UGC NEWS

Five top US Universities had a panel discussion with grade 12’s on Friday September 15.  The University admissions representatives in the panel included: Katie Phung – Boston College, Scot McClamma – Pepperdine University, Bryan Kobick – Wesleyan University, Roosa Lowe – Lawrence University, Keino Purcell – Northeastern University

School of the Art Institute of Chicago visit and portfolio review

The Director of International Admissions for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago had a group session with grade 11 and 12 Visual Arts students on September 6 that included a comprehensive Portfolio review for their future Uni applications in artistic careers.

PSAT Testing (deadline to register extended)

SWA students in Grades 10 and 11 will be able to take the College Board's PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) on Monday, 23 October 2023. The PSAT constitutes an important part of the student’s path towards successful university applications and admissions in Grade 12 and we therefore strongly recommend that students take the test. Taking the PSAT is important for your child for the following reasons:

• A preliminary “dress rehearsal” of the SAT, allows students to be exposed to the SAT in a low-risk way as the scores of the PSAT are not seen by colleges and universities. Students take the exam the same way they would the SAT, therefore getting a taste of testing conditions

• The PSAT predicts/projects what the student's SAT score range is likely to be, allowing the student and UGC to use this predicted score in planning for the best university paths/options for the student.

• The PSAT score can help students decide whether they should take the SAT in the future, or look for other options, at a much lower cost than the actual SAT.

• The PSAT score report provides the UGC, parents, and students with real data to use in the first individual College Action plan meetings in Grade 11

• Access to free, personalised SAT Practice through Khan Academy®. If students link their CollegeBoard and Khan Academy accounts, they will get free, personalised SAT practice recommendations based on their actual performance on the PSAT/NMSQT

• Identifies skills for improvement. The score report gives students comprehensive feedback on their test performance, allowing them to see which questions they answered incorrectly and which academic skills they should focus on

• Provides online college and career planning tools to spark college-going aspirations and introduce students to opportunities available after high school

• Supports college and career planning through the tool: BigFuture™ and the College Board’s partnership with Roadtrip Nation. Students can discover majors and careers that connect to the things they care about most, with personalised career exploration offered in partnership with Roadtrip Nation that then helps them make connections to colleges and majors on BigFuture

The deadline to sign up and pay for the PSAT extended to Monday 25 September

Upcoming University fairs and events