applying to university

Applying to

UniversityThe

ProcessThe York School

2013-2014

The York School

Student ServicesGrades 9 – 12

POST-SECODARY PLANNING

Post-SecondaryAdmissions

Counselling &Applications

Course Planningfor IB

Diploma Program

Orientation &Exit

Programs

IndividualCounselling

Personal / SocialCounselling

AcademicCounselling

Career StudiesCurriculum

ParentInformation

Sessions

Career Exploration

Peer Mentors

StudentServicesGrades

9-12

Peer TutoringStudySkills

Group / GradeMeetings

FutureGoals

We are here to work with You

CHOOSING A UNIVERSITY

We are here to work with You

RESEARCHING A UNIVERSITY

We are here to work with You

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

We are here to work with You

PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES

We are here to work with You

COUNSELLORS RESPONSIBILITIES

We will discuss…Naviance / Family ConnectionApplying to Canadian UniversitiesApplying overseas (U.K)Applying to U.S. UniversitiesHow to become a strong applicantFactors to consider when choosingIB grades vs. Ontario gradesScholarship opportunitiesCounselling Support / Resources

Using Naviance / Family Connection

Preparing for UniversityThe Student Services department at The

York School proactively supports you in this process through:◦Individual planning (each year) ◦Monitoring academic progress◦Meetings with student groups every cycle◦Evening Presentations◦Drop in times / request to see counsellor◦YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS!

We are connected International Baccalaureate Organization, IBO; IB Schools of

Ontario, IBSO; Ontario Ministry of Education Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario, CIS; Canadian

Association of Independent Schools, CAIS Ontario Council of Universities, Ontario Universities Application

Centre, OUAC; Ontario Colleges Application Service, OCAS Association of Universities and Colleges Canada, AUCC University and College Application Service, UCAS (U.K.) Ontario School Counsellors Association, OSCA; National

Association of College Admission Counsellors, NACAC (U.S.)

NAFSA: Association of International Educators Visits to campuses and University Admission Offices

Recognize your strengths and weaknessesAnalyze your interests and valuesKnow Your Reasons for Higher Education?:

To achieve a personal goalTo increase your earning powerTo prepare for a career and expand learningTo participate in extracurricular activities and

social life

Know Yourself and Your Reasons for Attending UniversityApplication

101

What makes a “good” university?A subjective question

◦ You must be aware of your own goals, preferences, interests, and values

Do Rankings matter?◦Toronto, Queens, McGill, Oxford, Harvard,

Yale, Trent, etc.or

◦Mt. Allison, Brock, Union College, Truman State, etc.

So …. What makes a good university?

The Best Fit !!!Majors & educational programsType of school & degrees offeredAdmission policyLocation & sizeOpportunities for SuccessCosts & financial aidCampus activitiesSupport services

List, Compare and Visit Universities Compile information from several resources:

– Internet / Websites – Naviance / Family Connection– College catalogs, viewbooks, videos, and

computer-based services– College representatives and college fairs– Counsellors and teachers– Parents, students, and alumni– Visit, Visit, Visit

Remember, decision making is a PROCESS, not an event.

Applying to

Ontario

Universities

Applying to Ontario Universities1

OUAC (Ontario Universities Application Centre)

$130.00 for 3 choices◦$44.00 each additional choice

E- Info for programsand requirements

OUAC DATES

January 15, 2014Deadline for you to submit completed applications to the OUAC.

Note: Applications received after this date will still be processed by the OUAC and distributed to the universities. However, specific university deadlines will apply.

The original application procedure will include the collection of all final grades from previously completed Grade 11 and 12 courses and a list of all current-year courses in progress.

February 13, 2014Deadline for the OUAC to receive, from Ontario secondary schools, all final first-semester grades and current full-year November grades for 4U/M courses.

March 3, 2014Target date for Ontario universities to receive (from the OUAC) all final first-semester grades and current full-year November grades for 4U/M courses.

April 24, 2014Deadline date for Ontario secondary schools to report, to the OUAC, midterm grades for second‑semester courses and interim grades for full-year courses. Grades that the OUAC receives earlier will be transmitted to Ontario universities when received.

May 6, 2014Target date for Ontario universities to receive, from the OUAC, second-semester midterm grades and interim grades for full-year courses. Grades that the OUAC receives earlier will be transmitted to Ontario universities when received.

May 29, 2014The latest date by which you can expect a response from an Ontario university. Such a response will be one of:

an offer of admission; a refusal; or a deferral pending the receipt of specific additional information. June 2, 2014

The earliest date by which Ontario universities may require a response to an offer of admission and a financial commitment of any kind(e.g., registration deposit, residence deposit, etc.) from an Ontario secondary school student. All other admissions‑related elements including scholarships, other forms of student assistance or financial incentives, and offers of residence are considered part of the offer of admission. Therefore, a student may accept these other offers prior to June 2, 2014, but Ontario universities shall not compel a student in any way to make an earlier decision.

July 8, 2014Deadline for the OUAC to receive final grades for current semester/year courses from Ontario secondary schools.

July 17, 2014Target date for the OUAC to transmit all remaining final grades to the universities. By this date, the OUAC will have attempted to contact all schools that have not provided their grades.

August 1-29, 2014The OUAC collects summer school grades from Ontario secondary schools and boards.

