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 March 6th 7 – 9
• Course Planning Evening – Mar 12th 7-9
• Research sessions (in Planning classes) –
Grade 11 and throughout Grade 12
• Mandatory parent & student interviews (gr.
11) with assigned university counsellors
• 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
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
Admission Landscape - CANADA
• Admissions have eased over the last 15 years due to changing
demographics of Cdn population (fewer 17 year olds)
“Total fertility rate, Canada and the United States, 1940-2000.” 1/Jan.2012.
Statistics Canada.com. Web. 23/Feb/2012.
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
 Coastal institutions and the Prairies have relatively lower
admissions (Dal, UVic, U of C, 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
• 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
3 Application Processes
Canada
US
International
Admission
Grade 12
marks
Grades 9 –
12 marks
Grades 11/12 marks
Counsellor
Teacher
Recommend
Not required
except for
special
programs
One or
Several
letters
Teacher only for UK
Essays/Profil
es
Varies by
Institution
*Required for
Broad Based
Faculties &
Institutions
Almost all
Institutions
require one
or more except state
schools
Short personal statement for UCAS (UK
Application Service)
Usually none
SAT’s and
SAT subject
tests for
most or ACT
UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test), BMAT
(Biomedical Admissions Test),
LNAT(Law National Aptitude Test) for
some
Standardized
Tests
Hong Kong – Teacher reference
Some essays 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 + 4 or 5 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 this year
based on Profile and Grades (Broad Based Admission all
faculties) Trial Year 2011-2012
 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 – 87%
U o f T – low 80%
McGill – 87%
Western – 83%
Queen’s – 80%min /86.4%
Carleton –70%
U Vic – 67% early 75%
U of C—72%
Dalhousie – 70%
Admission Averages – Examples *
Sciences
* Varies from school to school & by faculty
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
UBC 90%
U of T – low 80%
McGill - Physical,Earth Science – 85%
- Biological,Life 90%
Western - 85-86%
Queen’s – 84%min/ 90.1%avg
Carleton –70%
U of C – 80% for Bio Science and 90% for
Neuro Sc
• U of Alberta- 75%
Admission Average* - Examples
Commerce (Business Management)
*Varies from school to school & by faculty
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
UBC—84% plus supplement
U of T—mid 80%
McGill—91%
Western—84% Ivey 90% plus supplement
Queen’s—87%min/91.5%aver grade 2010
Carleton—70%
U of C—78-82%
Uvic – 80%
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 – Nueuro Science – 90%
University of Alberta – no entry for Business from high
school
CHS Admission Stats – CANADA
Institution
UBC
2011
Institution
21 2011 (65)
2010
2010 (55)
16
Concordia
UBC
2009
200919
(52)
2008
2008 (55)10
2
Concordia
1
21
3
2
0
2
2
1
1
Dalhousie
12
McGill 7
1
14
6
7
12
8
2
10
Queens0
U of Toronto SFU
4
U of Victoria U of 1
Toronto
Waterloo
4
Waterloo
Western
5
Western
Other
8
Other
TOTAL
65
7
2
2
2
0
1
3
5
4
1
7
7
1
0
1
4
6
8
3
2
7
55
52
55
Dalhousie
McGill
Queens
SFU
1
5
8
U.S University Program
Grade 11:
 Students write PSAT in October
 Research beginning in the fall of grade 11
 Mandatory interviews with parents & students
 Student self-assessment and resume due in May
of Grade 11 (Naviance)
 Prepare and write SATs in late spring Grade 11 or
early fall Grade 12
 Creation of ‘short list’ schools by April-May to be
discussed and reviewed with university counsellor
U.S University Program
 SAT prep – Naviance purchase of Prep Me will be
available to CHS students in early May 2012, ($100 –
150 fee per student).
 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-SAT in spring of every year
SAT/ACT registration & prep
 Testing dates spring of Grade 11 to fall of Grade 12
 Last SAT 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
The U.S. Application Components
 Grades 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
Teacher Recommendation Letters
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
 School does not provide rank or GPA
SAT Exams (SAT I and SAT II’s)
Registration and Preparation
*Consider 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
*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
2011 (20)
2010 (15)
Berkeley
2
3
Johns Hopkins
1
Cornell
2009 (21)
2008 (16)
4
1
2
Duke
1
1
Georgetown/
George Washington)
1 (Georgetown)
1 (George Wash)
New York University
1
2
2
Rhode Island School of Design
1
1
2
Stanford
1
1
UCLA/USC/UCSB
5 (UCLA) 4 (USC)
1 (UCLA)
1 (USC)
1 (USC) 1
UCSB
Ivy Leagues
3 (Brown, Cornell,
Penn)
1 (Columbia) 1 (Yale)
1 (Princeton)
2(Penn)
1 (Brown)
3 (Columbia)
1 (Harvard)
Other (Rice, Berkley, Wellesley,
etc.)
6 (Chicago, Pitzer,
Scripps, Smith,
UW,
Carnegie Mellon
1 (Wellesley)
5 - Marymount,
Rice,
Berkley, Boston,
Claremont
7 – FIDM,
Chicago,
Pomona
Haverford,
UW, Maine
(2)
2
ADMISSIONS STATS - US
College or University
Overall Admissions
% of students admitted
% International Students
Admitted
CHS **
% of students admitted
Boston
28
2.9
71.4
Brown
9.3
8.4
9.3
Berkeley
22
5.5
18
Cornell
16.7
8.2
20.6
Columbia
10
10.3
20.6
Johns Hopkins
25
6.1
47.0
New York University
32
6.3
40.5
U of Pennsylvania
18
10.3
20.0
Pitzer
26
3.2
100
University of Southern
California
22
4.8
37.8
Stanford
7.3
6.9
8.6
Carnegie Mellon
7.5
8.6
44.4
Wellesley
36
7.7
36.4
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 but on a par
with ending school 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.
Late applications
Jan – June
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
 Complex VISA process
CHS Admissions Stats – UK & International
Institution
2011 (6 students)
Saint Andrews
1 (Medicine)
2010 (6 students) 2009 (11
students)
3 (Medicine)
Edinburgh
2 (International
Relations/Vet)
Oxford
1 (Law)
King’s College
2 (Vet/Psychology)
1 (Law)
1 (Medecine)
Birmingham
1 (Medicine)
1 (Physiotherapy)
Bath
1 (Education)
1 (Sociology)
Brighton
1 (Business)
1 (Business)
Durham
1 (Law)
Sheffield
1 (Medicine)
Saint Georges
1 (Dentistry)
1 (Medicine)
Hong Kong
Other
2008 (3
students)
1 (Law)
3 (Science, Design,
Marine Biology)
1 (General)
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
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
 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
• Student Services – Counselors, Post-Secondary Resource
Room
• CHS Alumni, family & friends
• Book List Available in Handouts
What Next?
•
Students search programs by region, state or province, majors, websites
and viewbooks
•
Consider CHS Couse Seclections for 2012/2013
•
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
Student Panel
And now…a few words from our special guests 
Bavenjit Cheema
Rebecca Smith
Madeleine Armstrong
Alana Gross
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