BUNBURY is home to some of the brightest minds in the state with students across the region achieving ATARS close to 100 per cent.
Daniel Lee was awarded dux at Manea Senior College with an ATAR of 99.5 per cent.
Principal Rod Rykers said one in five students who completed their ATAR achieved a score of more than 90 per cent.
He said 2015 was unique because there were students who also completed a certificate qualification and received an ATAR of more than 90 per cent.
He said he was impressed with the results and encouraged students of all academic ability to complete ATAR.
“Our timetable is set out to allow students to consider completing a certificate qualification and do their ATAR courses,” he said.
“We had 18 students who got over 90 percent and that is the largest number of students we have seen achieve that before.”
Mr Lee said it was crucial to maintain a rigorous study timetable and ensure regular study was undertaken throughout the year.
“All the age old advice is famous for a reason, so I stuck to a lot of the conventional wisdom like eating a balanced diet, making sure I don’t cram and revising throughout the year,” Mr Lee said.
“The one thing I may have done a bit differently to my peers is that I did a lot of revision before going into class to know the subject matter before I got taught it.”
He has applied for medicine and dentistry at the University of Western Australia and is waiting on an offer for this year.
Mr Lee said even though he achieved an ATAR of 99.5 per cent he had aimed for 99.8 per cent.
“It was a bit of mixed feelings when I got the result but I think it is still quite a solid mark and I think it should still put me through to medicine and dentistry,” Mr Lee said.
Dux of Bunbury Catholic College Janelle Ryan received an ATAR of 98.45 and said her secret to success was a balance between leisure and study.
Her favourite subjects were maths, physics and chemistry because they never ceased to amaze her.
“I love how these subjects explain how the world works and maths is interesting because of the patterns and complex equations,” she said.
“I am waiting on an offer from Curtin to study engineering this year.”
