UGC NEWS

UPCOMING UNIVERSITY VISITS

Written by Mr. Stan

University of Waterloo Admissions and Mathematics Workshop (Canada): October 18th at 12:45pm - 02:15pm in the library

• • • Presented by Professor Robert who holds a master’s and PhD in Pure Mathematics at University of Waterloo

    • Professor Robert is part of the Centre for Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), the largest Mathematics and Computer Science outreach organization in North America.

    • This Interactive Math Problem Solving workshop will challenge students to think critically and creatively as they stretch their mathematics muscles in the classroom. As a group, Robert will lead the class through some math problems by asking leading questions and applying some common problem-solving approaches.

New York University (USA) visit and workshop: October 19th at 02:15pm - 03:00pm in the library

PSAT TESTING GRADE 10 AND 11

Written by Mr. Stan

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 Tuesday, October 25^th, 2022. 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, this 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, personalized SAT Practice through Khan Academy®. If students link their CollegeBoard and Khan Academy accounts, they’ll get free, personalized 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 personalized career exploration offered in partnership with Roadtrip Nation that then helps them make connections to colleges and majors on BigFuture

The exam will be taken at SWA on Tuesday, October 25^th, 2022 and has a duration of 3 hours and 35 minutes in total (including breaks). Please kindly note that the fee must be paid to the school by the deadline of Monday, October 17^th, 2022.

East vs. West Coast | 6 University Panel Event

This “East vs. West Coast” virtual event and panel discussion will be an opportunity for students to learn about six different institutions located in Boston and Los Angeles, as well as the highlights of living in each city. After the short presentation, students, counselors, and parents will be able to connect with admission representatives from each institution in a breakout room format.

October 19, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S. and Canada)

Registration link

University of California Workshop

Personal Insight Question (PIQ) Workshop (First-Year Students) Registration link

Tuesday, October 18th, 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. Pacific Time

The Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) in the UC Application are students’ chance to shine! This workshop offers an in-depth look at the PIQs, what works and what doesn’t, with specific examples from applications in the past.

I'm a US citizen, but I live abroad... what does this mean for my application to the US?

Tuesday, October 18th, 2022 at 07:30 AM until 8:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Join Binghamton University for a chat on what it means to apply to US universities as a US citizen while living abroad. Binghamton's Financial Aid office will walk you through the process, help you understand what the FAFSA is, and help you understand the timeline for the US application process. Whether you've been away from the US for a while or just a year or two, this session will help you prepare for the unique challenges of applying to US colleges as an "Out of Country" US citizen, how to apply for the FAFSA, and how we can help throughout the process.

Register here

*Please note that this session is specifically for US citizen students, and is not relevant or applicable to other international students.

GRADE 10 IBDP COURSE SELECTION GUIDANCE

Written by Mr. Stan

Grade 10 students will continue their career guidance and support for making their IBDP Course choices by the end of the semester. The main components to be used are:

Interest/Personality

• Myers Briggs (1st sem. grade 10)

Aptitude:

• Grades, PSAT, IGCSE, MYP Checkpoint

• Mandatory 15 minute individual meetings

Timeline:

1. Introduction to MBTI

2. Students take the MBTI

3. Interpreting results workshop for students

4. Workshop for Parents

5. Mandatory 15 minutes individual meetings with Counselors

UGC INDIVIDUAL COUSELLING

Written by Mr. Stan

One of the most important parts of University Guidance Counselling at SWA is the personalised individual meeting. Students and parents from Grades 8-12 are encouraged to book meetings with the UGC, Mr Stan, using the UGC Calendly link: https://calendly.com/swa-ugc_mrstan