University of Sydney launches new ATAR entry requirements website
The University of Sydney will help prospective students make an informed decision about their study options with the launch of a new website featuring the full range of ATARs for all courses.
The website enables prospective students to select a course and find its minimum, median and top ATAR marks, based on Semester 1 2016 data. The cutoffs can also be filtered by faculty or alternative entry pathway to offer a more complete picture of university entry standards.
The move will give students greater confidence in their degree decision-making by more accurately reflecting true demand and expectations for courses, said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Registrar), Professor Tyrone Carlin.
"We've been concerned by the tenor of the ATAR cutoff debate and its suggestion that entry standards are slipping across the board, when our data quite clearly shows this is not the case at the University of Sydney," he said.
Across all undergraduate programs, the overall median ATAR for entry to the University of Sydney was 91.35. For those students joining the University via alternative entry pathways, the median ATAR was 87.75.
The new website also reveals that for the majority of degrees (86.49 percent), University of Sydney students achieved higher ATARs than those required for course entry. For instance, the overall median ATAR (including alternative pathways) of Bachelor of Arts students was 87.95 – well above the 2016 cutoff of 82.50.
"The University of Sydney has always maintained the highest entry requirements, and we’re proud of our record in attracting the brightest students from all backgrounds. Students who join us through alternative entry schemes like E12 go on to perform just as well as those who come through the traditional entry pathway of the published ATAR cutoff," said Professor Carlin.
It's important for students considering their higher education options to know all the facts about their intended program of study.
"This new website will be an invaluable tool to help every student of promise find their place and aspire to their full potential with us."
The launch follows the University's commitment to ATAR transparency with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Group of Eight universities in April this year, of which the University of Sydney is a member.
"We look forward to working with the Higher Education Standards panel, Universities Australia and our Group of Eight counterparts to further demystify what can be a complex process for prospective students and their parents," Professor Carlin added.
