What can I do in Grade 11 to Prepare for Admissions: Part One

Here at Options, our consultants often meet with grade 11 students at this time of year who are anxious to know how they can begin preparing for admission to their desired post-secondary institutions. While applications won’t open for these students until the fall, there’s lots to do to get ready to tackle the admissions process. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be discussing tangible steps our grade 11s can take to get ready! Check out part one below.

Early Spring (March and April)

The early spring of grade 11 is all about goal setting (both academic and extra-curricular), identifying strengths (and potential challenges), and learning about the post-secondary admissions process as well as a student’s schools/programs of interest.

Grade 11 to dos

• Review first semester or first and second term grades.
• Set academic goals for the remainder of the school year.
  • This might be a grade you would like to receive or an executive functioning skill you would like to enhance. Think about what makes sense for you and your post-secondary goals.
• Work on identifying post-secondary faculties/fields of study that interest you.
• Research the admission requirements at different post-secondary institutions of interest. This will include information about grade 11 and grade 12 marks, the number of courses required, and broader-based admission requirements.
  • Ensure that your academic and extracurricular goals reflect these requirements.
• Attend campus tours at your top institutions (spring break is the perfect time for this). Take virtual tours, attend webinars, or watch YouTube videos when you can’t make it to in-person tours.
  • Check out how to make the most of these visits here and here.
• Audit the extracurriculars you’re involved in and start tracking these.
  • If necessary, think about an extracurricular you might want to add to round out your profile. The spring of grade 11 is the perfect time for this.
• Learn about the application essay writing genre and the supplemental requirements (essays, resumes, references, portfolios) at your schools of choice.
  • Consider joining us for Writing for Self-Expression: Level Two or Intro to Canadian Supplemental Writing.
• For students applying to the US, join us for our free webinar: Understanding the US Admission Climate and Process on April 4th.
• Start to finalize your summer plans.
  • Should you add an extracurricular? Take a summer school class (either to get ahead or improve a grade)? Get a job?
  • Check out some of our recommendations here and here.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks to learn more about what you can do in grade 11 to prepare for admissions. Ready to start the process? Our educational consultants are here to guide you. Contact us today to book in.