Westview Class of 2013 The Road to Graduation

1. Westview Class of 2013The Road to Graduation

2. Agenda For Today: • 1. Provincial Exams • 2. Scholarships • 3. PSI • 4. Post Secondary Options • 5. Post Secondary Entrance Requirements • 6. Applying to Post Secondary  • 7. Questions?

3. Tips and Advice to Ponder • Pay attention to the daily announcements •  Visit the career center to see Mr. Embree or Ms. Peck •  Attend as many post secondary information sessions as possible •  Consider applying to more than one post secondary institution •  Write the LPI if needed before you graduate •  Apply for Scholarships and Bursaries • Finish Your Grad Transitions • Stay organized • Use your agenda or a planner

4. Things that you should do sooner rather than later!!! • Check with the counsellor to ensure you have met ministry requirements for graduation. • Check the Grad list to ensure you are meeting school expectations in order to attend ceremonies in June. • Meet with the counsellor or visit the career center to discuss any questions about post secondary or career plans. • Register for Post Secondary institutions through ApplyBC.ca • Apply for a SIN number if you do not have one yet. • ESL students. Check post secondary institutions about language requirements and look to write the TOEFL exam.

5. Things to be doing continued • Check post secondary admission dates, courses, programs, scholarships, housing, visits, open-houses, and most importantly - deadline dates!!! • Example: University of the Fraser Valley opened up taking applications October 1st. SFU opens on October 15th. Some other key institutions are now taking applications or doing so soon. UBC starts to close up their early application process in December!!! • Begin your personal file: reference letters, personal letters, resume, copies of all documents, etc. (note: students new to Canada require certified copies of immigration papers for post-secondary applications) • Book an appointment with the Career Center if you need help applying. • DO NOT give mis-information on any application form

6. Timeline: December • Major scholarships and Bursaries arrive at the school. Visit the following website to download your information package: http://www.sd42.ca/student-financial-awards • Plan for a spring visit to your post-secondary institution • Review the post secondary application process • UBC - New this year…deadline is January 31st for both campuses. Be aware, there are some December deadlines. • Most Eastern Universities Deadline is in January. All Ontario Universities the deadline is early January 

7. Timeline: January/February • Due date for applications for SFU and UVIC: Feb 28th,2012 • If looking for accommodations on campus, register early for housing at post-secondary institutions • If working on scholarship and bursary packages, spend time to see Mr. Grill, Mr. Embree, and Ms Peck to get assistance. Do not wait until the last minute. • Ask teachers for reference letters EARLY for post secondary and scholarship packages. • If struggling or doing poorly in classes, get assistance from teachers. • Ensure all is going well in Grad Transitions and you are on track to complete early, if possible!!!

8. Provincial Exams What is different effective September 2011??? •  All optional provincial exams have been eliminated • For graduation purposes student will only need to write the following provincial exams • English 10 • Math 10 • Science 10 • Social Studies 11 or First Nations 12 • English 12 or Communications 12 (worth 40% of final mark)

9. Financial Aid • Grade 11 & 12 marks are often considered. • You may get money for many reasons: grades, involvement in school, volunteer work, financial need, parent association with organizations… • You must APPLY to be eligible • Ensure you have a Social Insurance Number • For student loans, visit the following sites:  www.canlearn.ca; www.studentaidbc.ca

10. Scholarships & Bursaries • Grade 12’s should now be aware of scholarship and bursary details through the school district website. Information was provided on announcements as well as in Grad Transitions. For more info: http://www.sd42.ca/student-financial-awards • Students should be aware that money is available as follows: 1. External Scholarships 2. University Entrance Scholarships 3. Passport to Education 4. Provincial Scholarships 5. Local Scholarships 6. District Scholarships and Bursaries

11. Scholarships outside of School District 42 • External Scholarships: • Many scholarships are offered by various financial institutions. You just need to learn about them!!! • Some sites to visit would be: www.scholarships.ca, www.scholarshipscanada.com, www.studentawards.com • University Entrance Scholarships: • Many post secondary institutions offer financial incentives in the form of money awards towards tuition at their institution. • To receive this money, some is based on academic achievement, while some is based on filling out application forms. • For more details, see the scholarship board outside the computer lab.

