CAREERS GUIDANCE COUNSELLING

Upcoming Careers Events Concerning ISB Students

Letter to parents about the programme of careers presentations at ISB

Recent Events

Organise my applications (please click this link)

Important Notice

What to do if you do not yet know what to study or what career to follow?

It is common for students to be unclear about what they would like to study or what career to consider once they finish school. Attending college or university is not for everyone, either. Try these sites or ask Mr Marriott for more information:

http://www.i-studentenquiry.com/

http://www.fasttomato.com/index.aspx

General information about universities and colleges around the world

Top universities in the world (Guardian): http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/datablog/2009/oct/08/top-100-universities-world

Top universities in the world (Times):
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2009/results

i-studentadvisor Australia offers colourful articles about living and studying in Australia plus a step-by-step Study Guide for those of your students considering studying down under. The Global Features section at the back of the issue discusses global issues in college counselling and invites you to get involved
www.i-studentadvisor.com/australia

i-LASH, our brand new liberal arts, social sciences and humanities issue, introduces the liberal arts system in the US and offers a glimpse at some of the increasingly popular disciplines in the fields of social sciences and humanities around the world
www.i-studentadvisor.com/ilash

i-MHS explains the different medicine, pre-med and health science degrees available to students worldwide
www.i-studentadvisor.com/imhs

In addition to these exciting new issues you can keep up to date with news and events from the international education sector by visiting our blog page which is updated daily
www.i-studentadvisor.com/blog

Interested in studying in the UK?

1. All UK University applications go through a system called UCAS. The UCAS system is an online system, whereby the students complete compulsory sections of an online form and then send the form to Mr Marriott the Careers Counsellor and the Administrator for UCAS forms at International School Brunei.
2. Students applying for 2010 entry into the UK will have 5 University choices on their UCAS form. Students should select a range of universities that offer different entry points for IB.

• For local students who are aiming for 30+ points for Arts-Based degrees OR 32+ points for Science-based degrees, you may be eligible for a Government Scholarship. HOWEVER, you MUST ensure that your selected university is on the Governments Top 50 list, so check with Mr Marriott before you make your final 5 University choices.

1. The cost for UCAS is $50.00, which will be billed to you via the Accounts Department.

• As the deadline for the UCAS applications is in early January, all online forms must be submitted online to Mr Marriott by Friday 27th November 2009. Failure to submit the completed and approved form by this date may result in the application arriving in the UK after the deadline date set by UCAS, which may jeopardise their consideration for courses by the universities.

1. For students who wish to study Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry, or Law, the deadline is for UCAS forms to be in the UK is 15th October 2009.

• LAW students: the UK now requires a Law Admissions Test for ALL students applying to read Law at university. The test centre for this is in Singapore and LATs take place in November 2009.

1. Medicine, Dentistry: All students applying for these courses must sit the BMAT and UKCAT Aptitude tests. The UKCAT is for 23 Universities only. Details can be found at www.ukcat.ac.uk

• BMAT testing is for Bristol, Cambridge, Imperial College, Oxford, Royal Veterinary College, and University College London: further details can be found at www.bmat.org.uk

Oxford and Cambridge applicants: the deadline for the UCAS form and the request for an interview in Singapore, (which is the nearest interview centre) MUST be in the UK by 20th September 2009. This means that the UCAS online form must be completed promptly in August when you return to school AND personal statements must be ready for Mr Marriott to fine-tune in August. Both universities also require entrance tests as part of the interview process.

• The UCAS online system takes about 2 months for all sections and re-drafts to be completed, so students must attend the sessions and keep on track.

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT UK UNIVERSITIES

Top UK universities by subject (Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/university-guide-2010-subjects

Times universities rank: http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php

UK Universities ranked in 2009: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/table/2009/may/12/university-league-table

International Student UK University Fees, 2008-0: http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/internationalstudents/page/0,,2280999,00.html

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UK IB Scholarship information

University of Liverpool:

1. 25% reduction in fees – Merit-based
2. 25% reduction in fees – IB scholarship – based on points score
3. Accommodation voucher - $1,500 given at the end of each year.

University of Sheffield

1. International Baccalaureate Scholarship (2 available) – 50% reduction in fees per year for 3 years.
2. School of Engineering - $6,000 per year
3. Pure Science International Scholarship - $6,000 per year. Courses: Animal and Plant Sciences, Archaeology, Biomedical Science, Chemistry, Geography, Information Studies, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Physics and Astronomy, Psychology, Mathematics and Statistics.
4. Law International Scholarship

Loughborough University

1. Merit-based up to 25% of the annual tuition fees
2. Visit www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/international/finance/index.htm

University of York

1. The scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis and the selection takes into account academic ability and financial need.
2. The annual value of the scholarships is one-third or one-sixth of the appropriate tuition fee and scholarships are tenable for the duration of the award holder's course, subject to satisfactory progress
3. Department scholarshipss: Biology / Biochemistry, Chemistry, Music, Languages

University of Bath

1. International Scholarship: $9,000 for ONE year, reduction in fees.

University of Reading

1. Tuition fees and living costs at $15,000 per year
2. Available for up to 3 years
3. Any subject – excellent IB results required (35 upwards)
4. Must be nominated by the school.

