University of Waterloo Admission Information

I was at University of Waterloo's info session this past Saturday, and from the info session, I think there are some interesting facts that may be of interest to you:

• Waterloo has the largest co-op program in the world. Students can spend up to 6 terms working, creating networks for your career, while earning valuable income that could pay for your degree.
• You can apply to be in the co-op program when you apply to Waterloo - no need to wait for years 2 or 3 to begin.
  
• Waterloo guarantees a spot in the residence for all first year students who are offered admission
• Waterloo has an "independent studies" program which allows you to design your own degree and curriculum. More information can be found by clicking here.
• Admission requirement: 75% minimum for all faculties
• Courses: In addition to English 12, 4 grade 12 academic courses, which INCLUDES academic courses without a provincial exam such as Psychology 12 and Law 12. For more information on what grade 12 courses are considered academic, contact an academic advisor at UW directly. To find out who to contact, e-mail UW's recruitment officer Jocelyn Ridgway at j2ridgwa@uwaterloo.ca
  
• Waterloo does not look at repeated courses favourably. The Faculty of Mathematics will deduct 1% off from your admission averages if you are repeating a course; the Faculty of Engineering would deduct 3% off your admission averages if you are repeating a course.
• Automatic Scholarships for certain admission averages: $1000 for students with 85% or above; $2000 for students with 90% or above, and more for students with a 95% average.
• The Ministry of Education will send your term 2 marks in automatically, but this will NOT arrive in time for the admission process; therefore, you MUST ask the school to send an official transcript to UW before March 31.
  
• Still want to find out more, take a virtual tour at UW's campus (Click here) or request for a variety of brochures (click here)
• I also have some pamphlets, postcards, and brochures in my office. Feel free to come by to look at them.
  

Emily Carr's National Portfolio Day

For students who are planning to go to an art and design college and/or university such as Emily Carr, an admission portfolio is almost always a must. Emily Carr is offering an opportunity for you to bring your work forward for reviews and critical feedback when they host the National Portfolio Day on December 5 (Saturday) from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.

For those of you who don't know, the National Portfolio Days are recruitment events sponsored by the National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA), consisting of representatives from accredited art & design colleges and universities from across Canada and the United States. National Portfolio Days help promote the artistic development of artists and designers by bringing together experienced art and design school representatives who review the work of prospective students and offer critical feedback about their admission portfolio.

In this year's event at Emily Carr, 21 NPDA member schools will be represented from both Canada and the United States.

For more information on the event, click here.

Calendar of Important Dates (December)

December is fast-approaching, and there are some important dates in December that you want to be mindful of:

Upcoming December Dates:

• Dec 2: Langara Counsellor's Information Day: I will not be in school that day
• Dec 2: Term 1 Ends (attendance for Term 1 ends this day; marks "cut-off" may have happened already
  
• Dec 3: BCIT Counsellor's Information Day: I will not be in school from 8:00 to 2:30 p.m.
• Dec 3: LPI Templeton Sitting - Location: Library; Time: 3:20 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.
  
• Dec 5: Emily Carr's National Portfolio Day: from 12 - 4 p.m.
• Dec 7: UBC Counsellor's Information Day: I will not be in school that day
• Dec 9: Report cards will be printed and reviewed
• Dec 11: Non-instructional Day - school not in session
• Dec 15: UNBC Leadership Award's Application Deadline
• Dec 15: SFU Self-reporting portal opens
• Dec 18: Last day of class in 2009
• Dec 19 to Jan 3, 2010: Christmas/Winter Vacation

Term 1 is ending, and so is 2009. As many post-secondary/scholarship applications are beginning, you are going to be very busy, in spite of the two-week break. I hope your break is restful and fun, but I also hope you will use it wisely in preparation for the final six months of your high school life.

York University's Info Session in Vancouver

York University from Toronto, Ontario, will be hosting an information session this upcoming Monday, November 30, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (655 Burrard Street, Vancouver) from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m..

If you are interested in York University, or just wish to find out more about York, you can use this session to chat with an admissions representative to learn more about programs, scholarships, bursaries, residence, campus life and more.

You must register for this event. Registration can be done by clicking here.

