Focus week handbook 2014 by Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

Focus Week University Counselling Handbook

University Counselling Handbook for Students & Parents Focus Week TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to Focus Week

Flow-chart

Finding a Range

Curriculum Vitae (CV): instructions & advice

Example #1

Example #2

University List: instructions & advice

Limiting your applications

Uni list: UK

Uni list: US

Uni list: elsewhere

Course Search-UK: UCAS

Elsewhere

Personal Statements: general comments

UK & HK (instructions & advice)

US & Singapore (prompts & advice)

Pro forma (UK-style)

Examples (US-style)

Referees: instructions & advice

Conclusion

Appendix A: Checklists

Appendix B— Quick charts: Applications Requirements, by country

Applications deadlines, by country

Appendix C: Shared Responsibilities

Appendix D: US Admission Deadlines (explained)

Appendix E: Memo of Understanding, Military Service

Introduction to Focus Week Welcome to Focus Week! The main aim of the week is to assist you in moving forward on progress for your preparation for university applications and to provide you time to work on your Extended Essay to meet the next due date of the 24th September 2014. In addition, we are excited to be able to have this time to get to know you better and help you to see your strengths and achievements as they pertain to this process. The handbook should serve as a practical outline to help you complete the requirements for your university applications. Where appropriate, we have provided you with examples to consider as you create your own documents. Checklists for your tutors (and yourselves), as well as an appendix of websites and online blogs are meant to provide you with all you need to complete university applications, regardless of which countries and institutions you are considering. Extra space is provided at the end of the handbook for you to be able to take notes during the information sessions that we will be providing throughout the week. Our hope during Focus Week is to help you feel more prepared, less stressed, and ready to move ahead. Throughout the week you will hear workshops from your University Counsellors as well as information sessions from university representatives. These sessions will be balanced with individual work time for you to put on paper what you have learned and decided. Finally, you will have an individual meeting with your counsellor and ample opportunity to seek help from us or from your Tutor. It is going to be a great week and you are going to be in a fantastic position when we have finished. Now, let’s get to it!

& John Macrow & Victoria Lidzbarski

The Focus Week Flow-chart

CV/Resume

University List Entry Grades Course Selection/ Major Options

Personal Statement

Deciding on a Range of Universities While some students talk of their “first choice” university, it is rare that there is only one single, “best” university for you. Even if, after thorough research, you decide on a first choice, the final list should include a number of universities, any one of which you would be happy to attend, if admitted. Just like you will not find a partner in life without dating a few people, you should not think you will just stumble onto that one perfect university and instantly fall in love without doing some dating (er… research). You are strongly encouraged to narrow your list of potential universities down to a manageable number of no more than ten. With this number, you can do a thorough job on each application, instead of being overextended trying to complete too many in too little time. Each university counts as one with the exception of when you are applying through admission centres when one application suffices for multiple universities without any supplements or changes. For example: Your one UCAS application (whether you have listed 2 or 5 universities) counts as one. This is also true if you are applying through UAC in Australia or the UC system in the US. Be mindful about this as you consider various countries and universities. To make certain you have choices amongst your universities upon graduation from Dulwich College, you need to make certain you apply to a range of universities with varying levels of selectivity. Likely, Target, and Reach The following is a rough guideline to categorize your choices: • • •

Apply to no more than 2-3 “reach” schools – universities that normally accept students with predicted grades and test scores higher than yours. Apply to three to five “target” schools – those that generally accept students with profiles similar to yours and/or where DCS students similar to you have been historically successful. Apply to 2-3 “likely admit”– colleges for which you are an extremely strong candidate and where we are confident you would be admitted.

Be certain your “likely” schools are those you would not mind attending. Just because you are likely to be admitted does not mean the university should be thought of as a “lower status” place in your mind. Also, remember that what may be a likely school for you might be a reach for one of your friends, or vice versa, because these categories vary for each student. You must understand only the most exceptional students are accepted at Oxbridge, Yale, Melbourne, and the other most selective colleges worldwide. Harvard, for example, has approximately 2,100 seats for the more than 30,000 applicants. These kinds of schools can often fill their entire freshman class with students who earn all 7’s and have perfect SATs (but they don’t). Similar universities often deny upwards of 90% of their applicants. Be realistic about your predicted grades, test scores, skills and interests, and the entire application. A truly exceptional student with a realistic chance at the most selective universities can choose to apply to more “reach” schools - as long as there are at least two truly “likely” schools. Consult your University Counsellor about your chances of admission. Due to the large numbers of outstanding students applying to the most selective schools, many admission decisions will be made based on extremely subjective distinctions and we hope to provide you with appropriate guidance.

