Group Project Survival Guide
I know the feeling: The group project you were just assigned is weighing heavily on you, and it was just handed out today. It feels like the worst situation you could be squeezed into. I feel your pain! But the uncomfortable reality is that group…
How to Get into McMaster Arts & Science
INTERVIEW: Catherine Hu is an incoming first-year student in McMaster University’s Arts & Science (commonly known as “ArtSci”) program. She hails from Glenforest Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. Admitting only about 70 students per year, ArtSci is one of the most competitive programs at McMaster University. I got the opportunity to interview Catherine about how she approached the supplementary component of the application…
How to Win the Lincoln Alexander Chancellor Scholarship
INTERVIEW: Ghaid Asfour, a Biomedical Toxicology student at the University of Guelph, won the Lincoln Alexander Chancellor Scholarship, one of the university’s most prestigious scholarships for incoming students. Ghaid was born in Syria, spent the first 13 years of her life in Saudi Arabia, and then moved to Mississauga, Canada. I had the opportunity to interview Ghaid Asfour about her experiences…
How to Get into Waterloo Engineering
In this post, I write about tips for getting into University of Waterloo’s Engineering programs. It also features insights from the Director of Waterloo Engineering Admissions and recently admitted students. February 19, 2014. I vividly remember the day I was admitted into University of Waterloo’s…
The All-Nighter Survival Guide
Here’s the thing: all-nighters are not usually worth the hype. I know, saying that is probably not the sexiest way to kick off an article called “All-Nighter Survival Guide.” But when I pulled my first one in my last year of high school, it definitely…
How to Start a High-Impact Non-Profit at 16
INTERVIEW: Julia Berardini is a high school student from Toronto, Ontario. When she was just 16, she helped start LIFE (“Long-term Indigenous Financial Education”), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving financial literacy amongst Indigenous youth. I got the opportunity to interview Julia about her non-profit’s growth…
How to Get a 99% Average in High School
INTERVIEW: Kyle Tam is not your typical recent high school grad. Like the majority of his classmates, Kyle graduated this past June from Loyola Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. Unlike his peers, however, Kyle emerged with a 99% average on his transcript. This got him the Governor General Academic Medal, which is awarded to graduating high school students with the top…
How to Get into Schulich School of Business
INTERVIEW: Beata Fourmanovskis is an incoming second-year student at York University’s Schulich Bachelor of Business Administration program, a competitive four-year undergrad degree that gives students a foundation in general business management. She hails from Thornhill, Ontario’s Vaughan Secondary School. I interviewed Beata about her experiences applying to the program…
Application Tips from a SHAD Fellow
INTERVIEW: Quite simply, I chose to apply to SHAD because I had spent way too many summers in the past doing essentially nothing but watching Netflix 24/7. I wanted to be more productive and embark on new experiences. Additionally, it was a great way to meet new people and hear new perspectives. Most importantly, I wanted to get out of Ontario and explore the rest of Canada—the views in “the 6” can be quite tiring sometimes…
How to Follow Your Dreams and Study Something You Love
INTERVIEW: Angela Xu is going into her third year in a competitive dance program at York University. She spent her childhood and teenage years navigating between Shanghai, China and Toronto, Canada, living in Shanghai for six years and then coming back to Toronto in Grade 11. While pursuing her passion for dance, Angela experienced some pressure from her parents…
5 Tips to Cope with Stress in University
A truism about university seems to be that it’s replete with exam and assignment-ridden stress. I can’t say that’s inaccurate. The number of cappuccinos I gulped down to reduce my stress before my exams in December was essentially limitless. Stress is a real and pressing…
How to WIN the TD Scholarship
INTERVIEW: Sahar Allen, a student who attended Sutherland Secondary School in North Vancouver, received the TD Scholarship for Community Leadership. The TD is one of the largest Canadian scholarships for graduating high school students. The scholarship is valued at $70,000 and includes internship opportunities that give recipients valuable summer work experience. I got the opportunity to ask Sahar…