More UBC Vancouver Viewbooks Have Arrived

For those of you who attended the UBC information session last week, but did not receive a UBC Vancouver viewbook, another 50 copies have arrived. Mr. Hayes is holding the bulk of the copies, and I have about 10 in my office. Please come to see one of us if you want to pick up this viewbook.

The viewbook can also be looked at online. You can click on the following link to view it virtually:
Click here

Most of the viewbook's information can also be found online. Click here for more details.

The admission portion of the Vancouver viewbook can also be downloaded. Click here for the .pdf file.

Term 1 Grad Transitions Assignments

Remember: Your GT (Grad Transitions) assignments for Term 1 are due December 2 (Wednesday). For term 1, you need to submit the following:

• Healthy Living Plan (blue sheet)
• Physical Activity Log (green sheet)

There has been some confusion about the physical activity log. So, here are some points for clarification:

• Activities should be recorded by the week, and not by the day. (e.g. instead of recording your physical activities for Nov 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29 individually, just record all the physical activities for the period of Nov 23 - 29 - see below, click the image to see an enlarged version of it)
• If you have started on an old form from last year, you do NOT have to copy everything onto the new form. Just continue from the old form for your term 1's physical activities; or, staple a new form onto the old form, and continue with your term 1's activities.
• Term 2 and 3's physical activities should be recorded onto the new forms
• If you are taking PE 11/12, a signature from your PE teacher to verify that you are taking the course fulfills the physical activity requirement.

If you have any further questions regarding your GT forms, please come in to see me, Ms. Mogyorosi, or Ms. Ward.

VCC Career Programs Info Sessions

There are four upcoming info sessions for several career programs at Vancouver Community College (VCC) that I want to bring to your attention of:

• Part-time ASL and Deaf Studies: Wednesday, November 25 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 2559 at VCC's Broadway Campus
• Culinary Arts Program: Friday, November 27 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 305 B at VCC's downtown campus
• Hospitality Management Diploma Program: Saturday, November 28 at 11 a.m. in Room 420 at VCC's downtown campus
• Baking and Pastry Arts: Wednesday, December 2 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 216 at VCC's downtown campus

Now, I understand that you can only attend two of these four sessions, but if these programs interest you in any way, you can always call VCC to find out more about these programs. For more information, you can visit VCC's website (click here), or call 604-443-8453.

VCC's Downtown Address: 200-block, Dunsmuir at Hamilton (two blocks west of Stadium Sky Train Station)
VCC's Broadway Address: 1155 East Broadway, Vancouver

University of Western Ontario's National Scholarship Program

For students who are applying to the University of Western Ontario, you may be interested in one of the following major entrance scholarships the school is offering:

• the President's Entrance Schloarship ($6000/year + up to $10000 award towards residence and board costs)
• the Faculty Entrance Scholarship ($4000/year + first year residence room)
• the Beryl Ivey Continuing Entrance Award ($16000/academic year)
• National Merit Award ($2000 for one year)

The above awards are by nominations ONLY. Each school in Canada can nominate no more than 4 students for these awards. Nomination and application packages can be found in my office. If you are interested, please come by and see me.

The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award

The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award is given to students who demonstrates the highest ideals and qualities of citizenship through involvement in humanitarian services and participation in sport, fitness, and community services. It is a prestigious award that pays up to $7000 annually for a maximum of four years or until a first degree is earned.

If you are interested in applying for this award, I have a couple of brochures in my office. More information, as well as the award's application form, can also be found online (Click here).

Application forms, complete with supporting documents must be post-marked by February 1st, 2010.

Vancouver Police Department Student Challenge

The deadline to apply for the VPD Student Challenge has passed. However, thanks to Constable Feenan, if you are really keen of joining this competition, you can still see him to be placed onto the wait-list for this great opportunity.
The VPD Student Challenge will take place from April 3 to April 10, 2010. It is a 8-day police camp that would provide you some important training not just if you have aspirations to become a police officer, but for other fields as well.

See Constable Feenan ASAP before your last opportunity passes!

SFU's Solutions for the Future Competition

For students applying to SFU, here's a competition that could earn you a $2000 SFU tuition award, a laptop computer, or a t-shirt.

