Academic Insights

June 2, 2023
In this issue, you’ll find articles on: Tradeoffs – You Probably Can’t Have It All – When you’re putting together a college list, you will probably find some things you love and some things you’re not crazy about at each school. It’s like choosing a partner. You might have a wish list of 37 characteristics,…
May 16, 2023
 In this issue, you’ll find articles on: Studying Abroad – Freshman Year or Later – The opportunity to live and study in a foreign country is seen by students and parents alike as not just a fun part of college but necessary preparation for working in a global economy. But there are many different types of study…
April 11, 2023
In this issue, you’ll find articles on: Qualities of Stem Applicants –  In the face of the increasing demand for qualified graduates, competition for seats in STEM programs have become far more rigorous. In order to present a competitive application to a strong STEM program, students need to start preparing themselves as early as possible.  These…
September 27, 2022
Are you in Grade 12 and thinking about applying to colleges and universities in the United States? Now is the time to strategize about the timing of your applications. And to do that, you need to know about your “Regular Decision”, “Early Action”, “Early Decision”, and “Rolling Admissions” options. Each of the schools you’re considering…
August 16, 2022
Grade 11 is challenging. Your academic classes will be harder, your final grades will matter for university admissions, and you may be taking on more responsibility in your extracurricular activities. All this will keep you very busy! I’m going to suggest that you add one more item to your plate: university planning.  Especially from September…
July 24, 2022
How are you spending your summer break? The students we’re currently working with are getting work experience, doing internships, participating in and leading camp activities, taking classes, travelling, and relaxing. They’re also carving out time to get a head start on college and university applications. If you haven’t started preparing for applications yet, you’re missing…
December 15, 2021
Early reports are showing an increase in the number of applications submitted for U.S. colleges’ Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) deadlines. As a result, we’ll see an increase in the number of students who are deferred. We know that it takes a lot of work to get an application ready for an early…
September 27, 2021
University life is very different from high school life, so the transition from high school to university deserves attention. Sometimes it’s hard to find time to focus on this upcoming transition, with all the demands of Grade 12 academics, extracurricular activities, and university planning. But students and parents can take practical steps to help with…
July 28, 2021
Sure, grades are the most important piece of data that Canadian universities look at when considering applicants, but in many cases they’re not the only factor. It’s getting more and more common for applicants to be evaluated ‘holistically’, taking into consideration various factors in addition to grades. These might include ‘rigor’ (the degree of difficulty…
May 1, 2021
Are you a high school student thinking ahead to university admissions in Canada? Are you a parent of a high school student? Here’s what you need to know. There are high-quality universities across the country and you can get a fine education at any of them. Grab a pen and paper or open a document…