There are few guarantees in the admission game. Each year a few students are admitted to places where the odds seemed impossible. The opposite occasionally occurs as well. A university looked like a safe option, but a letter of rejection arrived anyway. Using the method of applying to some likely, some target, and some reach schools is the best way to keep from being in a panic upon completing the IB diploma. So how do you decide which school is at which level for you? • • • • •

Consider Naviance scattergrams to see DCS student application history or Naviance university pages to learn admission ratios and selectivity details Research individual university websites for student profiles and entry requirements Attend university visits to DCS and university-sponsored events in Shanghai Contact university representatives to discuss your interest in and application to their schools Consult your University Counsellor, teachers, or Tutor

Each year there are few “hot” schools to which everyone seems to apply. As a result, they attract a huge number of applications and become much more selective than they used to be. This situation creates a vicious circle. When a student hears about a hot school, the reaction is often, “Hey, I had better apply too!” But the more people apply, the more people are rejected. That does not mean you should not apply to a hot school. It just means that even if your grades and test scores appear to make you a strong applicant, you may well not be admitted. For universities that require admission or language tests (BMAT, UKCAT, SAT, SAT-II, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS), be certain to check those specific entry requirements for each university and register for these exams early. This is not your University Counsellor’s responsibility.

Curriculum Vitae (CV): Instructions and Advice The purpose of your Curriculum Vitae (CV), or “resume” as it is known in North America, is to provide a quick summary of your academic and co-curricular achievements in one place. At this stage in your life, the CV should be no longer than one page. While you may think that a longer CV is more impressive, it also takes longer to read, and thus may simply be scanned over (or even ignored) by a hurried admission tutor. Remember, this is not an exhaustive list and it should not be presented in paragraph form. Nor is your CV a sloppy list without order. Indeed, this is an opportunity to highlight and prioritize for the university admission representative or tutor who will be reviewing your application your strengths and those factors that distinguish you from your peers. An ideal CV has your name and contact information presented boldly and legibly at the top. Your email address should be easy to find in case your reader would like to contact you or has questions. Information on your education, including your current school, IB Diploma Programme status, and any summer programs should be listed directly below your identifying information. You need only include achievements and records from Year 10-13. History prior to this is generally not considered to be relevant/pertinent to the universities. Beyond this, you do have some flexibility about which items are listed next. Prioritize each section of the CV as you see fit and as you would like to introduce yourself to your reader. Your CV may use the following order for formatting: • Personal details • Education (including summer programmes) • Academic achievements/awards • Other achievements • Internships • Personal qualities/interests Or you may mix the sections up according to your strengths, or delete some. For example, if you are especially artistic or athletic, you might replace a section titled, “Other Achievements” with one titled, “Artistic/Athletic Achievements.” The “rules” of the CV, however, do not change. This document must be: • Easy to read, complete but not overwhelming • Completely free of errors or mistakes in spelling, grammar, etc. • Ordered in reverse chronology so that (in each section) the most recent items appear first and the oldest items appear last On the following pages you will find two examples. Please use one or the other format as you see fit and fill in with your personal details.

CV Example #1 John Macrow Personal Details: Gender M/ DOB: Sept. 15 1995/ Country of Birth: United Kingdom Contact Details: Address: 1503 Yanlord Gardens, Jinqiao Pudong Email: another23@gmail.com Telephone: + 8621 173 2461 7563 Educational History: Dulwich College London 08/06 – 06/08 Dulwich College Seoul 08/08 – 06/10 Dulwich College Shanghai 08/10 Currently an IBDP student: HL Biology, Psychology, Mathematics SL Art, Mandarin, English Stanford Summer School 2011 Online programming course 2010 Educational Achievements: Edexcel IGCSE examinations May 2011: 5 A*+5A grades International Maths Competitions 2010-12 Maths prize in school 2011 2nd in Year Group 2012 Work Experience: Internship at GKN Engineering 2 weeks summer 2012 English language teacher Jinqiao Primary School 2010-11 Other Achievements: School rugby & football teams 2009-12 School choir 2009-12 International prefect 2011-12 MUN delegate 2010-2012 Interests: sport, music, writing software, learning languages, travel Personality: Intellectually-curious, shown leadership ability and good team player, good sense of humour, able to adapt to new situations easily, good at problem solving, good communicator

CV Example #2 VICTORIA LIDZBARSKI Current Address 266 LanAn Road JinQiao, Pudong Shanghai 201206, China Mobile: +85-555-555-5555 E-mail: victoria.lidzbarski@dulwich-shanghai.cn Education Dulwich College Shanghai International Baccalaureate diploma programme Summer School (include details here, don’t forget location)

2011 – present Summer 2011

Leadership Prefect Founder’s Day, Creativity Director for Year 12 Other leadership experience, Title/role goes here

2012 – present 2013 – 2014 2010 – 2012

Community Involvement Global Issues Network (GIN), club member Home Sweet Home, member

2012 – present 2010 – 2011

Creative Experience Senior Choir

2011 – present

Athletic Activities Kick-boxing DCS swim team, member

2010 – present 2011 – 2012

Interests Running half-marathons, reading, traveling, learning new languages.

