Embedded Files
Here are just some of the valuable resources and pieces of information that will help you understand how Brentwood University Counselling supports you with your US College Applications.
Here are just some of the valuable resources and pieces of information that will help you understand how Brentwood University Counselling supports you with your US College Applications.
Grade 12:
Grade 12:
Grade 11:
Grade 11:
US Applicants
US Applicants
USA Sundays Workshops have wrapped up for the spring!
USA Sundays Workshops have wrapped up for the spring!
To review any of the presentation from previous USA Sundays Workshop sessions... please see the presentation slides available on the Presentations page under Student Resources section of this website.
Summer Tasks
Summer Tasks
What US Applicant MUST get done before returning to Brentwood in September
- Continue drafting your Personal Essays... and your Supplemental Essays
You should return from the summer with a near-Final Draft!
Once your Schools have been added to the CommonApp and you have reveiwed the Supplemental Essay requirements, have those drafted, too!
- Refining your College List.
You will be going into the summer with 15-20 schools that you are seriously considering. You should be refining that list to have 3-4 schools in each of the Safety, Target, and Reach categories.
- Getting your Common Application DONE!
You are able to create your Common Application account now and Roll it Over (After August 1) for the fall. Over the summer you need to focus on:
Entering all biographical and academic information. When there is something you don't know, either skip it or enter in filler that you will correct later
Adding Schools. Once your schools are added, you can begin to answer their specific questions and, most importantly, discover what Supplemental Writing they require! But don't add schools until after August 1... their material may change with the Rollover.
WARNING: If you do not return from summer with all of this done, you will already be behind in September!
WARNING: If you do not return from summer with all of this done, you will already be behind in September!
US Personal Essay: the CommonApp Essay Prompts
US Personal Essay: the CommonApp Essay Prompts
One of the big tasks that US Applicants have is to look at the CommonApp Essay Prompts and to pick one for their First Essay Draft. The CommonApp Prompts from this past admissions cycle are (and they are unlikely to change):
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Registering for the SAT
Registering for the SAT
Registation for the 2025-2026 SATs is now open!
Registation for the 2025-2026 SATs is now open!
Please make an appointment with your University Counsellor for help with getting registered.
Testing Schedule for the SAT
Testing Schedule for the SAT
Regardless of how you are preparing for the SAT, you need to get your testing schedule organized. What we recommend for all Brentwood students is:
1st sitting of the SAT = March (or May) 2025 (Grade 11)
2nd sitting of the SAT = May (or June or August) 2025 (Grade 11)
3rd sitting of the SAT, if needed = September 2025 (a brand new testing date!) or October 2025 (Grade 12)
Not every student needs to sit the SAT three times, but virtually all students will take it 2 or 3 times.
Many Schools Have Extended Their "Test Optional" Admissions Policies... While Others Have Not
Many Schools Have Extended Their "Test Optional" Admissions Policies... While Others Have Not
We continue to see schools announce that they are extending their Test Optional admission policies through to the (Class of) 2026 admissions cycle. It would seem that the foothold that standardized testing has had in the admissions process is loosening... and this may alter the approach that students take to the whole process.
At the same time, there are some schools who have returned to requiring the Standardized Testing for Admissions, so it will very much depend on where you eventually apply. Indeed, there was big news from University of Pennsylvania recently annouced the return of their standardized testing requirement.
We still encourage students to consider the SAT as part of their approach to applying to schools in the US, but the landscape will certainly be predominantly Test Optional for you when you apply next year.
Testing Accommodations for the SAT
Testing Accommodations for the SAT
Do you get testing accommodations at Brentwood because of an IEP? If you believe you might be eligible for accommodations for the SAT, then you need to submit an application with the CollegeBoard for them. You need to see Ms Rogers in the Learning Centre as she must submit the application and required documentation to see if you qualify for accommodations. They are not guaranteed!
General TASKS & TIMELINES (Grade 12):
General TASKS & TIMELINES (Grade 12):
Recommendation Letters
Recommendation Letters
Most US schools will require the submission of Recommendations Letters from Teachers and a Counsellor.