The SFU Solutions for the Future competition requires you to explore the programs that SFU offers, and submit a short paragraph to tell how their programs can combine to solve a problem or play a role in what you think the future needs.For more information, go to the "Solutions for the Future" website by clicking here.

University of Waterloo's +Business Program

University of Waterloo is now offering a hybrid business program called +Business. Basically, the program allows you to combine one of arts, environment, recreation, or science programs with the business program to create a more comprehensive learning experience for aspiring business students who also have other academic interests.

You can learn more about the +Business program by visiting its website: Click here. Or, to request a brochure, click here.

IMPORTANT: Update on UBC's Language Requirements

I hope most of you were in attendance this afternoon when representatives from UBC came to speak to us. In case you were not there, or in case you did not understand/missed this piece of information, I am repeating it here because changes have been made for students applying for admission in September 2010. It pertains the language requirements both for admission and to take first-year English courses.

English Language Requirement for Admission (you must meet one of the following criteria to have your application considered for admission):

• Three consecutive years of full-time education in English in Canada, including BC grade 12 English (or its equivalence), OR
• Four or more consecutive years at an eligible international secondary school that uses English as the language of instruction, OR
• A minimum 70% on the provincial exam of either English 12 or English Literature 12, OR
• Reaching the competence level in one of the UBC-recognized language admission tests (click here for more details)

Following admission, most first-year UBC students are required to take 6 credits of English courses (each course is worth 3 credits). To do so, UBC also has a language proficiency requirement, which can be waived if:

• You have a best mark of 75% or above in English 12 (formerly, the mark is 80%; this lower requirement is new for this year).
• You have achieved a level 5 on the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) exam.
  

Failure to meet the first-year English requirements does NOT affect your admission to UBC. However, you would have to take either non-credit courses to improve your English competency, or re-write the LPI until you have a level 5.

This information is new for applicants for the September 2010 term. If you are not clear on this information, please come and see me, or ask the recruitment officer at UBC (I have her contact information).

University Profile Information Package

I have just received a resource package from Mr. Hayes titled "Institution Profile Booklet and Counsellor Resource." In it are contact information, introduction, and brief descriptions of programs that are offered from universities across Canada.

For BC's universities, you have probably gathered information that are much more detailed that what this package contains; however, if you are planning to attend a university in the Atlantic provinces, the prairie provinces, Ontario, or Quebec, this resource is still very valuable.

The package contains over 90 pages, and you may only need a few pages from it, so I am not going to be printing out the package to give to you. However, if you want to take a look at the package, I can e-mail that to you as a .pdf file. Also, if you want specific information about a school, I can print out the specific page(s).

e-mail me at eleung@vsb.bc.ca, or come to my office to ask for a specific page(s) printed.

BCIT Updates

For those of you who were not able to talk to/listen to the BCIT representatives on post-secondary day, here are some important updated information that may be of interests to you:

• BCIT is hosting ongoing campus tours for you to "get a feel" of campus life. Registration for groups (18 people or more) and individuals can be processed through BCIT's online tour registration system. You can either register on line (click here) or call 604-432-8583.
• BCIT also hosts an event called "Spend-A-Day" where you can actually spend a day to test out a program that interests you to see if BCIT is really a good fit for your educational aspirations. To find out more, go to the "Spend-A-Day" website (click here).
• Provincial Exams Requirements: For programs that require either English or Communications 12, provincial exams must be written. For programs that require grade 12 math and science courses, provincial exams are optional.
  
• Application for all of BCIT's trades program: applications are accepted and processed on an ongoing basis.
  
• Application for the technology programs: most programs began accepting applications on October 1. BCIT will continue to accept applications until the program is full. (Implication: apply ASAP)

There are a number of ways that students can learn more information about BCIT and its programs:

• Leave your name and number with student information and enrollment services at 604-434-1610. Someone will return your call.
• View the information yourself at the program advising website (click here)
• Submit an e-mail to an enrollment officer at the "Ask an Advisor" website (click here)
• For financial aid and awards information, go to the financial aid's website (click here)
  

University of Alberta Early Admission Workshop

For students interested in going to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, an early admission workshop/info session will be held on December 5, 2009 (Saturday) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver (791 West Georgia Street, Vancouver).

