Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1511583
TFS 37 UNIVERSITY VISITS An abundance of events await our older students. Every fall, over 50 universities from around the world come to TFS. Some, like Babson College in the US and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, run their own sessions due to high student demand. Level IV students also spend a day visiting universities and meeting with TFS alumni, who give them personalized campus tours and share their experiences of university life. 5 FAMILY INFORMATION SESSIONS For university bound students and their parents, the University Counselling team holds four online information sessions, including one addressing the transition to university. This year's US session will also include a speiacl guest: New York Times best-selling author Jeffrey Selingo, who will discuss his book Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions. 6 CAREER EXPLORATION A new Level IV Career Exploration Networking Program has just been launched as part of our Strategic Plan's priority Thriving Beyond TFS. Head of School Norman Gaudet has been meeting with each Level IV student to discuss their career aspirations, after which they will be paired with an alumni or parent in our community, who will answer a few questions over email or during a phone call. These will include but will not be limited to how they came to be in the career they have today, and what their day to day experiences looks like. 7 SCHOLARSHIP PREP Students pursuing scholarships receive extensive mentoring, including through mock interviews, so they are ready for the highly competitive process. The guidance and practice bring great results: every year, TFS graduates are winners of prestigious scholarships. Recent recipients include three winners of the Schulich Leader Award for STEM (1,500 nominees for 100 awards); a 2023 winner of the University of British Columbia's Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Award, and a 2020 winner of the University of Toronto National Scholarship. 9 JUMPSTART TFS offers workshops ranging from writing and advice on applications to how to structure a compelling supplemental essay. Those students eager to hone the writing and interviewing skills they will need to demonstrate when applying to universities can also take part in the Jumpstart program in late August. Taking a deep-dive approach, the program teaches them to craft personal statements and develop equally important individual narratives, both critical elements in university interview success. They hear about the finer points of the interview process, such as appropriate environment, protocol and body language, and receive detailed feedback from TFS staff, who engage them in practice interviews. This sets a strong foundation for the university application process to come. 8 HELPING ALUMNI THRIVE BEYOND TFS Even beyond the undergraduate years, the TFS community stays connected. While in law school preparing for articling interviews, Diana Holloway '09 recalls meeting with Mitch Frazer, a member of the TFS Board. "He gave me a piece of advice about workload and time management that really stuck with me, and that I now relay to those I'm mentoring," she says. A student deciding on the next step in their education is a journey. TFS students walk down that path with the wider community – counsellors, teachers, parents, alumni and other experts – by their side. "We draw on many sources of information and support to help foster students' exploration and independence of thought," sums up Ms. English. "After all, we want all our students to thrive, at TFS and beyond." 10