University and College Information
Evening
Student Services
Mrs. Ruth Fraser
Mrs. Paula Manhas
Agenda
 CHS University Program information
 Factors to consider when applying
 Choosing university programs
 Admissions landscape
 Canadian universities
 U.S. & International universities and colleges
 Student Panel
 Resources for post-secondary research – handout available
as you leave
~This power point will be available on the website~
CHS University Program Overview

University Info Evening:

Course Planning Evening: Thursday, February 21 7-9

Research sessions (in Planning classes) – grade 10 & 11

Mandatory parent & student interviews (grade 11) with
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
assigned university counsellors Feb - March

Students will be assigned to their university counsellor by
Graduation Transitions12 classes in their grade 12 year
CHS University Planning & Research
 Each student should keep a current filing system
(paper or electronic) for all pertinent information
 Students update their Naviance profile and information
on a regular basis
 Parents should also be on Naviance to engage in
conversation with their daughters and with counsellors
 Research specific programs and course descriptions in
college and university catalogues and on websites
 New this year is Blueprint for Canadian School
Research
Important Considerations in Choosing any
University program

Early, on-going, open, and un-pressured dialogue is key

Your daughter is a unique individual with unique
strengths, weaknesses, and needs

Being accepted is different from choosing the school that
is the right fit

Emotional intelligence is key to transition

60% of first year students change programs, faculties or
universities – need for flexibility and being open to new
opportunities
Factors to consider when applying:
 Academic program: content, structure, features, elective
flexibility, rigour, balance
 Facilities: availability to undergraduates, quality, maintenance,
development
 Profile of institution
 Size and location
 Campus culture, diversity
 Availability of financial aid/scholarships:
Canadian – University and private organizations
US financial support available but in difficult economic times full fee students
increase their chances of admissions to competitive institutions
International – no substantial aid, although there are some scholarships available
Admissions Landscape - CANADA
Admissions have eased over the last 15 years due to changing demographics of
Canadian population (fewer 17 year olds)
.
Canadian Admissions Landscape
 +20 % of CHS students matriculate to UBC or McGill
 UBC, McGill, U of T, Western and Queen’s remain
competitive. These are large research universities with large
first year classes in major urban centres
 Other coastal institutions and the Prairies have relatively
lower admissions (Dal, UVic, U of Calgary, U of Alberta,
Concordia, Mount Allison, Bishops), many with smaller
classes
 Scholarship money is generously available – both entrance
and private scholarships
Admission Landscape – U.S.
 Demographics in the US are different than in Canada
 Large and growing Hispanic and Black populations with a
higher birth rate
 No child left behind policies
 CHS students apply to a narrow band of mostly private, top
tier institutions
 International students have better chances of admission if
full fee paying
 Parents can access a list of American institutions that
historically provide Financial Aid for International Students
on the school website
Admission Landscape – International
 European countries reflect Canada’s experience with
declining population
 Asia is the reverse – North American applicants are
generally discouraged from applying as application rates are
very high – HKUST is an exception and recruit in Canada
 UK, Scotland, and Wales have different education systems
 Direct entry is a draw for professional programs such as
Medicine, Law, Dentistry, Physio, Veterinary, but growing
interest from our students in Arts/Humanities/Design
3 Application Processes
Canada
US
International
Admission
Grade 12
marks
Grades 9 – 12
marks
Grades 11/12 marks
Counsellor
Teacher
Recommendation
Not required
except for
special
programs
One or Several
letters fro
Teachers
1 from
Counsellor
Essays/Profiles
Varies by
Institution
*Required for
Broad Based
Faculties &
Institutions
Almost all
Institutions
require one or
more - except
state schools
Usually none
SAT’s and SAT
UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test), BMAT
subject tests
(Biomedical Admissions Test),
for most or ACT LNAT(Law National Aptitude Test) for some
Standardized
Tests
Teacher reference only for UK and Hong Kong
Short personal statement for UCAS (UK
Application Service)
Some essays may be required for others
Features of Canadian Universities
 Excellent education, international reputation, and
undergraduate research opportunities
 Availability of co-operative programs
 Tuition is subsidized by government
 Following CHS, a continued focus on multi-cultural
experience, co-operative education and research
 Flexibility around faculty of choice and degree combinations
Canadian University Applications
 Research and selection beginning in grade 11 – this includes a
mandatory research assignment
 Apply by mid - December in grade 12 (Naviance)
 School transcript sent in January or March at student’s request
 Admission based primarily on grades, although many institutions
now request a simple profile of student activities and interests
 Some Canadian universities will make early conditional offers,
based on grade 11marks
 All universities require English 12 as part of the admission
process
General Canadian University Admission
Requirements
 Entrance average calculated on English 12 plus 3 or 4 grade
12 academic courses
 For many programs: supplementary information
(extracurricular, community service, leadership, awards, etc.) is
reviewed
 Students allowed to apply to two faculties at most institutions
General Canadian University Admission
Requirements
 Requirements vary by university and faculty
 In fall of grade 11, students research specific entrance
requirements in Planning 10B
 Published cutoffs are based on the previous year’s data and
may change
 UBC is an exception – New Admissions process last year
based on profile and grades (Broad Based Admission all
faculties)
 Most schools finalize offers by mid-late April
 Students should check specific schools and their prerequisites
Admission Averages - Examples
*Varies from school to school and by faculty
Arts:










