University Guidance

Shawnigan Lake School’s experienced guidance team is on-hand to help our students prepare for their post-secondary journey. By creating strong relationships between our students, parents and post-secondary colleagues, the Guidance Office encourages students to seek innovative, personally challenging and engaging post-secondary opportunities, both nationally and internationally. Our experienced team of counselling specialists offers an unparalleled service that provides students with the tools to navigate the world of Canadian, U.S. and international university applications and select a course of study that will prepare them for an exciting and fulfilling future.
 
In the Guidance Office, university and career counselling forms an intentional part of our unique and intentional Grade 8 to 12 Shawnigan Journey. Shawnigan advisors work one-on-one with students starting in Grade 8 and 9, helping them discover, explore and pursue their passions. Our Guidance staff support Grade 10 students as they manage the choices available in course selection and begin to carve their own path forward. Students in Grade 11 are then assigned to an individual guidance counsellor who works closely with them over the next two critical years throughout the process of post-secondary program research and selection and growing leadership opportunities on and off campus.
 
In addition to meeting with our students on a regular basis, the Guidance Office at Shawnigan is a full-service department that helps students with essay writing, interview preparation and university selection. Shawnigan is a popular destination for visits, which are facilitated by our office, from post-secondary institutions from around the world. In addition, our guidance team arranges a number of information sessions each year on relevant topics such as scholarship applications, university applications, and many more. Furthermore, the university preparatory experience at Shawnigan encompasses a number of aspects specifically designed to promote curiosity, initiative and ambition, including the rigorous AP Capstone diploma program and Soul Seeking, our inquiry-based, student-led projects. This comprehensive intellectual and psychological preparation is supported and complemented by a holistic and progressive focus on social and emotional wellness.
 
Our mandate to combine specialized support with student personal initiative ensures that our graduates are thoroughly prepared for the wealth of exciting local, national and international post-secondary opportunities that await them beyond Shawnigan’s gates.

2023 Acceptances

SAT Testing Centre

Shawnigan is an accredited SAT Testing Centre that offers testing opportunities for our students and the local community four times a year. To help prepare our students, we typically offer annual preparatory courses each fall and spring. For information about the SAT or to register for the exam, please visit here.

University Guidance Updates

List of 1 news stories.

University Guidance Office

List of 4 members.

  • Photo of Michelle Flood

    Michelle Flood 

    Director of University Guidance
  • Photo of Alison Dewis

    Alison Dewis 

    University Guidance Counsellor
    250-743-6480
  • Photo of James Pollock

    James Pollock 

    House Director - Lonsdale's, Athletic Advisor, Head Hockey Coach Varsity
  • Photo of Vicki Heywood

    Vicki Heywood 

    University Guidance Counsellor
    250-743-6497

Scholarships

Our University Guidance, Academics and Athletics Departments are well-poised to support and connect senior students to diverse scholarships; every year many Shawnigan graduates receive academic and/or sports scholarships to universities around the world.

Here are a few student profiles of recent scholarship winners:
Schulich Leader Scholarship 2023
Mark X. '23
"As a Schulich Leader Scholar – and if in the future I am going to be an entrepreneur and start my own company – I need to have leadership skills and confidence. Sport and 360 and all of the activities that I had at Shawnigan have really helped me a lot in this capacity."
The Governor General’s Academic Medal Recipient 2023
Emma B. '23
For nearly 150 years, the Governor General’s Academic Medals have recognized the outstanding scholastic achievements of students in Canada. They are awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs.

Our Students are Attending

We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.