Past graduate on what to do if you don’t get ATAR you wanted

The wait is over for Queensland’s most recent graduates with ATAR scores revealed on Friday. But what if your score wasn’t what you expected?

The wait is over for Queensland’s most recent graduates after their ATAR scores were finally revealed on Friday.

For many students, it may feel like thirteen years of schooling have boiled down to this moment. But what if your score wasn’t what you expected?

When fourth year Griffith University student Lucinda Wojtaszak discovered she did not get the ATAR she wanted to get into medicine, she was “devastated”.

“The ATAR score for medical science was 99.95 which you basically had to get everything perfect during the entire year to get that ATAR, so unfortunately my ATAR score fell short of that and it was actually 96.25,” Ms Wojtaszak said.

“I was quite devastated with that because I did do so much work to try and get that score.

“And so after such a long year of hard work and I didn't get the ATAR that was quite a shock and it had a big impact on me.”

Griffith University student Lucinda Wojtaszak. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Ms Wojtaszak was accepted into her second preference which was biomedical science and while at first she felt she had put in the effort to only come up short, she realised there were alternate ways to achieve her goal.

After four years she is set to finish her biomedicine degree and will sit the GAMSAT to hopefully be accepted into medicine by 2026.

“My biggest advice would honestly be trust the process, go with the flow. There’s so many different ways to get into the degree you want or career you want – you are not limited by your ATAR school,” she said.

“You never know where this new pathway is going to take you, not everything is a straight line.”

QTAC chief executive Chris Veraa said there were multiple options for students if they didn’t receive the ATAR score they wanted.

“Be aware that there are many ways to get into tertiary study, and this rank doesn’t define all your future opportunities. Our advice is to give QTAC a call to talk through all your options when you receive an ATAR,” he said.

“We advise applicants to make use of all six preferences to maximise their chances of getting an offer.”

QTAC chief executive Chris Veraa with Kelvin Grove State College student Lachlan Howie, 17, and Brisbane Girls Grammar School student Kaiyu Su, 17. Picture: Supplied

Mr Veraa reminded graduates that they can change their preferences after they receive their ATAR.

“If your ATAR is about where you were expecting it to be, you can log on to ensure that your preferences have been submitted and that you’re ready to receive an offer. And if your ATAR is not what you were hoping for, you should just give QTAC a call and we can discuss all of your options with you.”

He further encouraged Year 12 students awaiting an ATAR score to prioritise their mental health.

“The mental health of young people is hugely important to all stakeholders in education, including QTAC,” Mr Veraa said.

“Our advice would be that an ATAR is just a rank – it doesn’t define you, and it doesn’t define all of your future career outcomes and possibilities.

“There is a path into tertiary education for everybody.”

TIPS:

– Call QTAC for advice and guidance on your next step

– Make sure you have all six preferences filled out on your QTAC form

– Consider changing your preferences if needed

– Prioritise your mental health – your ATAR does not define you

– Make sure you have a good support base behind you