University List: General Instructions and Advice Your university list is likely to include some kind of geographical spread. While about one third of our students apply to a single country, many others apply to 2-3. A common combination would be UK + Hong Kong, or Singapore + US, or Canada + Europe… but we come across a great variety of combinations and these will reflect your interests and family background. Alternately, you can choose to focus on one country if you are decided about your university goals and type of study. Your University Counsellors will happily help you regardless of country or degree of choice, your passport, or their home country. The only complications with your personal combination of countries might be to do with time pressure i.e. if you need to apply early for universities in more than one part of the world. It is possible but not to be recommended to apply for Oxbridge in the UK, Early Action or Decision in the US and early decision in Hong Kong as this would put you under massive pressure to complete 3 complex applications by November 1st. We are suggesting a ceiling of 10 different applications. Any more than 10 applications is going to take a lot of time, which you do not have to spare, and also suggests that you have not thought carefully about your options. What we would like you to achieve by the end of Focus Week is a summary of your university list including the complete geographical spread and some focus on which universities you are going to choose in those different places.

Limiting your applications DCS limits university applications to a maximum of ten. (Note that UCAS, UAC, and UC each count as one.) If you present your University Counsellor with more than ten, you will be asked to reduce it. This policy, which is common among university preparatory schools around the world, is designed to maximize the admission chances for all of our students. The rationale for the policy is as follows: 1. Applying to more than ten universities suggests you have not done your research well. Using the scattergrams in Naviance, doing your research, and discussing options with your counsellor will help you to keep your application list to a reasonable number. 2. It is difficult and very time-consuming to complete too many applications. Students can rarely do a good job both filling out university applications and keeping up with IB Diploma schoolwork & CCA's. It is much better to do an excellent job on a reasonable number of applications than to do a slapdash job on more. 3. It is expensive applying to university as application fees are on the rise every year. 4. When it comes near to decision-making time, universities sometimes ask university counsellors how many applications the student has completed, or how likely the student is to attend their school. If you have applied to more than ten universities, your counsellor will not be able to give the inquiring university the honest answer they want, especially if you are still holding on to multiple options in several countries! 5. Further, holding on to multiple options in several countries makes for a difficult and confusing time in Term 3 when you ought instead to be focusing on IB exams. Limiting your options early helps you to manage your decision-making process in the summer term. 6. Finally, universities monitor their “yield” from each school. Since you can attend only one university, students who apply to large numbers cause the “yield” from DCS to go down. Universities, especially in the US, notice this and may be less likely to accept future DCS applicants if they have no confidence about your matriculation. In the end, it is in the best interest of both you and future DCS students that we limit the number of applications to ten. You have likely benefited from past students who abided by this limit and your reasonable number of applications will benefit future DCS students as well as maintaining our school's good reputation with our university colleagues.

University list: UK UCAS limits your choice of universities to 5 only and so you will need to pick these 5 very carefully. Your performance in Year 12 will suggest which universities are a practical choice, i.e. you look to be capable of achieving the minimum entry requirements listed on the course site. When picking your 5 options you are likely to go for an ambitious target as your number one choice. This could be slightly above where you are now in terms of entry grades but that is no problem as long as faculty are confident you are capable of improving on your current performance. Note that your Predicted Grades are based on evidence, so therefore you must demonstrate that you are capable of improving. Your second choice might also be a reach option. To balance these ambitious targets you need to pick two rather safer options where the entry grades match your current achievements. Finally, you might want to consider a safer option where you seem to be guaranteed to achieve the grades required. You should aim to end up with a range of options that reflect where you are now and what you are capable of achieving at best. You will obviously choose the universities that seem to be the best fit for your academic interests and current level of achievement. You might also want to consider the kind of university experience you want – an ancient university with medieval buildings in an old university town (Cambridge, Durham or St. Andrews), a modern university in the centre of a large and lively city (Manchester, Birmingham or the London colleges), or a campus university which is likely to be on a “green field” site outside a small town where most of your time is on campus (Bath, Warwick, York). If you want to consult rankings, subject rankings are the most important and you can find them on the Guardian or Times websites – these are more useful than overall rankings. Rankings are not particularly objective as different rankings depend upon different criteria. The Guardian uses teaching quality as a guide while The Times prefers research quality. However, the rankings are an easy guide to the range of universities that offer your course and they can give you an idea of entry grades. High ranking often equates with high entry requirements. DCS students have tended to pick their university options from two groups of UK universities: the Russell Group (which contains Oxford and Cambridge, UCL, LSE, Edinburgh, etc.) and the 1994 Group (Bath, St. Andrews, Surrey, etc.). The Russell Group are large and comprehensive universities, i.e. they offer many possible degree programmes; the 1994 Group are smaller and more specialized – both groups have a reputation for excellent research. Most of these universities will require grades in the mid-30s and above for most degree programmes. Outside these 2 groups you might go for places like Kent, Aberdeen, or City, which have an excellent reputation in certain subject areas, e.g. the Cass Business School at City but will probably want slightly lower entry grades – low-30s in the IBDP.

