End the ATAR myth-making

IT'S time to end the ATAR myth-making according to the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Extreme reporting of the ATAR is damaging to students.

In a lot of the stories written about the ATAR, there seems to be one of two competing narratives: that the ATAR is meaningless and increasingly irrelevant; or that it is so important that students who don’t get a high enough one have ruined their chances of a meaningful life after school.

‘These extremes are at the very least inaccurate and unhelpful, and potentially quite damaging, to students who already have a lot on their plate,’ says Kim Paino, UAC’s General Manager of Marketing and Engagement. ‘The reality is somewhere in the middle.’

‘For Year 12 students wanting to go to uni, the ATAR is important because it’s most likely what unis will use – either on its own or in conjunction with other factors – to decide whether to make them an offer. But at the same time, if you don’t get the ATAR you want or need for your preferred course, then it’s really not the end of the world and there will be other pathways available,’ she says.

For accurate information about the ATAR, visit UAC’s website or contact UAC.

- END -

For further information (media only) email media@uac.edu.au or contact:
Raquel Tracy, Communications Officer, UAC on 9752 0775
Kim Paino, General Manager, Marketing and Engagement, UAC on (02) 9752 0760 or 0409 155 112.