For the dux of St John's College, beating his older brothers was sweeter than scoring 97.5 as a an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank.
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"My biggest goal wasn't to get a particular ATAR score but to top everyone in my family," said Anthony Bartley, 18.
"It's a great relief just to know the past twelve months of work have come to fruition."
The aspiring dancer now knows he can also enter the psychology course at Macquarie University.
Mr Bartley shaded Matthew Doohan, who received six band sixes (subject scores of 90 or above) by just 0.1 marks, showing how the admissions ranks differ from HSC results.
Mr Doohan got an ATAR of 97.4.
"It's better than what my estimates were, but it didn't meet my individual aim," he said.
He is going to take a gap year and then study a bachelor of politics, philosophy and economics at ANU in Canberra.
Jacqui Waddell got an ATAR of 92.4 and band sixes in art, textiles and earth and environmental science.
"I was very happy and surprised with the results."
Ms Waddell hopes to study at Newcastle University but has not decided on a course.
Twins Antonia and Olivia O'Flaherty, who came to St John's from an international school in Fiji two years ago, achieved strong results.
Olivia topped the school in Business Studies while Antonia received an ATAR of 93.4.
Both now hope to study law and international relations at university.
The college did not achieve as highly as last year but principal Kerry Morris said the Year 12 group had performed at its "optimum level".
"Some of the kids have come through with band sixes where we wouldn't have expected it," Mrs Morris said.
Indie Burke, 18, scored the school's first band six for Beginner's French.
"Learning a language allows you to get further in life," said Ms Burke, who hopes to continue her French and study Spanish at the University of New England.Many students are leaving town to study in other cities, even interstate, but eight St John's students haven't had enough of the place.
They will return to school next year to work as teacher's aides with special needs Year 7 students, before pursuing work or further study.
One of those returning, this year's girls' school captain, Isabelle Haycock, 18, said: "I just love the school."
