This Week In University Counselling: Grade 11

february 16-26

Appointments to see a university counsellor

To see one of the University Counsellors, you must make an appointment using our on-line booking system.

To book an appointment, you need to be logged into the Brentwood system through your school email account. Also, you must ensure that you have opened your Google Calendar at least once to ensure that the times between the two systems are in sync.

To access our on-line appointment system, click HERE to go to the correct page on the University Counselling website... 

Although we shouldn’t have to tell you, do not make an appointment during a class—academic, arts or athletics—you cannot skip to attend a University Counselling appointment!

Grade 12 COurse selections

If your parents completed the re-enrolment process for next year, you were instructed to complete and submit your Course Selections for Grade 12 over the recent February midterm. Nearly 2/3 of those students eligible to submit Course Selections have done so. THE REST OF YOU: GET ON WITH IT!!

"What Do I Do Now?"

Now, take some time to discuss your selections with your Advisors, your Houseparents, and any teachers who might be able to offer insight into your potential for success in the courses you have selected.

"What if I Want to Make Changes?"

If you want to make any changes to your selections, the Course Registration Form remains open to you to go back into and edit your selections. It will remain open until the end of the term.

"Should I Come to See a University Counsellor Now to Review my Course Selections?"

If you are ready to confirm your Course Selections, then, Yes! 

Everyone will be required to meet a University Counsellor during the spring term to confirm course selections. If you are still considering your options, then you can wait to have that appointment. Regardless, be sure you have submitted the Course Selection Form!

If you are coming in to review and confirm your Course Selections, please be sure to bring your laptop or a device on which you can access the Course Selection Form. If we need to make changes, it is better that they are done through your access of the Form.

"Can I Come into University Counselling to Ask a Question?"

If you have any questions for us, then, Yes!

Of course, we are happy to see you if you have questions regarding courses for next year. Please be mindful, however, that we are still busy with the Grade 12s and their university applications, so try to find answers to your questions on the Course Selection website first.

"Where Can I Review Course Information Again?"

You can return to the Course Selection website for course information. You can also access PDF slides of the presentation offered to the Grade 11 class, you may find them in the Presentations section of Student Resources on this website.

interested in applying to colleges in the united states?

"USA Sundays" Workshop Series for US Applicants

With the work for the Grade 12s done with respect to their US applications, it's time to shift our attention to the Grade 11s. Our first meeting as a group for US Applicants is coming: 

Sunday, February 18 in the Foote Field House, 7:30-8:30 pm 

During this first session, we will map out some of the key tasks for the next couple of months for anyone serious about applying to colleges and universities in the US.

As the US admissions process is the most involved, we want to get you as prepared as possible. The way we do that is by taking careful approach over time. We are going to get in the habit of meeting as a cohort—all US applicants in Grade 11—on Sunday evenings… “USA Sundays!” Not every Sunday, but the workshop series will include AT LEAST FIVE (5) sessions this spring.

If you intend on being a US Applicant, now is the time to get serious and commit to the process. Your attendance to these "USA Sundays" sessions IS mandatory.

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) 2025 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 Dartmouth College recently about the return of their standardized testing requirement. If this the beginning of a major shift... perhaps!

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.

Registering for your first SAT

Some Grade 11s who already know that they will definitely will be applying to the US have been asking about the official SAT. As you can see on the Grade 11 Timeline, we recommend that students in Grade 11 take the SAT for the first time in March. The March 2023 date is the first Saturday of spring break... while everyone else leaves on Friday, students who wish to write at Brentwood will be able to stay the Friday night, take the SAT Saturday morning, and then depart for their break. The registration deadline for the March SAT is February 23. Please make an appointment with one of the University Counsellors for help with getting registered.

And while the May and June dates seem a far way off, we have limited space at Brentwood on these dates, so you will want to register early.

The following students are registered to take the upcoming SATs:

March SAT Takers & Travel

As we get closer to the March SAT date, we will be connecting with you to confirm your travel plans. When the SAT has fallen on the first Saturday of spring break like this, we have made arrangements for buses to take our students to the ferries/airport as needed. More to come!

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:

Not every student needs to sit the SAT three times, but virtually all students will take it 2 or 3 times.

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!  

"What's involved in this post-secondary planning process?"

Planning for your post-secondary life after Brentwood can be a confusing and intimidating process... that's why University Counselling is here to be with you every step of the way! For the process to go well, however, you and your parents have to be informed consumers! That means keeping up with information (here on this website), but also anticipating what's to come. How do you do that?

Take some time to review the Timelines section of this website. It will give you and your parents a broad view of what's involved at various stages through the process, now and into the future! Certainly, it will answer questions you have about the critical times that demand action from you!