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Tips to remember on ATAR release day

About to finish Year 12? Nervous about ATAR release day? Let’s be honest, waiting to find out the single score that’s supposed to define your future isn’t fun.

At Study Work Grow, we believe that you should be judged on everything you’ve done and the person you’ve become, rather than one little number.

In a few months, you’ll be off at uni or TAFE, working, or even backpacking around some far-flung part of the world and no one will either know or care what you got for your ATAR. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop you from worrying right now. So, here are our key tips for retaining your sanity on ATAR release day.

You don’t have to know what you want to do yet

When you leave school, a whole world of options opens up in front of you. There are a few paths you can walk down that may seem quite different, but the truth is that all of them intersect, and it’s even possible to jump from one to another if you want.

Say you want to go to uni – you did well at school, you want to keep learning, and you have a few favourite subjects…but you’re not quite sure how they translate into a career yet.

You can always pick something that lets you choose from a range of different subjects and narrow it down after a couple of semesters. Don’t choose not to go to uni, just because you don’t know what you want to do yet – you have plenty of time to work that out later.

Want to get a trade or go to TAFE? Fantastic; there are literally thousands of vocational courses you can choose from. You can sign up for pre-apprenticeship courses, try as many as you like, and eventually find something you love – whether it’s baking, painting, electrical, automotive, or beauty therapy.

Get a part-time job if you need to and have a go at anything that sparks your interest in your spare time. Sure, it’s not as ‘neat and tidy’ as just picking something, but there’s way less pressure and you’re more likely to enjoy yourself. Plus, you’ll have tonnes of experience for your resume.

The point here is that you don’t need to have your whole life neatly planned out at 18 years old. And even if you do, chances are you’ll find yourself changing your mind or falling into unexpected opportunities down the track. Don’t fall victim to analysis paralysis.

If you don’t get the ATAR you want, you still have options to achieve your goals

If your ATAR won’t get into your dream course, it’s not the end. We cannot overstate this – there are a hundred and one ways to get into just about every course, including:

• Picking something else that’s related, then transferring across.
• Applying directly for alternative entry.
• Going to another uni with lower entry requirements – you might find it’s better there anyway.
• Working for 12 months first. Do a heap of short courses, get work experience, network in your community, volunteer, then apply again at the end of next year.

The ranks of mature age students are growing by the year. Lots of people leave school, work for a while, then end up going back to study later on. Think outside the box and you could be surprised where you end up.

Your ATAR does not reflect who you are as a person

One number cannot define you or who you are. If you have an incredible ATAR, but no interpersonal skills, extra-curricular activities, or work experience, it won’t be enough to get you hired. Many high-achieving students often fall into the trap of focusing solely on their studies and neglecting other aspects of their life, which can sometimes undermine a fantastic ATAR.

Conversely, if you’ve worked hard at school and have reports that reflect your effort, you can easily combat a low ATAR. Get letters of recommendation from your teachers (or principal if you can). Taking on leadership positions at school, volunteering, being involved in sports and clubs, and presenting yourself well can go a really long way when it comes to impressing both universities and employers.

You’re not alone

This is a stressful time, so rely on the people who care about you. There are lots of people who are ready to help right now, and once you get your results, there are a huge range of resources you can take advantage of.

• Reach out to family and friends. They know that even if you’re expecting a good score this is a hard time, and would love to be there for you.
• Get in touch with your preferred uni. Once you’ve got your score, many institutions hold post-ATAR info sessions where you can ask questions and find out about your options, even if you didn’t get the score you wanted.
• There are lots of support services available as well. Youth Beyond Blue are just one group who will be there if you need someone to talk to.

Do you need to change your preferences?

So you’ve applied to university – congratulations! Perhaps you’ve applied through a Tertiary Admissions Centre (TAC) like VTAC. Maybe you applied directly to the university of your choice. Either way, did you know that once you’ve submitted your applications, they’re not set in stone? Right up until the very last offer round, you can always change your preferences.

