Canadian Admissions Boot Camp
2023-03-14 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-03-15 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Vancouver) | South Granville Office, 3195 Granville Street, Suite 203, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3K2, Canada
This three-day intensive preparation will help students understand and tackle the Canadian admissions process. The goal of this boot camp is to relieve the stress students feel about the application process and to get a head start.
Topics will include:

Comprehensive overview of the Canadian admissions process
Introduction to university or college – choosing a major, minor, or concentration
Finding a field of study & matching a field of study to the best post-secondary options
Exploration of the curriculum covered in expected major
Factors to consider when choosing a university (location, size, class size, access to services, etc.)
Introduction to essay writing and supplement applications
Extra-curricular summary
Generating individualized timelines
Grade 12 academic goal setting

Mastering the Essay
2023-03-14 10:00 - 13:00, 2023-03-15 10:00 - 13:00
Want to brush up on your reading and writing skills over spring break? Options Solutions is here to help!
This interactive, fast-paced workshop is aimed at providing students with the theory and practice to succeed in their English studies at the grade 11 to 12 level. It will give students the skills and confidence they need to succeed, making their future English courses easier and more enjoyable.
Furthermore, active reading, planning, and essay writing skills are a great way to prepare for the Graduate Literacy Assessment (GLA), a new provincial exam for students in grades 10 and 12.

Writing for Self Expression (Grades 11 & 12)
2023-03-20 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-03-21 10:00 - 12:00 | South Granville Office, 3195 Granville Street, Suite 203, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3K2, Canada
This interactive workshop is geared towards preparing students to develop the fundamentals for university application responses and essays. Whereas Options’ other English programs focus on developing students’ technical writing skills, this two day course will help expand students’ ability to express their authentic voice through writing.
Students will build confidence and develop their unique style through brainstorming, reading a selection of prose and poetry, and receiving feedback on their written work. Throughout the course, students will write a personal narrative essay that responds to a reflective prompt. After this course, students will be well-prepared to write in the genre of essay required for university applications.

Essay Essentials
2023-03-20 10:00 - 13:00, 2023-03-21 10:00 - 13:00, 2023-03-22 10:00 - 13:00
This three-day boot camp is designed to give current grade 8, 9, and 10 students a solid understanding of English grammar, writing conventions, and essay basics, so they can approach essay writing with the knowledge and skills necessary for success. Students will learn the essentials to writing expert argumentative essays, the most common essay genre they will write in high school.
This session will be a great way to hone students’ writing skills. Furthermore, active reading, planning, and essay writing skills are a great way to prepare for the Graduate Literacy Assessment (GLA), a new provincial exam for students in grades 10 and 12.
This boot camp will cover:

Active reading
Essay planning
Thesis construction
Usage of evidence
MLA citations
Targeted editing

Core Test Skills
2023-03-21 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-03-22 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-03-23 13:00 - 16:00
These intensive sessions focus on helping students master the ACT or SAT exam. Topics will cover every portion of the test, including test-taking strategies, time management tips, and crossover skills for the ACT/SAT exam. Materials will be provided.
How is test prep at Options different?
Test prep at Options is unique because it combines test preparation with the teaching of fundamental academic skills. With many years of experience, Options instructors ensure that students understand the higher-level reading, writing and math skills that will prepare them for the ACT and SAT but will also help them succeed in high school and beyond. Options doesn’t just teach “test-taking tricks” like other test prep organizations. Instead, students receive a strong grounding in how the test works and strategies for attaining a high score, combined with an opportunity to increase their overall academic performance.
What do our students have to say?

“I really liked that the instructor had everyone participate because it made it feel more like an actual class. I also liked they gave us lots of extra practice after the course was even finished.”

Cost: $375 for the three days + applicable taxes; $150 per individual day + applicable taxes

ACT/SAT Super Skills Saturday
2023-04-01 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-22 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-29 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-05-27 10:00 - 17:00
These Saturday prep sessions are designed to deliver concentrated exam prep for the English, reading, writing, and math portions of the ACT and SAT exams. This workshop is perfect for students writing either the ACT or SAT exams who want to improve their foundational test skills during a day-long course.
How is test prep at Options different?
Test prep at Options is unique because it combines test preparation with the teaching of fundamental academic skills. Options doesn’t just teach “test-taking tricks”. Instead, students receive a strong grounding in how the test works and strategies for attaining a high score, combined with an opportunity to increase their overall academic performance.
What do our students have to say?
“I really liked how we went step by step together as a class. To go along with that, I found it really helpful when we did the practice problems together and really went in-depth on why the answer was either wrong or right.”

US Parent Night (Free Webinar)
2023-04-04 18:30 - 19:30
This presentation is for grade 11 US-bound students and their families who want to learn about recent changes in US admission, what to expect when going through the process, and what students can do this summer to have smooth sailing in the fall.
Please note, registration is required. Register here for the April 4th Webinar.

