Post-secondary focus starts early
Post-secondary focus starts early as schools help prepare students for the future
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Sitting at a table at West Island College, Maggie Wang sports a Queen’s University sweatshirt and sips a giant mug of tea. The Grade 12 student is battling a cold while fretting over her English exam results, second-guessing an essay answer.
But it’s a good bet Wang has nothing to worry about. She’s sent out university applications to study finance, already receiving an offer from Queen’s in Kingston, Ont., — along with a scholarship nomination. The student is also awaiting word from UBC, the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto.
These schools aren’t just abstract concepts to Wang — she’s visited all of them. It’s part of what West Island College does to prepare students for life after high school.
“They take us on a trip to University of Waterloo, Western, Queen’s, McGill, the University of Ontario. You get to know what campuses you like, and which you don’t,” Wang says.
In grades 11 and 12, students participate in three- to four-day long tours of post-secondary schools in Eastern Canada, alternating Ontario and Quebec one year with Atlantic Canada the next. The intent is to encourage students to consider different educational options, says Steve Smith, director of post-secondary advising and placement at West Island College.
“We like to tell kids to apply to one (school) that may seem a bit out of reach but is still a good goal that is attainable, and then one that is more within their reach,” he says.
Both Wang and her schoolmate, Aleem Virji, a Grade 11 student, are enrolled in West Island College’s business institute (there are also health sciences and engineering institutes). Available to students as early as Grade 7, these institutes offer enrichment through career-focused curriculum guided by an advisory panel from fields related to the particular institute. The students explore different occupations and interact with professionals within them, participate in hands-on activities and job shadowing and become involved in challenges and competitions.
Virji’s experience in the business institute investing and managing stocks has him hoping to go into investment banking. “I’d like to do my undergrad in Canada at Western, Queen’s or McGill. My dream graduate school is Columbia,” he says.
Staff begin to advise students on planning for post-secondary starting in Grade 10, discussing grade gains and other criteria university admissions may take into account, and encouraging research on prospective schools.
In grades 11 and 12, students learn about building a broad portfolio beyond grades such as leadership activities, volunteering, travelling and crafting personal statements that highlight their experiences and challenges, which some schools give equal weight with grades.
West Island College also has an extensive travel studies program involving optional international trips that often involve doing humanitarian projects, which can boost college applications.
“We also meet with them for one-on-one interviews, talk about their plans and see if there is a realistic fit, (then) advise them into other programs or strategies if they have a high goal. We look for different scholarship options as well,” Smith says.
Accessing guidance and career counsellors in high school is one way to gear up for getting into the university or college of your choice, says Alice MacKichan, director of admissions and recruitment at Mount Royal University.
She also recommends attending open houses, applying during early admission and meeting with a recruitment officer to clarify the application process.
“Students are prioritized for admission based on their admission average or GPA first,” MacKichan says, adding they must also be successful in the interviews and submit portfolios required by some programs.
ABOUT THIS CONTENT: This story was produced by the Calgary Herald special projects department as a result of advertisers’ interest in raising awareness about this subject. Advertisers were not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication.
