By: Chloe A. and Thea H.
University application time is quickly coming upon us. It is a stressful, but exciting time of year. Grade twelve students are nervous about which major to choose, where to apply, and whether or not their marks are up to par. As you may know, our school recently had a post-secondary fair that featured many Canadian universities. Hopefully, students now have all the information they need, but if not, there are always student counsellors who can help to fill in the gaps. It is sometimes hard to decide whether to go away to university, to stay in Calgary and go to school, or to make a big jump and go abroad for post-secondary education. However, the application process is quite similar for any university. Here is a short summary of all you need to know about planning for post-secondary education.The first step is to choose a school. Since it costs money to apply, it is best to choose only universities that really appeal to you, which will require research; this could include campus tours, university information booklets, and, of course, word of mouth.
One perk of staying in Calgary is having the comfort of knowing your surroundings and living at home. A lot of students stay for their first year of university or for their first degree and transfer for the rest of their education. This can save both a lot of money and a lot of stress compared to moving to a new city right away and living on your own. Nonetheless, some people want a change after high school. Moving to a new part of the country can give you a new experience that you would never get living at home; it forces you to be independent and to make a new life for yourself. While it is true, that it is more expensive than staying home, going away to another province to school can offer a lot of benefits to you as an individual. Additionally, going abroad to another country is an option. This can be stressful due to the new environment, and can also require extra testing like the SATs in the US, but that is a small price to pay for the unique and enlightening experience you can have. It is up to you to weigh the pros and cons and decide whether the comfortable life back home or the exciting world of a new country is the right place for you.
Once you have picked the few universities in which you are really interested, it is time to start applying. This can be done either online or via mail. Online application is much more efficient and allows you to keep up with the latest updates. You can also track the status of your application online, and some universities will even give price discounts if you do it this way. You will usually hear back by November, at the earliest, and at the latest, in May, depending on when you apply. Once you have been accepted, it will be time to make the final decision on where you want to go.
These and other factors will play a huge role in your post-secondary planning, but no matter what, remember that you are doing this for yourself. We’re talking about your future, and these are some very important steps in the journey of the rest of your life, so don’t be afraid to pick that which is best for you. Remember to have lots of fun and surely, it will be a great experience!
