need reassurance about atar

[annaoh_2003]

hey,

im pretty nervous about my future atar results, im aiming for 98.5+ for a graduate degree package at UniMelb. however im wondering if my sac scores will pull me through. I did pretty average in biology in unit 3 (we had loads of issues with a teacher leaving and having no teach for like a month smh) and averaged like 70%, since got a tutor and now average like 83% and my ranking is doing much better. psychology doing well with average of 90% throughout the year, english maintaining 87% throughout the year, extended investigation had two sacs both got 75%, doing great on my thesis, and for maths doing below average.

I plan to do roughly 40 exams over the next two months for bio and psych, about 10 essays of each text response, lang analysis and comparative for English, a few for maths, and have my thesis for EI looked over by my tutors and teachers and get feedback.

basically, im wondering if there is still a possibility of getting the atar I want? not even a probability, but just a possibility. with the whole covid thing its really easy to give up plus those sac scores (especially for bio) and that's definitely what im feeling at the moment.  still a chance?

thanks guys

[mabajas76]

I think it depends on how strng your school is and what your specific ranking is within those classes and not so much your grade. Like idealy, imagine every school was equal, 1000 students did english and to get 40 or above, that is top 9%. Then lets assume their are 45 corhorts/schools doing the subjects, that means that only 90 kids will get 40 or above, and idealy that means that the top 2 kids in each school would get 40 or above in the subject. Obviously not every cohort is equal, some may get higher in sacs due to school so the exam acts as a way to balence sac scores which depends on how your cohort does on their sas compared to exams.
^^^the above is really inaccurate due to a ridiculous amount of assumptions but it is meant to illustrate the importance of ur ranking even more than your scores. If ur school gives super hard SACS where the top score is 60, but then on the exam the average score in 99% for ur school, then those SAC marks go wheeeeeee all the way up, but they will go up so that the ranking doesn't change much, so if ur rank 1, lucky u I guess but if u flop the exam then ur mark will get dragged down soooo in short, doing well on the exam matters, don't stress too much about ATAR, it is possible and good luck. Also remember some special consideration is being given to students so apply for it, who knows may increase chance of getting into course?