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…

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…

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…

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…

We meet a lot of students who want to become doctors.  Their reasons vary: they’ve been inspired by important people in their lives, a personal experience in the medical system, a love of science, or even a television favourite like Grey’s Anatomy.They begin to plan ahead for medical school by taking science and math classes…

Many Grade 12 students don’t know exactly what they want to study at university. Filling out university applications, they might be asked to commit to a particular department, faculty, or major. Sometimes it seems like everyone else has it all figured out, from university through to a career. A student who isn’t sure can feel…

It’s mid-August, and here comes your new school year! Even a normal new school year provokes excitement and anxiety – and this year is not normal. This strange year of COVID brings extra challenges. Are you actually “going back to school” or will you be “learning remotely”? Either way, a bit of advance planning can…

Is this a Good Time to Take a Gap Year? A gap year is a year that students take between high school and university (or during university) to do a variety of structured and unstructured, academic and non-academic activities. Because of COVID-19 and the uncertainty about how universities will deliver programs this fall, more students…

If you have just completed Grade 11 and plan to apply to university, do a favor for your future self (that is, your September self) by getting started on university and scholarship applications this summer. Don’t wait until the fall. Grade 12 is a busy year and you’ll need to focus on doing your best…