Help about applying

[flarestar]

On the other hand you could write your reference with your referees permission and then get them to check it over and tweak it. My referee did write my refernce but allowed me to look at it and add or tweak anything to it in front of him if I wanted. But seriously Laura's right don't just write your own reference and then just get your referee to sign it because since you're reference isn't from a british college (where they add the reference themselves to the form you can't do it yourself) they're more likely to get it checked out and contact your referee. It's medical school they ain't fools

[Nimi1189]

Thanks to all that answered, my next question is when I apply in october, do I have to have all my grade 12 corses done, becuase i am only goin to have started them that september and wont have any grades for them. Also is physics important because currentlty i am not doing well in grade 11 and i dont want to do bad in grade 12.

[Laura_K]

Thanks to all that answered, my next question is when I apply in october, do I have to have all my grade 12 corses done, becuase i am only goin to have started them that september and wont have any grades for them. Also is physics important because currentlty i am not doing well in grade 11 and i dont want to do bad in grade 12.

You don't have to have your Gr. 12 courses done. I'm in Gr 12 now. UCAS will ask for predicted grades for the courses you are taking that year.
I don't think physics is that important but I remember reading on a few websites that it is an asset. What province are you from? Cause I'm doing Physics 12 in BC without having finished Physics 11 yet and it's not too bad. From what other people have told me, it's as easy or easier than Physics 11.

[Nimi1189]

I live in Ontario, and I hear physics 12 is the hardest course in highschool. I heard its not important aslong as you have chem and bio. So im unsure...

Aalso since im in grade 11 still what extra things do you recomend i start doing to prepare, im going to be volunteering at a hospital for 2 weeks in march break then hopfully in the summer, i have a feeling thats not enuff tho

[Laura_K]

OK, in that case you might not want to do physics next year.
Definitely start trying to volunteer on a more regular basis in a caring environment (eg nursing home, hospice). Also, if possible and you don't already have one, get a job. If you work in retail or pretty much anything involving customer service, it shows the ability to deal with people and demonstrates responsibility. Join and be involved in groups in your school and community. Do something that demonstrates leadership. Our school class started an outreach team where we exemplify leadership and caring in the school and volunteer in the community. See if you could get involved in something like that. If you can, try and shadow a doctor. This can be pretty difficult as not too many patients are keen on letting a 16 or 17 year old in on their doctor visits.

[Nimi1189]

Thankfully i have a job and I also have about 200 community hours, im looking to volunteer in the canadian cancer scocity also.
About shadowing a doctor, it might be easier for me since my dad is a doctor and has a clinic so i will look into that

Also do u know if Grade 11 marks are looked at for uni??

[Laura_K]

Hi Nimi, good idea with the CCS.
My dad is also a doctor and has a clinic (where I work doing filing and stuff) so I've been able to be in the room for a few things. It's sometimes more a case of patient consent than actually finding a doctor willing to let you shadow him/her.
They do look at Gr 11 marks. On the UCAS form, your meant to give them marks you've already received as well as predicted grades for the current year. I put in my predicted grades and Gr. 10 and 11 grades cause those are what are on a BC transcript.

[nikusm]

Laura, I am an outside-of-UK applicant too. How did you plan your interviews in terms of dates? Did you talk to the admissions officers from Dundee and Leicester about this or anything? I ask this because I want to know if I can do just one trip to UK for that.

[Laura_K]

Hey,
bit of a long story but here it goes.
I heard about my Leicester Interview first and they gave all the dates available for me to go (7 December and any Monday from January to early March). I waited a few weeks to hear from another university so I could go as few times as possible. After not hearing from anyone else, I emailed Leicester asking how how difficult it would be to change my interview day within a few weeks if I chose 15 February, which I wanted because I have time off from school but I wasn't sure about in case I got another interview and because my family wants to see some of the Olympics.
The next day I got my invitation for Dundee, with dates available only between 6 January and 14 January. I emailed Leicester back and told them 11 January would work and that was confirmed very easily.
So I'm only taking one trip (unless I get more interviews later)- Leicester on the 11th and Dundee on the 13th.

[Nimi1189]

Hi Nimi, good idea with the CCS.
My dad is also a doctor and has a clinic (where I work doing filing and stuff) so I've been able to be in the room for a few things. It's sometimes more a case of patient consent than actually finding a doctor willing to let you shadow him/her.
They do look at Gr 11 marks. On the UCAS form, your meant to give them marks you've already received as well as predicted grades for the current year. I put in my predicted grades and Gr. 10 and 11 grades cause those are what are on a BC transcript.

Thats unfortunate because that meens i will have to redo physics 11.

Also i know of someone who recently started there first year at St. Andrews who also came from Canada. She told me that if you finish all the subjects your applying with beforehand meening u complete your required grade 12 courses in grade 11 then you have a better chance against the competition when your applying, do you know if there is any truce to that