University Guidance Q & As
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University Guidance Q & As University Guidance Q & As Table of Content The University Guidance Program 5 How does the university guidance program work? What happens in guidance classes? How do students learn about universities and programs? What support do the university guidance counsellors provide? What support does the guidance administrator provide? Transcripts (Getting Grades to Universities and other Post-Secondary 6 Destinations) What is a transcript? What information is shown on a transcript? What transcripts are needed for university or college? My son or daughter attended high school outside of Ontario before coming to LCS. How do I get transcripts for them from their other schools? How does LCS ensure that the marks on the LCS transcript are accurate? How does the transcript get sent to universities and other post-secondary institutions? Marks 7 What marks do universities consider? If universities are looking at Grade 12 marks, what marks do they see (given that the student won’t have final marks until June)? What happens if a student’s grades improve substantially after early February, when interim grades are submitted? What happens if a student’s average drops considerably between February and June? Applications 8 What is required, other than the student’s transcript, to apply to a university or college program? How can a student keep organized about their applications? My son or daughter needs to phone or email someone at a particular university. How should they do this? What should a resume look like? What help is available to prepare a resume? How will my son or daughter know that a portfolio, audition, or interview is required? Who can help my son or daughter prepare a portfolio or get ready for an audition? 1 University Guidance Q & As Applying to Ontario Universities 10 What is the process for applying to Ontario universities? How many universities and programs can a student apply to within Ontario? How long does it take to complete the OUAC application? What happens after the OUAC application is submitted? What if a student changes his mind and wants to apply to a different program after the application has been submitted? May students apply to more than one program at the same university? Are supplementary applications important? Why do the universities want all this information? Will anyone read it? How important is the deadline on the supplementary application form? Does it really matter if it is submitted late? When will Ontario universities let students know whether or not they have been accepted? When will that conditional offer of admission become final? When can a student really be sure he is in? How do Ontario universities know where to reach a student once he has left Lakefield? Applying to Community Colleges 13 Why would a student want to apply to a community college? What is the process for applying to a community college? Applying to Out-of-Province Universities within Canada 13 Why would a student want to apply to a university outside of Ontario? How does a student apply to an out-of-province institution? How are students’ transcripts sent to an out-of-province institution? Students applying to Ontario universities use their OUAC number when contacting universities. What reference number do they use when contacting out-of-province universities? What else might be needed for an out-of province application? What are the deadlines for out-of-province applications? How do out-of-province universities get a student’s final transcript? Applying to American Universities 15 What support does the Guidance Office offer for students applying to American universities? How can a student arrange to write the SATs? Where can parents find out more information about American schools? What do American schools consider in the admissions process? How do students apply to American schools? What are the deadlines for American schools? 2 University Guidance Q & As Applying to Schools in the United Kingdom 17 What support does the Guidance Office offer for students applying to universities in the United Kingdom? Where can parents find more information about British schools? What do British schools consider in the admissions process? How do students apply to British schools? What are the deadlines for applications to British schools? Applying to Schools in Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and Other Countries 19 What is the process for applying to international universities outside the US and UK (for example, in Europe, Mexico, Australia/New Zealand, Korea)? Applying for Scholarships 19 What average does a student need to earn a scholarship at a Canadian university? How does a student apply for a scholarship? How can a student find out about major scholarships that require applications? Applying for Financial Aid (within Canada) 20 How does a student begin the process of seeking financial aid? Applying for Residence 21 Is it important to live in residence during first year? How does a student apply for residence? Are there any students who get preferential treatment for residence? Or are spaces awarded on a first-come, first-served basis? What if a student doesn’t get into residence? What about living off campus, or at home? Arranging/Taking a University Tour 22 Why should a student take a university tour? How can a student book a university tour? What should a student do on a campus tour? Accepting a University Offer 24 How does a student accept an offer? What if a student has several offers, and can’t decide which to choose by the deadline? What should she do? How does a student ensure that a final transcript is sent to the university she has accepted? 3 University Guidance Q & As What if a student is placed on a wait list for her first choice? Or if a decision about her application is deferred until June grades are received? Deferring a University Offer 26 Is it possible to defer an offer of admission until next year? How is this done? What about any scholarships offered? Can a student take a year off and still keep a scholarship? What if a student needs help getting transcripts to university or completing applications while taking a year off? Taking a Gap Year 26 What if a student wants to take a year off? What options are available besides university? What is the British Alumni Travelling Scholarship? How does a student apply? 4 University Guidance Q & As The University Guidance Program How does the university guidance program work? In their Grade 12 year, all LCS students are assigned to a guidance counsellor and to a guidance class. Students work with their guidance counsellor, both in guidance classes and in individual meetings, to research university and program choices and to apply to universities and other post-secondary institutions. What happens in guidance classes? Guidance classes begin in September of the student’s Grade 12 year. The students: are introduced to tools for exploring post-secondary schools and programs; are provided with an overview of the application process; are aided in the development of a list of schools/programs to which the student wishes to apply; are supported in completing the applications (including applications to Ontario universities, Ontario community colleges, out-of-province universities and international universities); are supported in completing any supplementary applications required. How do students learn about universities and programs? There are many online tools available to investigate university options, and students are introduced to these tools in guidance class. There is also a substantial amount of print material (books, viewbooks, university calendars) available for students to peruse in the Guidance area of the Learning Commons. Students are also required to participate in a one-day university visit, and to attend presentations offered at Lakefield by various Canadian, American, and British university recruiters. What support do the university guidance counsellors provide? University guidance counsellors direct students toward resources, support them in the completion of their applications and supplementary applications, and counsel them individually on programs and universities. They review students’ marks with them on a regular basis to ensure that students will have the qualifications needed for the programs to which they have applied. University guidance counsellors work with the LCS guidance administrator to ensure that relevant documents (transcripts, TOEFL scores, etc) are sent to the appropriate institutions. What support does the guidance administrator provide? The Guidance Administrator ensures that transcripts and other required documentation from LCS are sent to the institutions to which the student has applied. If a student is wondering about whether a particular document has been sent, he can check with the guidance administrator, who maintains a file for each student indicating what material has been mailed or couriered by the school. 5 University Guidance Q & As Transcripts What is a transcript? A transcript is a student’s personal academic record of all the courses she has successfully completed in secondary school. Universities and other post-secondary institutions nearly always require a student’s original transcript (with the school’s stamp and seal) to consider a student for admission. What information is shown on a transcript? The Ontario transcript issued by LCS shows not only the student’s final marks, but also which courses were compulsory and the total number of credits and compulsory courses completed. A full transcript (30 credits, including 18 compulsory credits) is required before a student can receive an O.S.S.D., or Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The Ontario transcript also indicates whether a student has finished the required number of community service hours and has successfully passed the Ontario Literacy Test. These requirements must also be met before a student can receive an OSSD. What transcripts are needed for university or college? Students who have attended high school from Grade 9 to 12 in Ontario will require only the LCS Ontario transcript.