University list: US Deciding where to apply can be complicated. Your predicted grades as well as your test scores will heavily influence your decision. It will also be influenced by personal factors and it is completely normal to change your mind several times during this decision-making process! If the process of choosing a college seems unsystematic and haphazard— you are right. In the end, every decision about which university to attend is subjective. Many schools offer a great education, so keep an open mind as you begin the search. Here are some criteria to consider: • • • • • • • • • •

Types of universities (i.e. either “liberal arts and sciences” or comprehensive research universities) Specialized colleges (i.e. business vs. art vs. engineering-specific or single-sex colleges) Location (urban, suburban, or “small town”) Size Safety Housing Campus “culture” (politics, athletics, parties) Class size and quality (professors vs. graduate students) Career services offered Cost and availability of financial aid

Here are some sources to consider: • • •

• •

Guidebooks or prospectuses in the University Counselling office or library Blogs/student review sites online Admission office representatives (Take advantage of these visitors. Even if you’re not particularly interested in a school, the more information gathered about different types of schools, the easier it will be to make a manageable college list.) Campus visits Rankings such as US News and World Report, Princeton Review, QS, etc. o These rankings attempt to rate colleges from number 1 to number 1,000 or more. It is impossible to try to compare a public school such as UC-Berkeley (with 29,000 students) to a private university like Tufts (with 6,000 students). Rankings depend on varied factors, some are sensible (like student satisfaction rates), some less so (like perceived reputation). Rankings are not scientific studies and they are fallible.

University list: Outside of the US and UK As you already know, you have many choices with regard to where you choose to study at university. In fact, because of this, it is often difficult to know where to begin. While the majority of DCS graduates matriculate to the UK or the US, a growing number are now also considering Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, and many other countries. The following provides a brief overview of universities in these countries. As many countries are not listed, you are strongly encouraged to talk to your University Counsellor further. Australian & New Zealand Universities As Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the school year begins in February except for a small mid-year intake in July. Applications are usually submitted in September, a few months after you have received your final IB results. If you are considering Australia, think about how you would occupy yourself from the time you graduate until university begins. Despite the later application process, you must still meet and communicate with your University Counsellor. Canadian Universities Canadian universities actively welcome international students. While students with lower predicted scores may not hear of their admission decision until final grades are available in July, most students hear about acceptances in April. The application typically consists of your transcript and a language test result (if applicable). Canadian universities rarely require CCA information, letters of recommendation, or personal statements. The application process itself is relatively quick. Universities in Ontario use a centralized application process much like the UCAS; it is called Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC). [Note, that the OUAC application does NOT count as one application (like UCAS) as some universities in this group DO request supplementary application materials.] Universities outside of Ontario province use individualized online applications. European Universities Like Canada, European universities actively welcome international students and most have no single national group making up their student numbers and are thus exceptionally diverse. European universities rarely require CCA information, letters of recommendation, or personal statements. The application process will, however, vary significantly between countries as each university and each country will have its own application requirements. There is no centralized application system and some applications are more complicated than others, and some better resemble the US-style of applications more than others. The European universities that we assist students with are generally English-medium universities with specific programmes.

National Service (NS) in Singapore, and elsewhere If you are a male Singaporean citizen or permanent resident, you must complete National Service (NS) before beginning university and you need to indicate these plans to your University Counsellor. Regardless of whether you plan to apply to university during your Year 13 and defer your start date, or if you plan to apply while in NS, you must request your letters of recommendation and complete testing while you are still enrolled at Dulwich. It is strongly recommended that you complete the entire university application process whilst you are enrolled and then that you simply defer your admission (rather than putting off applying until after your service is completed).

