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College Application Playbook
This website aims to provide guidance and recommendations for students in 9th–12th grade throughout the journey of identifying post-secondary paths that may include applying to universities around the globe. It should be used as a resource throughout high school as students are making course selections, researching admission requirements, planning college visits, or organizing a gap year.
Avenues strongly believes that students have a diverse and wide range of talents. As such, there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes time for students to take the next step in their educational journey. We encourage students and parents to embrace this process with an open mind, and to look closely at both the student and school profiles to determine the 'best fit'. We want our students to thrive and achieve great results. Finding a school that matches the student's strengths, interests and skills is crucial for this process.
At Avenues, the deans offer information, advice and guidance during this process. They will support and encourage the students. Ultimately, however, it is the student who must do the work of evaluating their needs and preferences, completing the research, writing the essays, taking the tests, completing the applications, and finally deciding upon which university they will attend.
We believe that students who find the greatest success in this process are the ones who make informed decisions about where they will be happiest and most productive. By starting this process early,students will gradually collect information that can be used to support their application plans. A student’s self-discovery of strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and passions is essential in developing those plans.
Guidance by Grade
This section describes the expectations and actions carried out in grades 9–12. The information listed here is general and may differ slightly between different Avenues campuses.
9th Grade
What should I do in 9th grade?
Students in 9th grade should concentrate on transitioning to high school, challenging themselves academically, and joining an afterschool activity or two. This will ensure students have a range of options in the future.
Stress can develop among 9th grade students and parents when it comes to college admissions, and we want to avoid that. Therefore, we work with teachers and team leaders to deliver information. At this stage, work is mostly done at the whole grade level, and our focus is for students to get to know themselves as learners.
All 9th grade students should:
- Explore extra-curricular activities and summer programs.
- Focus on their learning in 9th grade.
- Start developing a résumé by being involved in activities.
- Begin a four-year plan. It should include the required graduation credits and consider the course rigor to help them meet their goals. This plan should also allow for flexibility, as plans may change throughout their high school career.
- Reflect on their achievements over the year.
9th grade students planning to study in Brazil should:
- Pursue to understand your skills and interests and research related courses.
- Start thinking about the course they want to follow and which Brazilian universities and colleges offer this course or area of study. Is there a private or public institution offering the course? Does it accept ENEM, FUVEST, or has its own entrance exam/vestibular?
10th Grade
What should I do in 10th grade?
Our work in 10th grade focuses on helping students explore their interests and abilities and advising them in the course selection process. This is where college counseling begins and is mostly done during in conversation with the dean or in circle meetings.
By following the recommendations below, students can begin to narrow down the type of university experience they are interested in and start to learn about all the options available. This will also help them understand the different systems in different countries.
In the second semester, students will have to choose an academic pathway for 11th and 12th grades. We will have a number of grade-level meetings where students and parents will get lots of information and answers to any questions regarding course selection and how that affects each student's intended major or college of choice.
All 10th grade students should:
- Explore a few colleges during the school break.
- Start thinking about possible careers that interest them and the countries where they would like to attend university.
- Complete the career interest inventory and a few other career-related surveys on Maia Learning.
- Complete the personality profile on Maia Learning.
- Attend university presentations and talk with representatives.
- Continue developing their résumé on Maia Learning.
- Ensure they are on track to reach the required graduation credits while maintaining the course rigor that best helps them meet their goals.
- Reflect on their achievements over the year.
- Plan their academic choices for the following years and possibly locate summer internships they would like to do.
10th grade students planning to study in Brazil should:
- Start researching different Open Days and events offered by Brazilian colleges/universities related to the courses they want to pursue. These events are good opportunities to learn about new careers and courses available on the market.
10th grade students planning to study in the U.S. or in other countries:
- Take the PSAT, a standardized test from the United States designed to prepare students for the SAT, if they plan on attending university in the United States.
- Speak with your Dean and check which standardized tests you will need to take according to your plan.
11th Grade
What should I do in 11th grade?
It is common to think that only the grades achieved in 12th grade are important, but 11th grade is one of the most critical years for university applications. The 12th grade grades are not sent until much later.
11th grade is all about student-driven research! The dean will introduce students and parents to different tools and websites that provide information regarding university entrance requirements, major options, and even gap year considerations. In the end, it is up to the student to do the work and determine what schools, locations, majors, or other interests fit best with their future goals.
During the first semester of the school year, students in 11th grade need to start thinking about where and what they would like to study in university, or whether a gap year would be appropriate. In the second semester, deans begin to meet students individually. We will start working with students to generate a list of prospective universities. This is when students should be actively researching the offerings of different universities and whether they meet any entry requirements.
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All 11th grade students should:
- Meet as many university representatives as possible.
- Brainstorm a list of universities. This list should be in the “Universities - Considering List” list in MaiaLearning, and will probably change as the research continues. It should also reflect an honest self-evaluation of the student’s academics, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Identify what they believe is the most important criteria for universities (majors, special programs, size, location, cost, etc.).
- Carefully read any emails from the deans. Students should also read all the information sent via MaiaLearning, this is where the deans list all the important announcements and reminders.
- Log onto MaiaLearning regularly to see which universities are visiting campus, update their information, and create or maintain the list of universities they are thinking about.
- Meet with their dean regularly in the second semester.
- Gather financial aid information.
- Explore scholarships.
- Identify who will write their letter(s) of recommendation.
