Congratulations to our Year 12 cohort on their outstanding results. Our students have applied themselves diligently and consistently to achieve highly commendable results across a broad range of subject areas.
We are proud to share some student success stories below, all of whom achieved an ATAR of 99.0 and above.
"Keep up with [your] hobbies and really try to find a manageable balance."
ATAR 99.85 | 2 subject merits in Biology and Chemistry
SACE stage 2 subjects studied
Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematical Methods, Specialist Mathematics
What are your post-secondary ambitions?
For the past two years I have been studying to pursue medicine and I believe that it would be a great opportunity to join a profession that I am truly passionate about. If not medicine, I would look into potentially engineering or computer science, but I really like the stability and pathways that medicine would provide. Outside of academics, which I will hopefully enjoy a break from, I am still looking for ways to maintain my hobbies throughout university.
What were some academic highlights for you?
I believe that two my happiest academic achievements were submitting my two mathematical investigations this year. They were definitely the hardest assignments that I have ever done and took significant amounts of time and problem-solving skills that are not accessed often through the SACE. In particular, there is a purposeful lack of direction that opens up a wide variety of paths to explore and I believe it is the decision making required to direct your own project which was most challenging. Ultimately, submitting these fifteen page assignments was incredibly rewarding and a satisfying way to finish my time with mathematics at the school.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
Having a strong foundation and strategies to deal with stress are vital. I believe that having a strong work ethic and striving to achieve your goals in the first assignments and tests is a great way to establish a mentality that rewards not only your commitment, but proves that if you are consistent and extraneous factors do not intervene, you are likely to be successful. It is this mentality that I personally drew upon when I started to feel fatigued and under pressure. Losing motivation and feeling of burnt out is unavoidable and I urge students next year to keep up with their hobbies and really try to find a manageable balance. For me, this was through music and sports and while you may make some minor concessions to some hobbies, do not feel guilty for not having time, but make sure you do not lose your interest in them completely.
ATAR 99.75 | 5 subject merits in biology HL, chemistry HL, english literature SL, geography HL and maths: analysis and approaches SL | A Grade for Theory of Knowledge
What are your ambitions?
I would like to attend either James Cook University , Queensland University or Flinders University here in SA and study an Advanced Science or Marine Science course to ultimately pursue a career in marine science/biology and travel with it. I also can’t wait to surf lots!
What were some academic highlights for you?
There was a dramatic increase in workload transitioning to PAC as a boarder in Year 10, but after working hard I was rewarded by achieving DUX Proxime that year. An elective combination of Drama, Materials Tech and Sport Science (whilst unorthodox), allowed for the opportunity to experience a wide range of academic disciplines in my first year. Commencing the IB in Year 11 was by far the best choice for myself and highly rewarding academically. Every one of my teachers on my IB journey have gone above and beyond during the two year course and shown genuine commitment to allowing us to reach our potential.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
Maximise your effort and results from day one as you never know what adverse circumstances may arise later in the year and impact your results so it is imperative to achieve at your highest from the beginning even if you are in IB. Make a mental effort to give 100% attention and focus during class times to allow for free time and balance outside class time. It is important to remember that the school environment is designed to maximise learning efficiency and access to important resources including the knowledge of your teachers. Whilst this won’t apply to all students, an hour of focused study in a classroom is likely to be far more efficient than the same amount of time spent studying at home or in a library. Enjoy school life and time with your friends. Continue to dedicate time to your sports and hobbies, family and social life because many of these things will continue to be important in your life after you leave school. Be grateful to your teachers and those who give their time to make your education at PAC possible.
ATAR 99.7 | 3 subject merits in business innovation, english and physical education
SACE stage 2 subjects studied
Accounting, Business Innovation, English, Mathematical Methods, Physical Education
What are your post-secondary ambitions?
I plan on going to the University of South Australia to undertake a double degree in Bachelor of Business (majoring in Property) and Finance. I know that people tend to question a degree choice that does not directly correlate with a student’s final results. However, I have always believed in prioritising hard work to achieve my personal best, and property is a career I have been passionate about since entering senior school.
What were some academic highlights for you?
I endured a challenging year attempting to balance a sport-focussed lifestyle with the high academic expectations I set myself. It is an extremely rewarding experience to see hard work pay off, which would not have been possible without my teachers unwavering support and belief in me.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
My advice to the 2023 Year 12 cohort, but more importantly for all PAC students, is to pursue subjects that you are interested in, and the results will come. I genuinely believe that the skills and knowledge I have attained in studying my chosen subjects will be advantageous for any work environment in the future.
