Phil Jarvis thinks that a “Perfect Storm” is coming in the career and jobs market in Canada and the world.  Jarvis, one of the creators of Career Cruising and Choices career software, and an associate of the National Life/Work Centre, identifies four mega-trends that are converging in the 21^st Century.  He says that the world-wide recession, ageing, the ‘upskilling’ of jobs, and a work force that is unprepared for future work are all leading to a severe challenge regarding employment and future prosperity.

I attended the Phil Jarvis session and several other workshops and seminars at Cannexus 2012 in Ottawa, January 23-26.  The annual Cannexus conference is sponsored by CERIC, the Candian Education and Research Institute for Counselling. 

Isidore LeBlond, of the CCTT (Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists listed what the CCTT feels might be the top 10 future jobs in the year 2020.  The list includes such notables as renewable energy specialists, biomedical specialists, weather enforcers (e.g. those who enforce future laws relating to the seeding of clouds to produce rain), food technologists and mechatronic specialists.

SMUS cannot control the world recession or reduce the ageing process but we can continue to introduce our students to future careers and the world of work.  In our grade 10 Planning classes, students work through a system of online assessments that expose them to career paths that may be appropriate to them.  Every May, when Alumni Weekend comes around, students are given the opportunity to hear from a wide variety of speakers who come from our alumni group and also from the Greater Victoria community.  This year’s alumni weekend career event, taking place in the week of April 30-May 4, 2012, is already in the planning.  It promises to be highly educational.

For years, SMUS students have been hearing me say that one factor in deciding which university to apply to is their tolerance for Winter:  “Now remember…..it snows in Canada and the USA everywhere east of the Rockies!  You can count on Winter in Ontario, for example, and New England.”  On January 27, 2012, I was proven wrong, at least partly wrong.  On that morning I visited the Keele campus of York University and there was a dusting of snow.  See the photo below.  But later that day I walked onto the campus of Ryerson University, in the centre of the city, and  - no snow!  In fact for the three days I spent in Toronto, there was no snow visible in the core of the city.  Moreover, it was warm and several times I saw the sun.  January in Toronto!?  This does not compute.

I got over the weather shock well enough to come to appreciate both York and Ryerson.  York University has two campuses in Toronto.  The Keele campus is very large and its programmes are expansive.  There is evidence of significant investment in the buildings and infrastructure of the campus and public transport (bus and subway) are improving daily.  The Yonge-University subway line is due to reach York by 2015.  In that year, York will host some events for the Pan Am Games. 

The Keele campus is well-known for its business school (Schulich) and its law school (Osgoode Hall).  But there are many other superb programmes at York Keele, well worth looking at, the Fine and Performing Arts, Science, and Aboriginal Studies programmes, to begin with.

The Glendon campus is the original campus of York University in Toronto.  Glendon is very small and has a specialty – bilingual education.  If you’re really ambitious and capable, Glendon can give you a trilingual option.  Glendon offers a more limited span of degree programmes, concentrating on Arts and Humanities and offering an International Bachelor of Arts that is available across nineteen programmes.  The IBA (bilingual or trilingual) includes an international exchange, advanced language training, and courses oriented to international topics and study.  Studying at Glendon is a dream come true for students who love languages.

Ryerson, in the city core, is a large, multi-faceted university offering fascinating options for students who want a cutting-edge approach to architecture, fashion design, media studies, and a host of other programmes.  Ryerson recently acquired Maple Leaf Gardens to add to its impressive list of buildings and facilities which include the Rogers Communication Centre, the new George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, and Ryerson’s underground athletic centre.  Ryerson does have a campus feel even though it is bounded on all sides by the city streets and commercial buildings.  Student services are excellent and there is some student accommodation on campus although the vast majority of Ryerson students prefer to live out in the city in apartments and other rental accommodation.  Well served by bus and subway routes, Ryerson students have access to the whole of the city of Toronto from transit stops very close to campus.

York (Keele)

Ryerson (below)

Ryerson University and the two campuses of York are excellent options for students wanting to study in Canada’s largest city.

Jay Rosner, Executive Director of The Princeton Review Foundation, will be speaking to Senior School students and parents (Grades 9 – 11) on “Cracking the SAT/ACT: How to Get Your Best Score” on February 7, 6:30-8:00 pm in the Copeland Lecture Theatre. This will be a lively, interactive session.

Please register online.

Jay is an admissions test expert based in the San Francisco Bay area, but his work is international in scope. He specializes in preparing and coaching underrepresented minority students for tests such as the SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, MCAT and LSAT. He also does workshops for admissions officers, faculty, administrators, counsellors, and nonprofit organizations on the topic of standardized testing.

Jay, an affirmative action advocate, testified as an expert witness in favour of affirmative action in Grutter, the landmark University of Michigan Law School affirmative action case, and co-authored a law review article cited in several Supreme Court briefs in that case. He has served as a consultant on a wide range of admission testing issues, and an adviser to test-takers in disputes with test developers.

With a possibility of snow flurries being forecast for this weekend, there is a corresponding  flurry of scholarship possibilities for the winter term at SMUS.  While many merit based scholarships will  be offered without application as part of a conditional offer of acceptance, all of the major scholarships at Canadian universities and all of the private ones being offered for community service do require application. Students who are interested, are encouraged to visit university websites and/or to make an appointment with Ms. Casey for assistance with major scholarship applications.  Please note that students have completed major scholarship applications  for Queens and U of Toronto prior to winter break.

