Our Class of 2021 graduates have now all received their university offers and are beginning their tertiary studies. What an exciting time! We congratulate each and every one of them on their offers and wish them all the best for the journey ahead!
We believe our Class of 2021 alumnae are well prepared for the unknowns that lie ahead of them as they pursue their goals, interests and dream careers. Completing VCE during a global pandemic has been a challenge but they have shown their ability to be agile and flexible when meeting the ever-changing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. MGGS continues to be committed to equipping Grammarians with the knowledge, skills and capability to thrive, wherever their path leads them after they depart the red brick walls.
The VCE results from our 2021 graduates demonstrated the determination, intelligence and well roundedness our Grammarians possess. These results also highlighted the growing strength of our Senior Years Program, which gives Year 9 to 12 Grammarians control of their own learning and the ability to select courses of interest in the pursuit of their passions. Their final results proved that the Class of 2021 can find relevance in their learning, that they are equipped with open minds, capable of sharing ideas, understanding complexity and building skills and knowledge. This will hold them in good stead as they take on the world beyond school. These results gave us one side of the story but their tertiary offers give us further insight into the diverse passions and interests of our Grammarians.
Principal Dr Toni Meath said, “We are so proud of all the times our newest graduates have challenged themselves, shown intellectual courage and strong leadership during the past two years in the face of a global pandemic. They showed extraordinary commitment, discipline, flexibility and patience in their studies last year, which I am sure will continue throughout their studies and into successful careers in their chosen fields. It is pleasing to see all Grammarians in this cohort receive university and tertiary offers. It is fascinating to look at the breadth of study areas they are choosing to pursue this year and beyond. I look forward to seeing where the Class of 2021 go, what they do next and the successes they have.”
The Class of 2021 has shown a strong commitment to STEM, with their VCE results identifying this area as one of their strengths, and that this passion is driving their study and career goals. Their fields of education reflect this as 23% (up on previous years) of our graduates received offers for courses related to Natural and Physical Sciences, 7% in Engineer in and 1% in Information Technology. It is clear the passion for STEM continues to grow at MGGS with more of our graduates choosing to pursue careers in this field.
There were also increases in Grammarians receiving offers for courses in the category of Society and Culture (33%) – which includes Art, Law, Languages, History, English and Writing, Indigenous Studies, Politics and Religious Studies degrees. Society and Culture was once again the most popular career field for our graduates (up from 29% in 2019 and 25.5% in 2018).
Physical and mental health was an important focus for our Class of 2021, and it has led our students’ choices with almost 22% of offers received in the areas of physical and mental health, and physical sciences with 12% of these offers in Biomedicine at University of Melbourne and Biomedical Sciences at Monash University.
The general Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts at The University of Melbourne and Monash University were the most popular courses. The two allow students to tailor their own degrees that follow their interests and passions.
Almost 25% of our students chose to pursue a double or packaged degree, which further broadens their knowledge and skillset, graduating with two degrees. Popular double degrees our Grammarians have been offered a place in include Commerce/Arts, Arts/Law and Science/Arts. However, students were also attracted to more unique combinations such as Bachelor of Laws (Honours) & Biomedical Science at Monash (less than 30 offers were made to Year 12 applicants) and Bachelor of Art History & Curating at Monash (less than 15 offers were made to Year 12 applicants).
Many of our 2021 graduates received offers from universities across the country such as the Australian National University (ANU), University of Sydney, University of Newcastle, University of New South Wales (UNSW) and many more. Those interstate offers were received in various fields including Business, Arts, Design, Law, Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Health Science also featured strongly amongst interstate offers, as did Biomedical Science, Exercise & Sports Science, Dental Science, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Public Health and Health Sciences.
Two students – School Dux Angel He and high achiever Daisy Graham – received University of Melbourne scholarships. Angel received the Melbourne Chancellors Scholarship for scoring the highest achievable ATAR of 99.95. Daisy received a Melbourne Principals’ Scholarship after being nominated by Dr Toni Meath in recognition of her first-class academic achievements and contribution to the School and wider community.
Two other high achieving students, Victoria Kwon and Elsa Ajani, were accepted into a Graduate Degree Package at University of Melbourne. This means they secured a place in their chosen undergraduate course as well as a place in a specialised, professional entry Graduate program. Victoria has been offered two Packages, Bachelor of Design with a Graduate position in a Masters of Engineering and also a Bachelor of Design with a Graduate position in Masters of Landscape Architecture. Elsa has been offered a Bachelor of Science with a Graduate position in the Masters of Engineering.
We are thrilled to see the Class of 2021 finding courses suited to their strengths and interests. We hope this allows them to continue their love of learning and to develop their passions and future careers. Our Grammarians enter the world of tertiary education eager to learn as they discover where their next path will take them. We hope they continue to pursue their passions – existing or yet to be discovered – and embrace the challenges they face with enthusiasm and positivity.