ATAR 99.7 | 2 subject merits in maths methods and research project
SACE stage 2 subjects studied
Biology, Chemistry, Mathematical Methods, Physics, Specialist Mathematics
What are your post-secondary ambitions?
Following secondary school, I am looking to pursue a tertiary education to help me in achieving my currently preferred career path of becoming a healthcare professional. Though no one in my family is involved within the field, I would personally like to pursue this career due to the science-based nature as well as the wide array of human connections that can be fostered through the career, two things which I have come to appreciate throughout my schooling at PAC. I would also like to take some time to lessen the emphasis that academics has on my life, and spend more time with friends and loved ones to achieve a more balanced lifestyle, as that was something which I personally felt I compromised during my secondary schooling. Ultimately, following secondary school, I hope to become a more well-rounded individual through reflecting on the personal experiences I have had up to this point.
What were some academic highlights for you?
A personal academic highlight was submitting my final assignment of Year 12. Though I had not completed exams yet, I personally found it fulfilling to meet an objective indicator which showed that I was close to the end. This fulfillment would likely not have come if it were not for the hardships I faced through the year, as I realised early on into Year 12 that I made some ambitious subject choices which would create a large workload in terms of content as well as assignments. Knowing that every piece of summative assessment would somehow impact the final outcome was particularly challenging, as I felt burdened by my own expectations to maintain the status quo I had established in previous years. However, even in light of such challenges, I found ways to enjoy the experience, especially through the support of my peers and guidance of my teachers who always were willing to stay back after classes or during their free lessons to ensure my success within their respective classes.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
A piece of advice I would give to the Year 12 cohort of 2023 is to not be afraid to ask for help, not only from teachers but from other individuals who may have already gone through the SACE/IB such as old scholars or family friends. Personally, going into Year 11, I had a mindset that led to me finding greater fulfilment in completing tasks myself without relying on others, however that began to reflect poorly within my grades, especially as new assessment types were introduced which I was not accustomed to. Asking teachers for further feedback and assistance as well as previous students for their own personal input really boosted my performance and the additional perspectives helped identify issues which plagued my work.
ATAR 99.6 | subject merit in english
SACE stage 2 subjects studied
Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematical Methods, Physics
What are your post-secondary ambitions?
After finishing secondary school, I want to continue studying at university, and I hope that I get into my preferred course, Medicine. In the future, I hope that I can get involved in medical research since it is a field that I have always been interested in. I also hope that I continue to maintain my work-life balance by continuing to play tennis at my local club.
What were some academic highlights for you?
This year, I particularly enjoyed learning the physics course, and I found Mr. Russo’s teaching methods to be highly engaging and thorough. I am appreciative of the time he spent supporting me and helping me refine my folio tasks. Mathematical Methods has also been a subject that I enjoyed doing this year. I am very thankful for my teacher Mr. Drew who has been extremely supportive throughout the year, helping me develop a holistic understanding of each topic, while also motivating me to stay meticulous for all the assessment tasks.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
I found that setting realistic goals for each of my study sessions helped me stay motivated and productive. Regardless of how long you study, I recommend that you set goals oriented around the tasks that you want to complete (i.e. finish chapters 3A, and 3B for math), as opposed to setting goals oriented around time (i.e. work until 9:30 pm). I feel that this develops a greater sense of organisation while stopping you from ‘running down the clock’ and procrastinating.
ATAR 99.45 | 4 subject merits in chemistry HL, geography HL, physics SL and Chinese B: Mandarin SL | A Grade for Theory of Knowledge
What are your ambitions?
Post-secondary, I plan to go on to study commerce or business at university. I hope to continue playing music and sailing, as they are things which I thoroughly enjoy, and I would hate to lose them. I also want to get back into a few hobbies which I haven’t done much of for the last year or so.
What were some academic highlights for you?
The parts of my academic journey that I would like to highlight are several. Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Extended Essay (EE) are great parts of the IB, and are very enjoyable. I enjoyed the long-term nature of the EE, and delving deeply into an area of my choice, but TOK particularly is a treasure trove if you know where to look. My Physics Internal Assessment was also a highlight. It was a heap of fun to build wings and test them. I am grateful to all of my teachers for their support, and all of the staff really, but especially to Dr. Kerrigan, Mr. Colaiacovo, and Ms. White for their help with IAs, Ms. Christie for her help leading up to the exam, and Mr. Foy for being a source of wisdom.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
Some general advice that I’d like to give to next year’s Year 12 cohort is to always have a positive outlook. Give thanks for all that you have been blessed with. Every cloud does in fact have a silver lining, and you will be much happier when you find it. Contemplate the good things, rather than let complaint be your go-to reaction. My school related advice is to get involved. School’s not only about the classes; it’s also about sports, music, or anything else you want to get involved with. Obviously most students already are involved in something, but the community spirit around our College’s extra-curricular activities is something you won’t see once you graduate. Make the most of it.
