21 Nov 2019

Here at Year13, we’re big believers that your ATAR shouldn’t stop you doing whatever it is you want to do after high school. Despite what you’ve been told, your ATAR isn’t the be all and end all and if you’ve got your heart set on something like heading to uni, there’s plenty of other ways to get in. We’ve rounded up some of our fave ‘hacks’ for getting into uni so you can keep the dream alive regardless of your final results.

1. Pathway programs

Pathway programs are severely underrated. Too many people think that if they don’t get a solid ATAR they’ll never get into the course or uni of their dreams, but this isn’t the case. Most universities offer pathway programs as a back-door way into uni, and they understand that you’re worth more than your ATAR.

How does it work? Once you apply and are successfully accepted, you’ll begin studying a Diploma in the area you’re interested in. These Diploma courses usually last around a year and at the end of it, you can be fast-tracked into the second year of a uni degree which means you won’t be behind any of your mates who started their degree straight out of high school. Plus, while you’re studying your Diploma you’ll be on campus with everyone else – so you’re not missing out on the uni experience either. You’ll still get to suss out the cheapest coffees on campus, buckle down in the library during exams, jump into the gym in between classes and find the best place for lunch. Win-win.

The bonus perk of this is that if you get to the end of your Diploma course and realise that you’re actually not keen to continue studying in that area, you won’t leave empty handed – instead you’ll have a shiny Diploma to show you did the work.

There’s a bunch of different colleges out there with pathway programs. It doesn’t matter where you’re based – there’s probably one for you. If you’re interested, you can check ‘em all out here.

2. Bonus points

There are heaps of reasons you might not have gotten the ATAR you needed. Fortunately, most universities know that things happen and offer bonus points to help boost ya score enough to get you into your course.

There are bonus points available for elite athletes, high achievers in particular subjects, people based rurally or in low SES areas to name a few.

To find out what bonus points you might be eligible for, chat to your career adviser, do some Googling, check out the website of the uni you’re interested in, or even just give them a ring and ask what they are and how you can get ‘em. Easy peasy.

3. Submit a portfolio

For some courses, proving your creative ability could be enough to get you through the door. This is pretty common in Arts degrees or private universities, and if you’re been putting in the hard work to finish a major work or folio during high school, half the work is already done for this kind of application.

A similar thing happens for those wanting to study theatre or music. You might be required to submit a composition of your own or even audition in front of some judges.

4. Getting qualified

If you’re able to show a uni that you deserve to be in a degree, it’ll be hard for them to say no. The best ways to do this are to gain a qualification relevant to the degree you want to study or to get experience working in the industry.

So, if you wanna study Business but didn’t quite get the ATAR you wanted, fear not. You could consider completing a Diploma in Business first, then applying for uni with all of that fresh knowledge you’ve gained.

Alternatively, hit up some companies you like, and see if you can get some experience working in the industry before you apply for uni. You could even try landing an internship or an entry-level job. Many universities will give credits to applicants with relevant working experience – get in contact with your uni and ask if it’d pay off then work out your plan from there.

There ya have it – plenty of ways to get into your dream course. Most of them give you a qualification or experience as well, so you won’t end up behind your mates who went to uni straight from high school (you might even end up better off).