low, what do I do now?

Pearl Subban, Monash University

Don't panic if you didn't get the school results you wanted – here's what to do.

Students with low ATARs are less likely to graduate from university, but very likely to leave with debt. So is it ethical to give places to all-comers? Shutterstock

The ATAR debate: students need to be able to finish uni, not just start it

Andrew Norton, Grattan Institute

Controversies surrounding university courses with low ATAR admission requirements have become a January ritual. Once universities make their offers to potential students, debates start over whether widening…

Should universities ditch the ATAR and use other ways to select students onto courses? from www.shutterstock.com

Should we scrap the ATAR? What are the alternative options? Experts comment

Andrew Harvey, La Trobe University; Andrew Norton, Grattan Institute; Gabrielle Matters, Australian Council for Educational Research; Tim Pitman, Curtin University

The ATAR system is cheap and efficient, but it means students are selected to go to university on the basis of a single score which some have claimed is too simplisitc. Is it time for a new system?