UK Course Search: UCAS The Course Search route is the one to take on the UCAS site (www.ucas.com). You can access this facility without registering on the site. This will lead you to an alphabetical list of subjects. Once you’ve chosen your subject you will be directed to a list of degree programmes. Clicking on a particular degree programme leads to a list of all universities offering that degree. For further details on the search tools available through this site, see the “how to” resource for UCAS which was shared with you in Term 2 of Year 12 (it can also be found in the Naviance Document Library). The main complication with using this site is the wide range of degree programmes on offer under each subject heading – there are lots of different ways of studying any subject you can think of and it is worthwhile thinking about these different options because one of them might be just the one for you! Once you have found the list of universities that provide the course you want you can access the university website through clicking on the name of the university or the particular course/degree. You can also specify your list according to BA vs Masters degree, programmes offering work or internship or “sandwich” options, study abroad availability, location, and much more. One very important piece of information that you will need can be found under the heading “course specific requirements.” If you scroll down you will come to the IB Diploma Programme requirements for your course which will likely be a minimum entry requirement in points and maybe one or two essential subjects at higher level. If you are unlikely to achieve these requirements then there is no point in applying for this course. Unless there is clear evidence on your record that you can achieve this minimum requirement you will quickly receive the following message from UCAS: “failed to meet minimum entry requirements.” Finally, you can apply for more than one course in one application through UCAS but because of the demands of the Personal Statement they need to be cognate, that is, they must have a great deal in common. See your University Counsellor for further advice.

US Course/Major Search “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For many students, this is the most aggravating question they hear throughout their childhood and adolescence. While a few people know exactly what career they are most interested in pursuing after their education, most people are unsure of this and the myriad options ahead of them. And, you know what? THAT IS OK! This is especially true if you are making an application to universities in the US, since the majority of those students apply and enroll “undecided” or “undeclared.” Indeed, it is quite common to change your mind several times after you enroll. So, remember that while it might make you (or your parents) feel better to know that you have a major or course in mind, it is perfectly acceptable if you do not since you can figure it out once you get there and since it rarely affects your chances of admission. If you are not comfortable with this, however, there are a number of ways to search for the best course, or major, for you in North America. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using the tools available in Naviance. From the home page (after logging in), click on the “about me” tab at the top, and take the “personality type” test. You can also click on the “career” tab at the top, and take the “career interest profiler.” Both tests can give you more insight about your interests, abilities, and career matches as well as then getting you to consider universities on the grounds of the results of those tests. You can also consider and research specific careers (and their average salaries and required education) and much more. Naviance is full of helpful data, you just have to access it. For further details on the many resources available to you, see the “how to” resource which was shared with you in Term 2 of Year 12 (it can also be found in the Naviance Document Library). Another way to research major and career choices is to talk to the adults around you. Ask them about their careers, what they majored in or studied at university, and how applicable they found it. Discuss whether they would have done anything differently or what employers in their field are looking for as they hire new graduates. Moreover, work experiences in holidays (including job shadows, internships, etc) can prove extremely helpful in informing your choice of major/degree. Taking on these types of opportunities can also be as helpful in showing you what you DO NOT want to do as they can be in showing you what you do enjoy.

Course Search: Outside of the US and UK Searching for courses outside the US and the UK is both easy and difficult. It is straight forward in the sense that it will need to be an individual search online using the college website; it is challenging in the sense that this can be a very time-consuming process. Unfortunately, a global directory of universities and courses does not yet exist in order to make this simpler. One of the advantages of individualized searches is that you can apply for a range of courses at the same time if you cannot be sure of one particular course and you can apply to one course in one country and another course in a different country (and DCS students often do this, though it does require more work). Some geographical areas will be easier to research than others. As we have explained elsewhere, the number of university options you are likely to look at in many places is quite limited – this is certainly true for Hong Kong and Singapore, which have a limited number of universities, while bigger countries will give you multiple options. For this kind of search, unlike for instance in the UK, you will have to start with a university that interests you then work down to the courses available at that university instead of beginning with the programme and searching myriad institutions. As elsewhere, what is important is the detail of the degree programmes on offer, the course content, and the entry requirements.

