NHS College Applicant s Kickoff Presentation With Mrs. Rawding October 9 th, 2013
Who are these 3 beautiful people
and what do they have
in common?
Fame? Fortune? That s not all! Jon Montgomery (Host, The Amazing Race Canada; Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Winter 2010 Skeleton) George Stroumboulopoulos (Host, The Hour; George Stroumbolopoulos Tonight; Stroumboulopoulos on CNN) Cheryl Hickey (ET Canada) ALL THREE ARE ONTARIO COLLEGE GRADUATES!
And you could be too! Why might college be the right choice for you? 100 s of unique career-oriented programs Hands-on, practical, experiential learning Cost-effective option Community based and industry demand-oriented 83% graduate employment rate after 6 months 93% employer satisfaction rate with college grad new hires
Did you know that Colleges offer many varied pathway options for students, e.g. Diplomas (2 or 3 year programs) Certificates (typically 1 year or less) Apprenticeship-oriented programs Bachelor Degrees (4 year programs - just like universities!) Post-graduate certificates
Did you know that. For the past 2 years Humber College has had more students enrolled in 4-year degree programs than either Lakehead or Trent Universities?
Did you know that 75 % of future jobs will require postsecondary education and the majority of these jobs will be geared toward the college graduate
Materials for Grade 12 Students Planning to Apply to College The ontariocolleges.ca Ontario College Handbook NHS Handouts: Introductory Letter from Mrs. Rawding College Application Process Timeline of Key Events Researching College Programs Mrs. Rawding s How To Guide Open House Events List & Financial Aid Information Gr. 12 College Applicant Information Sheet (submit!)
Getting Ready to Apply Research, Research, Research! You have the next two months to finalize your research and determine your college program options! (use the blue handout provided to guide you it is very detailed and outlines important steps for navigating the recommended websites) Review the ontariocolleges.ca website and the ONTARIO COLLEGE HANDBOOK Review the individual college publications/websites Speak with our college representatives/ admissions personnel right here at the NHS post-secondary fair on October 30th! Come prepared to ask questions! Don t be shy!
Why Should You Speak with the College Reps when they come to NHS? Learn about their new program opportunities Get first hand information about their college campus options, residence opportunities, and other important student services offered Receive your very own copies of the college calendars, viewbooks, and other cool stuff Get your questions answered directly network with admissions personnel
Attend an official CIP event: For all CIP events, go to www.ontariocolleges.ca ONTARIO COLLEGE INFORMATION FAIR Direct Energy Centre Exhibition Place, Toronto Monday, October 21, 2013 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 22, 2013 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
contact college liaison reps, faculty advisors, and admissions offices for program information and selection process details schedule a Campus Tour or attend a College Open House event (see list provided) Find out college program prerequisites to make sure you qualify for acceptance! Repeat the research process for every specific college program that might be of interest to you!
Don t be alarmed Ontariocolleges.ca is getting a new look soon:
But they assure us the Find feature will be navigated in the same manner as the current site Contact your guidance counsellor if you have any difficulty with the new site when it is launched In the meantime, let s review how to navigate the current site..
Narrow college program selections to a maximum of five program choices with no more than three choices from one college. Pay particular attention to ALL college program eligibility requirements, including:
College Program Eligibility Requirements: Required secondary school credits Recommended secondary school credits Minimum grade requirements (e.g. 65% in ENG4C) Highly Competitive Program designations
Supplementary eligibility requirements: Audition/interview Resume/reference letter Portfolio Essay Test/questionnaire Work, volunteer, or life experience Medical form Industry certification *Attendance at an information/orientation session*
You are also strongly advised to check out selection process details with the admissions personnel at the individual colleges: What marks are and are not used? How are they used? How much weight is given to the interview? Portfolio? Test? If I am repeating a required course but not until second semester, will you still consider it?
Remember Important things to Note on College Admission Requirements College admission requirements can vary a great deal from college to college, even when the program title is the same. You must repeat the research for every college program you are considering to be certain you will meet their specific admission requirements.
