New pathways for Year 12s announced

ATAR is just one way to get into university and our research has shown it’s not the only predictor of success. La Trobe has created two innovative new pathways, as an alternative to ATAR, to help Year 12 students demonstrate their academic achievements and university potential.

We recognise many Year 12s have had their year impacted. The new pathways invite Year 12 students to study La Trobe subjects free and online, earning a score which the University may use instead of an ATAR to assess their application.

We’ll use their subject mark or average mark to calculate a La Trobe ATAR equivalent score, and if they also receive an ATAR in 2020 we’ll use whichever result is higher to assess their application.

Achieve at La Trobe

The Achieve at La Trobe pathway offers students the option to study a single uni subject online in Semester 2, 2020 and use their mark (instead of an ATAR) to get into a wide range of selected courses.

With Achieve at La Trobe, students get a taste of uni life and unlock an offer to an eligible degree based on their single subject mark. Depending on the subject they choose, they can also receive credit towards their future degree at La Trobe.

Their subject mark is used to calculate a La Trobe entrance score, and if they receive an ATAR in 2020 we’ll use whichever result is higher to assess their application.

Achieve at La Trobe is free and online and is available to all VCE and HSC students, including ungraded students. They’ll need a school recommendation to apply.

Prepare for La Trobe

The Prepare for La Trobe pathway requires VCE/HSC students to complete three micro-subjects. VCAL students will need to complete six micro-subjects. We’ll take their average mark across these subjects and use that to calculate a La Trobe entrance score.

Similarly to the Achieve pathway, if students also receive an ATAR in 2020, we’ll look at their ATAR and their subject marks and use whichever result is higher to assess their university application.

Students can choose from subjects in writing, reasoning, digital literacy, thinking mathematically, world-changing science and more. They’re taken from our Tertiary Preparation Program, but they won’t need to do the full program. Instead, they’ll start right away on building the foundations needed in their degree.

The micro-subjects start every six weeks, so students can take them in July, September, November or even January 2021. This gives them added flexibility to balance the extra work with their Year 12 studies.

Again, this pathway is free and delivered 100% online for students that want to participate. 

How to apply

Students need to apply direct to La Trobe by speaking with the Future Students Team on 1300 135 045 or through live chat. More details and eligibility criteria can be found here.      

Aspire

Students that participate in either of these pathway programs are still able to apply for and participate in the Aspire Program.