Preferences – the basics

By the time you’ve submitted your applications, it’s assumed that you understand ‘preferences’ and what it means for your application. But just in case you’re still a bit uncertain, let’s explain.

Preferences are just a term for the courses you want to apply for, listed in the order you’d like to study them.

At Study Work Grow we recommend that you list your dream course(s) first, some more realistic options next, and one safe option last. That way you’ll increase the odds that you’ll get at least one offer in the main offer rounds.

Listing the maximum number of possible preferences on your applications is also a good strategy. This will give you the maximum opportunity to receive at least one offer – or maybe more.

Flexibility can be handy

If you’re certain that you’ve applied to the best uni and selected the best courses for you, that’s great. Move on and wait for the offer rounds to start up.

But if you’ve decided that you’re not happy with the universities or courses you’ve listed, or perhaps the order you listed your preference just isn’t sitting right with you any more, guess what? There’s good news – the whole applications system is designed to allow you to change your preferences.

When can you change your preferences?

Most universities and TACs provide plenty of opportunities to change your preferences.

After submitting your application and before you take your exams or get your results, you can usually log into your application and adjust your preferences.

Changing your preferences is usually free, but some TACs may charge a fee if you change them more than two or three times.

Here are the change of preference cut-off dates for the main rounds of offers after ATAR release dates:

Note: If you’ve received an early conditional offer for one or more of the courses on your preferences, and you’d still like more offers during the main rounds, it’s best to call the admission centre or institution directly if you’re unsure about what to do next.

Once the main round offers have happened, another window is usually opened up. You’ll get the chance to change your preferences again and possibly receive more offers, then choose which one to accept. Or if you didn’t get an offer in the first round, you can have another go in the subsequent rounds.

Top tips for changing preferences

1. Spend some time considering why you want to change your preferences before you go ahead and do it.
2. Check if any fees or cut-off dates (and times) apply.
3. If you’re unsure about what to do, pick up the phone and email or call someone at the TAC or university for advice.

Do you really need to change your preferences?

Consider adjusting your preferences if:

• Your ATAR was better than you expected. If there’s a competitive course that you looked over because you didn’t think it was a realistic option before, move it to the top of your list.
• Your ATAR wasn’t as good as you had hoped for. To ensure you get an offer, change your preferences to list courses within your ATAR bracket at the top of your list.
• You have had a change of heart about the ideal course or university for you.
• There’s a new course that’s become available and you think it would be perfect.
• You’ve discovered a course you didn’t know about when you applied.
• You’ve been advised that the pre-requisites for a course you had on your list have changed, or a course you’d applied for has been dropped by the university.
• You’re having a look back over your application and you realise that you didn’t put your preferences in the right order.

Is changing your preferences really necessary?

If you get a higher ATAR than you expected (yay you), don’t immediately rush off and change your preferences just because you can apply for law or engineering now. If you’re happy with your preferences, the best thing to do is stick with them – there’s no such thing as ‘wasting’ a good ATAR.

You might feel pressured into thinking you should change your list, particularly if your friends are talking about changing theirs and cut-off dates are coming up. Hold off, spend some time researching any changes you’re thinking of making, and be sure you’re doing it for all the right reasons.

Double check any course pre-requisites as well as your eligibility before you go adding any new courses or moving them up your list. It would be a real shame to miss out on receiving an offer because you didn’t take a few minutes to read the entry criteria.

Don’t panic

If you miss the change of preference cut-offs for the first round, that’s OK – you’ll get the chance to change them again before the next offer round.

If all the offer rounds are over and you have an offer but it’s not for the course you really wanted, call up the university and find out what your options are. You might be able to start a different degree then transfer after completing a few subjects.

Most importantly, if you don’t receive any offers at all, please remember that you still have lots of options. Nearly every uni will have at least one alternative pathway, from bridging courses to experience-based entry options. You may be surprised to learn about the number of choices available to help you get into the university of your dreams.

Need more information?

If you’re still after more information, including key dates and change of preference events being held by universities, you can grab a copy of our Change of Preference Guide from the bookshop, free for Study Work Grow members.