During the workshop, you and your family can book a one-on-one appointment with a U of A advisor. The advisor will help you complete and submit your application forms for admission. Qualified students may be offered on-the-spot early admission.

If you want to attend this event, you must book an appointment with an academic advisor. Reservations can be made prior to November 27 on this website (click here).

For more information about the event, you can contact U of A's recruitment officer Kelly Park for more details at 780-492-1956, or via e-mail at kelly.park@ualberta.ca

UVic Blackpress Scholarship

For students who are interested in applying at U Vic's Business program, you may qualify for a $5000 scholarship.

The scholarship, called the Black Press Scholarship, is awarded to 37 students across BC. Scholarships will be awarded based on "academic merit, leadership, and a demonstrated desire to make a positive difference in the world" (from the information poster).

Further information on the Black Press Scholarship can be found at the following website (click here).

Please note: this scholarship is restricted to students who are applying to U. Vic Business.

A check-list of application process can also be found in Mr. Leung's office.

New Info from Kwantlen Polytechnic University

I have just received a bulletin from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and you may be interested in a few of the following:

• Applications for Kwantlen for the September 2010 semester have begun. You can register online via the Kwantlen's website (click here), or you can apply in person in any of Kwantlen's campuses (in Richmond, Surrey, Langley, and Cloverdale - click here for more details).
• Kwantlen is hosting campus tours for all campuses on Fridays. For more information, you can call Sotheavy Thuy, the student recruitment coordinator, at 604-599-3165.
• Information sessions for individual faculties are held throughout the semester. If you have specific questions of a particular faculty, this would be a good opportunity to ask the specific faculty-related questions. For more information, go to Kwantlen's events websites (click here).
• Kwantlen is expanding its program offerings. Some programs that could possibly be implemented in 2010 include: bachelor of business administration, bachelor of applied communications, bachelor of product design, bachelor of science (with specialties in either health science, sustainable science, or applied psychology), and bachelor of technology in sustainable horticulture. Actual program implementation is subject to the school's approval. For more details, check Kwantlen's website.
  

University of Waterloo Info Session

For students who are planning to go to University of Waterloo, one of the best schools in Canada for computer science and mathematics, you may be interested in these following events:

U. of Waterloo representatives will be present at the post-secodary information session at David Thompson Secondary on Wednesday, November 18. As advertised before, you must come to see me or Mr. Hayes for a field trip form to attend this event.

If you do not want to miss classes to attend this session, U. of Waterloo also has a public information session held some time after. Here's the informatn:

Date: Saturday, November 28, 2009

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Location: Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Hotel, Ballroom 1 (6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby)

Parking is free in all hotel parking lots; complimentary refreshments will be served as well

To attend this event, you have to register by clicking here.

As I've said, U. of Waterloo has one of the strongest computer science and mathematics programs in the country. If this is an area of interest to you, don't hesitate to go and learn more.

LPI Registration Reminder

For students who are planning to write the LPI exam at Templeton on December 3, you have about 1 week left to register for the exam.

FYI, UBC, SFU, and several other post-secondary schools have a basic literacy entrance requirement. Depending on your English 12 blended mark (i.e. course mark + provincial exam mark), that entrance requirement may be met if your English 12 mark is high enough. However, because your provincial exam mark is worth 40% of your blended mark, it is our recommendation that you sign up and write the LPI.

Two entries have been created earlier to explain the registration procedure. If you have not registered yet, please go to these posts again. Remember, registration must be completed by November 22!

For registration done online, click here
For registration via mail/fax, click here (be mindful of postal delay - my recommendation is: by this time, this would not be the method of registration you should choose)

Any questions, please come in to see me ASAP.

McGill's Viewbook is now online and downloadable

In respect to the environment, McGill University will no longer be mailing to secondary schools their annual viewbook. Instead, their viewbook is now downloadable from their main website as a .pdf file. For students who are interested in applying for McGill, please go to their undergrad website to download the viewbook onto your computer. (Click here) For your information, the viewbook can be found on the left panel of the undergrad page, with a picture of the viewbook above it.