ATAR 99.1 | 3 subject merits in Biology SL, Chemistry HL and Maths: Analysis & Approaches SL | A Grade for English Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge
What are your ambitions?
I’m hoping to get into medicine to begin in 2023, as I really enjoy the combination of factors that medicine provides, such as problem solving, and critical thinking, particularly in the sciences. Outside of study, I’d also like to continue to make the Australian Under 26 bridge team, and perhaps become a titled chess player, although that is a more long-term goal.
What were some academic highlights for you?
My main highlights were the core subjects of IB, the Extended Essay (EE) and Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Although both subjects were both very difficult, I found them extremely rewarding, and think my EE and final TOK essay are the best pieces of work I’ve ever written. For both of them, the lack of restrictions on what I needed to write on felt very liberating, as it meant I could simply research what interested me in great depth.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
My main piece of advice is to never give in to pessimism, as there will always be periods where it feels overly stressful, but you have to really push through them. It will be hard, and that’s ok, just make sure you talk to friends, family, teachers about how it’s all going, and ensure you have consistent progress week-to-week.
"My advice for the Year 12 cohort in 2023 is to be highly disciplined in terms of balancing your time between academic, co-curricular and personal commitments."
ATAR 99.1
SACE stage 2 subjects studied
Chemistry, Mathematical Methods, Music Exploration, Physics, Specialist Mathematics
What are your post-secondary ambitions?
In 2023, I will be studying Advanced Computer Science at the University of Adelaide. The future pathway I hope to secure is in software engineering in a large technology company or trading firm.
What were some academic highlights for you?
Academic highlights throughout my senior years at PAC include achieving Academic Honours in both Years 8 and Year 10 and obtaining the Mathematics Award in Year 12. Some of the challenges I overcame in Year 12 was managing my academic and co-curricular commitments with music and First XVIII football. I acknowledge Mr Andrew Edge and Mr Matthew Slade for their support with respect to this.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
My advice for the Year 12 cohort in 2023 is to be highly disciplined in terms of balancing your time between academic, co-curricular and personal commitments. I would recommend setting goals, working consistently throughout the year and having effective revision techniques to achieve your academic objectives. Although being involved in both the football and music programs at PAC was highly demanding in terms of their time commitment I believe this contributed to my academic success PAC. Having an optimal balance between study time, exercise and socialising with friends is also integral in achieving academic success.
"Probably the single biggest takeaway from my Year 12 experience is the importance of clarifying and revisiting new concepts when preparing for exam revision."
ATAR 99.0 | 2 subject merits in economics and robotics and electronic systems
SACE stage 2 subjects studied
Economics, Mathematical Methods, Physics, Robotics and Electronic Systems, Specialist Mathematics
What are your post-secondary ambitions?
My immediate post-secondary school ambitions are to get a job in the field of IT and to complete a degree in Computer Science. However, my long-term aspirations are to potentially complete some form of study overseas at a specialist computer science university such as Stanford, Caltech or Berkley and to expand upon my facial recognition system (developed as my coding project in Year 12) into a commercial product or potentially work for a large tech company instead.
What were some academic highlights for you?
One of the biggest academic highlights for myself was studying coding as I enjoyed the practical nature of the subject. I found the process of implementing, testing and modifying different ideas within my project a highly rewarding experience. Mr Palladino was also a fantastic teacher offering me endless access to hardware that was used in my Year 10 and 11 projects to further encourage my interest. Studying Economics was also another academic highlight. I enjoyed having Mr Gardner as a teacher in Year 12 as we would often debate about contesting economic theories. Mr Gardner would also explain concepts beyond the scope of the SACE course allowing for a greater understanding of certain ideas but also developing a deeper curiosity and interest for the subject. I also enjoyed the achievement of completing Specialist Maths, a subject which I found particularly challenging. Ms Matthews would often prompt me to think about the problem without immediately revealing the solution improving my ability to problem solve. My ability to maintain a high degree of effort to complete my most difficult subject has been a rewarding experience, especially since I have achieved results that I can be proud of.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort for 2023?
Probably the single biggest takeaway from my Year 12 experience is the importance of clarifying and revisiting new concepts when preparing for exam revision. In my experience this makes revision more meaningful as more time can be allocated toward complicated questions or exam technique (i.e., familiarising types of questions and time management). The stress of re-learning an entire topic before an assessment makes the revision less meaningful and reduces the information retained.
