“Relieved and excited” is how graduating Year 12 student Laura Webb describes her feelings after receiving the highest possible Australian Tertiary Admission Rank.
Laura is one of just 33 students out of a total 27,245 across the state to achieve the score of 99.95.
The 17-year-old from Currimundi says achieving the top mark was a result of plenty of hard work.
“I knew that I had put myself in a position to achieve a high ATAR after working hard and doing well in my internal assessments,” she said.
“However, the competition for a 99.95 ATAR is incredibly difficult and I could only hope that my hard work had paid off.
“I am so grateful to come away with such an incredible result and I’m excited to see where it can take me next year.”
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The Matthew Flinders Anglican College (MFAC) student says the result will allow her to pursue her dream career.
“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was young so it hasn’t been hard for me to choose what I’m studying next year,” she said.
“With my ATAR, I am lucky enough to have many options for university and I’m currently planning to study at Griffith in their accelerated Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine.”
So how did Laura find out she had achieved the perfect score?
“Well, the day before ATAR was officially released, I was contacted by QTAC and invited to attend an early ATAR release. Shortly after I arrived at QTAC’s office in Milton, four other students and I were told we had achieved 99.95,” she said.
“I was both relieved and excited because it gives me the freedom to choose where I want to do medicine next year, and my parents were really proud that my efforts had paid off.
“My friends and my boyfriend were super happy for me; although they weren’t surprised as they’d been my biggest cheerleaders all year.”
Laura is the third MFAC student in three years to achieve the top result, something she puts down to her teachers and classmates.
“There are a number of possible reasons why Flinders has had three consecutive students who received a 99.95 but I believe that some important factors are incredible teachers and a competitive yet friendly academic community. Being encouraged to achieve your best by teachers and classmates is a crucial part of these achievements,” she said.
MFAC principal Stuart Meade congratulated all the school’s graduates for their results.
“We congratulate our Flinders graduates, from the high achievers to the countless students whose efforts surpassed their own aspirations,” he said.
As for tips for other high-achieving students, Laura says it’s important to manage your time well.
“My number one tip for aspiring high achievers is to organise your time effectively,” she said. “There is so much to enjoy and experience during high school, and it is important to have fun experiences in tandem with studying.
“It is important to allocate enough time for everything you want to do to be a well-balanced student, while working to achieve academically.”
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