Given the ATAR is so emphasised through Year 12, it’s natural to worry that it will continue to be a major topic of conversation at university. The reality is that that will very unlikely be the case. Here are some thoughts.
What the ATAR is
It’s all in the name: Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. Once you’ve been admitted to a course, the ATAR’s utility is pretty limited. It doesn’t guarantee you a job, you can’t use it as currency; for most people, the usefulness of the ATAR ends as soon as they’ve used it to get into their degree. It’s a stepping stone.
So with that in mind, the ATAR in a university context is largely irrelevant. Whilst it might be true that your course required a certain ATAR to gain admission, there’s no way to say what your peers did or didn’t achieve through high school.
So will people ask what your ATAR was?
In my experience, this is extremely unlikely. Admittedly I wasn’t the most social university student, but across multiple years at uni, I think I had one single conversation about ATARs - and that was in a specific context of work.
Your peers will probably want to move on to bigger and better things, so don’t stress too much. But in case you are in a situation where ATARs are being discussed, here are some things to remember.
Your ATAR is yours, and yours alone
In the same way you don’t have to divulge any personal information, you don’t have to divulge your ATAR - even if asked directly. It’s perfectly acceptable to say that you’re looking to move on from high school, or that you don’t feel comfortable discussing it. If your peers don’t accept and respect that, that’s more a reflection on them than it is of you.
Your ATAR is nobody else’s business unless you want it to be.
The ATAR was so last year
Don’t get me wrong - it’s perfectly fine to still feel super proud or disappointed or anything in between of your ATAR. But as you’ve probably heard a million times before, it doesn’t define you. You’re at uni now, and it’s a brand new chapter - an exciting one, hopefully! If you are comfortable sharing your ATAR in discussion, just be aware that others might not be as open or willing, and that’s totally fine - don’t push the point.
There are endless other things to talk about
This could just be a personal thing, and others may disagree with the entire premise of this article, but I cringe a bit if I overhear ATAR chat at uni. I heard one conversation on the way home one time, where first year students were hypothesising what ATAR their new peers would have achieved the previous year.
It was cringey to me because, at the end of the day, it’s irrelevant and, in my view, disrespectful. There are lots of different ways to gain admission to university - the ATAR is just one of many possible keys - and each admission should be celebrated as an achievement in its own right.
Starting uni can be a really exciting time, and there are lots of new experiences available. My thinking is that there’s lots to talk about without having to fall back on ATARs!
