University Admissions

'Tis the season for university and college admissions, and with prom and graduation on the mind of every grade 12 student, I thought I'd take some time to chat about making those critical post-secondary choices...

If your student is anything like many of ours, they are most likely agonizing over a variety of offers and where to go in the fall.  Having worked at the Student Recruitment Office during my undergrad at Queen's, I saw thousands of students anxious about making the right choice for September.  It's a huge responsibility for a young student, and although most are more than capable of making that decision, it sometimes proves paralyzing.  Here are some tips and strategies to help your student through this tough time:

1.  Acknowledge the 'fit' factor: the reputation of a school is not nearly as important as a student's comfort level. Avoid the temptation to choose a school because it is prestigious, hard to get into, or where mom/dad/brother/sister went.  Like private schools, universities/colleges are like shoes - what fits one student really well may not fit another at all.  At the end of the day, the key to academic success will be in finding a fit.

2.  Choose a program that interests the student:  again, don't be tempted by prestige or reputation here.  There are thousands of wonderful careers that can come with a history degree (trust me!) and not everyone on Bay St. went to Ivey or Schulich.  For instance, did you know that David Dennison, the head of the CPP Investment Board, has a B.Ed?  If a student pursues an area of interest they will most likely end up in a career they are interested in as well.

3.  Visit campus!  A shameless plug from a former campus tour guide, but visiting campus is honestly the best way to get a feel for the school.  I honestly chose Queen's because the students looked so happy walking down the streets - silly, but it just felt like I would fit in there.  Many schools are offering extended campus tour hours as deadlines loom.

4.  Begin with the end in mind: help your student to consider different careers that may be of interest to them.  One of my favourite sites is www.jobfutures.ca - it shows the employment trends, education level, average rates of pay, and even gives tips for suggested courses in high school and university.  If a student isn't sure what they want to do, don't stress - there's still time - but if they have a goal in mind this can certainly help them narrow down their field of study.

5.  Consider alternatives: if a student isn't quite ready to go to post-secondary studies in the fall, there are fabulous GAP programs at many schools (some of my favourites are at Neuchatel and Canada College Italy), as well as volunteer abroad programs (Canada World Youth or the Rotary Club's Student Ambassador Program), or even transition programs at universities.  This extra year of life experience is often exactly what the student needs to value and appreciate his/her educational opportunities and not squander first year.

6.  Go with your gut: lastly, most students know what they want, and often just need reassurance to follow their instincts.  Discussion as a family about these decisions is often all they need.