Top students ready for university

A nervous wait is over for hundreds of South West students after learning their WA Certificate of Education results.

Last Wednesday night they joined more than 22,860 school leavers from across WA logging onto the internet to find out their score.

Those eligible for university faced the additional task of checking to see if their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank(ATAR)would be high enough to gain entry into their desired course.

Already named Dux of Bunbury Senior High School, Tessa McGrath will have no trouble being accepted in her chosen course at the University of Western Australia after scoring a near-perfect 99.8.

The score is more than enough to secure her a place studying engineering at UWA which requires an ATAR of at least 84.

‘‘Anything above 85 would have done me fine,’’ Miss McGrath said.

‘‘Some of it’s just natural ability, but when other kids were sitting in class yelling, I was sitting doing my work.’’

The achievement comes as no surprise to the graduate’s family.

‘‘My parents expected it but my little brother wasn’t too happy because he’s going to have to live up to standards now,’’ Miss McGrath said.

Like many South West graduates, the Boyanup resident is looking forward to experiencing university but said the hustle and bustle of Perth would take some getting used to.