HSC, ATAR results 2023: Anxious wait ends for Year 12 students
More than 55,000 students have been given access their HSC results and ATAR scores, marking the official end to 13 years of schooling. Follow our live coverage.
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More than 55,000 HSC students have woken up to access their HSC results from 6am and are now receiving their Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks.
The release of results and ATARs marks the official end of 13 years of schooling for the 2023 HSC cohort.
The Universities Admissions Centre has confirmed 49 students have received the top ATAR of 99.95 in 2023, and the vast majority of those are male.
And 17.5 per cent of the cohort earned ATARs above 90.
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St Catherine’s students shine
St Catherine’s Anglican school for girls had nine “all rounder” students who achieved a Band 6 in all of their HSC subjects.
This included students Jordan Alp, Alana Brennan, Elenor Craven, Solange Fadel, Sophia Elizabeth Kelley, Isla King, Sienna Price, Jasmine Ruffa and Sarah Sassine.
Year 12 graduates Isla King, Jasmine Ruffa and Sarah Sassine were also among another group of eight “top achievers” from the private school who are ranked among the top in the state in a particular subject.
“I was over the moon with my (HSC) results,” Isla said.
“The site wasn’t loading this morning so I was very stressed. I was at the computer shaking and then the number popped up. I was very overwhelmed and mum starting crying and calling everyone including our family and friends.
“It is such a rewarding feeling (to have scored an ATAR above 95).
The Legal Studies ranked student is hoping to study a degree in Commerce and Law next year.
“I was really interested in all the legal cases we studied,” she said.
Sarah said she was also “really happy” with her results and shocked to see her ATAR on Thursday morning.
“I wasn’t expecting to get what I did get but very pleasantly surprised,” the Studies of Religion 1 ranked student said.
“I’m glad all the hard work paid off. It’s just very relieving to know it didn’t go to waste.”
Students Samarah Issa, Leila Carr, Evie Cook, Xinyan Lu and Yumeng Xin were also among the state’s highest ranked cohort.
“It is really surreal after a whole year (to receive the results),” Samarah said.
“I was satisfied. I felt like all the work we did this year went into something rewarding.”
One of Killara’s best years
Killara High School principal Robin Chand said he was extremely proud of his Year 12 students, claiming the results were a huge achievement and one of their “best” years.
The school had five students receive a 99 ATAR or higher, with 15 per cent of Year 12 students achieving above 95.
23 per cent of students received an ATAR above 90.
“Just phenomenal, we are not a private or selective school, we accept everybody and have achieved these great results,” he said.
The school had 279 entries on distinguished achievers list and four top achievers, with
10 all-rounders.
“I’m blown away with the results, for a school of mixed ability I’m extremely proud of our students,” Mr Chand said.
“We have sustained our position as the top comprehensive coeducational public highschool”.
“We offer the highest quality education at our school. We try to make best practice the standard practice”.
“We have been following an explicit teaching framework at Killara where our teachers take time to prepare for our lessons and explain model and guide in the lessons, where they then monitor for student progress intensively, which has resulted in high potential in a large amount of students as seen with almost a quarter of students getting an atar above 90”.
STUDENTS REACT TO EARLY ATAR RELEASE
Students across the state were treated to an early release of their ATARs just before 9am.
Cerdon College Merrylands graduate and first in the state in Italian Continuers Diya Badawi said she was “over the moon” with her ATAR and HSC results.
“I am absolutely ecstatic. It was above 95 and closer to 100,” she said on Thursday morning.
“I am extremely relieved. It’s such a weight off my shoulders.”
The high-achieving student received her result on Thursday morning at home, surrounded by family and friends.
“Everyone was home and really excited for me,” she said.
“Mum was really happy. She was crying.”
Our Lady of The Sacred Heart student Lily Powell said she was “so relieved” by her result and glad all the hours of hard work paid off.
“It was higher than I expected,” she said of her ATAR score which was above 95.
“I was literally in tears when I opened it.”
Mia McGregor was “pleasantly surprised” by her result but stoked to have beaten her two older sisters’ scores.