Personal Statements: general comments There are at least four different countries that you may be applying to that will require some kind of Personal Statement: • The UK and Hong Kong require a piece of writing that is more academic than personal in nature and that will focus on why you have chosen that particular course and what makes you the right person for this kind of degree programme. • US and Singaporean universities will require you to complete a number of essay-type exercises that are much more personal and that require a more literary style. We want you to draft either a UK/HK style personal statement or a US/Singapore-style college essay in this session. To help you do this we are including a proforma with appropriate headings for the UK/HK version and the current Common Application essay prompts for the US/Singapore style. What you will write will of necessity be a draft if you have not already been working on this project over the summer. Getting these things right takes time and possibly several drafts so take your time and share what you have written with your University Counsellor and Tutor. The more writing you do now, the better, as it will give us all time to provide you with advice. If we do not see a draft from you until just prior to an application deadline, then we will not be able to give you adequate feedback.

UK and Hong Kong (instructions and advice) The personal statement is your opportunity to tell universities about your suitability for the course(s) that you hope to study; above all you need to demonstrate your enthusiasm for and commitment to your chosen course. The golden rule for a UK application is that the content should be 75% academic, 25% nonacademic. If you mention your personal interests and hobbies, link them to the skills and experience required for the course. Maintain a focus on the course at all times. Entry Profiles will explain what the university is looking for in their students and what qualifications or experience you will need for the course. Check these because they will give you some ideas about what to include in your statement. Two of the most important things to include are: •

Why you are applying for the course you've chosen: this is particularly important when you're applying for a subject that you have not studied before. Tell the university the reasons why that subject interests you, and include evidence that you understand what is required to study the course.

•

Why you are suitable for the course: tell the universities the skills and experience you have that will help you to succeed on the course. This might include your success in your IB Diploma subjects and in achieving the IB Learner Profile, any achievements that you are particularly proud of, any positions of responsibility that you hold/have held, any attributes that make you interesting, special or unique.

As an international student, you will need to use the personal statement to tell universities why you want to study in the UK. Include details of your career goals, if possible. Your Personal Statement is the only piece of your writing that universities will see – make sure it represents the best of you and always check spelling, grammar, etc.

US & Singapore (prompts and advice) The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option below that best helps you answer the above question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. It does not have to be 650 words exactly and it is perfectly acceptable if it is shorter as long as the writing is persuasive, interesting, and well-written. More does not always mean better! (Note: Common Application will not accept a response of less than 250 words.) The purpose of the essay is for you to give the university a more complete picture of yourself, beyond simply academics. Think of your entire application as a puzzle about you. The transcript and your test scores tell about your academic ability and the letters of recommendation from teachers describe the type of student you are. So, your personal writing should give them a sense for who you are and what you care about. Distinguish yourself and advocate on your own behalf. Of course, this is still an essay meant for the admission representatives so you want to be sure it includes a compelling opening (so that your reader keeps reading) and does NOT restate the information already provided in your CV or elsewhere in your application. In terms of style, it should be written in paragraph format; do not make lists or use bullet points. You should use proper English grammar and check your spelling. You should not use slang and should not lie to sound more impressive. If you do use a thesaurus, please limit your use so that your writing still sounds like you! Perhaps most importantly, once you have completed a draft, ask yourself whether your essay could have been written by anyone else but you. If it is too generic, then you need to work at it further until it is personal enough. Your voice should come through; consider asking a teacher, friend, or family member to read the essay for authenticity on your voice.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: • • • • •

Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, which marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Personal Statement Pro forma (UK and HK-style)

Explain why you want to do this degree course……………… (A combination of factors is best)

Explain what you have done to show your interest & commitment to this subject (e.g. internships, something you have made for an exhibition, wider reading, summer programmes, online courses)

Describe the study skills you have developed while an IB student and how they will support your application (e.g. studying X has developed my ability to think analytically & critically as well as my problem-solving skills, elements of the IB learner profile)

List your academic achievements (e.g. I received a prize for highest marks in X in the 2012 IGCSE examinations)

Describe your extra-curricular interests & achievements & show how they support your application (e.g. being a Prefect, sporting or cultural achievements, attendance at MUN conferences)

Describe your personal qualities & choose examples to illustrate this (e.g. playing sport has taught me the importance of teamwork)

Explain why you want to study in the UK & what your current career plans are……………..

