Dear Parents/Guardians of Year 12 Students,
While most of our Year 12 students are currently focused on their summer exams, I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know that your child will need to submit their first draft of a personal statement/college essay by Friday 31st May 2024. They will be back in school from Monday 27th May, but they can, of course, start before then, and your support to encourage them to both start this when is most appropriate and complete it by the deadline is much appreciated. A personal statement/college essay is typically required by universities worldwide for university admissions. With students submitting their first draft by 31st May, I will be able to provide feedback on their first draft by the end of this academic year. Students can work on their personal statement/college essay this summer.
Students have been informed about the mentioned deadline since March 2024. Additionally, during the careers advice lessons, students have been taught how to write a personal statement/college essay depending on the course and country they intend to apply to.
Here are the guidelines given to students on submitting their first draft of a personal statement/college essay:Â
- For students intending to apply to universities in the UK, Hong Kong and the Netherlands, they will need to write a UK/HK-style of personal statement and submit it via Unifrog.
- For students intending to apply to universities in the US, they will need to write a Common App essay and submit it via Unifrog.
- For students intending to apply to universities in Canada
- For the University of British Columbia (UBC), they will need to write a UBC Personal Profile on a Google Doc and share it with Ms Lau. They can find more information on how to write the personal profile here: UBC Personal Profile.Â
- For the University of Toronto, they should use the program search tool to determine if they need to complete a “Supplemental Application.” If they do, please research what needs to be submitted as it varies depending on programs. They should write their answers to the “Supplemental Application” on a Google document and share it with Ms Lau. They can find the program search tool here: University of Toronto Undergraduate Programs
- For other universities in Canada, they are unlikely to need to submit a draft because you typically do not need a personal statement for university admissions.Â
- For students intending to apply to universities in Australia and New Zealand, this deadline will not apply to them because typically they do not need a personal statement for university admissions.Â
- For other university destinations not mentioned, please research the interested universities and encourage students to speak with Ms Lau about the university admission requirements.
You are, of course, very welcome to contact me as well if you have any questions or areas that you would like support with.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Cecilia LauÂ
University & Careers Guidance Counsellor