Beyond the ATAR: Building a unified, strengths-based admissions system for a harmonised tertiary sector

However, each university has its own programs and processes for alternative entry – many unique to the particular institution. This leaves students navigating a maze of forms, criteria and deadlines to prove their merit. It’s a serious barrier for most students, in particular those from low-SES, regional, First Nations and non-English speaking backgrounds. Yet these are the very students our sector most needs if we are to grow tertiary education participation across the board and diversify our campuses in line with our communities. They are also the students that evidence suggests are most likely to use alternative pathways to access university, rather than entry based on ATAR.

So how do we create a system that recognises and fairly assesses the skills and capabilities students already bring, without forcing them to jump through inconsistent hoops?

The long-term vision must be a single, state-based admissions solution for non-ATAR pathways. We want to see a system that is student-centred, strengths-based and inclusive, that values diversity and helps students see themselves belonging at university.

This is the aim of the Strengths-Based Tertiary Pathways project, led by UTS in collaboration with Learning Creates, the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), and the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTEC). With generous funding from the Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation, the project is rethinking how students apply to university, testing new tools that allow schools to assess students’ capabilities in a consistent way, and building evidence for a broad application of those assessments.

This approach will help students articulate what they can do, and present that as admissions criteria, not unlike applying for a job.

Pilots are currently underway to trial this approach with partner schools and students. They are testing an assessment framework, and their experiences and feedback will be used to refine the model before it is presented to NSW universities. 

The Strengths-Based Tertiary Pathways project will then seek to translate these findings into further statewide solutions.

'If we want a fair and inclusive tertiary system, admissions must move beyond fragmented processes. A unified, strengths-based model would recognise students’ diverse capabilities and remove barriers that hold so many back.'

– Sonal Singh, Head of Equity Pathways at UTS.

This move is aligned with other forces at play in the sector, with the Universities Accord Final Review calling for an integrated tertiary system where VET and higher education work hand-in-hand, and where alternative pathways are properly recognised as bridges to opportunity. The creation of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) –another recommendation of the Universities Accord – which commenced interim operations in July this year, adds further momentum.

Our vision is a consistent approach across NSW universities that acknowledges students’ diverse strengths, reduces administrative burden, and ensures that access is not determined by postcode, background or individual teacher engagement.

Every student who succeeds through these pathways not only transforms their own life, but enriches our universities and communities. By moving beyond the ATAR and building a streamlined, inclusive admissions system, we can unlock potential that is currently overlooked. And we know that removing barriers to welcome the diverse perspectives, approaches, and strengths these students bring will make our universities better places to learn and grow in for everyone.