Personal Statements (US and Singapore-style) Examples: • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/write-for-the-future/from-football-to-squash-p_b_3791743.html • http://www.conncoll.edu/admission/apply/essays-that-worked/ • http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/essays/ • http://admissions.tufts.edu/apply/essay-questions/past-essays/ Links to further advice/tips/resources: • http://www.internationalcounselor.org/writing-essays-and-personal-statements • https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/tips-for-writing-an-effective-application-essaycollege-admissions • https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/8-tips-for-crafting-your-best-college-essay • http://www.bates.edu/admission/apply/tips-for-a-great-application/writing-the-essay/ • http://www.admissions.umich.edu/essays-tips • Advice specifically for the UC system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB4O2UXdLo0

Referees: instructions & advice Choosing the right referees among the staff who teach you is very important for the quality of your application. For the UK we need subject comments for your UCAS reference – aim to identify 2-3 subject teachers that will be able to give your referee evidence about your academic strengths that are relevant to the degree you have chosen. This might include your TOK teacher and/or your EE supervisor but should certainly include at least one HL teacher. We will, by default, approach your HL teachers or those that seem to be the most applicable to your application. If you want us to do otherwise or you have a particular teacher in mind, you need to inform us about this as soon as possible. For the US you will need at least one, and possibly two, teachers to write letters of recommendation. These letters are much more detailed than what is required for the UK and therefore the teachers you choose have to know you very well and feel comfortable with writing a detailed account of you and your particular strengths in their subject. Think about this very carefully and be sure to discuss this with the teachers concerned before adding their names to Naviance or making the official request to the teacher. Consider the duration of your relationship with the teacher, whether they instruct you in HL or SL, what aspects of your scholarly vs. extra-curricular personality they are familiar with, and what marks you have earned in their class, among other things. Outside of the UK and US you will need a reference for Hong Kong universities but we can adapt your UK reference for this purpose, assuming you have already applied to the UK. Many other countries’ universities (including Australia, Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore) don’t require any teacher commentaries, though occasionally a specific course has special requirements. It is your responsibility to be aware of these circumstances.

Conclusion Just as your teachers encourage you to give credit where credit is due and to note sources and make complete citations, so too are we held accountable. To that end, your DCS University Counselling team would like to note that they received help, inspiration, and at times, direct quotes or copied documents, from the following colleagues and sources:

Robert Kostrzeski, International School of Kuala Lampur Singapore American School Patience Fanella, Aiglon School of Switzerland Dulwich College Counsellors’ Network Dulwich College Counsellors’ Network Handbook

Student Checklist Student Name: Tutor Group:

____________________________ ____________________________

TASK CV Student’s CV must have first 3 items for certain; and headings recommended. Tutor: please tick box for completed items Personal Details Education Leadership Professional Experience Community Involvement Athletic Achievements Creative Experience Interests COUNTRY AND UNIVERSITY SEARCH Student can apply to more than 1 country; research must be done for each uni so that entry requirements are clear. UK ASIA US CANADA EUROPE AUSTRALIA/NZ

ONLINE APPLICATION Student: register the online application and begin inputting data. Tutor: please tick box for completed items or list which sections have been completed. UK = UCAS US = Common App California = UC App Ontario = OUAC HK, Other (please list) COURSE SEARCH: Depending on country and universities of choice, student may list “undecided” as it applies. Tutor: please tick box for completed items First choice: Second choice: Third choice: PERSONAL WRITING Student must have first draft completed before the end of Focus Week. Tutor: please tick box for completed items. Personal Statement (UK or HK) College Essay (US or Sing.) Supplement (US apps only) LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Required only for applicants to the US. Students: please list teacher’s names. Tutor: please tick box for completed items. Teacher #1 Teacher #2

OTHER

International University Application Requirements

Proof of Transcript/ Marks

Online Application

Personal Stmt.