UBC - 85% & Broad Based Application 2nd term marks only
U of Toronto low 80%’s
McGill – 87.8%
Western- 86%
Queen’s - 80%min to 86.3%
Waterloo - Low to mid-80’s%
U Vic - 67% – Early (Grade 11 grades – 75%)
U of Calgary- 76%
Dalhousie- 70%
U OF A – 72%
Admission Averages – Examples*
Sciences
* Varies from school to school & by faculty
 UBC- 85% & Broad Based Application (2nd term
marks)
 U of Toronto- mid 80’s%
 McGill - Physical,Earth Science- 89%

- Biological, Life – 93.5% 85% in
Math/Science
 Western- 86%
 Queen’s- 84%min/ 89.6%avg
 Waterloo – low to mid-80’s%
 U of Calgary- 86% for Bio Science and mid to high
90’s% for Neuro Science
 U of Alberta/Dalhousie- 75%
Admission Average* - Examples
Commerce (Business Management)
*Varies from school to school & by faculty
 UBC- 85% plus Broad Based Application (2nd term
marks only)
 U of Toronto- mid 80’s%
 McGill- 91%
 Western- 86% Ivey 90% plus supplement
 Queen’s- 87%min/91.2 %aver grade 2011
 U of C- 82%
 U Vic- 80% Early (Grade 11 marks) 84%
Specialized Progams – Admission
Averages & Requirements - Examples
Some programs that are competitive and small may have
special averages and requirements, higher than the general
admission to the faculty:






