NEWS FROM THE HEO
HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICE UPDATES - 21 JUNE 2013
Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome to the first bi-weekly newsletter from the Higher Education Office (HEO)!
Every two weeks the HEO will be sending parents and students from Years 10-13 updates and information about various HE issues including: impending university visits to both DC and around Hong Kong, important deadlines for university applications, dates for PSAT, SAT, ACT and other important admissions tests, and news on the latest trends and developments in Higher Education and careers.
PSAT/NMSQT
We will be holding the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) at Discovery College, for students in Years 10 and 11 during the first day of the Mid-Term Breakterm.
The details are as follows:
Date: Saturday 19 October 2013 (this is the official date designated by the College Board)
Time: 8.30 - 11.30 am
Venue: Diploma Centre, 4/F
Cost: 200 HKD (includes test fee and shipping charges)
Students who are planning to study in the US are strongly encouraged to take this test. The PSAT is an effective way for students to prepare for the SAT, a widely recognized college admission test and one that can play a crucial role in the university admissions process. It is an assessment that measures skills in critical reading, mathematics and writing. It is also useful in providing feedback on strengths and weaknesses in these areas.
If you have queries regarding this test, please contact Ms Blomfield at susie.blomfield@discovery.edu.hk
Welcome to Naviance Succeed!
Family Connection allows students to:
- Get involved in the planning and advising process – Build a resume, complete online surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers
- Research colleges and research careers – In addition to researching hundreds of universities around the world, students can research hundreds of careers and career clusters, and take career assessments.
- Create plans for the future – Create goals and to-dos, and complete tasks assigned by the school to better prepare students for future college and career goals.
Family Connection also lets us share information with you and your child about upcoming meetings and events, local scholarship opportunities, and other resources for college and career information.
When you visit the Family Connection website for the first time, enter your personal registration code, which has been emailed to you, in the Are you new here? Box. Then click on I need to register and follow the on-screen instructions to create your own account. PLEASE NOTE YOUR REGISTRATION CODE HAS COME FROM NAVIANCE, NOT FROM DISCOVERY COLLEGE – SO PLEASE DO NOT REGARD THIS AS SPAM.
Once you have your own account, you will sign in using the username and password you chose during the registration process.
We hope that you will find this resource helpful. If you have questions about Family Connection, please contact Ms Blomfield at susie.blomfield@discovery.edu.hk or Ms Jenkins at madeleine.jenkins@discovery.edu.hk.
To visit our school’s Family Connection website, use an Internet browser to connect to:
Universities visiting DC from January - June 2013
University Visits January-to date
Campus Tours
In addition to universities visiting DC, the HEO has organized several private campus tours for our year 11 and 12 students. Students have visited HKU, CUHK, HKUST, and Yew Chung Community College (YCCC). We have a campus tour organized for HKPoly U early in August for students to visit the impressive and new Faculty of Design. These campus tours have allowed our students to meet with current university students, key admissions staff and most importantly, get to know the university.
Timeline for Year 13 Students in the New Academic Year
Next academic year is going to be a critical one for our Year 13 students. Over the summer they will have finalized their choices of universities, worked on their admission essays and have gathered all the documentation needed for submitting their applications.
By the end of the first term next year, all university applications will have been submitted.
You can view the Timeline below:
Tips for Year 12 Students in the New Academic Year
It will be an important time for Year 12 students when they start the new academic year. As Year 13 students will be submitting their university applications, year 12s will be just starting the whole research process. BE AS PROACTIVE AS YOU CAN. Use Family Connections, make an appointment to see Ms Blomfield, and attend as many university visits to DC as you possibly can. Anyone interested in applying to the US must register to take the SAT in October. Click www.collegeboard.org for further information on dates and how to register.
Make your Summer Productive!
For students who are interested in a career in Finance and Investment Banking, please check out the following programme:
Insight Programme 2013 - Young Bankers of Tomorrow - Hosted by Barclays Bank www.senate-house.org
Year 12 students who are applying for Medicine, Law, Veterinary Science, must have some work experience this summer. For more information and advice on your resume and cover letter, please make an appointment to see Ms Blomfield.
Mid-IB Review Courses 2013
When: 2 – 6 July 2013
Where: Renaissance College (next to Heng On Station on the Ma On Shan Line)
How Much: 3 days HK$6,000 5 days HK$9,900
SAT Preparation Courses
The Edge http://www.theedge.com.hk/courses
NTK http://ntk.edu.hk
Kaplan http://www.kaplan.com.hk
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