AUSTRALIA

CANADA

HONG KONG

KOREA

SINGAPORE

Report via UCAS

Reference Letter

** for accommodation only

English

Supplement

Interview subject specific

varies

optional

UK Oxbridge Medicine, Dental, Vet All others

US Early #1

optional

varies

rare

Early #2

optional

varies

rare

Regular

optiona l

varies

** If your country/choice is not listed, please visit your counsellor individually. **

International University Application Deadlines

September

October

November December

January

February

March

end of October deadline for Semester One beginning in February

AUSTRALIA

CANADA

DCS deadline for early apps: Oct. 10

HONG KONG

April

May

June

DCS deadline: Dec. 5

decisions released

SPRING - confirmation required depending on release of results date

Main Round: Dec. 5

decisions released

SPRING - confirmation required depending on release of results date

March to May application for Fall Semester

KOREA

DCS deadline: Apr. 30 DCS deadline: Apr. 30

Decisions released after results in July

SINGAPORE

UK Oxbridge

DCS deadline: Sep. 26

Oct. 15 via UCAS

Medicine, Dental, Vet

DCS deadline: Sep. 26

Oct. 15 via UCAS

All others

DCS deadline: Dec. 5

Jan. 15 via UCAS

confirmation required

decisions released

SPRING - confirmation required depending on release of results date

decisions released

SPRING - confirmation required depending on release of results date

decisions released

SPRING - confirmation required depending on release of results date

decisions released by no later than Mar. 31

May 1 confirmation required

US Early #1

DCS deadline: Oct. 10 Nov. 1 or Nov. 15

decisions released

Early #2

DCS deadline: Oct.10

Dec. 1 or Dec. 15

Regular

July

end of April deadline for Semester 2 beginning in July

decisions released

confirmation required

DCS deadline: Dec. 5

August

Shared Responsibilities Students • Maintain university list and keep Naviance account up-to-date • Attend all group and individual meetings punctually • Register in advance of all test deadlines • Communicate desires/wishes honestly with parents and counsellors • Be realistic about exceptions • Respect advice of counsellors • Meet deadlines by getting materials to university counsellors in timely manner be actively engaged in admissions process • Follow up communications and requests from universities in a timely manner • Create a file and keep all university admission materials organised • Focus on the right universities (ones which will meet your needs) • Refrain from telling more than one university that you will attend • Know your application deadlines and individual university’s requirements including admission or language tests • Do not apply to more than 10 colleges • Do not give peers advice on what to do—leave that to the counsellors Parents • • • • • • • • • •

Attend meetings with your students when necessary Communicate with students/counsellors Be realistic about expectations; let the student’s university list be their list not yours Respect the counsellor’s advice, knowing that we also want what is best for the student Work with us in our role as professionals Hold students accountable for meeting his/her responsibilities Support the application process (deadlines, etc) Make visiting university campuses a priority (when feasible/appropriate) Use Naviance to monitor student’s progress in admission process Make the student accountable and take ownership of the university application process

University Counsellors • Be knowledgeable about the university admissions process • Meet regularly with students and parents in groups and one-on-one/by appointment to discuss concerns or questions related to university options, admission and related topics • Treat each students as an individual • Consider the student’s goals, plans, interests, preferences and help develop with the student and parent input a list of universities that represent a good ‘match’ or ‘fit’ for the student and family • Advocate the student • Write a confidential recommendation to be sent to universities • Facilitate the application process: send transcriptions, school profile and letters of recommendation to universities when requested • Be accessible; communicate frankly, honestly and promptly

• • • • • • • • • • •

Provide a supportive environment for students and parents and work to eliminate or reduce unnecessary anxiety too often associated with the university admission process Host admission visitors and other professionals on campus and advertise these events to the school community as well as attend and publicise such events held outside the school Keep confidentiality and the student’s best interests in mind Maintain regular contact with university admissions offices and representatives via email, telephone and meetings to support the student’s candidacy for admission Listen to students and parents Insist that the students are the sole authors of their applications and all associated documents Report to universities any significant changes in academic status/qualifications between the time of reference letter writing and completion of the IB Diploma Maintain membership in relevant professional organisations such as OACAC and CIS and attend meetings and conferences when feasible Visit universities overseas in order to stay current on available programmes, policies and admission trends and to directly advocate for students Offer timely reminders Provide assistance after graduation

US Admission Deadlines (explained)

DEFINITIONS OF ADMISSION OPTIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

STUDENTS: WHICH COLLEGE ADMISSION PROCESS BEST SUITS YOU? Non-Restrictive Application Plans

Restrictive Application Plans

Regular Decision

Rolling Admission

Early Action (EA)

Early Decision (ED)

Restrictive Early Action (REA)

DEFINITION:

Students submit an application by a specified date and receive a decision in a clearly stated period of time.

Institutions review applications as they are submitted and render admission decisions throughout the admission cycle.

Students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date.

Students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted they definitely will enroll. The application deadline and decision deadline occur early.

Students apply to an institution of preference and receive a decision early. They may be restricted from applying ED or EA or REA to other institutions. If offered enrollment, they have until May 1 to confirm.

COMMITMENT:

NON-BINDING

BINDING

NON-BINDING

Students are not restricted from applying to other institutions and have until May 1 to consider their options and confirm enrollment.

Students are responsible for determining and following restrictions.

For a copy of this flyer, please visit www.nacacnet.org

Memo of Understanding, Military Service

Student: Tutor Group:

………………………………. ……………………………….

This is to confirm that I will need to take my military service next year in my home country and therefore won’t be applying to university for at least 2 years. My University Counselor is aware of my plans and has discussed this with me.

Signed ……………………………….

Dated ……………………………….

266 LanAn Road, Jin Qiao, Pudong, 2010206 www.dulwich-shanghai.cn