Grade 12 Counseling Newsletter
Sent on the last Thursday of each month, the Counseling Newsletter provides extra guidance and information to assist you during the university application process. Please read each issue carefully. The newsletter is also shared with your parents and teachers, and it can be used to help create more dialogue about your future.
October 2019
In this issue will have a look at what you should have done by now, and also what else is coming up in the university application process. We illustrated some very important steps you need to take when you have completed any of your university applications. Please save this newsletter link, so that you can review it easily when you have completed an application. Continue working on your applications and college essays/personal statements. Remember the US ED/EA internal application deadline is only three weeks away, and the UK/US regular internal application deadline is only 2 months and 6 days away. Please do contact your counselor with any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
The High School Counselors
October 2019
In this issue will have a look at what you should have done by now, and also what else is coming up in the university application process. We illustrated some very important steps you need to take when you have completed any of your university applications. Please save this newsletter link, so that you can review it easily when you have completed an application. Continue working on your applications and college essays/personal statements. Remember the US ED/EA internal application deadline is only three weeks away, and the UK/US regular internal application deadline is only 2 months and 6 days away. Please do contact your counselor with any questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
The High School Counselors
What You Should Have Done by Now
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University Research
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Testing and Essays:
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What Else?
- You should have completed (or updated) the Junior Interview Survey. We will be writing your counselor recommendation letters very soon and most of the content is based on the information given by you in this survey. We will also be using the stories shared by your parents through the Parent Brag Sheet.
- You should have signed up for or completed the UKCAT and/or BMAT tests (if you are applying to Medical school in the UK)
- Applying to Oxford and/or Cambridge? Make sure you have registered for the appropriate test (SFS is a test center for some of these and your counselor can give you more information).
- Applying to Law in the UK? Do they require the LNAT?
- If you attended another school in Grade 9-11, make sure you have provided SFS with a full academic transcript from the previous school. If you transferred, check with your counselor!
- Joined some of the 9 Senior Workshops we gave you in September on various country systems. The presentations can be viewed/downloaded on the Grade 12 Counseling Page as soon as they have been delivered.
What's coming up?
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For North America
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For the UK
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Predicted Grades
Beginning on October 16, the HS Counselors will have individual predicted grades meetings with students that are applying to the UK to have a look at their predicted grades and how they relate to the course specific requirements. Universities in the UK will base their conditional offers mainly on the predicted grades. They also look at the personal statement and school reference, but it is unlikely that they give an offer to a student if the predicted grades don't meet the minimum requirement. UK universities don't request, and will not have access to, your Grade 9-12 transcript. It is safe to say that predicted grades are very important for students applying to universities in the UK.
Students applying to the US will get their predicted grades from their teachers on October 15. The HS Counselors will not have individual Predicted Grades Meetings with students applying to the US if not requested by students themselves. The predicted grades will be sent with the EA/ED applications in October, and with regular applications as part of the midyear report which is sent to universities in early February.
Please remember that predicted grades are much less important for students applying to the US as the universities use a holistic evaluation approach where they look at the student's grade 9-12 courses and grades, SAT or ACT scores, recommendation letters from teachers and counselors as well as the student's own essay(s). US universities use predicted grades in various ways and they really play a much less important role compared to the UK. Some universities say that they don't consider them at all. Others say that they look at them but that they don't give them any weight in the review process. Some universities say that they do add weight to predicted grades as it shows the direction the student is taking in the senior year. These universities use the predicted grades as a form of check point between last semester junior grades and first semester senior grades which are sent to universities in early February. 90% of US universities don't require predicted grades as part of early applications, and 85% of US universities don't require predicted grades as part of regular applications.
Predicted grades are "open" at SFS which means that students know what predicted grade they get in each subject. Students are of course welcome to have discussions about the predicted grades with their teachers as they would about grades in general. Begging, bargaining, or pressurizing is not acceptable though and will be reported to the administration.
