1. I am one today –
and I can’t wait
to start my IB
Diploma
Programme!
2. ACS Egham International School
Grade 12 Parent Meeting
Focus: IB Diploma Programme
Thursday 11th September 2014
3. Who and WHAT!
Introduction to the High School:
Richard Naylor, High School Principal
Managing Theory of Knowledge :
Mr. David Rea, TOK Coordinator
Creativity Action Service:
Ms. Lyndal Tonkies, CAS Coordinator
Managing the Extended Essay :
Mrs. Keely Rogers, EE Coordinator
Managing College Applications and Career Aspirations:
Mrs. Tanya Coffey, College Counselor (around for any questions)
Managing Anxieties:
Ms. Selma Zahirovic, Guidance Counselor
Managing Time Management / Study Skills and Student Services:
Mrs. Alicia Sonderman, HS Student Services
8. Mindfulness and more…
There were also sessions on :-
•Mindfulness Sessions – ran by Veronika from Teen Yoga which
“Mindfulness involves learning to direct our attention to our
experience as it unfolds, moment by moment, with open-minded
curiosity and acceptance. Rather than worrying about what has
happened or might happen, it trains us to respond skillfully to
whatever is happening right now, be that good or bad.”
Mindfulness in Schools Project
I am looking an 8 week block of sessions for students with Veronika if there is
Interest and the logistics work out.
•Health Session – first led by Mrs. Stanton on Alcohol awareness
•CAS Reminder sessions
9. ACS Egham Diploma Success …
• Pass rate worldwide 2013 = 78.54%
• Pass rate for the ACS Egham IB Diploma students =
100%
• Average DP score worldwide = 29.81
• Average DP score at ACS Egham =
– 34.34 all students entered
… by accident or by design?
17. This/Last Cohort – Analysis …
• This cohort average between 32 – 33 in Quarter or
Semester Grades in Grade 11
• CEMIBE average expected 32.3 (does not include bonus
points)
• Last year Bonus Point Average 1.6 last year
• Last year final grades were 1.09 grades lower than
UCAS predicted grades
• Last year final grades were 0.34 lower than CEMIBE
expected average grades
• Last year on average a student improved 1.72 grades
from Mocks to final Grades
20. ACS Egham – Definitely by Design…
• Support for Study Skills from Student Services
• CEMIBE Standardised Tests – Chances Graphs
• Focused Target setting (Google Forms) – and individual
progress meetings
• Understanding of principles of “Fail Well”, “Feedback”
and “Marginal Gains”
• Great Teachers
• Focused Studying / Research and Relaxation area
• And much more…
… definitely by design…
21. Wiki While We Work…
http://ibegham.wikispaces.com/
… please use the WIKI…
23. DIPLOMA Student Expectations
• Attendance / Holidays /
Signing In and Out
• Interim Reports / Email
Communication
• Dress Code (modest /
hats?)
• No free periods…
• Driving to School (Gr12
privilege)
26. ORGANISATION is the Key…
Draft Deadline Timeline
(Handout)
BUT all will be on
ManageBAC…
27. Seems like a lot but…
19 School Weeks till
Mock exams
+5 Weeks to Study
Leave!!!
28. …time flies…
• IB Exam Registration
happens early November
(triple check process) –
must be up to date with EE
deadlines
• Note no exams at end of
Semester in December
• IB Mock Exams – 23rd
February after half term
• Study Leave – 22nd April,
Senior Assembly day
before –and IB Exams
start from 4th May
• Graduation – 29th May
30. BE RESILIENT…”Fail Well” and Feedback…
• All research suggests the
“most powerful single
influence enhancing
achievement is feedback.”
John
Hattiehttp://growthmindseteaz.org/Feedback.html
• Quality Feedback and
students that elicit and ask
and understand how to
improve, how to “fail well”
and how to set focused
goals for improvement
• Our ASSESSMENT POLICY
updated last year has
addressed this in detail
34. Here are the 7 ways!!!
From the May 2015 session the following failing conditions and
associated codes will replace those in current use.
1. CAS requirements have not been met.
2. Candidate’s total points are fewer than 24.
3. An N has been given for theory of knowledge, extended essay or for
a contributing subject.
4. A grade E has been awarded for one or both of theory of knowledge
and the extended essay.
5. There is a grade 1 awarded in a subject/level.
6. Grade 2 has been awarded three or more times (HL or SL).
7. Grade 3 or below has been awarded four or more times (HL or SL).
8. Candidate has gained fewer than 12 points on HL subjects (for
candidates who register for four HL subjects, the three highest grades
count).
9. Candidate has gained fewer than 9 points on SL subjects (candidates
who register for two SL subjects must gain at least 5 points at SL).
