Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt says the move will give school-leavers certainty. Photo: File.
The Australian National University (ANU) will use Year 11 school results to decide entry for next year’s undergraduate students due to the disruption to Year 12 studies caused by the COVID-19 containment measures.
The ANU said this year’s school leavers won’t have to rely on their 2020 results to gain entry next year, and are now able to apply based on their Year 11 results until 25 May. Offers made on Year 11 results in August will be honoured for study, as long as students have completed Year 12.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the move would provide certainty for school-leavers.
“Students, particularly those in their final year of school, have experienced a very tough year already and their studies have been significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis,” he said.
“Now all Year 12 students who want to study at ANU can focus on completing their studies and preparing for university, knowing that if their marks from Year 11 meet our entry requirements they can join one of the world’s leading universities.”
Professor Schmidt said last year’s admission round showed ANU was able to reliably predict students’ Year 12 performance based on their Year 11 marks, well before university entry rankings are released in December.
But he said students would still be able to apply using the traditional ATAR pathway if they believed it was to their advantage.
”Last year we made nearly 4000 offers and got more than 90 per cent correct,” he told ABC radio. ”On the rare occasions where people really do better in Year 12 than Year 11 there is a pathway for them.
”We try to cover all bases and make sure everyone gets the best possible opportunity.”
For those thinking they could take the foot off the pedal, Professor Schmidt said students still needed to work hard this year if they wanted to succeed at university.
”We remind people that getting into university is not the goal if that’s what they want to do, it’s actually doing well at university that’s the goal, and they’re going to have to work hard in Year 12 to make sure that occurs,” he said.
Professor Schmidt said the university had consulted across the sector and with governments before taking the decision, and there had been understanding that a solution was needed and that it would bring certainty for students.
Original Article published by Ian Bushnell on The RiotACT.
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