It was the first time a student at Viewbank College had achieved 99.95.

Principal Judith Craze, who is retiring at the end of the year, said she was delighted.

“I’m floating, I’m so excited. This year’s results reflect a cohort that have really worked hard and supported each other, and the teachers who have really worked hard for them,” she said.

“I feel like I’m riding out on the top of a big surf wave, after 37 years of teaching, and 10 years as principal of Viewbank College, it can’t get much better than this.”

There were tears of joy and sighs of relief on Friday as more than 50,000 students flocked online and opened mobile apps to receive their long-awaited ATARs.

The day symbolised 13 years of schooling coming to an end and the start of universities’ annual feeding frenzy for brightest students.

In the state’s north-west, Bronte Brown was celebrating her ATAR of 99.45.

The teenager, who attends Red Cliffs Secondary College, a disadvantaged state school just outside Mildura, was surprised to discover she’d been ranked in the top 0.5 per cent of the state.

“You work hard but you don’t expect something like that,” she said.

During the VCE, the hard-working student studied for four to five hours every weeknight and eight hours on the weekend.

Bronte dreams of being a doctor and has applied to study medicine at either the University of Melbourne, which is a six-hour drive from her home, or Adelaide University, which is four hours away.

“It’s cliched but I have always liked helping people,” she said.

She’s already received the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) score that she needs as a rural student, but says moving away from home will be bittersweet.

“You are always going to miss your families and friends,” she said.

Moving to the city will also be expensive, and Bronte is hoping to receive a scholarship.

Bialik College principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner said he was incredibly proud of his students’ achievements and their inspiring “menschlichkeit” (a Yiddish word for decency).

Almost 60 per cent of students at the Jewish school in Hawthorn East achieved an ATAR above 90.

“Our class of 2018 are now ready to follow the school motto and step forth with courage into the world,” he said.

For many students who experienced adversity, simply obtaining the VCE is a huge achievement.

While St Albans Secondary College student Erfan Vafamehr didn’t receive the ranking he was hoping for, he was relieved to finish school.

“Not doing year 12 was never an option in my mind,” he said.

Erfan’s family fled religious persecution in Iran when he was 11 and lived in Indonesia before settling in Australia in 2014.

He spoke hardly any English when he arrived in Melbourne and attended the Western English Language School.

Erfan said he’d consult a careers counsellor to find a new pathway to studying law.

His mum Marzieh said she was proud of her son’s achievements.

“I’m so happy he can have opportunities,” she said.