High School Flex/Guidance Counselling

Career and Post-Secondary information

Students write diploma exams that evaluate their performance relative to provincial standards. Exams are required in the following courses:

English 30-1 and 30-2, Social Studies 30-2 and 30-2, Math 30P and 30 Applied (2012), Science 30, Biology 30, Chem 30, Physics 30, Francais 30

Exams are written at all high schools offering diploma courses in January and June. Some also are written in April and November. Exams are written in supervised writing centres outside of schools in August.

The final mark for the examination subjects is determined by blending the school mark (50 per cent of the final mark) and the exam mark (the other 30 per cent). To pass a course, a student must obtain a final blended mark of 50 per cent or higher.

Students who do not successfully pass their course requirements may take the course and/or the exam over again. Students who do not reach the grade average required to enter a post-secondary institution may also repeat the course(s) and exam(s). Additional fees may be charged. Appeal forms and re-write forms are available: Alberta Education Diploma Forms

Alberta Education issues transcripts of marks and graduation certificates.

Monthly Things to Do

September
1st semester grades count heavily for pre and early admission

• Ensure you meet graduation requirements.
• Check your CMI (course mark inquiry) and ensure your credits are on it.
• Rutherford scholarship criteria -www.alis.gov.ab.ca/scholarships/High_School_Pres
• Do some career planning
• Use the self-assessment tools on www.alis.ab.ca
• Search out "What occupations are out there" on Alis.
• Check out the trades. - at www.tradesecrets.ab.ca
• Create checklist of college and university application processes and deadlines, courses and grades needed for entrance and required information and documents required for entrance.
• Begin career searches and search post-secondary institutions that offer your program choice. Check for tuition fees and cost of living fees eg residence, apartment, etc. Many of the residences or dorms have deadlines.
• Check scholarship requirements
• Start discussing with your parents costs of post-secondary and how it will be covered.
• Look into APPRENTICESHIP requirements

October
Start filling out post-secondary admission forms and learn about the process on their Websites.

• Search for financial assistance eg scholarships, bursaries, student loans, bank loans, etc.
• Look into where you are going to live and the costs of housing, travel, food, etc
• Look into costs of tuition, books and other fee required by the institution
• Make your grades a priority
• Go to open houses of the post-secondary schools you ate interested in attending or
• Make arrangements to go visit.
• Attend career fairs

November
Apply for early admission

• If you are switching to another level in the course eg from English 30-1 to 30-2, you need to fill out a course change so that you are registered for and receive the right diploma. (Discuss this with your teacher.)
• On-line applications are fast and immediate.
• Application fees will be required usually by cheque, or credit card but some may require payment on site at the registrar's office.
• Continue search for scholarships
• Continue to focus on high grades (Competition is very strong) and numbers accepted into programs are limited.
• Attend career fairs

December
work hard continue to monitor dates for required documents.

• Continue to search for scholarships and other financial aid and application deadlines.
• Focus on high marks

January
Meet the deadlines for scholarships, entrance requirements, and STUDY, STUDY, STUDY for Provincial diploma exams.

February
Most post-secondary deadlines are often in March. Some may be before.

• Check your CMI and ensure first semester credits are on it.
• Do you meet grad requirements?
• Do you need to or want to rewrite any diploma exams ( you will need to apply and pay a fee for rewrites in June or August)
• Apply for student loans and scholarships
• Offers for admission and financial aid may be coming to you. Continue to plan for the move from home to post-secondary living.
• Keep all your applications and information required organized and know the due dates.
• Research and learn all you can about the post-secondary institution and the processes you need to follow for everything from paying fees to choosing and changing courses to who to contact, how, and where about what you may need to know.
• Focus on achieving high grades

March
Meet the Deadlines and keep up in your school work.

• Apply for diploma rewrites for June

April-May
Are you passing all your courses so that you are eligible to participate in your graduation ceremonies?

• More deadlines to get in required supporting documentation, applications for some Scholarships, plan for your housing. Check on your financial resources.
• More offers of conditional acceptance could be coming in.
• Study, study, study

June
Study, study, study for Provincial Diploma Exams

• Research which school best meets your needs and choose from the offers you have received.
• Send in final transcript to your chosen post-secondary institution(s).
• Rutherford scholarship application
• Fees may be required - meet the deadlines.
• Continue to research and ask questions about post-secondary demands on a student to be prepared to handle the demands.

YOU MADE IT! Your family and Vilna School are so proud of you!

Good luck to you.

Preparing for Post-Secondary Education

University websites will invariably have information on financial aid or scholarship information specific to the institution. Research the schools for programs and requirements to get into the programs in which you have an interest.

• University of Alberta
• Grant MacEwan
• Concordia
• NAIT
• SAIT
• University of Calgary
• University of Lethbridge
• Portage College
• Lakeland College
• Keyano College

For other university and college searches

• http://u101.com
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_in_Alberta
• www.albertaeducation.ab.ca

Scholarships

• Rutherford Scholarship - criteria and application
• Alberta Scholarship and Bursary
• Key Scholarships
• Websites for career search, qualifications, processes, procedures, etc.
• www.alis.gov.ab.ca

Applying for Scholarships and Awards

Websites

• www.studentawards.com
• www.alis.gov.ab.ca/scholarships
• www.canlearn.ca
• www.chfscholarships.com
• www.scholarshipscanada.com
• www.tradesecrets.com

Definitions:

ADMISSION AWARD - A scholarship or award given to a student entering his/her first year at a postsecondary institution.

AWARD - An award is given in recognition of outstanding achievement. Awards may be in the form of books, plaques, subscriptions of money. A monetary award is usually called a scholarship or bursary.

BURSARY - A non-repayable grant of money. Bursaries are awarded primarily based on financial need, but academic achievement is also considered. Usually, the applicant must provide detailed documentation describing their financial situation when applying for the bursary.

GRANT - A non-repayable sum of money that is given based primarily on financial need, but academic achievement may also be considered. Usually, official documentation describing your financial situation is required when applying.

SCHOLARSHIP - A non-repayable sum of money awarded to a student to help finance further education. Most scholarships are based on merit in areas ranging from academic achievement to athletics.