This was published 9 years ago
On that inspiring note we are going to wrap up our live coverage of the ATAR results.
Thanks for joining us over the past two days, it's always a hectic and exciting time for everyone involved.
We will be back on January 18 as the main round of university offers are released across the state to thousands of students.
Hope you will join us again soon.
Angelo and Domenic Beretta picked the exact same HSC subjects, got almost identical results and there is only a .35 difference between their ATARS.
They're also identical twins from Liverpool who both got offered guaranteed entry into Civil Engineering and Surveying at UNSW.
"We're over the moon, all that hard work during the year has paid off," Domenic said.
Domenic scored an 98.45 ATAR while his twin brother Angelo scored an 98.10 ATAR.
"We were both very surprised with our ATAR's but also very satisfied," Angelo said.
In news that will please NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, Concord High School captain Max Brenner has decided to go into teaching.
Mr Piccoli introduced tough new requirements for prospective teachers to get at least three band 5s in their HSC results this year, an ATAR of approximately 75.
This morning Max found out he scored a 92.
"To be honest, I was a bit iffy from yesterday's results, I was thinking maybe 89 at best," he told Victoria Ticha.
Max wanted to teach high school English or History since volunteering as a tutor.
Some interesting comments here from the vice-chancellor of Macquarie University, Bruce Dowton.
Keeping in mind that our investigation in January revealed that up to two thirds of students offered places at Macquarie University had ATARs below the advertised cut-off – the highest share of the four universities.
Professor Dowton writes:
Australian universities routinely deny potential prime ministers, chief justices and chief executives their chance at success on the basis of ATAR, the weighted average of their strengths and weaknesses throughout high school. For decades, various iterations of this statewide form guide have determined where and what our children can study.
The ATAR has enabled universities to craft reputations for exclusivity by rationing student places with arbitrary cut-offs for courses. With these nominally high standards come perceptions of inherent quality unmatched by those who are more forthright about the true requirements for study in particular fields. The result is a self-sustaining gilt by association that has long outlived its relevance.
Leonida Najdovska from Cumberland High School was disappointed with her 86.40 ATAR but she saw it coming yesterday when she found out her HSC results.
"I was aiming for a 90," she said.
She still hopes to get into Economics at Macquarie University and is spending the day with her mum who is trying to cheer her up.
Here are some of the tears, shouts and quiet contemplation as Sydney students get their ATAR scores, brought to you straight from their houses at the moment of realisation.
Make sure you turn the volume up, it's a cracker.
Maxim Adams was "absolutely thrilled" with his perfect 99.95 ATAR result but his mum was a lot more excited about the result than him.
"She was shouting really excitedly and threw her hands in the air," Maxim said.
Maxim plans to go to USYD for an Arts and Science double degree but first he's taking a gap year to travel to Europe.
Parents can be hard to please...
The Herald's video guru Jack Fisher was out capturing all the action as students reacted to getting their ATAR results.
Here Redlands student Alana Adamus finds out whether she has the ATAR to study engineering next year.
This morning Alana Adamus opened up her laptop, with her cat by her side, to find that she had surpassed the ATAR she needed, 93, by a full 4 points.
"It's better than I expected," she told Victoria Ticha. "I've known from the beginning that the ATAR isn't everything - but still feels good to know the work all paid off. I even beat my brother (95) so I'm pretty happy about that."
With an ATAR of 97, there's no stopping the ambitious young woman. Her parents came rushing in to celebrate the good news with hugs and kisses.
"We're so proud, after all her hard work, she deserves this," her father said.
Alana has a habit of success.