Not Happy With Your ATAR? Gov Wants Unis To Share Real “Cut-Offs” For Entry (Because They’re Lower Than You Think)

Students across the country began receiving their ATAR this week (some earlier than others).

In theory, the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank indicates which courses aspiring university students are eligible to be accepted into.

Except, it also doesn’t?

In September, the University of Sydney agreed to be more transparent about its cut-offs, indicating that the “official” figures were not always adhered to. Instead, they would begin updating its admission website to show all minimum, median and top ATAR ranks for its courses.

This would give realistic hope to those who didn’t achieve a certain ATAR for their preferred course.

It followed Fairfax's revelation from earlier in the year: that up to 60 per cent of students at some unis were being admitted below minimum ATAR requirements.

The Government now wants all Australian universities to do away with the “fog and double speak that has clouded higher education admissions process”.

Today, Education Minister Simon Birmingham will introduce plans for reforms that will encourage universities to advertise true entry requirements, the SMH reports.

Failure to do so could result in universities losing access to government funding and loans.

"There will be no more hiding behind fluffy descriptions of entry requirements or inaccessible information on graduate outcomes," Senator Birmingham said.

A review by the Higher Education Standards Panel requested, in place of a “single ATAR cut-off”, the publication of the following for each course:

• the lowest ATAR to receive an offer;
• the maximum number of bonus points available;
• the percentage of students admitted with bonus points; and
• the ATAR required to be in the top 25 per cent, bottom 25 per cent and the middle of the student intake.

The Government also hopes to launch a new website in 2018 that will allow students to compare admission requirements from each university in the country.

In the meantime, if you received an ATAR you weren’t exactly happy with, take heart that you still have a chance to get into the course you want at university. Though the requirements for entry may not be entirely clear yet, soon, they likely will be… if the universities comply.

Come on. Show us those cut-offs!

Photo: iStock