Overview

The IB programme prepares students to enter universities all around the world. With so many institutions to choose from, students must begin the search and selection process in Year 12. Factors that should be weighed when selecting a university are:  size of the university/department, expense, curricular offerings, student body, atmosphere, rigor of the programme, location, and entrance requirements. Some of the sources of information to use in reaching a decision about the university or type of university to attend are the following:

1. University prospectuses available in the Counselling office.

2. Conferences with your Counsellor.

4. Discussions with university representatives visiting the school.

5. Discussions with alumni of universities that are under consideration.

6. Visits to various universities while on vacation.

7. Attending Parent/Student evenings.

General Entrance Criteria

The Counsellors at the British School will assist in helping students to meet entrance requirements, but the primary responsibility must lie with the student and their parents. Important criteria which universities examine in considering students are:

1. School transcript (from Year 10 - 13) showing subjects taken and grades earned.

2. The quality and level of difficulty of subjects, particularly the selection of subjects chosen to take in year 12.

3. Personal Statement.

4. Test scores

5. Extracurricular activities, awards and honors, and community service participation.

6. Recommendations from teachers, Counsellor or principal.

UK Universities

The majority of degree programs in England & Wales (but not Scotland) take three years to complete. Students focus solely on the one or two subjects chosen to study. There are no general education requirements as there are in the US. This is an advantage if the student is certain of the subject they want to study in university. In order to apply to the UK, the student must declare their choice of study.  One must be aware that transferring to a different subject will usually entail starting a degree over from the beginning.

In Scotland, degrees generally take four years to complete, and can be more flexible regarding course choices. A student can study humanities or social sciences in general, rather than needing to focus on a specific field such as psychology.

Generally, students would only be admitted if they scored high on the IB exam. Students who do not do well on the IB Exam have the opportunity to apply to a one-year foundation course in order to qualify later for entry to a degree programme.

All undergraduate applications in the UK are done through UCAS. Once students have decided what they want to study and where, they will need to complete an application online using UCAS website at www.ucas.com/students/apply. The students will be applying through the school, and will be given a buzzword in September. When students enter this buzzword during the registration process, it links the application to the school so that the Counsellors can write your reference.

Important Websites

Universities UK

www.universitiesuk.ac.uk  - website for Universities in UK

Universities Scotland

www.universities-scotland.ac.uk – website for Universities in Scotland

UCAS

www.ucas.com - UK central organization through which applications are processed for entry to higher education, providing information about UK universities.

HERO

www.hero.ac.uk - HERO (Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the United Kingdom) contains information on all aspects of higher education.

University Choice TV

www.uctv.org  - University Choice TV provides a range of videos to help you choose what and where to study.

Unistats

http://www.unistats.com/ - official website here to help you compare subjects at universities and colleges in the UK.

International Students Union

www.isu.org.uk - The International Students Union (ISU) was founded by a group of international students from different universities based in London and has more than 6,000 members.

Teaching Quality Information

www.tqi.ac.uk – Launched in September 2005, the TQI website brings together key sources of official information about the quality of higher education in UK universities and colleges.

US Universities

The words “college” and “university” are used interchangeably when referring to US institutions. College usually refers to an institution devoted primarily to undergraduate education. A university, on the other hand, is usually a larger institution offering a combination of undergraduate and graduate (master’s or doctorate) degrees. Universities are frequently committed to research as well as teaching.

Choosing a Major

A majority of students who begin university in the US do not declare a major. There is latitude to try different courses in the first year or two and choose a major later. Many students apply as “undecided” waiting until sophomore year to declare a major. Except for certain majors—such as engineering—most students take a variety of courses during this time. General education or “core” requirements help insure all students have a breadth of knowledge when they graduate, in addition their specialized area.

The flexibility of changing majors also allows students to transfer between different universities with little difficulty.

Individualized Applications

In the US, colleges and universities each set their own criteria for determining who gets admitted. Each one designs its own application, asks their own questions, has a variety of deadlines, and sets its own policies. Many of the colleges who accept the “Common Application” also ask for supplementary materials.  It is important for the student to look closely at their university list and limit their selections to eight.

US universities think the best predictor of university success is secondary school performance. Therefore, grades earned and IGCSE/IB courses taken are the most important factors considered. Standardized test scores, if the university requires them (some don’t - a list is at www.fairtest.org) are sometimes considered less important than the transcript.

