NEWS FROM THE HEO
HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICE UPDATES - 3 April 2014
Dear Students and Parents
With the Easter holidays just around the corner, Year 13 are coming to the end of their time here at DC and embarking on their next exciting stage – either onto higher education or a productive gap year. Most of the university decisions have been made and we are happy to update you on further US and Canadian offers:
US – New York University (NYU), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Northeastern University, Hampshire College, Colby College, Boston University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bowling Green State University
Canada – University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University, Ryerson, Queens, Western, McGill.
YEAR 13
Final Decisions
Please note the following rules apply:
1. Only 2 UK universities (1 firm, 1 insurance). NO MORE THAN TWO.
2. Only 1 US university
3. Only 1 Canadian university
Get Ready for University Life!
Leaving school and venturing out into university is a major transition and can be understandably daunting and overwhelming.
To address some of the practical issues that students face including visas, documentation, finance, insurance, cost of living, what to pack (and what not to pack!), climate etc, the HEO is organizing a pre-departure workshop for Year 13 on Wednesday 28 May from 12.30 to 2pm. We will also address some of the challenges that students may face when starting out at university: cultural adjustment, living independently and away from home, sharing accommodation, living on a budget, staying safe and being vigilant, making sensible choices.
It will be an informal, fun and practical workshop and we strongly encourage all students to attend.
What happens when IB results are released?
Students will receive their results on 6 July. I will be in school from Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 July to deal with any queries that arise and to offer assistance to students. This will be a very busy and important time, so please make sure that if you are not in Hong Kong when your results are released, that you are contactable by email.
YEAR 12
This is a crucially important time for Year 12 students when research is at its most intense. Students are actively researching different universities and majors, looking closely at the programmes on offer, the academic requirements, the location and size, the diversity of the student body. They will be narrowing their choices towards the end of next term. Currently their list of universities should be quite long and students are encouraged to be flexible and open-minded in their choices.
Admissions Writing Workshop, Friday 3 April
All Year 12 will be attending a writing workshop from 12.30 to 3 pm this Friday in the Diploma Centre. University application essays play a crucial role in the decision making process so this will be a valuable and useful session.
Please note that the first drafts of admissions essays need to be submitted to the HEO by Friday 9 May.
University Visits
We have had a wonderful range of visits during March and early April: Durham University (UK), New College of the Humanities (UK), Trent University (Canada), Coventry University (UK), Haverford College (US), Northeastern University (US), University of Sydney (Australia) and University of Toronto (Canada).
Trent University, Canada
New College of the Humanities, UK
University of Sydney, Australia
Percy is Back!
Students are strongly encouraged to attend.
YEAR 11
We are very happy to see many Year 11 students turn up to university events and make appointments with the HEO to discuss subject choices, resumes and university choices. This is fantastic to see – well done and please keep it up!
DC’s first University Fair!
We are excited to be holding our first university fair in the middle of September 2014. We hope to have about 50 institutions from around the world exhibiting at the event and see this as a valuable opportunity for our students and parents to learn more about the excellent opportunities available to them. We will be running specific workshops alongside which will be hosted by university admission officers and professors.
More details will be coming soon.
SAT
Year 12 students interested in studying in the US are strongly recommended to take this test. It plays a crucial role in US admissions and the more you practise, the better you'll get.
To register, go to www.collegeboard.org. Then set up an account and follow the instructions. Don't forget the CEEB code which is 670734.
Summer Programmes!
IDEAS Summer School Experience - University of Waterloo, CANADA
Summer Scholars Program - University of Miami, USA
Medical Summer Broadening Programme 2014 - "Essence of Health" - University of Hong Kong
Summer Select Program - UC Berkeley, USA
Wishing you a wonderful and restful Easter break. As always, please contact me if you have any questions or queries.
Kind regards,
Susie Blomfield
Useful Resources
UK – UCAS – www.ucas.com
US – College Board – www.collegeboard.org
Petersons College Search - www.petersons.com/college-search
Common Application - https://www.commonapp.org
US News – www.usnews.com
Canada – www.aucc.ca
Australia – www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au
HEO - Higher Education Office
Email: susie.blomfield@discovery.edu.hk
Website: http://discovery.edu.hk
Location: Siena Avenue, 38, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 3969 1000