Whittling Down the Many Questions to One: University Admissions 2015

Posted on April 16, 2015 by admin

The results are in! Almost…

With the majority of university admissions decisions being released, and in view of the incredible success of LCC’s Pre-University Class of 2015 in gaining admission to a wide range of universities, students now face the daunting task of making a choice. Not just about where and what to study, but what kind of university experience they are really looking for.

How many students will be in my class? What will the professors be like? Do I want a single, double, triple or quad in residence? Can undergrads do research? Or get a job on campus? What kinds of clubs will I join? What kinds of clubs are there? Will I study abroad? Do a co-op? Get an internship? Join Greek life? Play intramural sports? What if I’m hungry at midnight? How will I know when my laundry is done?

So many questions that need to be considered when deciding where one’s future lies.

The truth is every university has pros and cons. There is no idyllic, perfect university campus for all students. But there is a place for every student, where they can explore new ideas and discover meaningful passions; find out who they are and what kind of impact they want to have in the world. And the reality is that place can be anywhere.

It isn’t about the name of the institution that makes the experience great for a student. It’s about what the student does with the opportunities available at that place. Students who approach their college years with an open mind, who are up for any adventure or new challenge, will engage, explore, and make the most out of their experience regardless of the name of the university where they happen to be attending classes.

Every year in Pre-U we have students go to universities across Canada and the US, in the UK, Europe, and occasionally, even in Australia and New Zealand, and 95% of those students have loved/are loving their university life. And they should! University is fun!

However, university is also the place where young adults experience the steepest curve of personal growth. So this is the most important question for students to consider when making their ultimate university decision is: Is this place where I am going to be my best? (academically, socially, and emotionally)? Are these the people I want to be with for four years? Is this the place that is going to stimulate my intellect, challenge how I think, develop my analytical and writing skills, inspire me to want to be more, do more?

The “right” university is out there. The students just have to focus on what’s important to them, how they feel on campus or about that university to be confident that their choice is the right place for them.

– Kim Tulloch, Pre-University Program Coordinator & Director of University Advising

What’s in a Number? Pre-U Results…That’s What!

Posted on May 5, 2011 by admin

The results are in! Well, most of them, and the members of the Pre-U Class of 2011 have a lot to be proud of.

With so much of the Pre-U year focused on applying to university, awaiting the inevitable admission decision is an unnerving time for our students. The last month has been a whirlwind of highs and lows, with the crush of a refusal and the exhilaration of a university acceptance sometimes being experienced within minutes of each other.

But once the emotions settle down, it’s time to for that major, life-changing, decision – where am I going to be next year?

Not everyone has finalized their university decision yet, but when our 25 students cross the stage on May 19th at their graduation ceremony, this is what I know:
• 52% of the students will be attending university in the United States
• 38% of the US-bound students were accepted at universities that have admission rates under 15%
• 75% of our students who applied early to US universities were accepted
• 100% of the students who applied to UK universities were accepted
• 87% of the class has been offered admission scholarships
• 50% of one of the most prestigious scholarships at a top Canadian university were offered to our students (4/8)
• 100% of the Pre-U students will join the Class of 2015 at a university somewhere in the world beginning September 2011

The Pre-U Class of 2011 may be small in number, but they are mighty in many ways. And although, I’m not one to quantify the Pre-U experience—after all, Pre-U is about so much more than just getting into university— the numbers do speak for themselves and are a great reflection of the overall success of our Pre-U students this year.—Kim Tulloch, Director of University Advising

Life After High School: Plan Ahead

Posted on January 18, 2011 by admin

Come grades 10 and 11, students begin to think about their future. What is the next step? Well, the first decision is Pre-University or CEGEP. For those who know that going away is not for them, their decision is quite easy. But for those who have even the slightest interest in a different kind of experience, the range of options is even greater.

Pre-U is the option if you want to go away for university. It’s a program that fully prepares you in terms of the workload and background you need to fully succeed when you get to university. The classes are small and I find this extremely helpful because unlike CEGEP, I get to know my teachers well as most of LCC students are used too. It’s true that at university you won’t have a class size of six students (depending on the type of school you choose) but you will have a much stronger academic background and skills that prove to be a great advantage. I’ve sat through the most boring of English classes where I had to analyze sentence structure and write a 100-word paragraph where word choice was of the utmost importance. I’ve spent time writing different kinds of sentences (by this I mean the use of a comma or semi colon) and yes I thought this was completely irrelevant because a sentence is a sentence. However, when it came time to write my college essay–a very important part of your application–I found that my writing had changed. I did care about structure, and I made sure I had used a variety of sentences to make my writing even more proficient. The point is, you may not realize it until you have to apply it, but the skills (like sentence structure) will save you many headaches in the future.

Now if you’re thinking that you want to do a year of CEGEP and then leave the province that’s fine. But let me warn you that you will not get the support system that Pre-U has. You won’t have a college advisor making sure your application is perfect. You won’t have teachers with flexible office hours and you certainly won’t have a community of peers that are going through the exact same thing you are. Never in my life have I been so stressed. I have to study for my SATs, keep up my grades, and write six different essays on top of my sports. It’s a crazy balancing act but the best thing about it is that I have 26 other friends who know exactly what I’m going through. You also don’t have an assortment of candy available to you all day. What I’m saying is that if you know after a year that you want to go away you might as well do Pre-U because it will make your application experience that much easier.

Lastly, I’d like to offer some advice to all potential Pre-U students. If there is more than an 80% chance that you will be enrolling in the program next year, prepare for your SATs this year. My biggest mistake was waiting to do the majority of my SAT studying at the beginning of my Pre-U year and believe me, I regret it. I only have two chances to get the score I need, but if you write at the end of this year you have three or four chances. This also saves you a lot of stress because you are not dealing with it on top of the lengthy US application process. Also, time management is key. Use your spares, go grab some lunch and then head to the library. This will keep your workload more manageable. Lastly, just know that you will get into university no matter what. Don’t let the stress get the best of you, if something’s wrong talk to Mrs. Tulloch or Ms. Levy, that’s what they are there for. In Pre-U you have ample amounts of resources available to you; use them to your advantage. Nonetheless, whatever road you choose to take, make sure it’s the right one for you.–Samantha Elefant ’10 (Pre-U ’11)