University of Birmingham

1. Two IB scholarships, each worth $9,000 per year for 3 years
2. International Foundation Programme in Arts, Humanities & Social Science for students applying for a Foundation Degree. Two FULL TUITION scholarships are available.
3. Several departments also offer for International Students: Biosciences, Business School, Computer School, Engineering, Humanities, Law, International Development, Social Sciences and more.
4. Visit the website: www.international.bham.ac.uk/scholarships

Richmond: The American University of London.

1. International Baccalaureate scholarships: worth up to US$9,500 per year.
2. Up to 1 year’s worth of credit for IB results towards the Richmond Degree.

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Interested in studying in Australia?

1. Australia has 2 points of entry:
1. The new University Year starts every February.
2. They also accept student’s mid-way in the year, as a July entry.
3. So you can choose to apply for July 2010 start OR February 2011 start.

1. July 2010 – applications forms MUST be ready to be sent off by February or March 2010.

• February 2011 entry – applications MUST be ready to be sent off between August and October 2010. You CANNOT apply before this time as the cycle for entries in not open before this date. Also, as part of your application, you will need to attach a certified copy of your IB Statement of Results, which is available to you from July 6th onwards.

1. Application forms can be downloaded from the individual university web site. Fill these out in pencil during your PSE sessions and ask Mr Marriott to check these forms before you submit anything to the university.

• Make sure you know the IB points score needed for your course: IF you cannot find it on the web, then email the International Student Office at the university and ask them.

1. For Australian universities, you apply directly to them, via their own application form or online form. You will be asked to pay an individual application fee to each university you apply to.

• You can make as many applications to different universities as you wish. However, you do not apply to one university for several different courses!

1. It is recommended that you use an Official Agency to help you when you apply to Australia as they are free of charge and will assist you with visa applications, medical information and fees. The main agent that ISB works with is HRD Services, Jln Kumbang Pasang (quite near the Riverview Hotel), telephone 2332811, email smita.wimmer@hrdservices.org.
   
   

i-Student Advisor Australia

i-studentadvisor Australia offers colourful articles about living and studying in Australia plus a step-by-step Study Guide for those of your students considering studying down under. The Global Features section at the back of the issue discusses global issues in college counselling and invites you to get involved
www.i-studentadvisor.com/australia

Other agencies are:

•   James Hon Education, telephone 3334390 or 3334834, jhmm.brunei@gmail.com

•    B Lau Education, telephone 2451038 or 8889678, blau@brunet.bn

Normally, Australian universities do not require a personal statement or a reference. The exception to this, though, is for applicants for MEDICINE and a few other courses (you should check the requirements carefully!).

Students of certain nationalities (especially Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and some African nations) may apply to Australian universities only after they have received their IB examination results. Only after this can they have their visa processed. Even so, such students should still ensure that their applications are completed as much as possible, and paperwork ready to send, by mid-April.

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Interested in studying in the USA?

1. You need to complete SAT tests – to do this, log onto collegeboard.com and register yourself.

2. Once registered, print out the SAT testing calendar. You need to register for SAT I in October 2009 and SAT II in November 2009 in order to meet the January 1st or 15th application deadline, set by most Universities in the US.

• JIS is the registered centre for Brunei for SAT testing. When you register, you register JIS as the Centre, not International School Brunei.

3. When you register, you MUST know which Colleges/Universities you want your SAT scores to be sent to. However, you may do SAT’s in June of 2009 and use the scores personally to give you an idea of how you are performing. IF you do this, you DO NOT send these scores to the university. The ONLY scores sent to the university are the October and November ones.

• You need to sit SAT I and SAT II tests, so that you have both sets of scores. To find out WHICH SAT subject(s) you need, you must visit your intended university’s web site. Under ADMISSIONS you will find a list of SAT I and SAT II subjects for the specific course(s) that you are applying for.

3. SAT II tests are subject specific; SAT I is the verbal reasoning / non-reasoning test.

• Most universities in the US have a lengthy application procedure. You need to allow 2 months to complete all of the forms, which include mini-essays and a type of personal statement.

i-LASH Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences courses in the US

i-HT is i-studentadvisor's first hospitality and tourism issue and offers information about courses within this exciting sector from across the globe
www.i-studentadvisor.com/iht

Click here to search for schools in US

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Interested in studying in Canada?