Useful Websites

Universities

www.collegeboard.com – college search information

www.californiacollegess.edu – information on universities in California

www.ctcl.com – “Colleges that Change Lives”, book’s homepage

www.campustours.com – virtual tours of major campuses

www.collegeview.com – college search (Hobson’s)

www.petersons.com – resources on colleges

www.commonapp.org – common app for independent colleges

University Entrance Exams

www.collegeboard.com – SAT Reasoning and Subject Test information and registration

www.princetonreview.com – test prep information

www.kaplan.com – test prep information

www.ivywest.com – test prep information

www.collegeCountdown.com/Claremont - free access to SAT, ACT, PSAT practice tests

Athletics

www.ncaa.org – National Collegiate Athletic Association

www.ncaaclearinghouse.net - information for athletic eligibility and registration

Financial Aid

www.fastweb.com – financial aid search engine

www.edupass.org - financial aid for international students

www.finaid.org – student guide to financial aid

http://www.cois.org/ - excellent website for information regarding financial aid for international students

Canadian Universities

In Canada, there is a very real distinction between a university and a college. Institutions granting bachelors and advanced degrees are universities. Colleges only focus on vocational and technical training. Each university in Canada has a general minimum admission standard based on Canadian grading standards. These minimum course requirements vary from faculty to faculty. It is important to contact the university to understand submission requirements, such as transcript and SAT scores. For further information, speak with your Counsellor, or talk to visiting Canadian university representatives.

Universities in Ontario use a centralized application process much like the UK called Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC). Students submit a single application to OUAC, which is then forwarded to students’ chosen universities. The OUAC application should be filed no later than the end of November in order to ensure it reaches the university in plenty of time for them to request supporting documentation. In all other provinces, students apply directly to the university.

After applying, each university will send an email or letter acknowledging receipt of the application and requesting transcripts and other documents. That letter will contain the student’s personal student number. Be sure to provide this number to the counselling office, because it should be written on the transcript and any other documents to ensure these important items are filed correctly. It is necessary to send transcript updates at the end of third term in year 13, and in some cases, after graduation, so be sure to keep grades up throughout Year 13!

Websites:

http://www.edu-canada.gc.ca/ - Canada International, going to Canada

http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/ - Ranking of Universities

http://www.aucc.ca/index_e.html - official website of association of universities and colleges in Canada

http://www.studycanada.ca/ - Learn about universities, university colleges, community colleges, technical institutes, career colleges, secondary schools, summer camps, and language schools in Canada

www.ouac.on.ca –Ontario universities application centre.

Australian Universities

Australian university year begins in February except for a small mid-year intake in July. Applications are usually submitted in September, a few months after graduation from the school. It is important to contact International Development Program (IDP) and Education Australia, a semiprivate company established by the Australian universities and government and Australian Education International at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi to help with the transition from the end of the school year until the start of the university year.

The more selective universities will only accept a student with high SAT and IB scores. If the student’s qualifications are not sufficient to gain admission, the student has the opportunity to enroll in a six to twelve month “Foundation Year.” Success in this program usually gains entry into a university. Many courses in Australia are three years long, so taking the Foundation Year still provides a comparable four-year US experience.

Important websites

http://www.aaeri.org/ - Association of Australian Education representatives in India

http://studyinaustralia.gov.au - The official Australian Government site for advice on study in Australia.

Other Countries

If interested in learning about universities in other parts of the world, inform the Counsellors and contact the universities directly.

http://www.aco.eu.com/ - American Colleges Overseas, This organization helps students locate and obtain information on thirty different American colleges and universities in eighteen countries around the world.

http://www.unesco.org/iau/onlinedatabases/index.html - The database on Higher Education Systems includes information available on the higher education systems of some 180 countries and territories worldwide.

http://univ.cc/ - Links to 8113 Universities in 198 countries.

University Counselling Policies

Appointments

The School Counsellors see students by appointments from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Walk-ins are encouraged on a daily basis during school break times.

Naviance “Family connection”

The Counselling department uses “Naviance” for all of their university advising communication.Each student must log on to “Naviance” before meeting with the Counsellor.

Link to Naviance https://workspacek12.naviance.com/britishschool

Transcripts

The British School Counselling department sends transcripts to colleges/universities directly. Two copies of final Transcript will be given to students upon graduation. The students have to fill out a“Transcript request form” from their “Naviance” to request a transcript.

Applications and Recommendations

Students are advised to attend the application afternoons, parent student evenings and individual appointments.Students apply to no more than 8 universities. UCAS application is counted as one application. The Counsellors' office asks all students to formally ask for recommendation letters by the due date by filling up a form available on Naviance “Family Connection”. CounsellorRecommendations are compiled from the academic file and information gathered by the Counsellors' office from the student, parents, advisor and coaches, among others. School recommendations are not released to parents or students; they are confidential communication between the school and universities.

SAT Test Scores

Students and parents who wish test scores sent to universities must do so through the testing agency. It is important to understand that the testing agency may also require additional time for scores to be sent. Careful attention to deadlines is paramount.

Application Deadlines

All Applications are due to the Counsellors' office at the dates mentioned in the The British School calendar. The Counsellors' office cannot guarantee to meet the university deadline if students submit the application materials after deadlines. Please refer to the college counsellors' calendar for the deadlines