Can I get a good ATAR with low scaling subjects?

Yes, you absolutely can get a good ATAR with "low-scaling" subjects, as strong performance in any subject outweighs scaling; focusing on subjects you enjoy and excel in, achieving high marks (Band 5/6 or 90+), and maintaining a high internal school ranking are key, as scaling only adjusts for competition, not inherent difficulty. A 90+ in a lower-scaling subject can boost your ATAR more than bombing a higher-scaling one, so pick subjects you're good at, not just those with high scaling.

Can you get a high ATAR with low scaling subjects?

Myths about scaling:

"Subjects like Visual Arts or Standard English can't get you a high ATAR." – False. Students who take "low scaling" subjects still achieve high ATARs by performing excellently in those subjects.

What subjects scale the best in ATAR?

Both Chemistry and Physics offer decent scaling. They are also subjects that tend to scale up and have been scaled up since 2020 as well. Although their scaling is not as crazy as that in Specialist Mathematics, they still scale up. Getting a raw mark of 90 in Chemistry or Physics will both scale up to 95.

What is the lowest achievable ATAR?

The ATAR is a number from 0 and 99.95 in intervals of 0.05. The highest rank is 99.95, the next highest 99.90, and so on. The lowest automatically reported rank is 30.00, with ranks below 30.00 being reported as 'less than 30'. Find out more about how ATARs are calculated.

Can you get 99.95 ATAR with 5 subjects?

5 raw 50s gets you 205 (ATAR 99.80), so you would need an additional 6.05 aggregate points of scaling. The required aggregate changes each year and it has been higher in the past, but to get 99.95 with 5 subjects you must be basically a perfect student and study some of the best-scaling subjects.

How To Learn Really Difficult Subjects (By a Straight A Engineering Student)

How hard is it to get 99+ ATAR?

How hard is it to get an ATAR score of 99? Given that you would have to do better than 99% of your peers across the state, it's quite difficult which is why only a handful of students end up achieving such a high ATAR.

Is 5 or 6 subjects better VCE?

Most importantly, 6 subjects is obviously better than 5. A student who completes a subject early will have an automatic 10% advantage over a student who only completes 5. Furthermore, 6th subject will ensure that a poor mark in one subject will have less of an impact on your overall score.

What is the #1 hardest college to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it changes slightly by year and criteria, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top with extremely low acceptance rates (often 3-4%) and intense competition for spots, though other top global universities like Oxford and Tsinghua are also incredibly selective. Harvard is frequently cited as the hardest due to its high volume of applications and focus on global leadership potential, while Caltech is known for its extreme difficulty in STEM. 

What is the average ATAR in 2025?

As mentioned earlier, the median ATAR in 2025 was 70.75.

Can you get into medicine with a 98 ATAR?

→Is a 98 ATAR enough for medicine in the ANZ market? A 98 ATAR is an excellent score, and it is certainly high enough to apply for medicine at most universities in Australia and New Zealand.

What is the most common ATAR?

The average ATAR is usually around 70.00.

ATARs are calculated in each state to reflect a student's rank against other students in their state. In NSW, the ATAR is calculated and released by UAC. In the ACT, it's calculated by the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies, in consultation with UAC, and released by schools.

What ATAR score is needed for medicine?

Competitive ATAR ~99.75 (2025). Requires UCAT ANZ for Medicine, Dentistry, Oral Health. Very competitive (ATAR ~99.95 for standard places). Provisional entry, very high ATARs required.

Do Japanese continuers scale well?

Continuers scales better than Beginners courses. For example, Japanese Continuers scales better than Japanese Beginners. If you are good at Languages, consider Continuers course over the Beginners course. Latin Continuers and Latin Extension are the best scaling courses for Languages.

Can you be successful with a low ATAR?

Did you get a lower ATAR than expected? That's fine! Many pathways still exist to reach your desired course or career so take a breath and don't stress. Receiving your ATAR can be exciting and nerve-wracking so it's a good idea to be prepared, understand your options early and create a backup plan.

Can you get a 99.95 ATAR with standard maths?

The highest ATAR anyone can achieve with any subject combination is really 99.95. That being said, no one in the last 5 years has achieved a 99.95 ATAR with Standard Maths. The average highest ATAR mark for Standard Maths is 99.71 (so close!).

What ATAR do you need for monash medicine?

Domestic Students requirements

• ATAR of at least 90 or Year 12 equivalent.
• UCAT.
• Monash Interview, MMI style questions.

What is the top 1 educated country?

There isn't one single "No. 1" educated country, as rankings vary by metric, but Canada, South Korea, and Japan consistently rank at the top for high tertiary (post-secondary) education attainment, with Canada often leading in the percentage of adults with degrees (around 63-65%), while South Korea excels in youth attainment (over 70% for 25-34 year olds) and overall literacy. Other top contenders include Ireland, the UK, and the US, depending on the specific data set (like OECD or World Population Review). 

Is 70% C or D?

A 70% is usually a C- (C minus), falling at the low end of the "C" range (typically 70-79%) or sometimes just above a "D," depending on the specific grading scale used, with many schools using a C- for 70-72% and a C for 73-76%, but some consider 70% a solid passing "C" grade. 

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, referring to those from the highest income brackets, tend to attend elite universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale that consistently rank high in national and global lists, with some even having more students from the top 1% income bracket than the bottom 60% combined, according to The New York Times data. Top-ranked institutions like MIT, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford are frequent top contenders in various 2026 rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education. 

What college is 100% acceptance rate?

Yes, many colleges have a 100% acceptance rate, often through open admissions policies, meaning they accept all applicants who meet basic requirements, including many community colleges, specialized career schools, and some online or regional universities like Broward College, Empire State University (SUNY), University of Maryland Global Campus, and Utah Valley University, though availability and specific programs vary. These institutions guarantee admission for qualified applicants, focusing on accessibility, with some examples including Delta State University, Montana State University Billings, and the Academy of Art University. 

Where do the 1% go to college?

The 1% of the wealthiest Americans disproportionately attend highly selective, elite universities, particularly Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, Columbia) and other top institutions like MIT, Stanford, Duke, and UChicago, where they make up a large percentage of the student body, often outnumbering students from the bottom 60% of income earners combined. Liberal arts colleges and prestigious public universities also attract many wealthy students, with specific examples including WashU St. Louis, UVA, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins.
 

Why is math so unenjoyable?

Math learning often becomes boring due to a focus on rote memorization, abstract concepts disconnected from reality, tedious procedures (like long division), poor teaching methods emphasizing rules over creativity, irrelevant word problems, and a lack of engaging context or real-world relevance, making it feel like a chore rather than an exploration.
 

What subject gives the best ATAR?

Insights. A student with a subject combination of Maths and Science is awarded a higher ATAR than another student with the subject combination of humanities subjects. This is despite both students performing in the 90th percentile in their courses.

Is it hard to get an A* in chemistry?

Yes, getting an A* in Chemistry (especially at A-Level/AP) is generally considered hard due to complex concepts, significant math/physics integration, and the large amount of detailed knowledge required, with historically low percentages of students achieving it. Success requires strong foundational skills, consistent practice with past papers, excellent problem-solving, and mastering both theory and practical applications, often needing more dedication than many other subjects.