US College Application Resources
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:
US Applicants... Take note!
The Waiting Game...
Just about every application should be out the door by now, so it is all about the Waiting Game.
While you wait, however, colleges will be communicating with you about the status of your applications and identifying any missing materials or documenation. PLEASE CHECK YOUR APPLICATION STATUS PAGES FREQUENTLY and act on anything that ask you for.
Grade 11:
US Applicants
USA Sundays
Our first USA Sundays Workshop on February 23 was very well attended and shows that there is a lot of enthusiasm for looking at post-secondary options in the United States! If you missed the Workshop, please see the presentation slides available on the Presentations page under Student Resources section of this website. Even if you were in attendance, take some time to review those slides and ensure you have a firm grasp of the messages in them. Ask you parents to review them and then have a discussion with them about the information provided.
As outlined at the Workshop...
US Applicants have a couple of tasks that they need to tackle in the coming weeks:
Confirm your testing plan
Consider your ideas for your Personal Essay based on the CommonApp Essay Prompts
Then, after spring break, US Applicants should be making appointments with their University Counsellor to discuss:
Your approach to Building a College List (thinking about your Priorities, Needs, and Wants...)
Generating an Outline for the First Draft of your Personal Essay.
Reviewing what Official Academic Records the School has on file if you came to Brentwood in either Grade 10 or 11.
The Schedule for the coming USA Sundays workshops after spring break:
April 6 - Essays, Part 1
April 13 - Essays, Part 2
May 4 - Advice from the 12s
May 25 - Building Your College List
Remember, attendance at these USA Sundays Workshops is mandatory for US Applicants.
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
Please make an appointment with your University Counsellor for help with getting registered.
The next SAT will be on Saturday, May 3. The registration deadline for that sitting of the SAT is April 18.
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
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
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):
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
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
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
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
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
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
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:
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
Click HERE to access the prompts Grade 11 US Applicants need to reference to draft their personal essay.
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
This is a sample of a student's midyear transcript that went to US colleges.
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.