New and Noteworthy Opportunities:

UBC and UWO:  Meetings were held this week to provide information on both the University of British Columbia and University of Western Ontario scholarships. Applications for both of these scholarships require nomination from the school. Applications for both are due to Ms. Casey on February 2. Students MUST see Ms. Casey to pick up application packages.

Criteria for these scholarships are:

• Outstanding academic achievement

• Exemplary performance in at least one area of passion

• Broad community service both in school and out

McGill:  There is no nomination required for the McGill Major Scholarships. However, the academic requirement is quite high – academic average of at least 94% over the last two years. Two references are required (one academic and one activity based) and students may request ranking statements and transcripts from Ms. Casey. The application form is accessed through the student portal Minerva. Deadline for applications is: February 7. Please visit the following websites for information regarding applications: http://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/scholarships/prospective  http://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/scholarships/prospective/criteria

UVIC:  There is no nomination required for the UVIC Major Scholarships. However, the academic requirement is quite high – academic average of at least 90%. Students may access the application through NetLink and must self-report their grades in the second round of reporting (starting in February), even if they self-reported in the first round, to be eligible for scholarships. Deadline for applications: March 31.  Black Press Scholarship for business students: http://www.uvic.ca/gustavson/undergraduate/prospective/tuition/blackpress/index.php  Deadline: Feb. 28

Private Scholarships:

CMolick: For students with demonstrated financial need. Please see Ms. Casey for details. Due date: Last Friday in February

Chick Evans: For students with demonstrated financial need. Please see Ms. Casey for details. Open to grade 8 students.

Miller Thomson National Scholarship Program: http://www.millerthomson.com/en/our-firm/community-commitment/mt-foundation/overview  Deadline: March 1, 2012

Trevor Linden Community Spirit Scholarship: www.canucks.com/scholarship  Deadline is March 15

The Big Dig Scholarship: http://www.antiquetrader.tv/studentscholarship.php  Deadline: June 1

Dogwood/District Scholarships: This is a scholarship open to students with passion in the areas of Fine Arts, Writing, Applied Skills, Athletics and Leadership. Please see details in another blog on this site. Students should watch for announcements from Ms. Casey in February when application information will be distributed. The adjudication evening is scheduled for April 26 at St. Margarets School. All applicants will be required to attend the adjudication evening.

Further information on scholarships is available on this site under the “Categories” tab.

Peter Van Buskirk, Author, Motivational Speaker, and Former Dean of Admission will be presenting on “ The Admission Game”, a lively interactive evening for:

Middle School Parents
Senior School Faculty, Staff, Students and Parents

Wednesday – January 25, 2012 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM Copeland Lecture Theatre/Crothall.
Please register for this event.

By transforming the audience into an admission committee at a mythical college, Peter reveals the seemingly capricious “back room” logic that often determines who is accepted and who is rejected at US colleges every year. During this interactive session he provides insight and instruction regarding course selections, essay preparation and the role of standardized tests.

The College Planning Quiz™ will prepare participants to get the most out of Peter’s presentation. It’s a fun exercise that tests students’ preparedness to navigate the college planning process. Students are strongly encouraged (and teachers and parents!) to take the Quiz on the website, http://www.theadmissiongame.com/college-planning-quiz.php, prior to the presentation.

Peter is the Creator of the Best College Fit™
Featured: The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today,
Family Circle, and “Oprah and Friends” with Jean Chatzky

Please see the email you received for the program description and flyer or visit http://www.theadmissiongame.com/

Whitney Laughlin, Ed.D.

Dual degree programs and cross-registration work very well for students who have multiple interests. Wilfrid Laurier University and Waterloo University offer dual degrees in Computer Science/Business and Mathematics/Business. Mount Allison University allows the completion of a bachelor’s degree with multiple minors. Bentley College encourages its Business graduates to earn minors in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Brown University in Providence and the Rhode Island School of Design invite cross-registration in each other’s course offerings as do Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College in Halifax. A recent blog entry on this site talks about a joint medical program offered by three universities – two in Scotland and the third in Canada.

Now add to this list the dual BA program between Columbia University and Sciences Po (France). Students complete the interdisciplinary social-sciences curriculum at Sciences Po, one of Europe’s most distinguished institutions of higher education, and the Columbia core curriculum and major requirements, spending two years each in France and New York. Upon completion of the program, students graduate with bachelor’s degrees from both schools.

Students begin the dual degree program at one of three regional Sciences Po campuses: Le Harvre, Menton, or Reims. Courses at the Sciences Po regional campuses are taught in English, with additional instruction provided in French and the living languages spoken in the region of focus. All regional campuses follow Sciences Po’s interdisciplinary social sciences curriculum, which offers instruction in economics, history, law, political science, and sociology. The second two years of the dual degree programme are undertaken at Columbia College in New York. After completing the Sciences Po curriculum, students will matriculate at Columbia and complete the requirements for a major while also cultivating intellectual breadth by fulfilling distribution requirements in a variety of disciplines, including literature, art, music, science, and the humanities. Upon completion of the program, students will graduate with two bachelor’s degrees, one each from Sciences Po and Columbia, and, like all Sciences Po alumni, will be eligible for guaranteed admission to a Sciences Po graduate program.

The intake for this relatively small and esoteric program is quite small, at present a few dozen per year. Students who desire a traditional, four-year, residential college experience will find Columbia College more appropriate. Students with a strong interest in French language and culture and a desire for a global, nontraditional college experience that combines the academic rigor of two world renowned-universities should consider the Dual BA Program.