BATHURST High Campus has enjoyed a windfall of band 6s after a number of students received excellent Higher School Certificate (HSC) results.
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Students all across NSW received their HSC marks at 6am on Thursday before the Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATAR) were released three hours later.
Across the 2023 Bathurst High year 12 cohort, students achieved 22 band 6s (a mark in a subject between 90-100) - up from 15 last year.
Bathurst High principal Ken Barwick said it was a massive achievement for his students.
"I can't be more proud of these kids," he said.
"They've worked hard, but I put it down to the structures we've put in place.
"Our HSC strategy and study room has helped them, as well as our mentoring.
"Our head teacher for stage six, Matthew Baillie, has really supported these kids to do the very best they can."
Staff had expected a close result between Hossam Dahshan and Thomas Lee for dux and it was ultimately the former that came out on top with an ATAR of 98.
Mr Lee, who received his marks while overseas, scored 97.15.
Ava Meares received an ATAR of 93.90 and Matthew Morrison scored 93.65 to round out the top four.
Mr Dahshan scored five band 6s overall - biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics advanced and mathematics extension 1 - with the latter two being achieved last year as part of the compressed HSC model.
Although the 17-year-old scored exceptionally well in his ATAR, he wasn't too worried about it.
His only focus was on his University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), which is an admissions test used in the selection process by a number of universities in Australia for their medical and dental degree programs.
"If I don't get it, I might take a gap year or do another course," he said.
Mr Dahshan said completing the two subjects last year helped better prepare him for the UCAT.
"I had more time to study for the UCAT," he said.
"Without having done those two subjects last year, I wouldn't have had time to study for the UCAT."
Ms Meares said she'll be taking a gap year in 2024 to travel before studying journalism at the University of Technology, Sydney.
"I've always been into English, but I can't be a writer because that's unstable as hell," she said.
"I guess I'd like to write if I can, but I don't really know what else I could do."
Ms Meares got a band 6 in biology, English extension 1, modern history, history extension and music 1.
"I worked very, very hard," she said.
"I didn't get much sleep last night. It's a relief to know that it went well and it paid off."
