If you are like me, starting high school in the 1990's (okay, okay it was the '80's ;).....you had one choice - you went to the local high school with all your other friends - no options, no discussions. This is SO not the case any longer!Navigating through this process with my grade 8 daughter last year, I couldn't believe the multitude of choices and the confusion that ensued. We travelled from open house to open house in the hopes of finding some clarity, but ended up in a bit of a mom vs. teenager power struggle over which school we each thought was 'the one'. There are A LOT of high school options in the west end of Toronto, depending on where your child's interests lie. This is a great thing, but for the unprepared (me), it can also be a little daunting.This is my attempt to simplify this process a little bit, in the hopes that you have an easier time of this than I did!
Specialty Programs & Key Dates
Bishop Allen Academy (Catholic)
Congregated Advanced Placement Program - an internationally recognized program that fosters success in higher education by encouraging students to develop critical thinking skills at the highest level
application & strong academic performance in grades 7 & 8 required - application due November 24th and notification of acceptance is January 8, 2018
Bloor Collegiate - Open house November 9th at 6:30pm
Talented Offerings in the Programmes of Sciences (TOPS) on Bloor program
application and exam required - application available November 10th, which is to be brought to the exam, held December 1, 2017
Etobicoke School of the Arts - Parent open houses November 15th at 6pm & 7:30pm
arts focus in dance, drama, music & film
applications are due December 1, 2017
acceptance dependent on audition - auditions are being held January 19, 2018
Humberside Collegiate - Open house January 17th at 7pm
extended french & french immersion programs for students coming from feeder schools
students in the english program must live within the school's catchment to attend
Parkdale Collegiate - Open house December 6th at 7pm
International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme
applications due January 11, 2018 (students with last names A-L) or January 12, 2018 (students with last names M-Z)
IB Entrance Assessment also required
Runnymede Collegiate - Open house November 7th at 7pm
Masters of Math, Science & Technology Program
application and exam required - applications available on-line and should be brought to the exam, held November 25, 2017
Ursula Franklin Academy - Open house November 7th at 7pm
Integrated technology & academics for the real world with a focus on 5 core values: spirit of inquiry, democracy, social justice, community of learners, and connected knowledge
application and admissions assessment required - assessment must be scheduled on-line (link accessible as of November 7th) and held either November 29th at 4pm or December 2nd at 10am (350 spaces available per session)
applications due December 11, 2017
if the number of eligible students exceeds the number of spaces available, a lottery will be held on January 19, 2018
Western Technical-Commercial School - Open house November 2nd at 6:30pm
Specialized High Skills Majors (SHSM) in leadership, design studio, engineering robotics & hospitality studies
applications are available on-line and are due by January 12, 2018
Please click here, for a list of open houses at all TDSB schools. Happy open housing and the best of luck to all of you.....high school is a whole other post ;).