I will download the viewbook and have it saved onto my computer. Depending on the need, I may print out the most important pages for your reference as well. However, I will also not be printing out the entire viewbook and will not be putting it in the school calendar area in the counsellor suite.

The pdf viewbook is very easy to navigate. If you want to go to on of the most prestigious universities in Canada, this download is a must.

Also: McGill will have its representatives present in the post-secondary info session at David Thompson on Wednesday, November 18. If you wish to attend, please come see Mr. Leung or Mr. Hayes ASAP for a field trip form. Unfortunately, we will NOT be able to go with you to this workshop; we do, however, encourage those of you seeking to go to a non-BC university to attend this event.

University of Ottawa Information Evening and Fair

University of Ottawa will host a Canada-wide webcast for all students and parents on Tuesday, December 8 at 6:00 p.m. EST (that's 3:00 p.m. Vancouver time).

For other information and details, you can go to U. of Ottawa's website by clicking here.

SFU Admission Information (Part 2)

(continued from the last post)

Admission Average

• For programs that have no specific course requirements: admission averages would be calculated based on your English 12 (with a minimum 60% blended mark) and three other provincially examinable grade 12 courses.
• For programs with specific course requirements: admission averages would be calculated based on your English 12 mark + the program-specific provincially examinable grade 12 courses (up to 3) + other provincially examinable grade 12 courses
• For example, the Faculty of Business Administration requires that you have Principles of Math 12 credit. In calculating your admission average, therefore, they will look at your English 12 mark, Principles of Math 12 mark, plus two provincially-examinable grade 12 course marks
• In Fall 2009, the admission averages ranged from 75% to 90%, depending on the program

English Language & Literacy Requirement (after admission) - you need to complete one of the following:

• Obtain a grade of 75% or higher in English 12 and/or English Literature 12, OR
• Obtain a grade of 60 to 74% in English 12 or English Literature 12, and have a level 4 on the essay portion of the LPI + 50% on all other parts, OR
• Obtain a grade of 60 yo 74% in English 12 or English Literature 12, and complete FAL X99-4 at SFU with at least a C grade.

Quantitative & Analytical Skills Requirement (Math) - you need to complete one of the following:

• Obtain a grade of 70% or higher in Principles of Math 11 or Principles of Math 12 or Applications of Math 12, OR
• Obtain a grade of 60 to 69% in the above math course(s), and achieve a grade of at least 20/30 in the SFU Quantitative Placement Test within your first term at SFU.
• Obtain a grade of 60 to 69% in the above math course(s), and take the SFU course FAN X99-4, and achieve at least a C grade within your first 3 terms at SFU.

Admission Notifications

• Conditional offers for admission will begin to be mailed out in January of 2010, and will continue until mid-April
• Conditional offers are made only to a student's first choice of program

SFU Admission Information (Part 1)

A lot of information was given from the SFU Counsellor's Day. Here are some pointers that are important for you:

Application Process

• SFU Application has started already. Please note, applications can only be done online.
• For early admission and most scholarships, application deadline is Feb 28, 2010.
• Students who wish to apply for residence should apply early, as spaces are limited.

Self-Reporting Grades

• The student portal where you can self-report your interim grades opens on Dec 15, 2009
• You need to report your final grade 11 and interim grade 12 marks (i.e. Term 1's marks)
• For distributed learning courses (e.g. online courses), you can self-report your interim grade. You MUST advise the educational institution (e.g. VLN) to report your final grade to the Ministry of Education if you want to use that course for application purposes.

Grade 11/12 Pre-requisites for General Admission Requirements

• You must complete English 11, a Language 11, Principles of Math 11, and a Science 11 for general admission
• If you have taken a challenge exam to fulfil your language 11 requirement, you must self-report this grade
• For grade 12 courses, you need to have English 12 and 3 approved grade 12 provincially examinable courses
• Please note: having completed the required courses for general admission does NOT mean you have the required courses for a specific faculty. Please check the individual program-specific requirements for the faculty/program you are interested in.
• You must WRITE the English 12 provincial exam. The mark from the exam would only be USED if it increases your admission average.