UWO- Richard Ivey – AEO – 90%
UBC- Science One (3 Science 12’s)
McMaster- Health Sciences (3 Science 12’s)
McGill- Management – 91%
U of Calgary- Neuro Science – mid to high 90’s%
University of Alberta- no entry for Business from high
school
CHS Admission Stats – CANADA
Institution
UBC
Concordia
Dalhousie
McGill
Queens
SFU
2012
2011
2010
2009
Institution
2011 (65)
19
21 2010 (55)16 2009 (52) 192008 (55)
UBC2
21
2
3
2
2008
Concordia
1
Dalhousie
12
2
1
2
1
1
1
12
14
6
7
McGill
7
Queens
3
12
7
8
2
10
7
0
2
2
2
0
4
1
3
5
4
1
1
7
7
4
1
0
1
5
4
6
8
8
3
2
7
65
55
52
55
U of Toronto SFU5
U of Victoria U of3
Toronto
Waterloo
2
Waterloo
Western
6
Western
Other
5
Other
Total
65
1
5
8
10
0
U.S. University Program
Grade 11
 Students write PSAT in October - one sitting date only
 Research beginning in the fall of grade 11
 Mandatory interviews with university counsellors, parents &
students in Spring
 Creation of ‘prospective list’ schools by April-May to be
discussed and reviewed with university counsellor
 Student self-assessment and resume due in May of Grade
11 (Naviance), work on College Board Essay draft - to be
completed in Spring
 Prepare and write SATs in late spring Grade 11 or early fall
Grade 12
U.S. University Program
 SAT prep – Naviance purchase of Prep Me will be available to
CHS students, commencing this year. Free trial to June 30th
and then on-going support will be assessed fee. ($100 fee per
student, charged to school account).
 This will provide personalized learning with interactive lessons,
practise quizzes, and intermittent full length tests. Parents,
students, and administrators will receive weekly reports
demonstrating student usage, performance, and improvement.
 CHS collaborates with the Princeton Review to offer a real full
length mock- ACT/SAT in early spring of every year
SAT/ACT registration & prep
 Testing dates - spring of grade 11 to fall of grade 12
 Last SAT/ACT possible in January of grade 12
 The role of outside consultants
 Look for IECA (Independent Educational Consultants
Association) certification and NACAC affiliation
 Check the Website/Handout for : 12 Questions to Ask
before Hiring an Independent Educational Consultant?
U.S. University Program
Grade 12
 Students complete applications, essays, etc. to be sent
-November 1 for early action and early decision
-December 1 for regular decision
 Decisions for early candidates may be released as early
as December 1, continuing until mid-December
 Some Schools offer ED 2 – in early January
 Rolling admission decisions for all candidates
 National response date: May 1st (all decisions due)
Features of U.S. Colleges
Undergraduate research opportunities
Value of liberal arts education
Integrated cross-curriculum more common
College life includes automatic residence
for four years
Single sex education – a unique learning
opportunity – Scripps, Wellesley, Mount
Holyoke, Smith
The U.S. Application Components
 Marks achieved in courses and rigour of academic
program selected : School Transcript for grades 9 – 12
 Character and personal qualities (Secondary School
Report for US Schools)
 Student essays and personal statement are crucial
 Counsellor Recommendation Letter – provides context
 Teacher Recommendation Letters – subject based
 Context of school as reflected in School Profile
U.S. Application Components – cont’d
 SAT/ACT scores: should reflect a careful plan, thorough
preparation, and balance. Score Choice is only used at some
schools. Competitive schools will request ALL scores be sent
 Additional factors: talent (athletic, musical, etc.), VIP,
contribution, legacy
 Interviews with university representatives – can be conducted
at CHS
 CHS does not provide rank or GPA
SAT Exams (SAT I and SAT II’s)
Registration and Preparation
Consider what is most appropriate for your own learning and lifestyle.
Studies conducted by the College Board concluded that commercial
coaching programs for the SAT had little or no significant positive effect
on SAT scores. This report did conclude, however, that challenging
academic coursework was directly associated with higher test scores
P.51, Foundations of Standardized Admission Testing, Richard J. Noeth, PHD, NACAC, 2009.
How to Select SAT IIs
 University and program specific requirements & recommendations – link to program
of study
 Can be written in Grade 11 or 12 depending on curriculum
RESEARCH SPECIFIC SCHOOLS’ SAT II REQUIREMENTS BY THE SCHOOL
EARLY AND VERY CAREFULLY! (eg. History and French required for Brown ?)
Should I Apply Early Decision/Action?
Checklist or considerations include:
 an excellent academic record since grade 9
 comprehensively researched colleges and universities and found
the best match for them
 outstanding talent(s)
 parents who are alumni
 a compelling reason to choose that school
 School selects 45% or more of their candidates from the early pool
 School offers highly competitive program with small enrolment
What’s the Difference?
 Early Decision: early cycle – binding; if accepted MUST WITHDRAW
all other applications and attend. Disadvantage is not having all other
offers to compare to
 Early Action: early cycle – not binding
 Regular Decision: regular cycle
 Rolling Admission: no cycle
 Potential outcomes: admit, defer, deny, waitlist.
CHS ADMISSION STATS - US
Institution
2012 (15)
2011 (20)
2010 (15) 2009
(21)
Berkeley
2
3
Johns Hopkins
1
4
Cornell
Duke
1
2
1
1
1
1
(Georgetown)
1 (George
Wash)
1
2
2
Rhode Island School of
Design
1
1
2
Stanford
1
1
Georgetown/
George Washington)
New York University
2008
(16)
1
2
UCLA/USC/UCSB
3 (UCLA)
5 (UCLA) 4 (USC)
1 (UCLA)
1 (USC)
1 (USC) 1
UCSB
Ivy Leagues
1 (Brown), 1 (Columbia)
3 (Brown, Cornell,
Penn)
1 (Columbia) 1
(Yale)
1 (Princeton)
2(Penn)
1 (Brown)
3
(Columbia)
1 (Harvard)
Other (Rice, Berkley,
Wellesley, etc.)
1 (Rice), 1 (North
Eastern), 1 (Notre
Dame), 1 (U of Texas,
Austin), 1 (Pitzer), 2 (U
of California, Berkley), 1