38. A Wise Counsellor’s Words…Page 114
1. Be realistic
2. Look for ‘right fit’ – chemistry between your son and daughter
and college are critical
3. Be optimistic
4. Be supportive and caring. ‘Nagging’ helps no one
5. Celebrate your son/daughters’ accomplishments – accentuate the
positive if you can
6. Listen to what your son/daughter is saying
7. Listen to what your son/daughter is not saying and be a sounding
board for discussion
8. DO NOT DIRECT. Let your child take ownership of the process.
You’ve had your turn. (99% of the time the students make the right
choice) Find a comfortable place between running the college search
process and remaining at a comfortable distance.
39. 9. Check many sources – go beyond the usual UCAS of CollegeBoard
websites. Check the accuracy of information upon which you will be
relying
10. Set limits at the beginning that are important to you e.g. cost,
distance from home
– as there can be nothing more heart breaking than your son/daughter
setting their heart on a college that does not fit within these limits
11. Drive your child to visit campuses
12. Fill out the financial aid forms and read about financial aid as
these are complex
and need to be correct
13. Press to get straight answers from admission and financial aid
officers to minimise surprises
14. Encourage your child to take control. This builds responsible
decision making
15. Help your son/daughter to think about who he/she really is, what are
their values, how has he /she changed during the high school years?
40. 16. Communicate. It is a family decision on several levels
17. Be honest about your aims and aspirations to your son/daughter.
Agree to disagree
18. Recognise that your child will have his or her own timetable for
considering college options, filling out applications etc. It is not your
timetable…
19. Keep a perspective on the process as well as a sense of humour
20. Don’t bypass the high school counselling office – the school and
the counsellor have a huge amount of experience and advice to share
and want the best for your son/daughter. By all means look for other
advice but remember that advice does not know your son/daughter
quite as well as we do?
41.
42.
43. Sample University Destinations: Past 3 years
Brighton & Sussex Medical
School
Imperial College
King’s College London
London School of Economics
University College London
University of Bath
University of Bristol
Universtiy of Edinburgh
University of Manchester
University of Nottingham
University of St Andrew’s
University of Southampton
Warwick University
American University
Boston University
Berklee College of Music
College of William &
Mary
Duke University
Elon University
Florida Institute of
Technology
Georgetown University
Northeastern University
Pitzer College
Purdue University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
University of Oregon
University of Rochester
McGill University
University of Toronto
Erasmus University
Rotterdam
Universiteit Utrecht
IE University
University of
Vienna
44. Predicted Grades – Around the Corner…
“Remember you will be applying to UK universities on the
back of your predicted grades from teachers.
Teachers are professional and will take into account your
progress and grades from last year – alongside your
performance in this first quarter. Teachers are predicting
your final grade if you work to the best of your ability. They
will be optimistic but realistic and use the data before them
as the evidence for their decision
All PG’s will go to Mrs. Coffey who will bring together the
grades including EE/TOK for a final predicted grade”
46. Predicted Grades – Analysis…(Page 37)
Our process for producing predicted grades has improved in accuracy
over the last two years which has involved a great deal of effort to educate
and explain to students and parents the reasons for optimistic but realistic
predicted grades (See Table 5.) The Dean of Admissions at Oxford University
recently suggested that one of the most difficult issues facing the IB Diploma
and its’students applying was poor or over inflated predicted grades – with
their analysis showing 25% being over inflated. Dr. Richard Harvey from the
University of East Anglia quotes that IB Diploma Grades were statistically 47%
over optimistic, and only 9% too pessimistic and that this was extremely
difficult for his University in terms of making offers and so he appreciated
schools that could show their accuracy of predicted grades. Further data and
analysis over 5 years shows that compared to IB scores around the world
we have a higher correlation and accuracy that is considered statistically
significant compared to other IB World Schools. This will now as an action
be placed into our college counselling recommendations and also onto our ACS
Egham School Profile including the statistically significant correlation compared
to all IB schools.
47. Predicted Grades
• Students will be given a total number of points
(including TOK & EE)
• For UK Early Applicants (Medicine, Oxbridge):
22nd September
• For US Early Decision/Early Action Applicants:
6th October
• For Regular US, UK and Canadian Applicants:
13th October
49. Components of the UK University Application
• Application
Log on to UCAS and register. Fill in basic
information.
