14 May 2020

You are way more than just a number. No matter what ATAR you receive, if you’ve got the passion and show the potential to complete a degree, then you deserve to study at university if you want to. Some of us just don’t thrive in the world of standardised testing. Some of us are great at assignments but freeze up when it comes to a seated exam. Most of us are copping it big time right now … I mean, isn’t Year 12 stressful as is? Add a global pandemic and there’s no wonder why everyone is feeling behind on their studies, disadvantaged and anxious when it comes to their final marks reflecting their true abilities...

Our mates at Macquarie University have always believed that your ATAR doesn’t define you. In these uncertain times when everything feels like it’s up in the air, this is more relevant now than ever before. Here are some of their red-hot solutions for getting into your dream course before you get your final mark.

How do I get in without my ATAR?

Macquarie University recognises that ATAR is just one of a range of methods for assessing a student’s skills and abilities. They take into account your individual strengths, interests and personal circumstances.

Macquarie Uni has been admitting students through different pathways (other than just your ATAR) for a while now, and their data proves that these students perform just as well as those admitted on ATAR alone.

But because they know this year has been pretty stressful for all of us, Macquarie is offering anyone who meets the criteria for their two early entry schemes a place in one of their courses, with no cap on the number of students they’ll accept. It’s their way of offering you guys a bit of much-needed relief during these wild times.

And you can be accepted before you even sit for your final exams, so you can really de-stress and just focus on smashing your assignments and exams for the rest of the year, knowing your 2021 plans are totally sorted.   

Their schemes include:

1. Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme: The Leaders and Achievers Scheme is super popular and judges whether you’re right for university not just based on your Year 11 marks, but also your contribution to the community. If you’ve been putting time into extracurricular activities like volunteering, then this scheme considers them alongside your academic performance.

2. Schools Recommendation Scheme: The Schools Recommendation Scheme will judge your suitability for university by sussing out your Year 11 performance and marks, along with any details your school can provide about your ability and achievements.

If you don’t think you performed all that well in Year 11 – don’t stress. They understand that you might not have quite hit your stride until Year 12, in which case they’ll use other entry pathways to assess your application.

What else should I know about them?

QS World Rankings 2020 state that Macquarie University is in the Top 1% of all universities in the world … so it’s safe to say that they’re kind of a big deal.

Macquarie University is known for their reliance on practical experience, including their award-winning PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) program, in which you can undertake workplace experiences with over 3,000 partners. Plus, their expert teachers and industry connections will ensure you graduate with real, in-demand job skills, and your degree can also be personalised to perfectly match your career aspirations.

Plus, we love it when universities see us as more than just our ATAR – that’s why we’re super keen on these guys. They totally get that these are uncertain times, so they wanna try and make the rest of 2020 as stress-free as possible.

Suss out more info about Macquarie University over here.

And if you're still a bit uncertain of what 2021 is gonna have in store for you, try our Post-School Plan so you can stress a wee bit less about the nitty gritty of navigating pathways. We got ya covered.