Welcome to the Cobourg DCI West Cooperative Education Webpage

Competition for admission to Ontario universities and colleges continues to create challenges for our students. We know that the Ontario government has increased funding to support expansion at universities and colleges. To be competitive, however, students will need to make wise choices and informed decisions about their education.

What are the challenges?
Students need to:
• decide when they are going to graduate - in 4 years, 4 ½ years, or 5 years. (These options are still available for students.)
• start thinking now about their destinations after high school - college, apprenticeship, university, workplace.
• check out the requirements for their chosen destinations.
• ensure that required courses for their chosen destinations are included in their course selections and educational plans.

The more we all know and the more we all do to prepare, the easier it will be for each student to make an informed, meaningful, appropriate transition to life after high school. Read on for some good advice...

Understand the Process:
• Take responsibility for your own post-secondary planning.
• Visit the Guidance Department, be up-to-date: find out what’s happening when, where and with whom.
• Network with other graduating students and students who have recently graduated.
• Be aware of the many paths you can take on the way to post-secondary education. Choices include college and then transferring to university, or vice versa, work or taking an apprenticeship. There are many alternative destinations after graduation.

Understand Yourself:
• Over time, explore and deepen your self awareness regarding interests, values, strengths, challenges, personality, skills, transferrable skills.
• Create an Educational Plan and build a career and academic portfolio. This all begins in elementary school.
• Navigate the Internet for tools in self understanding and career awareness.
• Foster relationships with teachers, guidance staff, coaches, other adults, people with similar or different interests, in order to gain from their experiences.

Develop Options:
• Explore occupations at regular intervals. Refine destination pathways. Set goals.
• Be prepared for several options - develop a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.
• Explore various graduation dates to determine which options are best for you.
• Co-op can be an excellent experience!

Get a Life!
• Everything you do counts and is relevant to the process. Get involved!
• Grasp as many opportunities and experiences as you can. Don’t limit yourself to one or two activities. There is more to the journey than just marks.
• Take risks; broaden your horizons.
• Market yourself! Don’t be shy. Learn to advocate for yourself!

Start Now!
• Create tomorrow by acting today.
• Concentrate on the journey, not the destination.

Understand the Process:
• Gather as much information as your teen does - keep informed.
• Attend presentations with your teen. Topics could include post-secondary destinations, option selection presentations, career and portfolio presentations, parents’ nights, co-curricular events.
• Encourage the use of school resources and activities. Encourage visits to College/University campuses long before their graduating year.
• Scan the Career and Classified Ads and surf the Net together.
• Explore and discuss post-secondary financing with your child several years before graduation, then continue to review your plans.
• Look beyond Ontario, check post-secondary opportunities in other provinces and other countries. Compare costs, programs, scholarships, cut off marks and so forth.

Understand Your Teenager:
• Take an active role in your teen’s education. Be aware of the mark reporting process, educational planning, and option selection process.
• Teach/encourage decision making and give praise for good decisions and support for poor decisions.
• Share your work values and goals.

Develop Options:
• Make contact with your teen’s guidance counsellor and keep in contact.
• Be open-minded. Listen to your teen’s need, not only yours!
• Encourage your teen to look at several options and plans.
• Suggest occupations that relate to your child’s interests, abilities, values, and skills.
• Encourage your teen to pursue a dream and help them to plan into the future.
• Encourage alternative goals if initial goals are unattainable.

Get a Life!
• Get involved with your teen.
• Encourage your child to maintain a balance - help them to engage themselves in whatever ways that make sense to them.
• Support interest areas and encourage new ones.
• Encourage co-curricular participation.

Start Now!
• Help your teen map out an action plan, regularly reviewing and revising it. Encourage this process.

• Post-Secondary Education
• College - Ontario and other provinces
• University - Ontario, other provinces, International
• Combined College/University Programs
• Applied Degrees/Collaborative Programs
• Transition Programs from College to University
• Alternate Admission Dates, ie January Entrance
• Part-time Student
• Correspondence/ On-line/ Distance Education
• Agricultural Colleges, Christian Colleges, Training Centres, Private Schools and Colleges
• Apprenticeships
• Canadian Armed Forces
• Direct Entry to the Workplace
• Travel
• Enrichment/Leadership Opportunities such as
• Katimavik - www.katimavik.org
• Volunteer - International/Canadian
- www.cwy-jcm.org
- www.youlead.org
- www.leaderstoday.com
• Youth Exchange - www.icye.org
• Continue Secondary School Education
• OYAP - Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
• Cooperative Education Opportunities
• Take further credits at the senior level to broaden your academic qualifications and/or improve your average.

The Guidance Department Can Assist You by Providing:
• Information on post-secondary, school to work, apprenticeships, private institutions and other opportunities
• College and university tours

• Career Information Materials and Information
www.careercruising.com
- username - kawartha
- password - 17210

All students who intend to graduate within the next two years should be researching their post-secondary options.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES

PREREQUISITES and CUT-OFFS

RESUMES & PORTFOLIOS

RESIDENCE OPTIONS

VISIT UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING

STUDENT LOANS

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT

Many scholarships are automatic, but the major awards often require a separate application. Many local community scholarships also require an application. Some scholarships are based on need; volunteer, extra curricular and leadership activities almost always count; marks are often a factor. Scholarship and bursary opportunities are announced as they become available and are kept on file in Guidance. Be sure to check the scholarship files in guidance on a regular basis for awards that may apply to you. Check out www.studentawards.com or www.scholarshipscanada.com . Be sure to let a guidance counsellor know if you have financial need and fill out a CDCI West Bursary Application.

