This Week In University Counselling: Grade 12
start of year-september 18
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 University Counselling Orientation presentation
We will be presenting to the Grade 12 Class this Monday, September 11 during the Advisor Meeting Block to introduce you to the University Counselling processes that will be critical this fall.
Please proceed to the Bunch immediately after Cookie Break and ensure that you are seated in the Killy by 9:55 am so that we can start immediately at that time.
course changes
If you need to make changes to your courses, you may stop by University Counselling this week to see if one of us is free if it is a matter of a quick change.
You will be free to make changes up to Saturday, September 16 without having to seek out any permissions.
After September 16, Course Changes are still possible, but...
You will first need to make an appointment with us in University Counselling,
You will need to go through a process whereby permissions from teachers, your Advisor, and your parents will need to be confirmed.
The deadline for all course changes will be October 6.
ALL Grade 12s Need to ‘Check-In’ with University Counselling by Thanksgiving... if not sooner!
We need to see all 159 of you by Thanksgiving to check-in and get an update of your post-secondary plans. It might be a quick meeting that confirms that your plans are exactly the same as they were in the spring of Grade 11, but more likely it will be a somewhat more detailed meeting during which we are able to discuss plans that have been refined over the summer. It is critical that this check-in happen so that we can ensure that you are on the right track with respect to course requirements, the application process, etc.
Please sign up for your appointment sooner rather than later!
University Counselling/CLC Blocks
Your University Counselling blocks will be starting up on Monday, September 18. You are responsible for checking your My Schedule on MySchool to know when your University Counselling block is scheduled.
US Applicants
We're back at school, so it's time for US Applicants to get back in the swing of things!
We hope the summer has been a productive time for you during which you have completed much of the CommonApp and drafting many application essays. (If you haven't, then, frankly, you are WAY behind...)
USA Sundays - Fall Version! - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
We will be starting up the USA Sundays Applicant Workshop series this fall, the first of which will run Sunday, September 17, 7:30-8:30 pm in the Foote Field House.
US Applicants Appointments with Mr Rodrigues - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
This Sunday, September 17, Mr Rodrigues will have appointments for US applicants to use to check-in to provide an update on summer work and the plans for the fall application season. Pleas take advantage of this opportunity to connect to set things in motion a success transition into assembling your applications!
These appointments will run in Mr. Rodrigues' Kitchen in Ogden House on Partridge Road! It will take you less than 10 minutes to walk up to his place! Here's an easy map to 2660 Partridge Road (come in the back door):
Current US Applicants List
Presently, this is our official list of US Applicants:
Max A.
Nathan C.
Isha C.
Estelle d.
Xavier D.
Amy D.
Mimi D.
Gillian D.
Nicolas E.
Taylor E.
Joshua F.
Thomas F.
Paolo F.
Jed G.
Anay G.
Eshwaan G.
Aiden H.
Sophia H.
Ko H.
Zachary H.
Kennedy H.
Serena H.
Nathan K.
Fareena K.
Sam K.
Aisha L.
April L.
Jake L.
Bern M.
Katelyn M.
Cassidy N.
Eliza P.
Anya P.
Hana R.
Hugo S.
Sophie S.
Indira S.
Florence T.
Mea T.
Mason W.
Edith W.
Hinano Y.
Maggie Z.
Yude Z.
Are you no longer applying and should be removed from this list? Are you missing from this list because you are new to 12 or have decided to apply to US colleges? Whatever the reason, if this list needs to be corrected, please email Mr. Rodrigues immediately.
university visits
We are excited to welcome our colleagues from universities to present to Brentwood students this fall!
Here are some UPCOMING visits that have been scheduled. Click on the School Name links for more information about them and their programs:
University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business: Commerce Program - Wednesday, September 13 @ 2 pm - Woodward 303
University of St Andrews School of Medicine: Scottish-Canadian Medical Programme - Wednesday, September 13 @ 7:30 pm - Foote Field House... 7:30 pm is the correct time; the 6:30 pm time listed in the calendar below is incorrect.
These and more presentations are scheduled, as you can see in the Calendar below:
For university presentations, you MUST SIGN UP to attend...