12. Example: studentawards.com • A website constructed to assist Canadian students learn about and access scholarship opportunities. • http://www.studentawards.com/Success-Stories.aspx • They also put on webinars to assist students with tips on how to write scholarship essays and put packages together. The next one is in early December: • http://www.studentawards.com/Educators/News-and-Updates.aspx

13. Everyone Can Apply!!!

14. Government Sponsored Scholarship Passport to Education • To be eligible you must be a Canadian Citizen or Landed Immigrant: • Grade 10 - $250 • Grade 11 - $250 • Grade 12 - $500

15. Provincial Scholarship Program • Please Note: As of this year, optional provincial exam scores are no longer being used for Scholarship purposes. • As of September 1, 2011, to be eligible for scholarships, students: • Must achieve a “B” or higher in either English 12 or Communications 12 (combined school and exam mark) • Must achieve at least one “A” and three “B”s on four of his/her best provincial exams (Language Arts 12, Socials 11, First Nations 12, English 10, Science 10, Math 10) • Please be aware that examination re-write rules will be relaxed for this year in order to improve scores. Ask for info!

16. Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District Awards GENERAL REQUIREMENTS • Grade 12 student attending a secondary school in Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows. • Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident • Have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

17. School District Awards and Bursaries (Category A) • Sponsored by organizations and individuals within our community exclusively for students in SD42. • Students must have taken at least one course with the school district this current year. • Students may apply for as many of these awards as they wish, as long as they meet the criteria. • Please check and be aware of the specific requirements for each award.

18. Category A Checklist • Student application packages must include: • A complete application form (see appendix B) • A personal statement describing the applicant • A BC Diploma Verification report listing all grade 10, 11, and 12 courses completed or in progress. • Two reference letters from different sources. • Specific documentation which may be required by the reward sponsors.

19. Category A Checklist (with Bursary) • If applying for a bursary, the package should include all items listed about, as well as: • A complete bursary financial information form (Appendix C) • A personal statement explaining specific circumstances that are unique to you • A testimonial statement from a parent/guardian regarding your financial need. ****Statements can be up to one and a half pages, in font Times New Roman, using 1.5 spacing.

20. Application Due date • Please note, all district awards must be submitted to the School District office by the start of April. For this Reason • All District Award application packages must be submitted to Mr Grill in the Counselling office by Tuesday , March 26that the latest!!! (early applications are appreciated)

21. Dogwood District Award • These awards are available for Westview students only. • Approximately 10 awards worth $1000 dollars each. • Consist of a $500 dollar cheque and a $500 dollar voucher to be used for post secondary tuition. • The awards recognize excellence in areas other than academic fields. These areas are: • Fine Arts, Applied Skills, Physical Activity, or Second Languages • Dogwood packages are submitted to the school and a committee made up of Westview staff decides who the best candidates are.

22. Dogwood Award Checklist • All candidates must submit a portfolio explaining their project submission • All projects must demonstrate exceptional workmanship and design. • Consideration is giver for involvement in school and community initiatives. • Attributes such as attendance, attitude, punctuality, and work habits are reviewed. • Applicants must have at least one Grade 12 course in their selected field of expertise. • All candidates should have a “B” average in their area. • All applicants should have an average of C+ in their grade 12 year.

23. Timeline for Submission. • The date for the school to make recommendations to the School District office is the end of April. For this Reason • All District Award application packages must be submitted to Mr Grill in the Counselling office by Tuesday, March 26that the latest!!! (early applications are appreciated)

24. Scholarships! I’m Interested!!!Now what do I do??? It is never too early to start planning. Get going this weekend • Visit The school District page dealing with last year’s scholarships. They will be the same. • Start doing key word searches on the web: • ex. Scholarships, Canada,high school, B.C. • Visit the career center or talk to a counsellor. • Talk about this in Grad Transitions/Ms. Young • Follow Mrs. Young at: http://gradtranssyoung.posterous.com/ • See Mr Embree/Ms. Peck in the Career Center

25. Still feeling overwhelmed and unsure as to how to proceed? • There is a website that is dedicated to helping students to prepare for post-secondary. • It is called Schoolfinder.com:http://www.schoolfinder.com/ • The site offers tips and advice on choosing a school once you leave high school. • It has a specific link which offers tutorials on how to write scholarship packages, as well as a webinar. • http://www.schoolfinder.com/events/event.asp?URL=index&SortOrder=StartDate&SortBy=ASC&id=366&EventTopicAll=All&FilterDateY=&FilterDateM

26. Do Not Waste this Opportunity • Please take the chance to apply for scholarships, bursaries, and awards seriously • Each year, thousands of dollars in potential awards go unclaimed as students do not apply for them. • There is some form of financial reward/assistance out there for everyone. You just need to find it and apply!!!

27. Thinking about the Future • A few facts to consider when thinking about post-secondary: • Over 50% of students today will be self-employed, or work for themselves. • Over our lifetimes, it is predicted that the average Canadian will change careers seven times on average. • Some of the most popular jobs today did not exist five years ago. Top jobs that will be found five years from now likely do not exist as we will come to know them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqhUrXhaAM&list=UUd4ecg2XqqWdkaVsxfXIqkw&index=9&feature=plcp

28. High school applications to Post Secondary: Marks • Many universities are now using self-reported grades. This gives them an early indication as to how students are doing in their high school courses. A key time for students to use the self-reporting system is often the month of March.  • In February, students in programs requiring final and/or interim grades will be sent instructions on how to submit grades. They are to provide marks using the most recent report, or estimate their grades based on current feedback they have discussed with their teachers. Please encourage students to be accurate when self-reporting.

