The Next Step: Applying to University!

Hi everyone! My name is Jasmine Lin and I am a Grade 12 student at Semiahmoo Secondary. Today, I had the pleasure to attend Jodi Buckley’s Think Tank on “The World of University Admissions” as a part of the Associate National Lead program where I get to build and host my own conference! Here are my thoughts highlighting what I learned:

Listening in on this Think Tank, I had the opportunity to really broaden my scope of knowledge on the whole university admission process. From filling in general information on application sites to supplemental applications and auditions, I got a much clearer picture of what universities generally look for in each step of the process. For example, universities that tend to give out offers earlier on are willing to take grade 11 marks into more heavy consideration, and universities that give out offers later are waiting to evaluate grade 12 interim or final marks. Even though I already submitted a few applications prior to this Think Tank, the information that I obtained from it has given me another boost and more perspective for completing the applications that I have left.

For me, someone who is currently in the middle of applying to universities, I found that the biggest takeaway and most helpful bit of advice would be to not overcomplicate things. Universities ask you to complete supplemental applications and interviews not to trip you up in your plans, but to get a view of your authentic self. Just be concise, answer the questions that you are being asked, and allow your personality to show through: things will work out fine and you will be accepted into a program that is a good fit for your true self.

Other than listening to Jodi’s expertise, we also had an opportunity to get into break-out rooms and test out our newfound skills with practice interview questions. This was the most enjoyable part of the Think Tank for me since I had an opportunity to practice with and connect with another student with similar goals as myself. Although I had already done 2 university application interviews, I still found the practice useful and I discovered that I could share my experiences with my practice partner and help them to answer the questions as well.

Needless to say, with university applications being an inevitable part of my grade 12 year, I will be implementing everything that I have learned in this Think Tank in the rest of my applications. Supplemental essays, interviews, personal profiles: regardless of what exactly it is, I think that my mindset is now in the right place and I hope the rest of my applications fly by without a hitch!