Procedure for Signing-Up for University Presentations:
If they occur during a sport or fine art, you MUST get permission from your coach/instructor to attend the Presentation. You must do this AHEAD OF TIME.
Once you have permission from your coach/instructor, if required, Email University Counselling to request to be signed up for a presentation, and be specific about which one it is.
You must Email University Counselling with your request no later than the night before the day of the presentation. Last minute requests are not permitted.
Applicants to UK Medicine/Dentistry/ Veterinary Medicine & OxFORD/CAMbridge (a.k.a. "OxBridge")
The Due Date for submitting your completed application is October 15, thus your DO DATE to have all of your application material completed and ready for a thorough review is September 15… that’s this week!!
So, you need to be getting things done:
UCAS application - if you haven’t already, go to the UCAS site to establish your account. Be sure to use our Guide to assist you through the registration steps and in filling out various sections: please find the Guide on our Application Guides page on this website.
YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT should be ready!
Choosing the schools to which you will be applying.
The other elements of the application process might include:
Writing the UCAT, if applicable.
Planning for other admissions tests... the Registration Deadline for those is September 30.
We look forward to seeing you in University Counselling to assist you through the process and to review your application material!
New Grade 12 Students
If you are new to Brentwood this year, it is critical that you take time to see a University Counsellor as soon as possible. The meeting is required to ensure that we are able to confirm that:
We have your complete and official Academic Record on file, or work to acquire it ASAP.
Plan for completing any required testing for international students, such as TOEFL or IELTS, for university applications.
These matters can take time to deal with, so please ensure that you come in to review your situation ASAP.
International Students whose First Language is Not English
Students whose first language is one other than English, you may very well have to prove your English proficiency to universities by means of a test like TOEFL or IELTS. If you have been at Brentwood since Grade 9, that is often enough for many Canadian universities. If you have been at Brentwood for 3 years or less, and/or you are planning to apply to universities outside of Canada, you must come in to review the Proof of English Proficiency policies of your universities of choice. These policies can vary wildly, and if require a test at even one university on your list, then we need to make plans for you to write TOEFL or IELTS sooner rather than later.
TOEFL and IELTS tests are available locally in Victoria, Nanaimo, and Vancouver, as well at locations around the world. Please come in to discuss options. If you are in doubt about whether you will need to write, come in. IF ENGLISH IS NOT YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE, COME IN TO CONFIRM REGARDLESS!
Major Scholarships
There are some major scholarship programs that require work to be done and application submitted early this fall. Here is a list of scholarship opportunities, and information about the work you need to do to apply.
Loran Scholarship
From the Loran Scholars Foundation website:
"The selection of a Loran Scholar is unique in its attention to a young person’s character. We believe that integrity, courage, grit and personal autonomy are better indicators of overall potential than standard academic measures. To discover these traits, we administer the most comprehensive and thorough scholarship selection process in Canada. Tenable at 25 partner universities, the Loran Award is valued at more than $100,000 over four years, including mentorship, funding for summer work experiences and participation in an extensive network of past and present scholars. This year, we are offering up to 36 Loran Awards. In addition, we are granting up to 124 Finalist and Provincial & Territorial Awards ($6,000 or $2,000 each, respectively) to promising candidates.
In 2022/23, we conducted 1,604 interviews with students from across the country and invited 90 finalists to participate in national interviews. Students describe the process as an opportunity to reflect on their motivations and to imagine the lives they want to live. Whether or not they are selected for an award, many students come away from interviews with new connections, friendships and ideas.
The Awards are renewable for up to four years, with a total value of $100,000, each Loran Award includes:
An annual stipend of $11,000
A tuition waiver of up to $11,000 annually from one of 25 partner universities
Personal mentorship from a Canadian leader
Experiential learning through summer work experiences in three different sectors with funding up to $14,000
An orientation expedition through Algonquin Park
Annual retreats and scholar gatherings
Lifelong membership in a community of values-driven individuals
We also grant up to 124 finalist and provincial awards to promising candidates who are not selected as Loran Scholars. Read more about our different awards."
The Due Date for submitting a complete Loran Scholarship is October 11 @ 5:00 pm.