CHECK PREREQUISITES and CUT-OFFS and RESEARCH post-secondary programs.
Use the list of Internet Resources to check out programs and schools. Consult the OUAC and OCAS websites as well as Electronic info - be sure to read the fine print regarding how final averages are calculated. Be aware of the importance of semester 2 midterm marks. Be sure to research FIRST YEAR COURSES. Know what courses you will be taking and be aware of labs, seminars and tutorial requirements.

RESUMES & PORTFOLIOS
Be sure to update your personal resumes as they will be handy when applying for scholarships or for completing P.I.F. or supplementary applications. Plan ahead for letters of reference - get multiple copies of generic letters or have them saved to alter for future use. Art, Music, Drama, Film or Design students should have portfolios and/or audition material ready by the end of January. Be sure to check with individual schools for content, well ahead of deadlines. Go to subject teachers for advice!

RESEARCH RESIDENCE OPTIONS
Room allocation, room guarantees, costs, meal plans, lifestyle (French, quiet, townhouse, co-ed, international, all one gender, etc.), application procedures, rules, deposits, deadlines, etc. Be sure that you see the residences before you commit.

VISIT UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES
Consult ElectronicINFO and the Ontario College website for a list of CAMPUS TOURS and SPECIAL VISIT OPPORTUNITIES. Check the individual college and university websites for OPEN HOUSES. Arrange for visits through LIAISON offices. VISIT before you make your final decision!!! Visit the College and University websites and look at course calendars online.

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING
If you are confused about what you want to study or where you would like to go to school you need to make an appointment ASAP to look at your postsecondary options–don’t put it off!!!! Students are encouraged to make appointments for individual counselling as many times as is required to address questions that may arise during your research. The Guidance Office is always available for your research. Remember that you are about to make one of the most important decisions of your life. Don’t sit back waiting for the answers, get involved and get informed!!!

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT
We will be offering a Parent Information Night in October

September 2008
All potential university applicants will receive a copy of electronicINFO

January 14th, 2009
Deadline for Ontario secondary school students to submit on-line applications to OUAC for EQUAL CONSIDERATION ➔ applications submitted earlier will be forwarded to universities earlier. Plan to submit and pay at least one week prior to avoid web-site overload and resulting “student breakdowns”!!!!

February 6th, 2009
Recommended last date for students to submit all personal information to the OUAC, to be eligible for consideration for early admission. This includes university and program changes and additional choices.

April 25th, 2009
Ontario secondary schools submit to OUAC, midterm marks from Semester 2

May 25th, 2009
Latest date by which all applicants shall expect a response from an Ontario university. Such a response will be one of the following:
- an offer of admission
- a refusal or
- a deferral pending the receipt of additional information

May 28th, 2009
Earliest date by which Ontario universities may require a response to an offer of admission from an applicant.

Mid-June, 2009
The earliest date by which Ontario universities may require a financial commitment of any kind (registration deposit, residence deposit, etc.).

Please note that the dates below may change... Watch for potential date changes in future publications.

September 2008
All potential college applicants will receive a copy of the Ontario College Guide

February 1st, 2009
Deadline for Ontario secondary students to submit on-line applications to OCAS for equal consideration ➔ important for highly competitive (oversubscribed) programs.

May 1st, 2009
Applicants must confirm an offer of admission through OCAS (some colleges may require different dates and will advise applicants in writing)

June 15th, 2009
Earliest date that colleges may require payment of tuition fees.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADS...you are almost there!!! As we head down the home stretch toward your commencement in June, there are a number of housekeeping items that need to be addressed.

GRAD RESUMES & BURSARY APPLICATIONS
Attached please find forms for Grad Resumes and Bursary applications. This is valuable information that is used for commencement awards. Remember that many of these awards are not “marks based” but rather based on destination, financial need or contribution to the school and community. Please have completed forms in to the Guidance office by May 5th.

CAPS & GOWNS
If you are attending the commencement ceremony, you need to order your caps and gowns in the main office by May 5th. Traditionally, grads rent gowns ($10.00) for the ceremony. Caps ($5.00) are souvenir “keepers” with a dated gold tassel. The commencement ceremony is a wonderful event with our grads sitting together dressed in their blue caps and gowns. Students who do not order gowns are usually very disappointed so please be sure to place your order.

VOTING PROCEDURES FOR VALEDICTORIAN AND KRAFT NOMINEES
We have two major graduate awards that are voted on by our graduating students. The Valedictorian represents the class by giving the Valedictorian Address at the commencement and should be a student who you feel can speak on your behalf about your time at high school. The Kraft Scholarship is a $500 award given to the student who exemplifies character, leadership, devotion and community spirit through his/her contributions and involvement at the West. Please nominate a student for each award. This can be the same student or two different students. We will have nominations in April. Top nominees will be announced and students will do an official vote in guidance during the week of May 5th to 9th.

RESPONDING TO OFFERS OF ADMISSION FROM COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Be certain to respond to desired offers well ahead of the deadlines. Acceptances must be received on or before the due dates. College bound students may accept on line. If you have the opportunity to get on a waiting list for a program that you really want, take it. Because students receive multiple offers but only accept one, spaces do open up and students on the waiting lists often get in.

OSAP SEMINARS
OSAP applications can be done on-line (the site is usually updated yearly by mid May) once you have accepted at a school but if you need assistance applying for OSAP or have questions, we will be providing seminars later in May. Stay tuned for dates and times.

WORLD OF WORK
Students who are headed directly into the world of work or Apprenticeships should be sure to register with “Job Connect” at the Fleming Building in Cobourg. Phone 905-372-6865 Ext. 230. The website is www.jobconnectcobourg.com . For other employment opportunities try www.careerbuilder.ca .

COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS
Students are reminded that Community Service Hours must be completed, verified and handed in to the guidance office by June 15th to ensure processing on time for commencement. If you have not completed your hours, you cannot graduate.