On that inspiring note we are going to wrap up our live coverage of the ATAR results.
Thanks for joining us over the past two days, it's always a hectic and exciting time for everyone involved.
We will be back on January 18 as the main round of university offers are released across the state to thousands of students.
Hope you will join us again soon.
Double trouble: twins score near identical ATARS
Angelo and Domenic Beretta picked the exact same HSC subjects, got almost identical results and there is only a .35 difference between their ATARS.
They're also identical twins from Liverpool who both got offered guaranteed entry into Civil Engineering and Surveying at UNSW.
"We're over the moon, all that hard work during the year has paid off," Domenic said.
Domenic scored an 98.45 ATAR while his twin brother Angelo scored an 98.10 ATAR.
"We were both very surprised with our ATAR's but also very satisfied," Angelo said.
Throughout high school, the twins had "friendly competition" amongst each other which they used to motivated and push each other to get better marks.
"If one of us got better marks in one exam, it would motivate the other to study harder and beat him in the next exam," Domenic said.
The twin's chose to study engineering because of their love for subjects such as maths, chemistry and physics.
"Since a very young age we loved solving problems and engineering is perfect for that," Angelo said.
High achiever goes for teaching
In news that will please NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, Concord High School captain Max Brenner has decided to go into teaching.
Mr Piccoli introduced tough new requirements for prospective teachers to get at least three band 5s in their HSC results this year, an ATAR of approximately 75.
This morning Max found out he scored a 92.
"To be honest, I was a bit iffy from yesterday's results, I was thinking maybe 89 at best," he told Victoria Ticha.
Max wanted to teach high school English or History since volunteering as a tutor.
"Teachers are important role models, and kids spend a lot of time at school so good teacher's are important. But I also just really enjoyed teaching the classes."
But Max is keeping his options, with a sports scholarship for rowing in the US on the table, as well as a big move to Germany.
"I was really pleased when I saw my final result, and I couldn't be happier. I'm gonna see where it takes me."
How universities deny students the right to develop their potential
Some interesting comments here from the vice-chancellor of Macquarie University, Bruce Dowton.
Keeping in mind that our investigation in January revealed that up to two thirds of students offered places at Macquarie University had ATARs below the advertised cut-off – the highest share of the four universities.
Professor Dowton writes:
Australian universities routinely deny potential prime ministers, chief justices and chief executives their chance at success on the basis of ATAR, the weighted average of their strengths and weaknesses throughout high school. For decades, various iterations of this statewide form guide have determined where and what our children can study.
The ATAR has enabled universities to craft reputations for exclusivity by rationing student places with arbitrary cut-offs for courses. With these nominally high standards come perceptions of inherent quality unmatched by those who are more forthright about the true requirements for study in particular fields. The result is a self-sustaining gilt by association that has long outlived its relevance.
So close....
Leonida Najdovska from Cumberland High School was disappointed with her 86.40 ATAR but she saw it coming yesterday when she found out her HSC results.
"I was aiming for a 90," she said.
She still hopes to get into Economics at Macquarie University and is spending the day with her mum who is trying to cheer her up.
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This HSC student's ATAR score reaction is amazing
Here are some of the tears, shouts and quiet contemplation as Sydney students get their ATAR scores, brought to you straight from their houses at the moment of realisation.
Make sure you turn the volume up, it's a cracker.
Screams as HSC students receive ATAR scores
Tears, shouts and quiet contemplation as Sydney HSC students get their ATAR scores.
Hunting down the perfect ATAR
Maxim Adams was "absolutely thrilled" with his perfect 99.95 ATAR result but his mum was a lot more excited about the result than him.
"She was shouting really excitedly and threw her hands in the air," Maxim said.
Maxim plans to go to USYD for an Arts and Science double degree but first he's taking a gap year to travel to Europe.
Parents can be hard to please...
Oldest son just told me he got 97.15. Turns out it's only his #ATAR not his batting average. Kids are so disappointing.
— Richard Hinds (@rdhinds) December 11, 2016
Watch: the journey ends for Alana
The Herald's video guru Jack Fisher was out capturing all the action as students reacted to getting their ATAR results.
Here Redlands student Alana Adamus finds out whether she has the ATAR to study engineering next year.
HSC journey ends for Alana
Redlands, Mosman student Alana Adamus finds out whether she has the ATAR to study engineering next year.
Cat celebrates with Alana
This morning Alana Adamus opened up her laptop, with her cat by her side, to find that she had surpassed the ATAR she needed, 93, by a full 4 points.
"It's better than I expected," she told Victoria Ticha. "I've known from the beginning that the ATAR isn't everything - but still feels good to know the work all paid off. I even beat my brother (95) so I'm pretty happy about that."
With an ATAR of 97, there's no stopping the ambitious young woman. Her parents came rushing in to celebrate the good news with hugs and kisses.
"We're so proud, after all her hard work, she deserves this," her father said.
Alana has a habit of success.
