The NSW Universities Admission Centre (which applies the ATAR) is upping its profile, with a new logo, a regional TVC, “wherever your dreams take you, your journey starts with UAC” and a website service targeting prospective UG/PG university students with information on the how and why of applying for higher education.

The campaign launches as UAC introduces new products, notably a blockchain release of tertiary admission ranks that rolled out to 74 000 NSW/ACT students for this academic year.

This is smart stuff. UAC as student service is a big change from its old role of advising students of rationed university places and it counters the Mitchell Institute and allies questioning the foundation-idea of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank as the main university admission measure. Even if the ATAR becomes less widely used admission centres will surely be needed as part of alternative entry schemes, if only to avoid the cost of individual unis expanding their own entry bureaucracies.