OUAC

Applying to Ontario Universities2

•Some offers come earlier than others•Additional information?:

• Personal profile• Audition• Portfolio

•Confirm offer by June 1st•Residence: application or guaranteed or both?

IB grades vs Ontario grades

Universities will compare and use the scores that put the student in the best position

Applying to

Other Provinces

Applying to Other Provinces

•Individual applications and fees•Different dates, different processes•For Atlantic universities: only require five 4U/M credits. $35-100 depending on university.•Watch deadlines: •UBC – Jan 31, •McGill February 1.•Many get grades from OUAC •(e.g. McGill, UBC, Dalhousie, Concordia, Bishop’s, Calgary)

Scholarshipswww.studentawards.comwww.scholarshipscanada.comAdmission scholarshipsMerit scholarshipsBursaries and grantsStudent Awards Offices and

publications at each university … check websites

Applying

Overseas

Applying OverseasUnited Kingdom:

UCAS.com• Over 300 schools, over 50,000 courses• Apply by mid-January

• Mid-October for Medical, Dental and Veterinary programs, Oxford or Cambridge

• Personal Statement: 4000 characters; why?, reasons, evidence of understanding, interests, experiences and abilities

Applying To non US/UK Universities

◦individual university application

– check websites

Applying to U.S.

Universities

So many choices …..

3,800+ degree granting post-secondary educational institutions in the U.S.◦2,629 four-year colleges

Colleges and universities may be more or less selective, depending on the institutional mission that each college individually determines.

Ivy League vs. others Ivy League schools are not the only

schools of stature and quality Ivies:

– Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Penn, Brown, Cornell, Columbia

HiddenIvies:– Stanford, Chicago, Duke, Georgetown,

Johns Hopkins, MIT, USC, Notre Dame …etc!

IV

Applying to U.S. Universities

Much more involved◦Application and fee◦Essay◦Letters of Recommendation

Teacher Recommendations Counsellor Recommendation

◦Transcript◦SAT or ACT (or Test Optional)◦Interview? (On-Campus or Alumni)

Early Decision Nov. 1 (binding)Early ActionRegular Decision (Jan. 1)

The application process (from their perspective)

Becoming a Strong ApplicantWhat are the most important factors for

college admissions?• SAT/ACT scores. Universities will take either score.

Super scoring.• SAT II Subject tests• Rigor of secondary school record• Academic GPA (from grade 9-12)• Volunteerism/Extra Curricular Activities• Application essay• Recommendation letters

Becoming a Strong ApplicantWork to improve your IB levelsBalance your lifeDiscover and develop your strengths and

interestsCommit to what you are interested in (Scouts,

Sports, Music Lessons, Model UN, Debate)Give back: Volunteer / Service opportunitiesGo beyond the minimum: commit to 3-4 years

of same class/club/etc.

Admission FactorsPercentage of Colleges Reporting “Considerable Importance”Source: 2007 NACAC State of College Admissions

1. Grades in university prep courses (along with Strength of Curriculum) 76 %

2. Standardized admission tests 60 %3. Grades in all courses 51 %4. Essay or writing sample 28 %5. Class rank 23 %6. Student’s interests 21 %7. Counsellor recommendation 21 %8. Teacher recommendation 20 %9. Interview 10 %10. Work/extra curricular activities 8 %

Test Prep Courses ?

Become familiar with the test content and format

Review academic results to identify weaknesses

Learn appropriate test-taking strategiesUse Naviance / Family Connection online

test preparation programTake practice testsSee your counsellor for other

test preparation materials

THE BEST PREPARATION IS A SOLID HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Check Subject Requirements for Schools

Naviance / Family Connection

Other School

Check Subject Requirements for Schools

Collegeboard.com

Other School

The Changing Landscape of U.S. College Admissions

I am Perfect! So why am I not accepted?

– As the number of high school graduates grows, so, too, does the number of applications they are submitting to the nation’s four-year colleges and universities

– The increasing number of applications students submit contributes to a more complicated admission environment

– Other trends• Continued Increase in number of High School

Graduates.• post-secondary education has become the standard

for economic advancement • Admission Offices identify Grades, High School

Curriculum and Test Scores as Top Factors

U.S. universities fill their needsDiversity mandated by Federal Gov’tInstitutional need: fill each program /

facultyGenderAgeRacial / EthnicSocio-economicFirst generation studentsSpecial talentsLegacyState / National diversityInternational by region

Acceptance rates in the U.S.Some schools admit less than 10% of

applicantsHighly selective < 25%Moderately selective, 25% - 50%

(Only 17 percent of four-year colleges in the U.S. admit fewer than 50 percent of applicants.)

Apply for Admission and Observe Deadlines

Narrow your choicesReview college admission test requirements

(including the optional Writing Test)Know application fees and deadlinesSubmit application materials (paper/electronic)

–Application for admission–High school transcript–Recommendations–Admission test results

Know scholarship requirements

The York School Supports PSAT’s, SAT preparation workshops Naviance / Family Connection Representatives’ visits Teacher letters of recommendation School / Counsellor report Monitoring application submissions Keeping students on deadlines Counsellor support and guidance

IMPORTANT!Keep your communication

lines open.

Finish Strong!

Q & A

Thank you !

www.ouac.on.cawww.electronicinfo.ca

www.ucas.comwww.collegeboard.com

www.studentawards.comwww.scholarshipscanada.com