16 September, 2025
As a parent, watching your teen await their ATAR can be nerve-wracking. If they don’t achieve the result they were aiming for, it’s natural to worry about what that means for their future.
Here’s the good news: your teen’s ATAR isn’t the end of the story. At QUT, there are many pathways to their chosen degree and ATAR is just one of them. Read on to see what other options are available for your teen.
Step one: remind them it’s OK
ATARs open some doors, but they don’t close them all. Many successful QUT graduates started their studies through different entry options, worked their way into their dream course, and never looked back.
Encourage your teen to keep an open mind—they may need to be flexible and adjust their initial plans, but they can still reach their ultimate goal.
Non-ATAR qualifications
While ATAR might be the first thing that comes to mind for your teen, it’s worth checking if they have any other qualifications that can be used for entry to QUT courses. They can receive a selection rank for performing arts qualifications such as AMEB, and VET certificate IV and diplomas completed in school (or VET certificate III to QUT’s diploma courses).
Pathways to a QUT degree
If your teen’s ATAR or selection rank isn’t enough for their preferred course, there are practical alternatives to help them start their journey.
One option is to upgrade through study. By completing other qualifications—such as a QUT College diploma or undergraduate certificate, some bachelor degree study, or a TAFE Queensland diploma—your teen can achieve a new (higher) selection rank. This may open the door to their preferred course, and in some cases the study they’ve already completed will count as advanced standing (credit), reducing the time it takes to graduate.
QUT College diplomas are another pathway. They lead to degrees in architecture, built environment, business, communication, creative arts, design, engineering, games and interactive environments, health, and IT. Completing a diploma gives your teen a guaranteed pathway directly into the relevant QUT bachelor degree, and in many cases they’ll complete their diploma/degree in the same time as the degree alone.
Some students also start their journey through a TAFE and QUT dual award. This allows them to begin with a TAFE Queensland diploma, advanced diploma, or associate degree and then transition directly into a QUT bachelor degree.
Our University Preparation Program may also be your teen’s pathway to university. This free program helps students improve academic skills and, with a passing grade, yields a selection rank of 75.00, which meets the offer guarantee for many QUT courses.
Offer guarantee and VET guarantee
Most QUT undergraduate degrees include an offer guarantee. That means if your teen’s selection rank meets the published threshold—or if they’ve completed an eligible VET qualification such as a diploma or certificate IV—they are guaranteed an offer in the Semester 1 offer rounds, up to the main offer round in mid-January.
Adjustment schemes
If your teen is a few points off the ATAR they needed for their desired course, they may be able to make up those additional points through QUT’s adjustment schemes. These schemes can boost your teen’s selection rank or ATAR based on factors like educational disadvantage, regional location, first generation to attend uni, elite sports participation, and completing specific Year 12 subjects. Applying for these adjustments through QTAC can enhance your teen's competitiveness for a course offer.
The bottom line
A lower-than-expected ATAR doesn’t have to mean the end of your teen’s university dream. Stay calm and positive, encourage flexibility, and explore options together so your teen understands all the choices available.
And remember, QUT advisers are available via phone, live chat, or online enquiry—you can even make a 30-minute phone appointment— to provide guidance on pathways, costs, and study support, helping your teen take the next step with confidence.