Sydney University Reveals "Real" ATAR Cut-Offs (They're Lower Than You Think)

Universities are being pressured to fully disclose admission scores after it was revealed students with scores below "official" cut-offs were still being admitted.

The University of Sydney (USYD) has agreed to full disclosure of Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranks (ATARs) by updating its admissions website to show all minimum, median and top ATAR ranks for its courses.

This data will help students see if they have a chance of making it into their desired course, despite having a lower ATAR than the advertised cut-off. The University of Sydney's Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Tyrone Carlin, told the SMH that the information would provide more transparency, giving students added confidence when making decisions about their degree choices.

Let's put this all into perspective: In 2016, the advertised ATAR cut off for a Bachelor of Commerce at Sydney University was 95. However, it was revealed that only 67 per cent of students admitted into the course actually received the advertised score. The actual minimum ATAR ended up being around 85.90, a significant drop from the "official" minimum.

Fairfax reported data from January showing that up to 60 per cent of students at some universities were being admitted below advertised minimum requirements, prompting the Higher Education Standards Panel to look into sector transparency.

The conflicting findings have led to suggestions that entry standards are slipping across the board. Carlin said that USYD's cooperation will help to "further demystify what can be a complex process for prospective students and their parents."

Australia's Group of Eight universities have supported efforts to improve transparency.

The following universities have pledged to make minimum, median and maximum ATAR marks transparent: Monash, the University of Melbourne, University of Western Australia, University of Adelaide, University of Queensland, Australian National University and University of New South Wales.

So, if you're one of the thousands of future students preparing to submit your application to UAC soon, hopefully this makes you feel better?

Photo: Facebook - University of Sydney