www.ucas.ac.uk/students/apply/
Buzz word: batman
• Make 5 university course choices. Look carefully
at the entry requirements and select:
1-2 long shots
2-3 good bets
1-2 insurance/safety schools
• Personal statement
• Reference
• IELTS/TOEFL exam scores
50. What Should Students Be Doing Now?
• Personal Statement second draft
Oxbridge/Medicine, Vet Medicine, Dentistry
29th September
Regular Applications
27th October
• Complete & send application on UCAS
Oxbridge/Medicine, Vet Medicine, Dentistry
8th October
Regular Applications
11th November
• Choose appropriate courses/universities in agreement
with parents/Mrs Coffey
• Complete UCAS Teacher Reference Form and hand to at
least 2 teachers
51. What Will Mrs Coffey Be Doing Now?
• Reference – based on student and teacher input
• Giving feedback on personal statements
• Entering predicted grades
• Checking final application and sending to UCAS
52. Dates & Deadlines
• September : Register on UCAS (buzzword batman), complete basic
information, education, choose 5 targeted courses
• 29th September : Personal Statement drafts due for Medicine, Vet Medicine,
Dentistry, Oxford & Cambridge
• 8th October: Application deadline for Medicine, Vet Medicine, Dentistry,
Oxford & Cambridge
• 27th October : Personal Statement drafts due for regular UCAS applications
• 11th November: Application deadline for regular UCAS applications
• February: Extra starts (if no offers)
• April : Accept 1 Firm and 1 Insurance
• July : Provide exam results to universities
• August 16 : Clearing and Adjustment start
54. Components of the US University Application
• Application form (Common Application for US)
www.commonapp.org
• College Essay/Supplemental Essays
• Two teacher recommendations
• One counsellor recommendation
• Transcripts from the last 4 years of high school
• SAT/ACT/TOEFL exam scores
55. US Early Decision/Early Action Applications
• Difference between Early Decision/Early
Action
• Internal deadline for all Early Decision/Early
Actions applications is 27th October
• Early Decision applications:
Parent, student and counsellor must all sign
the Early Decision Agreement
56. What Should Students Be Doing Now?
• College Essay Second Draft
Early Decision/Early Action Applicants 14th October
Regular Decision Applicants 27th October
• Complete & send application (through Common
App/individual online app system)
Early Decision/Early Action Applicants 27th October
Regular Decison Applicants 12th December
• Request two teacher letters of recommendation (complete
Information for Teachers sheet)
• Complete Colleges I’m Applying To section on
Naviance
• Complete financial paperwork
• Send SAT/ACT & TOEFL scores to universities (through
CollegeBoard/ACT/ETS accounts)d
57. What Will Mrs Coffey Be Doing Now?
• Writing counsellor letter of recommendation (with
student data sheets & teacher input)
• Giving feedback on College Essays
• Sending transcripts for the last 4 years of high
school
• Sending predicted grades
• Sending teacher recommendations
58. How Many University Applications?
• 6 University applications:
2 long shots
2-3 good bets
1-2 safety schools
** Based on student’s academic profile/SAT/ACT/TOEFL scores
59. Dates & Deadlines
• September - December:
• Students register and take SAT I, SAT II/ACT & TOEFL
exams and Request teacher recommendations
• 14th October: College Essay drafts due for Early
Decision/Early Action Applicants
• 27th October: Application deadline for Early Decision/Early
Action
• 27th October: College Essay drafts due for Regular Decision
Applicants
• 12th December: Application deadline for Regular Decision
Applicants
• April: Notification of university decisions
• May 1: Students must deposit at US University if planning to
attend
• July: Final transcripts sent to attending university
60. Components of the Canadian University Application
• Application form (online)
• Motivation letter/Personal Profile
• High School transcripts
• Letters of recommendation – optional
• Predicted grades
• Most Canadian Universities do not require SAT scores if student is
completing full IB Diploma
61. What Should Students Be Doing Now?
• Completing application form
• Researching universities (www.aucc.ca)
• Writing first draft of Motivation Letter
Due 27th October
• External application deadlines from 15th January (McGill) until Feb/March
62. What Will Mrs Coffey Be Doing Now?
• Obtaining predicted grades from teachers
• Giving feedback on letters of motivation
• Sending last four years of transcripts
• Sending teacher recommendations (if applicable)
63. Applying to Universities in Europe & Around the World
• Many English-speaking programs
• Deadlines tend to be later than UK/US/Canada
• American-style programs:
Usually require two teacher recommendations
Essay/letter of motivation
Transcripts/predicted grades
** SAT exam generally not required/Proof of language proficiency may be
required
64. Applying to the Netherlands
• Admission opens in September/October for 2015 start
• Students create Studielink account (www.app.studielink.nl) to apply to most
Dutch universities
• Centralised admissions service
• Deadline for application – 15th May
• Apply to 4 courses (only one may be subject to lottery)
• Conditional offers made through Studielink (subject to passing IB Diploma)
• Student must produce original copy of IB Diploma during 1st term
• Letter of Motivation for some universities
