Alice Hutchinson scored an 96.5, meaning she’s among the top 3.5 per cent of students in the state, while friends Sally Groat (92.1) and Georgina De Valentin (91.5) both comfortably ranked in the top ten per cent. 

While Georgina could easily get into a prestigious medicine or engineering course, she’s chosen to study K12 teaching. 

“I really want to specialise in languages. I’ve studied Italian and would love to teach it too”. 

Georgina will also shun the big smoke, opting to study at Charles Sturt University in Albury.

Sally is hoping to study medicine in Sydney or Newcastle, while Wade Hugh Dux Alice wants to do engineering or science. 

Alice is waiting for university admission results, due out on Thursday, by sweating it out in our record heat doing manual labour on her parents sultana farm in Hanwood.

The Area News asked the three students what single piece of advice they’d give to those still in high school.

Alice: “It’s really important to pick the subjects you enjoy doing, and to challenge yourself.”

Georgina: “Decide what you want to do as early as possible. Don’t leave it to your final few weeks in Year 12”. 

Sally: “Maintain a balanced lifestyle. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Keep partying hard.”

All three young women say they are happy to have finished up their schooling before the controversial merger of Griffith High and Wade High, due in 2019, but think the super school has some potential. 

“It’s a good opportunity, there’s definitely a need for change. It could succeed if it’s done right,” Alice said. 

Sally highlighted the text book shortages her peers had to cope with, and called on governments to prioritise school funding. 

“If only they spent money on education rather than that same sex marriage plebisite”.