Beginning on October 16, the HS Counselors will have individual predicted grades meetings with students that are applying to the UK to have a look at their predicted grades and how they relate to the course specific requirements. Universities in the UK will base their conditional offers mainly on the predicted grades. They also look at the personal statement and school reference, but it is unlikely that they give an offer to a student if the predicted grades don't meet the minimum requirement. UK universities don't request, and will not have access to, your Grade 9-12 transcript. It is safe to say that predicted grades are very important for students applying to universities in the UK.
Students applying to the US will get their predicted grades from their teachers on October 15. The HS Counselors will not have individual Predicted Grades Meetings with students applying to the US if not requested by students themselves. The predicted grades will be sent with the EA/ED applications in October, and with regular applications as part of the midyear report which is sent to universities in early February.
Please remember that predicted grades are much less important for students applying to the US as the universities use a holistic evaluation approach where they look at the student's grade 9-12 courses and grades, SAT or ACT scores, recommendation letters from teachers and counselors as well as the student's own essay(s). US universities use predicted grades in various ways and they really play a much less important role compared to the UK. Some universities say that they don't consider them at all. Others say that they look at them but that they don't give them any weight in the review process. Some universities say that they do add weight to predicted grades as it shows the direction the student is taking in the senior year. These universities use the predicted grades as a form of check point between last semester junior grades and first semester senior grades which are sent to universities in early February. 90% of US universities don't require predicted grades as part of early applications, and 85% of US universities don't require predicted grades as part of regular applications.
Predicted grades are "open" at SFS which means that students know what predicted grade they get in each subject. Students are of course welcome to have discussions about the predicted grades with their teachers as they would about grades in general. Begging, bargaining, or pressurizing is not acceptable though and will be reported to the administration.
I have sent my application, now what?
You need to send you counselor an email every time you have completed, sent, and paid for one of your applications.
This is so that we can prepare and send your supporting documents to the university.
Example email:
Dear Mr./Mrs. Counselor,
I have sent my application to the University of xxxx, and I have attached the Essay Verification Form to this email.
Please send in the supporting documents.
Kind regards,
Christian Crusader
Before you send us this email:
You need to send you counselor an email every time you have completed, sent, and paid for one of your applications.
This is so that we can prepare and send your supporting documents to the university.
Example email:
Dear Mr./Mrs. Counselor,
I have sent my application to the University of xxxx, and I have attached the Essay Verification Form to this email.
Please send in the supporting documents.
Kind regards,
Christian Crusader
Before you send us this email:
- Copy and paste your essay onto the Essay Verification Form (you need one form for each university application)
- Make sure you fill out the information on top of the form (your name, university’s name, type of essay(s), etc.)
- Include all essays that you sent with your university application (Common App Essay and Supplements go on the same form)
- Read the statement at the bottom of the form and add your electronic signature (here is a guide on how to add your signature on a Mac electronically)
- Attach the form to the email to your counselor
Counselors submitting your Supporting Documents
What are the supporting documents again?
- October 28 is the first day students may request that the counselors send their supporting documents to universities
- Please note that we will send supporting documents only after you have completed, sent, and paid for your online application.
- As soon as we have sent the documents (within 5 work days), we will respond to your email, confirming that it has been sent.
- A few schools do not yet accept online submission, so these will be sent by courier. You will receive an email informing you of the date and time that your package was sent by courier along with all of the information you will need to track this package.
What are the supporting documents again?
- Two Teacher Recommendation Letters
- Counselor Recommendation Letter
- Academic Transcript (s) Grade 9-11 (Grade 12 first semester grades will be sent in beginning of February)
- Predicted Grades Form
- IGCSE Certificate (if relevant)
- Mid-Semester Grades (if relevant)
- SFS Academic Profile
The next issue of the newsletter will be posted on Thursday 31 October.
Kind regards,
The High School Counselors
Kind regards,
The High School Counselors