Come into University Counselling to discuss which teachers you would like to ask for a Recommendation Letter. We can then discuss the process of requesting and inviting them to do so. You will need to fill out a Student Request Form for EACH Teacher from whom you are seeking a Recommendation Letter, and you will see those teachers IN PERSON to make you request, offer this form, and discuss what the information you provided. The form is below or hard copies are available in the University Counselling office.
SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THE REQUEST FORM...
In the CommonApp, please Invite your assigned Counsellor to complete the Counsellor Recommendation and Invite and Assign the Teachers who agree to provide Letters. Come into University Counselling for assistance if you need it.
There are no Recommendation Letters required for your UC application... that is the notable exception!
Applicant Autobiography
Applicant Autobiography
All applicants who must have a Counsellor Recommendation Letter submitted will need to complete the Applicant Autobiography process. SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THE APPLCIANT AUTOBIOGRAPHY...
The CommonApp
The CommonApp
Your Common Application should be almost completely filled in by now, and you certainly have added schools and discovered what supplemental writing you need to complete. Get on with scheduling the tasks ahead!
Please share your login credentials by entering them into the University Counselling Logins Form.
Early Decision/Early Action
Early Decision/Early Action
If you are planning on submitting an Early Decision or Early Action application that has a November 1 as its Due Date, then make sure your DO DATE for completing all of your application material is October 1. Then you will have plenty of time to have it all thoroughly reviewed in the University Counselling office before we submit it with you.
And ED/EA applications with a November 15 Due Date will have a DO DATE of October 15.
You MUST ensure that we know about your ED/EA plan by your DO DATE, otherwise University Counselling cannot support your application properly!
Other Applications
Other Applications
If you are applying to one or more University of California campuses, you need to complete their own application: My UC Application. Get registered and start filling it out ASAP!
There are many other separate applications to think about... you should already know what application platforms you need to set up accounts with and be completing.
Please share your login credentials by entering them into the University Counselling Logins Form.
English Proficiency
English Proficiency
If your first language is not English, regardless of your citizenship, you inevitably will have to do a test of English Proficiency as part of the admissions process. That would be TOEFL or IELTS... but it might be the much better, cheaper, and easier-to-access Duolingo. Regardless, it is critical that we review the English Proficiency requirements of EACH of your schools to ensure that you have a plan to meet their requirements.
International Certification of Finances
International Certification of Finances
Any non-US citizen will, at some point, have to demonstrate that they have financial resources to pay for at least a year's expenses to attend school in the United States. Some schools require you to submit an International Certification of Finances (official proof of available funds from a financial institution) as part of the admissions process, while others only require it after you are admitted. It is critical that we review the requirements of EACH of your schools to ensure that you have a plan to meet their requirements. Your parents need to stand by to acquire and provide that financial documentation.
General Resources & Documents:
General Resources & Documents:
Teacher Recommendation Request Form
Teacher Recommendation Request Form
When it comes time to ask a teacher for a recommendation letter, it is helpful to provide them more insight into you. Fill out the Student Request Form and provide one to EACH Teacher from whom you are seeking a Recommendation Letter.
US Essays - CommonApp Essay Prompts
US Essays - CommonApp Essay Prompts
Click HERE to access the prompts Grade 11 US Applicants need to reference to draft their personal essay.
Brentwood School Profile
Brentwood School Profile
We send this document to US Colleges (and some international institutions, too) so that they can better understand Brentwood and assess your transcript. Admission Officers use this information to understand who you are as a student in the context of Brentwood... that's how they review your application!
2024-25 School Profile.pdfsample USPR25.pdfBrentwood School Sample US Transcript
Brentwood School Sample US Transcript
This is a sample of a student's midyear transcript that went to US colleges.
US Colleges that are Worth Your Time...
US Colleges that are Worth Your Time...
There are thousands of colleges and universities in the US, but our students do not necessarily apply to them all (thank goodness). Here's a list of those that our students are most interested in and ones that we believe are quality institutions.
Report abuse