- Explore summer jobs, internships, or other programs.
- Visit colleges.
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11th grade students planning to study in Brazil should:
- Apply for the ENEM Prep Program and take all the program’s mock tests.
- Students interested in public universities may take the ENEM and FUVEST official tests as "trainers" (treineiros).Private universities also offer the possibility to take entrance exams as trainers.
- Choose electives and clubs considering the undergraduate course they want to take. Private universities in Brazil usually compose their entrance ranks based on the scores achieved in the areas of study during the Vestibular. Medical colleges, for instance, demand more profound knowledge in Sciences (Biology, Physics, and Chemistry). Colleges of Law require a deeper understanding of Humanities. Math and Portuguese are relevant for all "vestibulares".
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11th grade students planning to study in the U.S. or in other countries:
- Take the appropriate standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT, if they are planning to apply to the United States or universities that use a US style admissions process.
- Identify possible early decisions or early action schools.
- Meet with their dean as early as possible in the beginning of 11th grade to discuss options and the admission requirements for other countries they may be interested in.
- Some students may need to take AP exams to be eligible to go to EU universities after graduating from Avenues. While Avenues does not teach to the AP tests, our courses will prepare students for those exams and the exams will be available on our campus.
- Participate in workshops run by the deans on writing application essays, personal statements, and letters of motivation.
12th Grade
What should I do in 12th grade?
Students must regularly meet with their dean throughout the first semester as this is the time for applications. Depending on the country and the course of study, applications can be due as early as October in 12th grade, or as late as after graduation. Students need to make sure they are well prepared and aware of university and counseling deadlines.
The deans work individually with 12th grade students to help them complete applications, write statements and essays, request projected grades, and reply to acceptance offers. Parents should be aware that universities contact the applicant, not the school, the deans, or the parents. Therefore, regular and open communication between parents, students, and dean is necessary for a smooth process, and MaiaLearning is very important in this process.
The goal is for you, the student, to be true to yourself. Show your individuality and character, and choose wisely so you apply to universities that are a great fit for you.
All 12th grade students should:
- Make sure they know the entry requirements of all the places to which you are applying.
- Meet with your dean regularly.
- Keep your grades up and successfully complete 12th grade.
- Meet all your application deadlines.
- Search for scholarships.
- Apply for financial aid where applicable.
- Read all emails sent by deans, and check MaiaLearning regularly because this is where we list all important announcements and reminders.
- Log onto MaiaLearning regularly to see which universities are visiting campus, update your information, and finalize the list of universities to which you will apply.
12th grade students planning to study in Brazil should:
- Apply for the ENEM Prep Program and take all the program’s mock-tests.
- Students interested in public universities may take the ENEM and FUVEST official tests.
- Choose electives and clubs considering the undergraduate course they want to take. Private universities in Brazil usually compose their entrance ranks based on the scores achieved in the areas of study during the Vestibular. Medical colleges, for instance, demand more profound knowledge in Sciences (Biology, Physics, and Chemistry). Colleges of Law require a deeper understanding of Humanities. Math and Portuguese are relevant for all "vestibulares".
12th grade students planning to study in the U.S. or in other countries internationally should:
- Take the appropriate standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT, and possibly AP exams. The deans will help determine the most appropriate standardized testing schedule for each student.
- Make sure you know if you want to apply Early Decision/Early Action.(ED/EA)
- Ask for letters of recommendations early using proper forms.
Process Overview
This section presents in detail the elements and stages involved in the process of selecting courses and universities and applying to them.
Factors to Consider
There are several important factors that must be taken into account throughout the process of researching and choosing a college, university or course. In this section, students will be able to learn more about these factors and begin to develop their own research towards higher education.
Roles and Responsibilities
Choosing a course or university is a team effort. This section details the main roles and responsibilities of deans, students and their families in their journey towards higher education.
Application Timeline
In order to help students in 11th and 12th grades organize all the activities involved in the college process, we have created a timeline with what they should do each month. It includes application deadlines for vestibulares in Brazil and universities in the United States, Canada and Europe, and a documents checklist.
College Events
Throughout the semester, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of presentations by college admissions agents from around the world. At these events, students can learn more about the profile of institutions, courses offered, life on campus and other important information in the research process and choose the best course for them.
Application Essay
The purpose of the college essay is to introduce yourself to the Admissions Officer (and committee) who is evaluating your application. It is a chance for them to hear from you, so that you can tell them who you are, what is important to you, and why it’s important to you in your own words. These essays/statements do vary in style between applications for the United Kingdom and the United States. Research is important to be aware of those differences.
Standarized Tests
Our school applies several standardized tests during high school that can be used in the research and admissions process to higher education courses, including PSAT and SAT. Learn about other types of assessment that may be useful when entering international colleges and universities.
Gap Year
A gap year is a term that refers to a prolonged period between life stages. It is often, but not always, a year. The most popular gap years are taken after college or university and before beginning graduate school or a professional career. Many students take a gap year between high school and university. Some take their gap year after university, and some students successfully take a year in the middle of their course.
MaiaLearning
MaiaLearning is a web-based data management system and powerful research tool used to keep track of student data throughout the college process. It includes standardized test scores, college choices, college application information, and a personality and career assessment.
Glossary
Visit this section to better understand the different terms used by institutions during the admission process in each higher education system around the world.
Useful Links
A collection of links from external websites with important topics for the process of researching and choosing a college, university, course and admission system in higher education.