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