Simon Fraser University: Admission Cycle Timeline

I went to SFU Surrey yesterday to attend its counsellor's information day. For the next few days, I will be putting up some of the pointers that are of particular importance to you (so please come back to this site often to check out the most updated information). For today, I will start off by giving you SFU's admission cycle, or its list of dates:

2009 Dates

• Starting Now: Application opens for Fall 2010 admission
• Nov 1: Bursary applications for Fall 2010 students open
• Nov 28: "Supertour" of SFU's Burnaby campus
• Dec 15: The self-reporting portal opens for students to report their term 1 school marks

2010 Dates

• Jan 15: Conditional admission and scholarship offers begin, based on your self-reported grades
• Jan 30: "Supertour" of SFU's Burnaby campus
• Feb 28: Deadline to apply for early admission and most major entrance scholarship (I will tell you about scholarship application and financial aid in another post)
• Mar 4: SFU Surrey's Open House
• Apr 10: "Supertour" of SFU's Burnaby campus
• Apr 21: SFU Surrey Information Session
• Apr 30: Regular application deadline for admission
• May (early): SFU begins receiving your term 2 marks from the Ministry of Education. Please note, you must have given permission for us to release your marks to SFU for this to happen.
• May 28: SFU Burnaby Information Evening
• June (mid): Enrollment/Registration information sent to students
• June 30: Deadline to submit a personal information profile for diverse qualification applicants
• July 7: Enrollment for Fall 2010 semester begins
• Aug 1: New offers of admission and scholarships based on your final grade 12 mark (if applicable)
• Sept 7: Classes begin for the fall 2010 semester

Re-launch: BC Awards Online

For those of you who are interested in applying for a scholarship, this is a very important notice:

The BC Awards Online website has been re-launched. To go to the site, Click Here.
BC Awards Online has extensive scholarship, bursary, and award information from government agencies, post-secondary institutions, and private sectors. Students in BC can access its database with a few quick and easy steps.

I'd strongly recommend every student who is thinking of scholarships, bursaries, and awards to check out this site - it is probably the most resourceful place you can go.

UNBC’s Dates and Deadlines (update)

I have just received some updated information from UNBC that you may find useful:

Application Deadlines for September 2010 Entry:
Fine Arts: Feb 1, 2010
Arts, Commerce, Science, Planning, Health Sciences, Environmental Engineering: March 1, 2010
Nursing: March 31, 2010
Northern Advancement Program: June 1, 2010

Deadlines for Scholarships and Awards:
Early Admission Awards: November 16, 2009
Leadership Award: December 15, 2009
All other UNBC Awards: March 1, 2010
Housing Applications for first year, first entry students: March 1, 2010

And here are some useful UNBC websites:

Homepage: Click here
Applying for UNBC online: Click here
Student Housing: Click here
Be a Student for a Day: Click here
UNBC Facebook Group: Click here
UNBC Twitter Page: Click here

Update: University of Victoria Application

The following information has been sent to me by the University of Victoria. For those of you who are interested in U Vic, please read the following very carefully.

Self-reporting: Phase I of self-reporting is now underway for current grade 12 students. In this stage, you have to self-report your final grade 11 marks to the university.

Faculty of Business: The faculty now requires applicants to self-report grades. This is new for 2010-2011, you have to self-report your first term grade 12 marks during phase II (January 4 to March 31, 2010) of the self-reporting period in order to be considered for admission. Supplemental application to the Faculty of Business is due no later than Feb 28, 1010

Faculty of Engineering: The faculty requirements have recently changed: U Vic now requires the following courses for admission:
Grade 11: English 11; Principles of Math 11; Chemistry 11; Physics 11; and Social Studies 11
Grade 12: English 12; Principles of Math 12 (min of 73%); Physics 12 and one additional academic 12 course.

Language 11: A language 11 course is now only required for the Faculty of Humanities applicants

Eligible students must first apply for admission at UVic (Click here). After receiving their student number by email, you may visit UVic’s self-reporting site (Click here) to self-report your final grade 11 marks by November 30, 2009.