RUTH Chen is "relieved" after securing a spot in her dream degree in the Universities Admissions Centre's first round of ATAR based offers.
The former Merewether High student, 18, was among many across the region who accessed their offers via email and UAC's website from 7.30am on Thursday.
Universities made 34,517 offers in the round and also released the lowest selection rank, previously known as a cut-off, required for entry into each course.
Ruth received an offer to a bachelor of vision science and master of clinical optometry at the University of NSW, a five year program she will start next year.
"I'm feeling good," Ruth said.
"It was actually really close. I just saw the lowest selection rank for this year and it was 99.5, so really close to my ATAR of 99.55. I'm feeling really lucky and relieved."
Ruth said her parents were "really happy", after sharing in her nervousness about her prospects due to the high ATARs historically required for the program.
"It's interesting - I'm interested in science - and also in terms of a job it's something that's pretty stable and something I'd enjoy," she said.
Ruth has already secured an apartment for rent that is a five minute walk from campus and will relocate at the end of January.
"At the moment it has not really hit me yet so I don't know what to feel - I guess I'm feeling excited and scared at the same time," she said.
"I'm looking forward to meeting new people and seeing what it's like to go to uni and how different that will be."
Ruth was an All Round Achiever, which means she achieved results in the highest band possible for at least 10 units.
She said working consistency throughout the year was key to her success.
"I was trying to maintain my personal best, also going to a selective high school there's a lot of competition and all the students push each other, that helped a lot."
The University of Newcastle said it made 2413 offers on Thursday, 1685 to current school leavers and 728 to non-school leavers.
Most offers were for nursing (175), medical radiation science honours (126), oral health therapy (122), midwifery (105), speech pathology honours (87) and design (architecture, 85).
UON has made a total of 8279 offers through UAC for next year, 5969 to school leavers and 2310 to non-school leavers.
A total of 154 offers have gone to students of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Education Innovation, Professor Mark Jones, said the offers were the culmination of a particularly tough period of education for students who studied through COVID.
Applicants have until 11.59pm on January 5 to change preferences to be included in the January 12 round of offers.
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