Alexandra Powell had hoped to score an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 94, but woke to a stellar 98.65.

The Batemans Bay High School student not only topped the shire, but set a record for her school. She also put her name on the All Round Achievers list by scoring in Band Six (above 90 per cent) for all her subjects.

Across town at Broulee’s Carroll College, Matt Favetta had been banking on “low 90s” but secured an ATAR of 97.75 and four Band Six results.

Many shire students earned their place on the HSC Merit List by scoring more than 90 per cent in at least one subject.

They included 16 students from Carroll College, seven from Moruya High School and four from Batemans Bay.

Ms Powell intends to complete a health-related undergraduate degree at either the University of Wollongong or the University of NSW, then a postgraduate medical program.

Staff at Batehaven Pharmacy, where she has worked for three years, were among the first to congratulate her when she arrived at work yesterday morning, still digesting her ATAR score.

“I am stoked,” she said.

She said her teachers were greatly supportive.

“I worked really hard. It feels better that I went to a school like Bay High (not) some selective school in Sydney where they are spoonfed the answers a lot of the time.”

Mr Favetta, 18, of Batehaven, said that at the beginning of the year he “set out to get about 90”, but after he got his

subject results he had revised that to the “low 90s”.

“I was massively surprised with 97.75. I honestly did not believe it.”

He intends to study a double degree in Commerce and Law, probably at Sydney University, but does not see himself in the courtroom.

“I would like to do something in law, my heart is set on that, but perhaps (by) being a practitioner for a legal firm, rather than sitting in the courtroom.”

He said commerce would also open doors.

Classmate Bec Herbert, 18, of Bergalia is “ecstatic” with her ATAR of 96 and hopes to study Business Administration and Law at ANU next year.

“That was my goal, but I did not think I was going to get it,” she said.

“I thought low 90s, mid 90s at best.”

She plans a career in corporate law.

Justin Gock, 18, of Surf Beach, needed an ATAR of 70 and had already achieved early entry to ANU to study software engineering, but did not let that stop him working. It paid off for the Moruya High School student yesterday with an ATAR of 91.8.

“I was definitely aiming for more than 90, but I was a little unsure that I was going to make it,” he said.

He hopes to work in artificial intelligence, “solving human problems, making jobs easier for humans and the world”.

Tayla Pye scored an ATAR of 90.90 at Batemans Bay High School, with one Band Six and four Band Five results.

Majella O’Sullivan, 18, of Surfside, was delighted with her ATAR of 90.55 at Carroll College.

“From Year 11, I said I wanted to get 85 or above,” she said.

“I was secretly hoping for 90 or above, but I didn’t want to (say it). I was always going to be happy if I got 85, so when I saw 90, I was so happy.”

She intends to study speech pathology.