Final Post for the Undergraduate Admission Blog

Well, here we are.

It’s been a good run between the Undergraduate Admission Office at Queen’s and our blog.  When we first started out, we were both fresh and new at this and we had some really good times.

Lately though, I feel like we’ve grown apart in how we’re talking to students.  Instead of posting information and having applicants read it, we’re getting a lot more interactive through things like Facebook and Twitter.  Students can ask questions and have them answered by a number of different people throughout the Queen’s community. It’s a much better way of doing things.

If you are a prospective student and are reading this, please visit one of the following resources for information and to have your questions answered:

Facebook:  facebook.com/queensuniversity
Twitter:  twitter.com/queensu
Youtube:  youtube.com/user/queensucanada

Thank you as always for your interest in Queen’s!

Cha Gheill,
Kevin du Manoir
Admission Coordinator – Ontario

Applying to Commerce?

Queen’s Commerce is one of the world’s premiere business programs located at a university that is well recognized for academic excellence and exceptional student experience.  Our School of Business boasts extraordinary faculty, a state of the art facility and high academic standards, ensuring that the students are well prepared for success.

In addition to being academically competitive, Queen’s Commerce seeks students who display leadership, are involved in diverse interests, and have been actively involved in their schools and communities.

Whether you have recently applied to Commerce, are considering applying this year or are simply thinking ahead to future post secondary options we have an opportunity for you to learn more about this leading program! Queen’s will be holding three online chat sessions during the month of January. Students will have a chance to chat with current Queen’s students, Commerce Academic Advisors and Undergraduate Admission Coordinators.

Access and link to the chat session will be available on the following page during the times listed below:

http://business.queensu.ca/bcom/chat_sessions.php

Date	Time
Wednesday , Jan 12, 2011	7:00 – 8:30 pm EST
Tuesday, Jan 18, 2011	7:00 – 8:30 pm EST
Monday, Jan 24, 2011	7:00 – 8:30 pm EST

We are looking forward to chatting with you!

– Caitlin Shanahan, Admission Coordinator

You’re invited!

Are you a current high school student starting to think about your options after graduation? If so, what better way to get more information than to personally visit the campus and get information directly from staff, faculty and students who are eager to tell you all about the Queen’s experience! Here in the Admissions Office at Queen’s University we are excited to welcome thousands of prospective students to the campus for our Fall Preview.

This year we will be holding two Fall Preview Saturdays, the first event will take place this Saturday, October 30^th and the second event will take place Saturday, November 13^th. Both days will run from 8:30am to 3:00pm.  We will kick off with a welcoming ceremony. Next, students will head out on a campus tour to see our beautiful limestone buildings, lecture theatres, a residence, one of the cafeterias, the student centre, and athletic facilities.

Prospective students will then have the opportunity to visit an academic and student services fair as well as breakout sessions on topics such as what you should study, costs and financial aid options, international opportunities and admission information for undergraduate studies, medical school and law school.

There are many things to consider when making the decision of which university to attend. Asking yourself if Queen’s is a place that you can call home for the next four years of your life is an important part of that decision making process. For the current Queen’s students and the 130,000 alumni worldwide, their answer was overwhelmingly “YES!” and we hope you feel this way too!

Hope to see you on Saturday!
Caitlin Shanahan
Admission Coordinator

Come see us at the OUF!

Greetings all!

We are now at the eve of the single largest student recruitment event in Canada – the Ontario Universities’ Fair!  Held each year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the OUF is a great way for students and their families to gather a lot of information about Ontario’s universities in a short amount of time.  The fair runs September 24-26 from 10 AM to 5 PM each day.

The Queen’s contingent will be there with a literal busload of staff, faculty and students all eager to answer the questions you might have about anything related to being a student at Queen’s.  We will also have presentations being delivered by our expert speakers throughout each day of the OUF.  Come on by our booth and presentations and be sure to say hello!

See you there!

Kevin du Manoir
Admission Coordinator

Welcome to Campus!

