Apply

How to Apply

Our Application Process

Application Process

List of 6 items.

  • Step 1: Explore York House

    To learn more about York House, start by browsing through our website. View our virtual campus tours, book a tour or view a recording of a virtual admissions event. Questions? Please contact us at admissions@yorkhouse.ca.
  • 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 but instead, contact admissions@yorkhouse.ca 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 need to assign an “admissions checklist” 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 admissions@yorkhouse.ca 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 2023-24 school year, a child born in 2019 can apply for JK. A child born in 2018 can apply for SK. If you have questions about this, please contact admissions@yorkhouse.ca. Please note: you will need to submit the online application before booking your parent interview.

    Application Fee:
    The $350 application fee is collected at the final step of the application form. If you are applying for a scholarship, please contact us at admissions@yorkhouse.ca 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 scholarship 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 we can see her face 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 Mabel Lim at 604.730.2419 or mlim@yorkhouse.ca 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 consists of exploring an applicant's readiness skills. Applicants will meet with a teacher one-on-one in early January to participate in age-normed activities that explore social-emotional readiness, communication abilities, and motor skills. Parent interviews, which will happen online, are a mandatory part of the Junior and Senior Kindergarten admissions process and occur throughout the fall. Formal parent interviews are not required for reapplicants.


    Grades 1-7 Junior School Assessments:
    Our assessment consists of math, reading and writing exercises (normed for an applicant's age). We will be inviting shortlisted applicants only for online assessments occurring throughout March and April. Interviews may be requested of shortlisted applicants and parents.

    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. Grade 8 applicants must complete the test by December 31, and Grade 9-12 applicants by January 31.

    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 Character Skills Snapshot by December 31, and Grade 9-12 applicants by January 31.

    In addition to the SSAT and the Character Skills Snapshot, shortlisted Grade 8 applicants may be invited for additional group assessment activities in January.

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

    NOTE TO SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS: Please contact us (admissions@yorkhouse.ca) 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 scholarship applications. For more information, please contact us at admissions@yorkhouse.ca.
  • Step 5: Decision

    Decisions for Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten and Grade 8 will be released in February 2023, and all other grades will be determined 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 mlim@yorkhouse.ca 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 admissions@yorkhouse.ca.

Key Dates

Applications for admissions for the 2023-24 school year have closed. Applications for 2024-25 will open in September 2023. Please contact admissions@yorkhouse.ca if you have questions.

School Tours

We welcome you to learn more about our school community with a  virtual tour or an in-person campus tour.

Please contact our Admissions Office at admissions@yorkhouse.ca with any inquiries.