The most commonly required courses for admission to college Diploma Programs are Grade 12 English (ENG4C) Grade 12 Math (MAP4C) Grade 11 or 12 Sciences (SBI3C, SCH4C, SPH4C) Most college diploma programs require college (C) preparation courses to meet specific course admission requirements but will also accept university (U) or university/college (M) courses.
If you wish to take a Collaborative (Joint College- University) Program (e.g. nursing), you must meet the admission requirements for university before you can apply (usually means 6 Grade 12U/M courses), and sometimes application through OUAC is required If you wish to take a Degree Program at college you must meet the admission requirements for university ( 6 Grade 12U/M courses) with a minimum average of 65% to be considered for admission
Thinking about college as a stepping stone towards University study? Most college programs now have agreements in place with specific Universities that allow transfer into specific University programs. The Ontario College-University Transfer Guide is available online and lists articulation agreements, and credit transfer agreements between Ontario Colleges and Universities that will help you plan your pathway options. www.ontransfer.ca
Additional Factors to Consider Career preparation (industry demand = new program) College Size/Location/Distance from home Academic program Co-op opportunities Student life Athletics Residence/Housing options Professors/Instructors/Reputation Scholarship/Bursary opportunities
Additional Factors to Consider? Support for Exceptional Learning Needs Contact the Special Needs Offices at the individual colleges to explore the services available to you. Identify yourself as early in the application process as possible. Language of Instruction There are 3 colleges in Ontario with program instruction in French: Alfred, College Boreal, and La Cite Collegiale
Applying to College Students apply to Ontario s colleges through OCAS the Ontario College Application Service It is an online application accessed at the ontariocolleges.ca website The cost to apply is 95$ (for up to 5 program choices)
Meeting to Review the Online Application We will be meeting again to review important details about completing the online application November 25th, 2013 Period 4 - Newmarket Theatre NOTE: If you are applying to highly competitive programs, you may wish to apply before this date. See your guidance counsellor if you need help.
Note Key Dates: November 25 th NHS college application meeting students will be encouraged to start applying immediately following this meeting! Get your research done before this date! November 26 th earliest date OCAS transmits application data to colleges February 1 st Equal Consideration Date for Fall 2014 Programs
FEBRUARY 1 ST Equal Consideration Deadline An important date for four reasons: applications received at OCAS on or before this date will be given equal consideration in the application process applications (or changes to program choices) received after this date are considered on a first come, first-served basis!
FEBRUARY 1 ST Equal Consideration Deadline cont d earliest date an applicant may receive an offer of admission earliest date an applicant may confirm acceptance of an offer of admission
Highly Competitive Programs for some programs it is projected that the number of qualified applicants will far exceed the number of available seats available for the fall start date these programs have been designated by the colleges as Highly Competitive for these programs applicants MUST apply by February 1 st
Highly Competitive Programs Cont d If applying to Highly Competitive programs, students are encouraged to apply as early as possible as there are often enough qualified applications received by February 1 st to fill the program Typically there will be additional steps you will need time to complete in the application process (e.g. interview, portfolio, etc.) Those applicants with complete applications by the February 1 st deadline will receive offers immediately!
Applying to College cont d Take the time to do thorough research before completing your application Review the handout Timeline of Key Events carefully on your own Consult with the colleges and ask for your guidance counsellor s help if you need it!
Student Data Transmissions to OCAS Note: As a potential college applicant at Newmarket High your student data (demographics, OST-recorded mark history, current & projected course registrations, and both mid-semester and final marks for the current school year) will be included in our school s electronic transmissions to OCAS The first transmission was on October 11 th!
NHS will automatically send your updated marks & grad status on the following transmission dates: November 20 th (mid-semester one) February 11 th (semester one finals) April 25 th (mid-semester two) July 4 th (semester two finals)
Gr.12 College Applicant Information Sheet (Pink) Please take the time to fill it out now and give it to one of our counsellors as you exit the theatre! If you haven t already done so, update your email address in your Career Cruising account as this will be our primary means of communicating with you. Provide an address you check daily!
Research Well Choose Wisely We wish you every success in this endeavour. The NHS Guidance Department