Successful University Application

SAT Other Requirements IB Grades Personal Statement / Essays

SAT Subjects Super Curricula

Recommendation Letters IELTS /TOEFL

Internships Predicted Grades Community & ServiceA

Application

IB Grades

• Obviously very important aspect of the application

• Universities take G 9 – G11• It is better to show a upward trajectory than a

downward one• Challenging universities request IB points

starting at 35

IB Predicted Grades

• Crucial for UK universities / very important for rest of the world

• We issue them in November. Medicine UK, students receive Predicted in October

• Predictions are based on:1. G11 scores2. Teacher input3. ALIS test

Personal Statement / Essay

• UK and Canada request one personal statement, US asks for a maximum of 3 essays per university

• It is usually a page long or appox 500 words• Personal Statements talk about the student and

why he/ she has selected that particular major where as Essays are usually answering a specific question like ‘Tell us about your community’

• US gives a lot of weight to essays as they believe it helps distinguish one student from another

Super Curricular

• They include: sports, languages, music, awards, clubs• They will only be considered from G9 onwards

unless the student started a while back and is still a member

• Students don’t need documents to prove involvement

• The more a student has the better rounded he/ she is

Internships

• It plays a very important role in the application because:

a: gives an edge to the application b: students acquire soft and interpersonal skills• It does not have to relate to the major • Work can be for a minimum of 2 weeks

Community and Service

• This has become a very important aspect of the application. Universities want to see that students give back to their communities

• Usually CAS at school is sufficient but if a student wants to stand out from rest of class he/she must seek other opportunities

SAT

• A four hour test required by majority of US universities• IAA is a center for SAT but we are not involved with

registration or marking• To register students must create an account with www. Collegeboard.org• SAT is out of 2400 and it has Critical Reading,

Mathematics and Writing• An average score is between 1600 -1800 and is

accepted by middle range universities• IVY schools or similar ask for 1950 or more

Subject SAT

• Very selective universities request two Subject SATs

• Each subject is out of 800 and a competitive score is 700+

• You can either do SAT or SAT Subject in each sitting. The test is repeated 6 times a year October, November, December, January, May and June

TOEFL / IELTS

• It is an English proficiency test and it tests in Reading, writing, listening and speaking

• IAA tests IELTS twice every year• The test is out of 9. A good score is 6.5 or

more • It is required by many universities all around

the world

Teacher Recommendation

• Every student is allowed 3• UK asks for only one, Canada is optional, US

maximum of 3• Students request them in September • Students should request letter from teacher

they know well• You may include a letter from outside of

school

Other Requirements

• LNAT – students applying to Law in UK• UKCAT – students applying to Medicine UK• BMAT – students applying to Medicine Oxford

or Cambridge, Imperial or UCLAll tests are one time only and can only be taken in the first semester in G12• Architecture, Design or Performance students

are required to submit a portfolio as well

How do we begin?

• We select a major

Most students know by this time what the would like to pursue at university but if not please begin now

Some universities have differing names for similar fields of study – so when in doubt refer to the modules

Some majors require specific subject requirements (particularly UK)Encourage students to study what they enjoy and not what you

would like them to applyOne must also look at employability and job opportunities after

graduation

Once major is chosen we choose a region or regions

UK• Maximum of 5 universities (only 4 for Med) and students can only apply to

either Oxford or Cambridge and not both• UK has one application system which encompasses all UK universities

called UCAS• They need one essay to write (4000 characters)• They need one recommendation letter• They need their predictions• They must include grades from G10 and G11 • The application for all five universities cost 24 pounds

Canada• Ontario region has one common application which includes 20 universities (OUAC)• McGill, UBC and Concordia have their separate applications• There are two parts to Canadian apps – an online application and a follow

up with postage• Students have no limits to applications as each cost between 50 – 200 CAD• There are no specific requirements for Canada – they only need their

transcripts and predicted grades• Some universities will follow up with the student about specific tasks so

students must be very careful not to miss their emails

USA• They have their common application system which includes 500 +

universities (Commonapp)• Universities that are not part of have their own application • Commonapp helps students choose their universities under one folder

and all documents once uploaded onto the system will be available to all universities chosen

• All US unis require G9 – G11 scores as well as prediction of G12• Majority of unis require SAT I or ACT. Highly selective ones need SAT II as

well• Acceptances for US are holistic they look at every aspect of the application• There are no limit to how many you choose, as each costs differently• The more selective the university the more essays it will ask for

Middle East / Europe

• Separate application for every university either to be completed online or sent by post

• All require G9 – G11 grades as well as predictions for G12

• Some require an essay, recommendation, passport copy and a photo

• Prices range $50 -150

How do we prepare?

• Complete placements – jobs or community service. • Be very active in school and outside ie clubs, sports,

music etc…• Prepare for placements tests now and don’t leave

them till the last minute. UKCAT, BMAT, LNAT, SAT, SAT II

• Read read read and be aware of what is happening in the world. This helps with writings and interviews

• If Architecture / Art is chosen must prepare a portfolio of 15 – 20 pieces

General Points

• Selecting the right university is key to achieving success. It should be based on student’s ability

• Students and parents must be prepared to apply to universities that are at least 5 points below their prediction

• Students can use the ranking system to select but it should not be the only determining factor because:

Because continues…

• Different website rank universities differently• Top universities do not have the best rank in

every department or field • Ranks change yearly• Ranks are predominantly depended upon

research facility and that is usually at graduate level

General Points Cont..

• Finish off the SAT in G11. There’s too much pressure in G12 to think about SAT

• It is recommended that they sit the SAT a maximum of 3 times. Statistically students don’t score higher after that

• We advise that students finish off applications early as ED come out in mid December and UK sends offers as soon they receive applications

Dates

• Application process begins September 2014• Students applying to Medicine UK and / or Oxbridge will be

given priority as their deadline is Oct 15th

• Students applying to US ED must complete all requirements by Nov 1st

• All remaining applications must be finished by Dec 15th (Note it is the student’s responsibility to find out when the

deadlines are for his/ her chosen university)

Results?

• UK first come first served (conditional)• US from mid March till mid April

(unconditional)• Canada mid March till early April (easy

conditions)• ED / EA mid December (unconditional)• Middle East same as US (unconditional)• Europe varies

Please Remember…For IB:Languages – 1written task, 2 oralsEconomics – 3 portfoliosBusiness – 1 large projectHistory – 1 large projectSciences – Lab report every two weeksDT – 1 large project, 1 small projectMath – 1 large projectArt – 15 – 18 piecesTheatre – 4 significant internalsTheory of Knowledge – 1 essay and 1 oralExtended Essay – 4000 words project and 1 oralCAS – balanced portfolio and documented reflectionsNot including the sets of exams and homework

Q & A

• Do I have to declare my major from the beginning?

• How do I choose my universities if Predictions are confidential?

• How many should I apply for?• What if I perform better in final exams and

receive a better IB score?• Does it cost to apply?• Who needs an interview?• When do I hear back from universities?

Any Questions?