In just a few short days, we will be welcoming the class of 2014 to campus. For many of you, your Queen’s experience will begin by packing your tricolour toothbrush (and other necessities) and moving into Residence. Move-In day will be filled with events for students and your families, including (as I have recently learned) a “Fill your Fridge” event on Leonard Field and Parent Information Sessions throughout the day. Check out the Queen’s University Residences website to learn more about when and where Residences and Hospitality Services will be hosting these events and how you can participate! You will also be able to find helpful details about your meal plan, safety and security in Residence, and what to bring with you to campus by visiting the Residences website.

We look forward to seeing you on September 4… let the countdown begin!

Cha Gheill!

Katie Phillips

Admission Coordinator

Don’t forget the Minimum Registration Payment!!

Hello all,

For those of you who are coming to Queen’s in just over a month (so excited!!), don’t forget that your minimum registration payment is due August 1st.  That’s right – four days from now!

Please visit this webpage for more information on how much the payment is and how you can pay it.  It’s important not to miss the deadline, so don’t walk – run to get it done!

Kevin du Manoir
Admission Coordinator

Deferrals – and what they mean to you.

Hello everyone,

At this time of year, we get quite a few questions about how students can request a deferral of admission.  A deferral allows you to take a year away from university to pursue another activity or interest that you might not be able to do otherwise.  Examples of activities that our students have pursued are working, travelling and volunteering (to name VERY few).  If you are interested in taking a year away from your studies and enrolling at Queen’s in September 2011, here are the steps you need to take:

1)  Write us a request in which you clearly articulate your reason for wanting to take the year away.  The one thing we don’t want to see is that you are planning on attending another post-secondary institution.  This request must be received at Queen’s no later than August 1st.  We will make our decision on the basis of the reason you are taking the year away as well as your final grades (which should be available to us now).

2)  Re-apply through the OUAC at http://www.ouac.on.ca sometime in the fall of this year.  We need you to re-apply as a 105 student at that time so that we have a new application here.  As long as you apply for the program you have been deferred for, we will automatically offer you anew for September 2011.  You will not need to submit a new PSE or Supplementary essay so long as you do not apply for a different program from the one you were deferred.  For example, if you have deferred an offer of admission into the Bachelor of Arts program, and you apply for Science, you will be required to submit a PSE and your application will be considered in a competetive way.

If you have a question about a deferral, or anything else for that matter, always feel free to contact us by phone or email!

Have a great summer!

Kevin du Manoir
Admission Coordinator

Course selection is now underway…

The hot topic at Undergraduate Admission this week has been course selection and registration. If you are wondering how and when you can choose your courses for the fall, the quick answers are through QCARD and until July 16.

Before you log on and begin selecting courses, you may want to sneak a peek at the applicable academic calendar for the Faculty or School in which you have enrolled. These calendars are not going to remind you that Thursday is Canada Day, but they will provide a complete listing of courses and course descriptions for each area of the university. Keep in mind that not every course in the academic calendar will be offered every year – but it’s easy to check the most updated list of course offerings through the 2010-11 Course Timetable.

In certain programs, such as Commerce and Engineering, your core courses will be pre-selected for you but you will still have to log on to QCARD to select your electives.

Electives are a chance to stretch your wings a little bit to try something new and exciting. If you’re not sure where to start, academic advisors are available to help you through the course selection process. I encourage you to contact your Faculty or School for some support in choosing courses that will both complement your studies and suit your interests and passions.

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable summer,

Katie Phillips

Admission Coordinator

Change to Residence Move-In Day 2010

Due to a change in the orientation schedule for 2010, residence move-in day has changed to Saturday, September 4, 2010. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

We realize that a lot of people may be seriously inconvenienced by this and, trust me, the decision to change the date was not taken lightly. As it turned out, the orientation schedule absolutely had to be changed, which meant that we had to change residence move-in day. It was such a serious change, that the approval had to come from University Senate, the governing body of Queen’s.

We sincerely apologize for an inconvenience that has caused.

Admission Decision Update!

If you have applied for undergraduate admission to Queen’s, to begin your first-year in September 2010, we have an update for you! We are currently in the process of making final admission decisions and will have all decisions posted on ASQ no later than May 21.