“I Facetimed my family as soon as I saw my ATAR to tell them my result in the morning. I am the youngest and beat both my sisters,” she said.
“I’m so happy.”
Turramurra High School cleaned up in this year’s HSC results, with two students topping their courses.
Kiana Levy, came first in Drama and was in disbelief when she discovered the news.
“It’s honestly so unbelievable,” she said to 2GB’s Mark Levy on Thursday morning.
“It was shocking when I found out the news and my family couldn’t be more proud.
“When I told my drama teacher she was actually walking out of the theatre which is very on brand for her and she just screamed but it was great.
“I love saying that I’m dramatic and now I can say I’ve got the stats to prove it.”
Another Turramurra High student, Orlando Douglas-Giles, said it was “absolutely surreal and unbelievable” to finish first in English extension 2.
“I’m thinking of doing Arts Law, I’m also thinking about going into Journalism after that or something like that.”
Emma Silvestri, who achieved first in the French extension course said overall she was “very happy” with her ATAR which was over 95.
“It was a bit of a surprise, she said.
“I am very excited.
“My parents looked at the results at 6am and they got the ATAR calculator out.
“They were surprised. It was higher than they thought.”
The high-achiever hopes her ATAR score will allow her entry into University to study medicine.
ATAR FAST FACTS
ATAR scores have gone live for thousands of HSC students hoping for the right score that will secure them a university placement. Here’s a breakdown of the 2023 cohort:
-55,523 students were eligible for an ATAR. This is 1,215 more than in 2022.
-49 students received the top ATAR of 99.95. Of these students, 12 were female and 37 were male; they came from a mix of government and non-government schools and studied a wide range of courses. The list of courses studied by candidates awarded an ATAR of 99.95 contained 37 different courses out of the 116 courses offered.
-17.5 per cent of students received an ATAR of 90.00 or above, 35 per cent received an ATAR of at least 80.00 and 51.8 per cent received an ATAR of at least 70.00.
-The median ATAR this year was 71.05, slightly lower than in 2022. To achieve a middle ATAR, students generally need to be in the middle of their courses and receive HSC marks between 70 and 80. However, because of the large percentage of students with marks between 70 and 80, the ATARs of students with HSC marks around 80 will often be very different from the ATARs of students with HSC marks around 70.
-The median ATAR for females was 71.90, whereas the median ATAR for males was 70.00.
DIDN’T GET YOUR DESIRED ATAR? HERE’S WHAT TO DO
Australian Catholic University education researcher Dr Steven Lewis said a lower than expected ATAR “isn’t the end of the world”, with universities increasingly taking a broader range of factors into their offers.
Conversely, higher ATARs don’t necessarily guarantee success at university.
“After 13 years of schooling, it’d be a little unfair for anybody to have that one number be the be-all and end-all that ultimately represents what their schooling success is,” Dr Lewis said.
“That one number isn’t a determining factor alone in how successful or happy or how fulfilling your life will be after school.”
Sydney Conservatorium of Music student Alex Andrevski left school last year with an ATAR of 66, and as an only child who was the first of his family to go to university, the mark was “a little bit disappointing”.
Despite the mark being lower than what he was after, the 19-year-old rock star guitarist and scholarship recipient said he’s thrived in the academic university environment, advising this year’s school leavers to not give up on their dreams.
“(Feeling disappointed) is natural, and it’s not the end of the world. There’s so many alternate pathways now – if you’re dead set on doing something, you can do it,” Alex said.
“(A low ATAR) might set you back a little bit – like a year tops – but like nothing’s going to prevent you from doing what you want to do.”
Dr Lewis said students who find themselves disappointed should contact their preferred university’s admissions team, who will be on deck to provide advice and offer other options.
Deputy Premier Prue Car also offered a message of hope for those who will find little joy in their ATAR today, telling students to “enjoy and celebrate” everything they have achieved.
“There are so many ways to achieve your future, whether that is further training, employment, whether you want to go on a gap year,” she said.
“This generation of kids … are probably going to be changing their careers so many times in their working lives, and they’re walking into a world that we can barely understand.
“Take it all in your stride, you’ve worked hard – enjoy the break.”
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