Exam results and the future

It's been an amazing summer with 96% of our A level grades at A*-B and 66% A*-A - way above British student scores and shows exactly how CATS as an international school brings real value to our students. IB results were also excellent as were Foundation with our students now headed to Kings College, London, Cambridge, LSE and UCL. It's a great time for them all. 

It's also really important to remember unlike many schools, we are here all summer helping students. Some may be nervous as they haven't heard from

Universities, others are not used to having to be patient to wait for confirmations as we tend to act very fast on things at CATS. Many students just need reassurance, and we are all here to do this. Other students may have changed their minds about courses at the last moment, or did not get the grades they needed, and we are here to help with this too. Students are important and as a College we insist they are the most important part of everything we do. 

So let's take a moment to celebrate - some of our students scored 100% in their A level modules - some amazing achievements. 

But whatever your results, wherever you are all over the world, one thing you can be certain of is that we will stand with you all the way.

During your year at Canterbury....

So once you are here, what should you be doing when you are not in lessons? Well, it depends on which year you are in. Foundation students need to act very fast to get involved in activities you can put on your university application. You can sign up for leadership awards or the fastest thing is to take an online university course to show commitment to your subject area. Details of this are all in your Key Professions booklet.

If you are in your first year of A level or IB you have more time. This year is really vital and you have to keep asking yourself, do I have enough things which show my commitment to my subject area to go on my university application? Go through your Key Professions booklet or see Dan Issitt our Key Professions Co- ordinator, and he will help you with anything you need to do. There are about 120 activities in college each year so there is lots to choose from. You then need to think, how can I make this relevant to my university application? How have these activities helped develop me as a person and show I would be a real asset to any university and that I have a passion for the subject I want to learn?

The photos here show our students being given individual or small group support in science after school by a local university. Other students meet with the University of Kent for support with their lawyers for law students and lecturers there also give mock interview practice for our students applying to a university asking for interviews. Remember there is lots of support here so you must ask and let us know what you need and we are always here to support you.

Global Leadership and University entrance

CATS Canterbury hosts another Global Leadership Day on 18th March. This one is based around Pancreatic cancer and links with law, medicine, business, ethics and the media. It promises to be an exciting day with students presenting and universities speaking at the college including Oxford, Bristol, Cardiff and St Georges - University of London. It's an exciting day and falls not long after our second university fair with over 70 UK and works universities visiting CATS Canterbury to meet with our students.

At CATS we specialise in pre university study and encourage students to do on line university courses and a wide range of extra Key Professions activities to prepare them for top universities. Many are taking courses in critical thinking as well as undertaking their own research projects to give them a real head staff in the world of UK and world universities.

Students can get a copy of the Key Prpfessions booklet on the CATS App or in person from student services or the Senior Tutors office - come and join in!

Successful IB students

Former IB Students from CATS Canterbury are right now at some of the world top universities and it's great to celebrate their success. We have students at LSE, Oxford, UCL, Warwick, British Columbia, Durham and one about to start at Cambridge this year.

Top universities really like IB because it delivers everything top UK universities want - research essays, theory of knowedge, extra activities etc. 

Our top students taking A level are expected to do the same if they are heading to LSE, Oxbridge etc. They do leadership awards, EPQ and Critical Thinking sessions - this puts them on the same level as our IB students. It's hard work! But then these are world top universities - you won't get there without being special and having a strong record of doing these extra activities.

There are some schools in the UK who do not understand IB - remember only the best schools in the UK are allowed to offer it. So they sometimes say A levels are better. However, what top universities are saying is the exact opposite. They want to see IB students with a strong background in all the things IB does and top A level students they now like to see with extra activities just as we offer at CATS Canterbury. We have over 120 extra activities linked to university entry in our Key Professions booklet.

But don't take my word for it - look at the IB students from CATS Canterbury now at world top universities - LSE, Oxbridge, UCL and more overseas. It's an amazing qualification for many students and as we offer both A level and IB we are not biased - we support students on either route.

So what is the EPQ for A level students?

As I said on a previous blog, there is a lot of change with A levels in the UK now. Most universities will be making offers based on three A levels only - the only exception being medicine. 

So very top universities are very interested in what else you have to offer them. The most popular qualification is the EPQ - Extended Project Qualification. This is a piece of research on a subject of your own choice - linked to an aspect of what you want to do at university. It shows your interest and commitment to your chosen field and you should make reference to this on your Personal Statement. It does not count as a separate A level on its own, but it does show your commitment to your subject and shows you have extended and developed your views. The EPQ is growing in popularity. 

So do you need to do it? Well, if you are headed for a top university and are predicted grade A s you should definitely be doing it. If you are getting lower predictions you should focus on your A levels alone.

At CATS Canterbury we also offer a great range of other qualifications which all boost your chance of university entry - online university courses, Leadership Awards, Business, Science and Enterprise Events - they are all listed in your Key Professions booklet. Always remember that 3 grade As are not enough..... You need to show more. You need to be a broader candidate showing interest and commitment to your subject. There are no short cuts to success but we are here to help you all the way.

Welcome to our January Start students

A very warm welcome to everyone starting at CATS Canterbury in January. 

You will have had emails from us about the college and starting to get you used to what life is like here. Don't worry if it's  a bit overwhelming at first! For many of you it will be a new country, new food, new ways of working and it will take time to get used to it all! If you click on the emails we send you can get hold of all the emails we have sent including before you applied so you don't feel left out! Remember we are all here to help you and if you are stuck any anything please ask! 

To start with, download the CATS Canterbury App for iPhone or android. If you are in China, download it as soon as you have a UK phone. It has everything you need to know about the college on it and it's useful to refer to when you are stuck about anything!

If you are a Foundation student with high grades and aiming for LSE, Kings or very top universities you need to see Dawn Merriman  our university officer as soon as you arrive and she will help you with what you need to do as soon as you arrive. If you go to the St Lawrence Learning Centre you will find the UCAS office there. There is a map of the college  on the CATS Canterbury App if you want to see where things are and you will be given a hard copy when you arrive.

Remember we are all here to help you, and welcome to Canterbury!

Jonathan

Jonathan Ullmer MBE - Principal

Christmas approaches and university deadlines

Christmas is a great time to reflect and think of others in the middle of all the work all our students are doing. Many have completed university applications and already have offers - others are all expected to have all applications ready by the end of term before returning home. Our university officer is helping and advising students with any worries or questions, and those students arriving in January will be registered as soon as possible and have a later deadline. Any January start students taking UFP and heading to top London universities have been given work to do before their arrival as their applications need to be off in the middle of January. If you are applying to LSE, UCL or Kings please alert Dawn Merriman or the Principal so we can make sure January start UFP students are preparing the right things before they arrive!

To help you, you can now download the new CATS Canterbury Ap on Google and Android and this will give you direct links to a lot of really useful things to know