29. Post Secondary Education at University of Fraser Valley • General Admissions: • Graduation • Language Arts 11 and 12 • Socials 11 • Principles of Math 11 • Science 11 **Note: No Language 11 • Entrance Admissions: • Students are accepted in order of application date • With such programs, you need only match the minimum requirements. • Some programs accept students based on a competitive basis. • For competitive programs, you must learn what the minimum requirements are and meet or exceed these requirements.

30. Post Secondary Education at Simon Fraser University • General Admission: • Graduation • English 11 & 12 • Socials 11 • Pre-calculus 11 or Foundations of Math 11 • Language 11 (beginner language 11 or higher) • Science 11 • Entrance Averages: • Based on 4 Grade 12 Courses • English 12 • 3 other academic 12’s BC First Nations Studies 12 , English Lit 12, French 12, German 12, History 12, Japanese 12, Principles of Math 12, Spanish 12, Biology 12, Chemistry 12, Geography 12, Geology 12, Physics 12, Mandarin 12 • Plus (New in 2012): Calc 12, Comp Civ 12, Economics 12, Law 12 • Note: SFU Accepts Language Challenge exams for admission purposes. • In recent years, admissions averages have ranged from 82% to 90%.

31. SFU Quantitative Requirements • 70% minimum in Pre-calculus 11, Foundations of Math 11, Pre-Calculus 12 or Foundations of Math 12 depending on the program applying to. • Note: Many science based programs require students to have Pre-calculus 12. OR • 60-69% in the Math 11 or 12 courses listed above, plus a score of at least 20/30 on a diagnostic skills test (Q Placement test) at SFU before beginning their quantitative courses OR • 60-69% in Math 11 or 12 plus completion within your 1st year a Foundations of Analytical and Quantitative Reasoning course with a grade of C or better before beginning quantitative courses at SFU

32. SFU English Language Skills Requirements • 75% or higher in English 12 OR  •  A grade of 60-74% in English 12 plus a score of 4 on the essay section of the LPI exam and a minimum score of 50% on all other parts of the LPI exam OR  •  A grade of 60-74% in English 12 plus within your 1st year, completion of a Foundations in Academic Literacy course with a C or higher

33. SFU Program Requirements • Please note that in addition to the information provided you will need to research the specific requirements for each faculty/program as there are additional requirements For example: • All programs in Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences require English 12 and three other approved grade 12 courses. • Most programs in the Faculty of Science require Chemistry 11, Physics 11, English 12, Principles of Math 12 and two approved science 12 courses

34. SFU Diverse Qualifications • There is a possible admissions option for students who do not meet competitive admission standards. • These may be students who meet the minimum requirements, but struggle academically. • They may submit a personal information profile (online) and one reference letter for consideration. • For info on this more holistic approach, visit: students.sfu.ca/admission/requirements

35. First Year Experience options at SFU Surrey campus • SFU has now created 4 special programs designed for first year students to assist with the transition from school to university: • Explorations • Global Issues FCL • Social and Behavioural Issues FLC • Crim One • Benefits: • These programs have small classroom settings. • Allow for the exploration of new and varied interests • Priority registration in courses at the Surrey campus • Close knit academic and social community (act like a pod) • Come with special advising support and smoother transition

36. Post Secondary Education: University of Victoria General Admission Requirements •  Admission Averages are based on English 12 and three additional approved academic grade 12 courses • Grade 11 requirements English 11, Social Studies 11, Math 11, an Academic Science 11 (Bi 11, Ch 11, E. Sc 11, Ph 11), Fine Arts 11, a Language 11 •  An approved language 11 required only for the Faculty of Humanities and Fine Arts. • (For a list of approved courses, visit the website) http://web.uvic.ca/calendar2009/FACS/UnIn/UnAd/UCYe1ARBSSG.html

37. Post Secondary Education: University of Victoria NEW Effective May 2012 Academic Writing Requirement • To ensure that you have an opportunity to develop the advanced literacy skills expected at the university level, all undergraduate students enrolled in a degree program are required to complete a 1.5 unit AWR-designated course • To be exempted from taking this course: • score of at least 86% on the BC English 12 Provincial Examination

