How to Apply

List of 6 items.

• Step 1: Explore York House

  To learn more about York House, start by browsing through our website. Visit us at our Open House, book a tour or view a recording of a virtual admissions event. Questions? Please contact us at [email protected].

• Step 2: Apply

  Please read our Admissions Policy before completing an online application.
  
  Canadian citizenship or Permanent Residence status required: Unfortunately, we do not accept applications from international students. Applicants and at least one parent must be Canadian or have PR status, and the applicant must live with at least one parent while attending school. If you do not meet these requirements, please do not submit an online application. If you have questions, please contact [email protected] for more information.
  
  Starting Your Online Application:
  You will be asked to log in to start an online application form. If you are a first-time user of our website, you will be asked to create a login name and password. After setting up your account, an admissions staff member will assign an “admissions checklist” within 3 business days that allows you to upload supporting documents.
  
  If you are a reapplicant (i.e. you submitted an application the previous school school year), please refer to the instructions below in Step 6: Re-Apply.
  
  Current York House School parents should use their existing myYHS login for sibling application. Please create only one application for each applicant to York House School. If you have accidentally started two applications for the same applicant, please contact [email protected] before proceeding further.
  
  Multiple Sibling Applications: 
  If you are a first-time user of our website, and you are submitting applications for two (or more) applicants, please use the same login name and password for both applications. After you submit the first application, choose “Apply Another Child” for the second application. This will allow our system to link the applicants' records and inform us that they are siblings.
  
  Junior Kindergarten & Senior Kindergarten Applications:
  For the 2024-25 school year, a child born in 2020 can apply for JK. A child born in 2019 can apply for SK. If you have questions about this, please contact [email protected]. Please note: our JK/SK application and assessment processes have changed. Please go to Step 4: Assessments for further details.
  
  

  Grade 8 Applications:

  Please note: our Grade 8 application deadline and assessment dates have changed and are now a few weeks earlier than in previous years. The Grade 8 application deadline is November 15, 2023 and group assessment dates are November 30 or December 1, 2023. Please go to Step 4: Assessments for further details.

  
  Application Fee:
  The $350 application fee is collected at the final step of the application form. If you are applying for financial assistance, please contact us at [email protected] for an application fee waiver code. You will receive a confirmation email from us once your application fee or fee waiver has been accepted and processed. Please note that if you do not receive this confirmation email, your application has not gone through. You can learn more about financial aid eligibility here.

• Step 3: Submit Required Documents

  To enable us to get a full and accurate picture of the applicant's educational needs, please provide all documents and information that may be relevant to our assessment for admission into York House School. 

  
  The following supporting documents are requested to complete your application:
  

  • Recent photograph of the applicant (ideally a head shot where the face is shown clearly);
  • Recent photograph of your family;
  • Copy of birth certificate;
  • Two recommendation letters (one regarding your family, one regarding the applicant). Please note: you will be requesting these recommendations by sending a link to an online form, which the referee will complete and send directly back to us.
  • Proof of Canadian citizenship status or landed immigrant/permanent residence status for the applicant and at least one parent;
  • Include business cards of each parent (if applicable);
  • School report cards/progress reports: last final report card, and all of this year's reports, teacher comments and ELL (English Language Learning) addendums, if applicable;
  • Any Individual Educational Plans (IEP) assigned to the student (if applicable);
  • Any educational related assessments of the student, including but not limited to psycho-educational assessments; and
  • Any other pertinent information regarding the applicant's educational needs.

  Please upload requested documents according to the checklist of your online application.

  
  Applications are not considered complete until all supporting documents are received. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. If you wish to re-apply for the following school year, read Step 6 below.

• Step 4: Assessments

  Our assessments are designed to determine an applicant’s readiness for our program, as well as considering aptitude, abilities, and interests.
  
  Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten Assessments:

  Our assessment explores an applicant's school-readiness skills and includes having applicants meet with a teacher one-on-one to participate in age-normed activities that explore social-emotional readiness, communication and motor skills. JK/SK assessments occur in early January. A shortlisting process then takes place and parents of applicants deemed “school ready” will be invited to schedule interviews (which will be available in-person or online) in January and February. Please note that formal parent interviews are not required for reapplicants.
  
  
  Grades 1-7 Junior School Assessments:

  Our assessment consists of math, reading and writing exercises that are normed for an applicant's age/grade. 

  
  

  For Grades 1-3, shortlisted applicants will be invited to assessments only if we know of an opening (through attrition), and parents will be invited for interviews at that time. 

  
  

  For Grades 4-7, all applicants will be invited for assessments in mid-February. Applicants shortlisted for our intake year of Grade 5, and any other grade where we know of a space through attrition, will be invited for an observational day at York House in early March. Parents will be invited for interviews at that time.

  
  
  Grades 8-12 Senior School Assessments:

  York House School uses the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) for Grade 8-12 applicants. The SSAT is a standardized test used by independent schools to assess the broad academic skills of applicants. The SSAT measures verbal, math, and reading skills that will help predict successful performance in independent schools.
  
  Applicants must register on their own to take the SSAT: www.ssat.org. (York House School will host a SSAT session on October 21, 2023 for our applicants. To find and register for this SSAT session, go to SSAT.org and use this code when booking your test: 7C-7E7V-9O0M ). Grade 8 applicants must complete the test by mid November in order for us to get results in a timely manner for decision-making. Grade 9-12 applicants must complete the test by the end of January.
  
  Grade 8-12 applicants are required to complete the Character Skills Snapshot, which gives insight about character skills that go beyond grades and test scores. The online questions take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. You can learn more at www.ssat.org/snapshot. Grade 8 applicants must complete the test by mid November in order for us to get results in a timely manner for decision-making. Grade 9-12 applicants must complete the test by the end of January.
  
  In addition to the SSAT and the Character Skills Snapshot, shortlisted Grade 8 applicants may be invited for additional group assessment activities on November 30 or December 1 during the school day, specific time will be announced.
  
  

  Shortlisted Grade 8 applicants and parents will be invited for interviews in January and February. If spaces become available in February and beyond, shortlisted Grade 9-12 applicants will be invited for parent and applicant interviews.
  
  

  NOTE TO FINANCIAL AID APPLICANTS: Please contact us ([email protected]) for a fee waiver for the York House School application for admission. Fee waivers for the SSAT and Character Skills Snapshot may be available. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

• Step 5: Decision

  Grade 8 decisions will be released on February 29, 2024. Decisions for Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten will be released on February 28, 2024. Decisions for Grade 5 will be released in early April. All other grades will be released on a rolling basis as spaces become available from March onwards.

• Step 6: Re-Apply

  We usually have more qualified applicants than spaces, so we encourage you to re-apply. All applications will be kept on file for one year. If you wish to re-apply for the next school year, please submit an online reapplication by the application deadline. The re-application fee is $250. Please contact Mabel Lim at 604.730.2419 or [email protected] if you have any questions.
  
  

  Getting started: Log in to myYHS, click on the applicant's name in the upper left corner and you'll find a new checklist of requirements to complete. If you're unable to log in to your account, you can contact us for assistance at [email protected].