She came first in Maths Extension 1 and 2, Physics, and Economics, and was the schools' HSC Dux two years in a row.
"I was the only girl in the class, but it wasn't weird. Everyone got used to it after a while, but it was pretty funny when I came first."
Alana beat all the boys in her year, not just in one subject, but in all of them.
The 18-year-old maths wiz dreams of becoming an Engineer, like her father, which would make her the only woman engineer in the family.
She hopes to be accepted into Duke University in North Carolina, but she'd be happy if she got into her first Sydney preference - Biomedical Engineering at the University of New South Wales.
Changes to ATAR and university admissions
Almost a year ago we revealed in a Fairfax Media investigation that up to 60 per cent of students at some universities where being admitted to courses despite not meeting the ATAR cut off.
Eleven months on, the government has issued a final edict - come clean on university admissions or lose your funding.
As with all things news and politics, it's all in the timing - 50,000 students will receive their ATARs today, the very metric that has had its value debated for the past year.
On Friday, Education Minister Simon Birmingham accused universities of using "fog and double speak" to cloud higher education admissions processes.
From 2018 universities will be forced to list a range of transparency measures through a MySchool style website or risk losing funding.
Including:
- 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.
Read Matthew Knott's story on today's developments here and our full investigation that led to this change here.
Universities ignore ATAR scores
Up to 99% of applicants for some NSW university degrees have been admitted despite failing to meet the minimum ATAR score advertised for the course. Eryk Bagshaw reports.
High hopes for Samuel
Filip Stempien met International Grammar Student, Samuel Garrett this morning just after he got his ATAR results.
The avid geopolitical student breathed a sigh of relief as his family wrapped themselves around him.
"I was incredibly relieved and I even laughed because I got what I needed," he said.
He hoped scoring an ATAR of 97 would open doors for him to one day represent Australia at the UN.
The trilingual graduate scored well above the cut off for his desired course, International Global Studies at the University of Sydney.
When Samuel was seven his Dad gave him a globe for his birthday and his love of geography and geopolitics was further instilled by his year 6 teacher.
"Once I was interested in politics, I was set up for high school because I had a clearer picture of what I enjoyed" Samuel said.
Speaking Spanish, French and English, he plans to learn Arabic in the future and he has won the Global Scholars Award at IGS three years in a row for writing essays on MH17, the Syrian Civil War and Brexit.
"When you're enjoying the learning process, you learn a lot more from it and it's just not a number on some page," he said.
The next stop for Samuel is Argentina then Scandinavia and Africa as he takes a gap year before embarking on the next chapter in his life.
Samuel said the key to doing well in the HSC was "getting up and working hard everyday and having a passion for learning."
'Oh my god!'
That is how Natalie Teh reacted when she opened up her ATAR this morning.
"My hands are shaking," she said as she ran towards the screams of her family.
"I got 99.9!"
"I am literally going to have a heart attack," the 17-year-old PLC student said.
But first she has to head off to work at the local candle shop after a celebratory lunch with friends.
One day she hopes to leave the candle store for Medicine.
'It will put an end to all the waiting'
"This is definitely a nervous moment but it will put an end to all the waiting," says Jake Jansen from Waverley College.
"Ok here we are," a smile flashes across the Centennial Park residents face.
"It's good to just have closure and be out of limbo and now you know what your ATAR is you can build up, go into uni and be better," he says.
Jake is one of many students who have begun sending us through videos of their reactions to getting their ATARs, if you want to share your story, please get in touch through the contact details above.
Choosing your university course: important changes
Thousands of students across the state will now be receiving their ATAR, with that in mind there are some important things to remember.
For the first time universities in the Go8, which includes the University of Sydney, UNSW and Melbourne will reveal minimum, median and top ATAR marks for all students accepted into a course.
This year the UAC has advised students to look at the 2016 cut-off in the UAC Guide 2016-17 as a general indication of whether a student will have the required ATAR to get in, but don't take it as a hard and fast rule.
Individual universities such as UNSW and the University of Sydney have already published their minimum, median, and maximum ATARs for each course on their websites.
UTS and the University of Western Sydney are yet to do the same, with students only given one option for their ATAR cut-off.
Back to topWhat is an ATAR?
According to the Universities Admissions Centre the ATAR is a rank that measures a student's overall academic achievement in the HSC in relation to that of other students. Because the ATAR is a rank, it allows the UAC to compare students who have completed different combinations of HSC courses. Universities need to rank students because often there are more applicants for courses than there are places available. The maximum ATAR a student can receive is 99.95.
Can you game the ATAR?
How does scaling work, and is it possible to game the ATAR system?
Good morning and welcome to our coverage
Students across NSW will now be logging on to computers to receive their ATARs, that four digit number greeted with equal amounts of dread and excitement.
We will be covering the day as it unfolds, including important announcements on the way ATAR is changing, how universities are accepting students and the steps forward for students across the state.
If you want to share your story please send text, pictures and video through to scoop@smh.com.au or give us a call on (02) 9282 1807.
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