38. University of B.C. General Admission Grade 11 Course Requirements: • English 11 • Social Studies 11 • Math 11 • A Language 11 • an Academic Science 11 (Bi 11, Ch 11, E. Sc 11, Ph 11) • Beginner’s is not accepted, External Lang 11 is accepted • Language requirement is not needed for UBC Okanagan • Language Challenge Courses: • Are not accepted for admission purposes • They can be used to satisfy general admission requirement such as a language 11 or language 12 requirement for the Faculty of Arts Degree program

39. UBC Continued • New Approved Grade 12 Courses: • In addition to the existing academic gr. 12 courses the following have been approved for this coming year • Calculus 12 • Economics 12 • Law 12 • Please note at this time UBC is not accepting Comparative Civilizations 12

40. UBC Continued Are Distance Learning Courses accepted by UBC? • If you are currently enrolled in a online course you are asked to report it on the list of courses you will complete this year. •  You are asked not to put in a GRADE. UBC will only look at grades for online courses that are sent to Ministry directly from the online school you are completing the course with. • If taking an online course 50% of the course must be completed by April 1st in order to be used in an admission average.

41. UBC Language Needs • ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIRMENTS: • 1. The English Language Admissions Standard (ELAS) • May be met by being in school in Canada for 3 years consecutively, up to and including grade 12 • If not it is possible to meet this requirement in other ways. Go to https:// you.ubc.ca/ubc/vancouver/elas.ezc • Or see pg. 40 in the UBC viewbook. (Toefl, Ielts) • 2. Final Grade of 70% Grade 11 or 12 English (including provincial exam) • https://you.ubc.ca/ubc/vancouver/cdnhs.ezc

42. UBC Language Needs 3. Language Proficiency Index (LPI): • This is a registration requirement before you can enroll in your first year English course • Exemption from the LPI requirement is determined according to the following criteria: • Interim grade of 80% in En 12 (April 2013 Report Card) or a final grade of 75%. (Class mark or blended, whichever is higher) • Completing the Faculty of Arts Degree Program (BA, BFA, BMUS). These students will enroll in a mandatory first year writing requirement course

43. New Application Requirement NEW THIS YEAR!!! • Admission is no longer calculated on English 12 plus 3 other approved grade 12 courses • UBC is now taking a holistic view towards admissions • It will now be less transparent as to what it takes to get into UBC. Top marks are not the only priority. • Weighting of grades vs. personal profile is unknown at this time. Likely it will be different depending on the faculty you are applying to

44. UBC Scholarships • Students are no longer nominated for the award. • Students will be automatically considered for a Major Entrance Scholarship if they apply to UBC through the online application by December 10th, 2012. • This is the only way to apply for a Major Entrance Scholarship

45. University Transfer Option • Many students choose to visit a college first before heading to University. Students do this because: • College is often cheaper and saves money. • Classes are often smaller and more supportive. • It makes for an easier transition. • Colleges are often closer to home. • Teaching is tailored more to student needs. • Students may take up to 60 SFU credits (3 credit courses) or up to 30 UBC credits (1.5 credit courses) on a univeristy transfer program. Usually 2 years

46. When applying to Post Secondary Institutions • Be careful – each institution has different math, language, English and other course pre-requisites. • Be aware that each institution has it’s own application deadline. They do not accept lates!!! • Understand that the 4 research based universities have minimum requirements, and actual marks may need to be higher. The other institutions are education-based and students are only required to meet the minimum standard • Check with your counsellor or Career Centre if in doubt.

47. Applying to Post Secondary Schools of the Future??? • If Post-Secondary is not in your immediate future, please be aware of upcoming changes to the future application process. • From a newspaper article as of January 24, 2012 UBC hopefuls have to build a 'personal profile’. Students who hope to qualify for the University of B.C. will now have to excel in the school of life in addition to acing their Grade 12 exams. • Students who hope to qualify for the University of B.C. will now have to excel in the school of life in addition to academic success. • The university is expanding its use of broad-based admissions - an application process based both on grades and personal experiences to all under-graduate program applicants in Vancouver this year. • What UBC does often becomes the template for other institutions.

48. PSI Online Post Secondary Institution (PSI) Selections • It is important that all Grade 12 students planning to attend a post secondary institution after graduation complete this document. Institutions can then access grades and final transcripts from the BC Ministry of Education • PSI selections must be submitted by April 30th for Interim transcript information to be forwarded to BC and Ontario post secondary institutions. • For Final transcript information to be sent to PSI's, students must submit their PSI selections by June 30th. • The PSI Selection form is available online. Students can access this online form by logging into the student secure Web site. Logging on and selecting your institutions will be completed in Grad Transitions.

49. A final video to give us thoughts to ponder • How Grads may wish to view their future career directions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru_VRqf_s0Q&feature=plcp

50. Questions??? Please visit the Career Center or the Counselling Department