(Claremont McKenna)
6 (Chicago,
Pitzer, Scripps,
Smith, UW,
Carnegie Mellon
1 (Wellesley)
5Marymount,
Rice,
Berkley,
Boston,
Claremont
7 – FIDM,
Chicago,
Pomona
Haverford,
UW, Maine
(2)
CHS ADMISSIONS STATS - US
Institution
Admission %
CHS Admission %
Boston
28
70
International
Admission %
10.3
Brown
9.3
22
16.7
10
25
32
18
26
22
12
42
21
16
44
49
20
100
41
10.9
9.4
9.3
15
8.7
9.9
11
9.3
11.5
Stanford
7.3
9
7.5
Wellesley
36
36
10.6
Berkeley
Cornell
Columbia
Johns Hopkins
New York University
U of Pennsylvania
Pitzer
University of Southern
California
Data from www.Collegedata.com (2013) and Naviance CHS stats 2008 - 2012
UK & International Admissions*
 Rationale for attending school abroad varies by family:
nationality, culture, institution reputation, or availability of
direct entry programs
 Tuition is considerably more expensive than Canada, but
on a par or lower than schools in the U.S.
 www.ucas.com early application deadline for Dentistry,
Medicine, Vet Science and Oxford/Cambridge is Oct.
late of grade 12 year.
 Can only apply to one of Oxford/Cambridge – Date is
Sept. 15th if want interview in Canada
Late applications Jan – June – not recommended for
any program with rolling admission
UKCAT / BMAT/ LNAT
Standardized testing for admission
 UKCAT (Clinical Aptitude Test) The test measures verbal
reasoning, abstract reasoning, decision analysis, and noncognitive analysis; DEADLINE OCTOBER 10th
 UKCAT required by 26 universities, primarily medical & dental
 BMAT (Biomedical Admissions Test) is required by 5 schools. The
test measures aptitude, skills, scientific knowledge and writing –
DEADLINE OCTOBER 31
 LNAT (Law National Admissions Test). It measures verbal
reasoning DEADLINE OCTOBER 5th
U.K. & International Admissions
 One key to success for admissions has been having one or
more relevant work experience opportunities
 CHS has strong admission rates for medicine, dentistry,
physiotherapy, visual arts (fashion), law, and veterinarian
programs
 Studying in foreign country requires students to be flexible
and adaptable
 Can involve a complex VISA process
CHS Admissions Stats – UK & International
Institution
2012 (5
students)
Saint Andrews
2011 (6
students)
1 (Medicine)
Edinburgh
Oxford
King’s College
2010 (6
students)
2009 (11
students)
3 (Medicine)
2
(International
Relations/Vet)
1 (Law)
2
(Vet/Psycholog
y)
1 (Medicine)
1 (Law)
Birmingham
1 (Medicine)
1
(Physiotherapy)
Bath
Brighton
Durham
Sheffield
Saint Georges
1 (Education)
1 (Sociology)
Hong Kong
Other
2008 (3
students)
1 (Business)
1 (Business)
1 (Law)
2 (Social
Science)
1 (Swiss Hotel
management)
1 Liberal Arts
1 (Law)
1 (Medicine)
1 (Law)
3 (Science,
Design, Marine
Biology)
1 (General)
1 (Dentistry)
1 (Medicine)
Try something New –
 Take a gap year – Universities value this experience and will often hold
your spot for the following year and sometimes scholarship money
 Be Courageous and try new programs – Quest University in Squamish
 Swiss Hotel Management Schools – first matriculation - Fall 2012
Choosing a hands on, learning experience as apart of my
freshmen curriculum has indeed been a great investment in
both my future career and current journey in life. As a
spa intern of the St Regis Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi, I have
become adapted to a whole new work force, environment,
culture, and essentially way of life. I thank myself everyday for
this opportunity, and I invite future graduates to realize and
discover what is beyond the university boundaries they know.
Hearing the Koran as I roam the Grand Shiekh Zayed Mosque,
to discovering bargains in authentic Arabic souks, it has all built
an open minded perspective and character for myself. Indeed,
going abroad has been my best decision in life yet.”
Michelle Liapis Coleman
2012 Alumnae attending Les Roches,Switzerland
The Campus Visit
Resources for University Planning &Research
• Mrs. Fraser rfraser@croftonhouse.ca
• Ms. Manhas
pmanhas@croftonhouse.ca
• Naviance - parent portal and registration is below:
https://connection.naviance.com/croftonhouse
www.My Blueprint.ca – supports Canadian Uni Research
(New this year)
This software allows parents, students and counsellors
to manage the post-secondary application process
NAVIANCE FAMILY CONNECTION
Naviance
https://succeed.naviance.com
 Student Profile
 Student Journal and Resume
 Student Surveys and Parent Survey
 Document Library
 Scholarships
 Career Research
 College Research – tracks applications & acceptances
 Regular e-mail from Counsellors
University Resources
 University and College Visits from Representatives,
admission offices, websites & Links
 Articles & Books – see Handout
 Student Services – Counsellors, Post-Secondary
Resource Room, Naviance and My Blueprint.ca
 CHS Alumni, family & friends
Student Panel
and now…a few words from our special guests 
US
Hallie Wu
CDN
Nicola Hurst
CDN
Kathleen McKeon
UK
India Dhillon
What Next?
 Students search programs by region, state or province,
majors, websites and viewbooks
 Consider CHS Couse Selections for 2013/2014
 Focus on 6 to 8 schools of interest, depending on
geographical areas and interest
 Connect with colleges and universities for information
regarding admissions, financial aid – they want to hear
from you if you are interested
 Campus Tours/Online Tours/ VirtualTours
Thank you
“Admissions officers are looking for students who are
motivated to succeed in college, students who are socially
competent and emotionally intelligent enough to participate
in college life and to contribute to its community.”
“Colleges are looking for students who are happily pursuing
their own interests. It is best to be spending your out-of
class time doing things you really enjoy, not doing what
others tell you that you must do to be admitted to college.”
– Marilee Jones & Kenneth Ginsburg, Less Stress, More
Success. (A highly recommended resource available
through Amazon.com)
Q & A session