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Why your 99.95 ATAR may not be Enough

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99.95 Atar
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Why your 99.95 ATAR may not be Enough

Are you struggling with Career Choice and think a 99.95 ATAR will solve your problem?

If you want a 99.95 ATAR score you may be surprised whether it will guarantee you a happy and successful career.

In the past, we have seen that of more than 65,000 school leavers in NSW, only 48 of them achieve an atar 99.95 score. That atar score would allow them to apply for medicine at Sydney Uni. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that of this 48 some would still miss out on the 30 places offered at the Uni. There are many reasons why students miss out. The main reason is that some students are just not suited to the profession.

In addition to gaining high ATAR scores, universities usually interview potential undergraduate candidates to assess their general attributes and skill suitability. They assess how they interact with others, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Although these students are outstanding performers in the classroom, many professions with high ATAR result requirements are not always suited to some individuals. Some students overlook a profession’s soft skill requirements and more often than not they select a profession based solely on their high ATAR results.

Dropout can happen in the first 6 weeks

I see many first-year uni students drop out of their selected course within the first 6 weeks of the university opening semester. These students have blindly pursued a university course based solely on their HSC 99.95 atar. Some feel obliged to ‘not waste their 99.95 atar score’ and end up pursuing a course that means nothing to them.

Research in a paper exploring the usefulness of ATAR scores backs this up revealing that ‘students may feel if they enrol in courses with cut-offs significantly lower than their ATAR that they have not ‘spent’ their high ATAR well or have ‘wasted’ their scores. Also, students see a match between their ATAR and an institution’s ATAR cut-offs as an indicator of the likely ‘fit’ between a course and their ability.

HECS Debt

In addition, students can end up with an enormous HECS debt. On average, the debts can be between $20,000 to $75,000. These debts can be carried well into a student’s 30s and 40s. This is an extra financial burden they can do without especially as the cost of living is going up in Australia. Students are now facing a 7.1% indexation on their HECS student loans. This adds to the HECS debt and can affect the credit rating of the person when they come to apply for home loans in their 30s or 40s.

Lack of Career Development Education

Today students are walking out the school gate with a disadvantage. Through no fault of their own they just lack knowledge about how to make career choices.

They lack Career Development Education.

Career Development considers other things besides a 99.95 Atar or what is a good atar score. It considers a student’s values, passions, personality, life experiences, and beliefs. So much more than an ATAR score.

To learn about what career will give meaning and purpose to a student’s life, students need to gain knowledge about themselves. They must reflect on their experiences, and how they will match this against the career options available to them.

The ideal time to do this is in the final years of a student’s schooling. Yes, there is a lot going on, but can you really afford not to spend a few hours seriously planning the next 5 years of your life? Investing in this planning may save you financial pain in the long term given the potential HECS debt level you may accumulate.

Today’s World of Work

Today’s world of work is dominated by constant change. Students’ career plans need to be flexible and strategic if they are to be successful. When things don’t go the way you expect, you need to change the plan fast.

If you don’t have a strategic plan, remember you will be competing in a bigger pond with students who have sought out personalised career guidance and have a plan. If there are 76,000 school leavers in NSW and you compare that number to the numbers in your school year that should give you an idea of how large the pond is when you leave the school gates and that’s just NSW.

For those students missing out on medical degrees, what are their next moves? How committed are they to pursuing the profession despite being rejected at the first stage of entry?

The ATAR scores you achieve is just a score, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get into the course you wanted. It does not define you and what you can achieve in the future. Sometimes obstacles are put in front of us to see how passionate we are in pursuing what matters to us.

Career Development

Career Development is an ongoing journey for all of us. A review of where we have been, what is happening now, and where we want to go is necessary at every changing point in your life.

It is an ongoing process.

If you didn’t make it into your course, there are always other options perhaps ones you have not considered before. A career option that requires lower ATAR scores may be what gives you the fulfilling and successful career you are looking for. A 99.95 ATAR score does not necessarily put you on the pathway to a career that’s right for you.

So remember…

Have a strategic career plan in place and consider what other career options would be awesome for you. If you are interested in choosing meaningful work and what career options are suitable for you regardless of your ATAR score advice about career choice is a wise investment.

Reach out and let’s have an initial chat about your specific situation.

Some Reviews

Here are some reviews from previous clients on my Discover & Design program

“From my first phone call, Gina was engaging and interested in my son’s story. She connected with him and presented her service clearly and expertly.” Tracey- Sydney

“Gina was great. When I first arrived I was really lost with no direction and had no Idea of what i wanted to do. Sure I had some thoughts but never knew why or where my strengths would be. After the 2nd session and with all the tests, I definitely felt a lot better, more clear and confident in what I want to do.” Chris- Sydney

Written by Gina Bell

Gina Bell is a university-qualified Sydney Career Expert in Career Advice, Career Coaching, and Career Counselling. She also works as a Talent Development Consultant for commercial organisations. She is passionate about aligning a person’s work purpose in a work environment where they can find fulfillment & reach their potential.

Her qualifications include a Graduate Diploma in Career Development, a Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting, and a Bachelor of Economics. She is registered with the Career Industry Council of AustraliaProfessional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia, National Career Development Association in the USA, Asia Pacific Career Development Association & Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand.

In her free time, she loves to travel, cook, and learn.

Follow her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-bell/

2 comments on “Why your 99.95 ATAR may not be Enough
  1. Gina Bell on said:

    Thanks Gavan for sharing your experience. It just goes to show that regardless of the ATAR score you achieve, there are a lot of other things to consider in finding a career that makes you happy.

  2. Great post. I got a score in the high 90’s a few years back but selected a university degree that only required a score of 40! I don’t regret a second of it either, as I now have my own business doing what I love.

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