They do indeed ask for you ATAR.
I wrote this on the Whirlpool forum and I'll post it here on the BoredofStudies. I have no jealousy or animosity towards people that achieve high ATAR's but the recruitment process factoring into account ATAR is a bit of a joke if you tell me.
I must admit I had a fairly average ATAR coming into university and I don't blame it on myself or not having the work ethic.
Like I said not everyone will value a ATAR of high 99+ at that particular price, some would be willing to pay that much. There is a price to everything in life isn't there? I reckon for every family there is a price that they will pay for to get that high ATAR. Why are parents paying up $20,000-$35,000 per year for educational fees?( I understand that it is not ALL academics) I do feel like the ATAR is almost a test of socio-economic status and income power. (As much as I hate to say that). Yes I came from a lower socioeconomic background and I reflect back on it now and I say I had no chance against the top tier schools (the heavily funded schools) and selective schools (who have parents that have planned out their education long before- my parents weren't educated here so they didn't give me direction. Well my mum was the one that encouraged being a teacher from her homeland. Obviously the standards in Australia was higher than in her home country. ) No , I don't make excuses for getting a crappy ATAR first up as well.( I actually worked my butt off in year 12- but didn't have study technique, tutors, resources , network of top tier students to push and drive me, teachers were not willing to go that extra mile etc) Look, I now work as a tutor and can see the advantages v disadvantages of the 'have's and have nots'. The problem is, Year 12 students who are finishing up their final year of study, have only studied the majority of their life, so of course its important for them. I think I had someone that had a chuckle at my ATAR, 10 years on saying 'how $hit it was" But I reflect back on it now and say how could I have controlled it? You grow up with what you get in life and you have to learn to deal with it at times. Sometimes you have to applaud students who get an ATAR of 85, when the schools median average is 65, they are punching above their weight. I guess what I'm trying to say is , there is more to a score than meets the eye. If your school is ranked middle to lower tier, you have less likelihood of getting that high ATAR, as hard as you might try. (obviously there will be some exceptional circumstances for a few). But of course you can always be successful later in life whether you have a high ATAR or low ATAR.
I mean I look at a course like Medicine now, the process by which admissions is administered , you can gain entry by not requiring that high an ATAR, by just completing a Bachelor of ___________. In fact alot of graduate medicine entry courses don't even look at ATAR. You could be a successful business person without requiring a degree of any sort. Although a degree does give you the mindset to take on things in life with more confidence.
But for me I value having and living a good life>>>>>studying like a brainiac. Unfortunately, my work requires me to work like a brainiac and it's not something that I will look to do in say 5 years time. (Speaking to a lot of teachers I do feel most of them want a change of profession after a few years into the job) Would love a more cruisier job where I'm not necessarily helping people all the time, I'd rather be helping myself. There is a huge social cost of studying real hard as well.