Intro to Supplement Writing - Business Specific
2023-04-29 09:00 - 12:00
This three-hour session introduces students who are entering grade 12 to the writing components for Canadian applications.
The session will include a presentation that outlines the typical essay and supplemental writing prompts required by major Canadian universities and programs. During this presentation, session leaders will also provide writing and time management strategies and sample essays from previous years’ successful applications. Students will then be given time to brainstorm and engage in practice writing exercises. Options Solutions writing coaches will give students one-on-one feedback on their drafts.
Beginning the application process early will give students the opportunity to make the most productive use of their summer and enter grade 12 with more clarity and direction.

What to Expect In Grade 12 (Free Webinar)
2023-05-02 18:30 - 20:30
Thinking about the post-secondary application process? Join us for an informative and interactive presentation on navigating this journey! Our popular What to Expect in Grade 12 event will be hosted virtually through GoToWebinar.
Don’t miss out on your chance to learn more about ever-changing post-secondary trends and what to expect as a grade 12 family, facilitated by Melinda Giampietro and the Options Solutions team. Join us to hear from our panel of current grade 12 students who, having just completed the admission process, will share what they have learned first-hand.
Please note, registration is required. Register here for the May 2nd Webinar.

Intro to Supplement Writing
2023-05-13 09:00 - 12:00

Video Interview Workshop
2023-05-20 10:00 - 13:00
This three-hour session prepares students for the video interview components of university applications.
The session will include a presentation that outlines the main components of video interview requirements, as well as a practical guide for successfully completing those videos. During the session, students will learn how to answer typical interview questions and have the opportunity to tackle some sample questions as a group. They will then practice in pairs and give each other feedback, as well as record their responses for analysis. Programs that require the video interview include Commerce at UBC, the University of Toronto, and York University, as well as Engineering at the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo.
The workshop covers topics such as:

body language and appearance
technical set-up
coping strategies for nerves
tips on answering prompts

Launching Your Post-Secondary Student: A Discussion for Parents
2023-06-07 18:30 - 19:30
Join us for an interactive discussion about what to expect as the parent of a new first-year post-secondary student. This year, we’ve brought back our popular (and free!) parent event, Launching Your Post-Secondary Student: A Discussion for Parents. This event will cover what to expect and how to prepare as well as how to set yourself and your student up for success when it comes to the first six weeks, communication, and dealing with unfamiliar situations.
Please note, registration is required. Register here for the June 7th Webinar.

UK Personal Statement Workshop
2023-06-24 09:00 - 11:00
The Personal Statement is an essential part of UK university applications for all post-secondary programs. Creating a strong Personal Statement is the best way for students to demonstrate their passions, skills and suitability for all programs and especially for competitive programs such as Law, Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine. The UK Personal Statement is written in a very different way than Canadian university application essays and this course will provide students with the knowledge and tools needed to be able to write a statement that stands out.
Topics will include:

The purpose of the Personal Statement
Examples of strong statements
Research guidance to understand the key attributes that individual courses are looking for within specific programs
Extra-curricular vs super-curricular activities and the role they play in the Personal Statement
Tools on how to write the statement with allocated student writing time. Students will receive individualized feedback on their writing.

US Admissions Boot Camp
2023-06-26 16:00 - 19:00, 2023-06-27 16:00 - 19:00, 2023-06-28 16:00 - 19:00, 2023-06-29 16:00 - 19:00
This series of sessions will help students understand and tackle the US admissions process.
The goal of this boot camp is to relieve the stress students feel about the application process and to kick start the process. Students will leave the boot camp with a solid start to the Common Application and other applications. Students are encouraged to attend the full series, as each session will be unique and valuable.

English 101
2023-07-10 10:00 - 13:00, 2023-07-11 10:00 - 13:00 | South Granville Office, 3195 Granville Street, Suite 203, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3K2, Canada
This four day workshop is designed to give students in grades 8-10 ongoing English and writing support, so they don’t lose their momentum. Students will learn essential skills to improve their writing and build on these fundamentals to become more confident and better equipped to deal with any writing task they may encounter throughout high school and ensure they don’t backslide. Materials will be provided.
Each student will leave with a better understanding of different essay writing genres and expectations. Students are encouraged to join all days of each session.

How to Rock Your First Semester
2023-07-12 09:00 - 11:00
These intensive study skills sessions are designed to help students be academically prepared for post-secondary.
The sessions are instructional as well as practical, hands-on work sessions. We will explore organizational strategies and understand the resources available to post-secondary students. We will also address how to communicate with professors and teaching assistants, how to make use of a course outline, and how to set goals and practice effective time management. Students will leave the workshop armed with the knowledge, skills, and strategies required to prepare them for academic success.
