Margil Rajaji receives Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 99.85

‘It’s a relief’: Margil Rajaji one of four Grammar graduates to receive a ranking above 99.

Rockhampton Grammar School dux Margil Rajaji plans to pursue a career in medicine after receiving an ATAR of 99.85.

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank places the Rockhampton graduate in the top 100 of 27,277 students in Queensland.

Margil was one of four Year 12 students from Grammar who received rankings above 99.

The others were Cathleen Han (99.6), Jane Brighton (99.35) and Ama Puhule Gamayalage (99.2).

Two students from The Cathedral College achieved rankings over 99 - Grace Crow (99.65) and Chloe Coombe (99.60).

Margil said seeing his score on the screen was amazing.

“It’s a relief and I guess all the hard work was worth it in the end,” he said.

“I was interested in medicine probably because of my curiosity for science and maths and I always want to keep learning which medicine has that great aspect of it.

“It’s also about the personal experience. Last year, my grandparents in India got Covid and with all the flights closed it was really hard to keep in contact.

“We were really anxious to see how they were going but the support the doctor provided over the phone to us was really satisfying.

“I want to follow in his footsteps and make a difference in the lives of regional people and rural kids, and just benefit society in general.”

Margil adjusted his study techniques to help him reach his goals in 2021.

He was more of a visual learner which helped him study smarter, not harder, and he stayed on top of taking class notes at the end of each day to help reduce his stress levels.

“Having a clear plan and staying consistent with my work was very important as it allowed me to stay organised and remain productive whenever I sat down to study,’’ he said.

Margil was happy to share some advice to students pursuing their secondary school studies beyond 2021.

Among them was always engaging with and asking questions of teachers; dreaming big, for both short and long-term goals; staying healthy and pursuing a hobby; and trying not to compare yourself to others.

“If you want to truly improve then compare who you were yesterday to who you are today,’’ Margil said.

About 50 percent of Rockhampton Grammar students achieved a ranking over 91, based on the available QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) data, which is the equivalent of an OP 1 to 5 in the previous system.

Rockhampton Grammar headmaster Dr Phillip Moulds commended the students, staff and families for their collaborative work in achieving these results and wished the Year 12 graduates all the best in pursuing careers beyond school.

“Scores are only one measure of student success,” he said.

“Equally valued is the school’s reputation for developing well-rounded individuals who understand values such as teamwork, self-discipline and gratitude, and see their role in contributing to the communities which they are a part of, to benefit others, not only themselves.

“There are countless individual stories of our students achieving their personal best and engaging in many different areas across the school.

“There are so many varied opportunities offered at the Rockhampton Grammar School. Not all require high ATARs and it is pleasing to see the wide spread of interests pursued by our students.

“Our students’ achievements and worth are never reduced to just numbers. We’re more concerned about each child’s disposition and their interest in learning. If you have those qualities nurtured in an environment where strong academics and well-rounded development are highly valued, where a partnership exists among students, their parents and teachers, then children are going to do well.”

“The achievement of students in 2020 and 2021 is a powerful example of the efforts placed in by the school, and especially the academic leaders within the School, in preparing and enacting the new system, and staff engagement in the new system. We have had twenty staff engaged directly in QCAA processes which supports the learning involved at RGS.”