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

• Two full scholarships for International Students: only UBC and York offer this full International leader of Tomorrow Award.
• All universities in Canada offer merit-based scholarships ranging from $1000 - $5000, depending on your points score.
• Early Applications are strongly recommended, as scholarships are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. Early application means January – 28th February for the September 2010 Admissions.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• The government regulates universities in Canada, and so all standards at Canadian Universities are equal as they all receive similar levels of funding.
• Due to this, there are no league tables that rank universities in Canada.
• Costs differ though, mainly according to location - city locations are more expensive than rural ones.

SO WHICH UNIVERSITY TO CHOOSE?

• Waterloo University has the best ICT programmes/courses in the world!
• Alberta University specialises in Engineering and Energy courses.
• Emily Carr School of Design, Vancouver – recognised throughout the world as one of the leading computer, animation and graphic design Universities.
• Sheridon Collage, Toronto – also renowned for Design related courses.
• University of British Columbia, Toronto and McGIll are recognised throughout the world as top universities.
• Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, offers entry onto courses in January, April and September of each year: the only University to offer an entry intake each term.
• The University of Calgary is part of a Biomedical/Medical twinning programme with UBD. Students must be local, government scholars to qualify for this programme.
• Worried about recognition/accreditation by the Brunei government…don’t be! All you have to do is have a letter from your University stating the course(s) you have studied, with the length of the course and the full qualification received. Address the letter to the Accreditation Board, and your course is accredited.

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Interested in studying in Singapore?

1. If you wish to receive an offer BEFORE your IB final Diploma comes out, you need to complete SAT tests – to do this, log onto collegeboard.com and register yourself. This means that you could start University in Singapore in July 2010.

1. Once registered, print out the SAT testing calendar. You need to register for SAT I in December 2009 and if you need to do SAT II, you will sit this in January 2010 in order to meet the application deadlines set by most Universities in Singapore.

• JIS is the registered centre for Brunei for SAT testing. When you register, you register JIS as the Test Centre, not International School Brunei.

1. When you register, you MUST know which colleges/universities you want your SAT scores to be sent to.

• However, you may do SAT’s in June and October of 2009 and use the scores personally to give you an idea of how you are performing. IF you do this, you DO NOT send these scores to the University. The ONLY scores sent to the university are the December 2009 and January 2010 scores.

1. You need to sit SAT I and ONLY SAT II tests for particular courses at some Singaporean Universities. To find out if you need SAT II, go to ADMISSIONS on the university website and you will find a list of SAT I and SAT II subjects for the specific course(s) that you are applying for.

• SAT II tests are subject-specific; SAT I is the verbal reasoning / non-reasoning test.

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Acceptance of Cambridge International Diploma in ICT

THE FOLLOWING UNIVERSITIES ACCEPT AS AN ENTRY QUALIFICATION THE CAMBRIDGE CAREER AWARD IN ICT.

 AUSTRALIA:

UK UNIVERSITIES.

The Personal Statement

All students are to write a detailed Personal Statement, beginning it in Year 12 and finishing a final version of it by the October of Year 13. It is an essential part of many application processes and it is also used by ISB as a basis for questions at mock interviews run by staff. Below is a selection of previous successful Personal Statements and an advice sheet.

The personal statement – UCAS can detect plagiarism! READ BELOW…

Advice from UCAS: “applicants should be aware that each personal statement is compared against a library of personal statements already held by UCAS and a library of sample statements collected from a variety of websites and other sources.  We know that some students are using and paying for personal statement services as these are being identified by our Similarity Detection Service.  If we find an application has been copied from another source, we contact the applicant and the universities and colleges to which the applicant has applied.  They can then take any action they consider to be appropriate.”

Previous Events

ISB HOSTS CAREERS AWARENESS EVENT

On Friday 14th March, students from International School Brunei took part in their annual careers awareness day at the Royal Brunei Recreation Club. The aim of the event is to expose students in the age range of 14-17 years, of the vast array of careers that are on offer in the world today and to inform them of how they can access these careers.

The students were exposed to a variety of specialist speakers, representing a range of careers. These included Todd McPhearson: Counselling Psychologist, Neil Van Kalles: Megamas Health, Safety & the Environment specialist, Dr. Nazira Karodia; specialist in Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Bradford, Gareth Brarham; specialist in Art, Design and the Built Environment from UWIC; Hannah McNorton, specialist in Actuarial Science from the University of Kent and Carl Zarecky; Helicopter Instructor and Pilot from the Royal Air Force.

Students were also able to gain one-to-one advice on how to pursue certain careers through University pathways and received guidance from ISB Faculty staff on how to link subject choices with career pathways.
Representatives from the American Embassy and the Canadian Embassy were also on hand to provide guidance on how to pursue higher education opportunities in both America and Canada.
The careers awareness programme is an important and valuable aspect of ISB’s educational experience and is an integral past of the curriculum in the secondary school.