Graduation Planning

 

 

Graduation Hats flying in the air
  • Credits
  • Post Secondary Planning
  • Gap Year Opportunities
  • Government Exams

CREDITS FOR GRADUATION

DO I HAVE ENOUGH COURSES TO GRADUATE?

It is your responsibility to make sure that you have the 80 credits to graduate and all the necessary courses to graduate:

  1. Please utilize the LVR Graduation Requirements Checklist. Click HERE to download your copy. Then see the counsellors if you are concerned or unsure of your graduation status. You can get your Unofficial Transcript of Grades at www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams. Click on the student secure web icon and log on.
  2. Be aware that if you fail courses in the first semester that are necessary for graduation you will jeopardize your ability to participate in the grad ceremony.
  3. If you are taking courses outside of LVR (i.e. DESK or ISK) it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that the counsellor knows and receive your final grade. If you are a DESK student it is your responsibility to have the counsellors register you for government exams.

POST-SECONDARY PLANNING

NOTE: The site www.educationplanner.ca is a very good source to start with when planning your post-secondary education. For a wider scope check out the resources available at www.globecampus.ca.

If you are planning to attend college or university in the next year you need to be aware of the following: 

  1. What program do I want to take?
  2. Do I have the necessary academic prerequisites and admission Requirements?
  3. What colleges or universities offer the program I am interested in applying for?
  4. It is wise to apply to at least 3 different post-secondary institutions.
  5. Most post-secondary institutions provide Viewbooks, which outline the programs they offer and prerequisites for those programs, as well as explaining the application process, scholarships and housing. Often they are much easier to use than websites.
  6. We recommend that applications be done by late December or early January. The earlier you apply the earlier you will be able to register for the course you need. Many students are finding that courses are full when they go to register and this becomes very distressing to them when they can only enrol in 3 courses and are put on waiting lists.
  7. Many colleges and universities demand that students apply on-line. In order to apply on-line you will need to know your Provincial Education Number (available on your report card or from the office), the program and or faculty you wish to enrol in and have access to a VISA or MASTERCARD number and expiry date. You can apply on-line with counsellors if you are unsure of the process or of the questions being asked Some colleges and universities provide paper application forms which are available from the counsellors and can be double-checked by the counsellors before being mailed.
  8. At the end of your on-line application process you will get confirmation that they have received your application, payment, often a student number and further directions. Please be sure to make a hardcopy of that information. If you have mailed in your application you will receive a letter acknowledging your application and a student number.
  9. Post-secondary institutions will often direct the student to either self-declare their courses and grades on the application website or have the school send in a transcript with grades of courses completed and courses that you are enrolled in. The post-secondary institutions uses these methods to check that you are enrolled in all the necessary prerequisite courses and in some cases to give early admission based on outstanding grades. You can see the counsellor to have a transcript sent away.
  10. You will also need to check the status of your application and make sure that the post-secondary institution has received and processed things that they have requested. This is usually done via the account you have on the university's website or with your personal email. NOTE: Make sure that you have decreased the filters on your email account.
  11. Post-Secondary Institution Choices Form (PSI). This form assists students applying to post-secondary institutions by sending a copy of their transcript to post-secondary institutions indicated on the form in late July, after government exams are marked and graduation has been achieved.
  12. The PSI Choices Form link is available in February at the secure student secure www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/. Click on: student secure Web icon. Students must select their choices by June 30.
  13. If you are requesting a transcript be sent to a post-secondary institution that is not listed on the online form please see the counselors to fax a special request to the Ministry. A student may make a maximum of 6 choices. Additional requests can be made for a fee by completing a form at www.bced.gov.bc.ca/transcript/transcripts_ordering.htm
  14. There is a separate process and application deadline for residence. Check the Viewbook.
  15. UVIC, UBC & SFU have English 12 requirements. Check their Viewbook, Calendar or Website. Some might require that you do an LPI (Language Profiency Index) test. The LVR is offering a sitting of the LPI on Thursday, April 8, 2010.
  16. The post-secondary institutions will inform you of your conditional acceptance to their institution between February and August depending on your grades and/or whether they are waiting to receive final grades from the Ministry of Education.

GAP YEAR OPPORTUNITIES

Over the years we have noticed a trend that more and more students are opting for a year of purposeful travel where students lives in a different culture, learn another language, volunteer, and work abroad. These experiences contribute to personal growth, maturity, confidence, and perspective on life.

There are many organizations that offer assistance and resources to help make the year a fruitful experience. Here are a few websites to begin your initial inquiry. We highly recommend them all.

Lattitudes: www.lattitudes.org.uk

Canada World Youth: www.canadaworldyouth.org

Katimavik: www.katimavik.org

Shecana: www.shecana.ca

Willing Workers on Organic Farms: www.wwoof.org

 

 

GOVERNMENT EXAMS

Grade 12 Government Exams are optional except for English 12, Communications 12 and Francais Langue 12. We are encouraging strong students to write the government exams as you can get the Grade 12 Graduation Program Examination Scholarship based on your results.

Universities are no longer requiring government exams for entrance, but are, in fact, encouraging students to write by stating:

“When a student elects to write an optional Grade 12 provincial exam, the higher of the school mark or the blended grade (school mark and provincial exam result combined) will be used in the admission average. This new policy also applies for scholarship decisions.” UVIC

Government Exams can only be written on the date and time set by the Ministry of Education. The schedule is on your student calendar or check with your teacher.

Make use of the Ministry of Educaion website at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams to access your results. Click on the student secure web icon and log on to access your results.