Laureate College offers bus transferring.
Service options offered are airport pick-up, regular rider, regular rider AM only, regular rider PM only, door-to-door pickup.
The regions Laureate College offers busing from are:
Burlington
Hamilton
Milton
Oakville
Additional notes: Airport pick-up is provided for international students upon their arrival. Door-to-door pickup will be available starting the 2024-2025 school year with limited spaces (12) and additional busing fees.
Meet Laureate College's admission team at the Private School Expo: Toronto (Oct 04), Halton-Peel (Oct 19). RSVP NOW
The big picture on Laureate College
We summarized the school ourselves
With a beautiful 50-acre campus that includes woodlands, orchards, sports fields, the Jubilee Garden, and historic architecture, Laureate College offers an enriched and idyllic learning environment for K-12 students. The school has a strong focus on STEAM and Gifted Arts programs, small class sizes, and individualized pathways. Teachers support students in developing skills, independence, and confidence. The school’s unique term system allows students to concentrate intensively on two subjects at a time, building mastery and effective time management. Boarding students enjoy structured routines, in addition to special activities, guided by dedicated house advisors within a safe and welcoming dormitory. The school’s 100% university acceptance rate reflects its commitment to student success. With rolling enrollment, March Break and summer camps, and art programs for all ages, Laureate College maintains a vibrant community. With an innovative mindset built on a long-standing foundation, Laureate College is a growing institution where students can discover and pursue their passions.
We questioned the school adminstration
1. Who are you, as a school?
"At Laureate, students have equitable opportunities to explore their interests and grow their strengths through sustainable learning. Rooted in S.T.E.A.M. principles, our specialized pathways in International Business, Science and Engineering, and the Arts offer diverse, future-focused options. Our expansive natural campus inspires curiosity, fosters engagement, and empowers students to realize their potential as compassionate, innovative leaders of tomorrow."
Project Learning
Specialized Programs of International Business, Gifted Arts, and Science & Engineering
Personalized and Intentional Learning
Believers of Change
Inclusive Culture
Small Class Size
Forever Learning
Global and Innovative Thinking
Creative Awareness
Self-directed Learner
2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"Laureate College is located on a spectacular campus with access to the Niagara Escarpment, creating an environment where students feel safe and engaged by their surroundings and...(more)
"Laureate College is located on a spectacular campus with access to the Niagara Escarpment, creating an environment where students feel safe and engaged by their surroundings and interactive learning spaces. Every student can succeed as they receive personalized learning, student-centred activities, and an inclusive environment. Students can select specialized pathways such as gifted arts, international business, or science and engineering using project-based learning. Students bring their unique cultural heritages, strengths, passions, and perspectives to join us in co-creating a learning space that is meaningful to them and actively engage in school and community activities with our community partners. Through Laureate's journey, students acquire the knowledge, skills, and growth mindset that inspire their intellectual curiosity, character development, leadership skills, and yearning for mastery. Our graduates gain greater advantages and success in their post-secondary pursuits."
3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?
"Laureate's commitment to providing an exceptional learning environment sets us apart as the premier choice for families seeking a transformative educational experience. Founded in...(more)
"Laureate's commitment to providing an exceptional learning environment sets us apart as the premier choice for families seeking a transformative educational experience. Founded in 2012 and called our newly purchased 50-acre campus in Burlington home in July 2022, Laureate aims to become a community school for families and students alike. We are actively engaged in community events and building camaraderie among families to come together as founding members of this incredible journey of growth. Our focus on individualized pathway planning means smaller class sizes for specialized pathways and more cross-grade collaborative learning activities. Sports are offered during the PE course, and students with specific interests will join community athletic clubs after school. As a term school, students have two courses a term (10 weeks), which allows them to master the knowledge and skills during the concentrated class time (AM & PM) without frequent traditions as they used to in elementary."
4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?
"As a new community STEAM school, Laureate held its official grand opening ceremony in September 2023 during the inauguration of its first school year at the new campus. We...(more)
"As a new community STEAM school, Laureate held its official grand opening ceremony in September 2023 during the inauguration of its first school year at the new campus. We inherited the exceptional educational legacy of the Sister School of Notre Dame Academy (SSND, 1928-1983), a boarding school for sisters, candidates, and aspirants from around the world; an elementary school for local day students (1928-1950); and a Montessori school (1990-present). Our 150,000 sq/ft historical four-storey stone building echoes nearly 100 years of history in the making in conjunction with 21st-century learning for our future leaders. It is a perfect marriage of something old, something new, and something blue, as the sky is the limit at Laureate. Once 196 acres of farmland, woodland, orchards, and access to Burce Trail, our 50-acre campus remains a testament to this rich history. Registered as a K-12 school, we will extend our G9-12 program to include G7/8 in 2025-2026 and K-G6 in 2027-2028."
5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?
"BE AWESOME, BE AMAZING, AND BE YOU!
The world is changing, and so are people. Let's begin a new journey together to build a school community that does not conform to dated...(more)
"BE AWESOME, BE AMAZING, AND BE YOU!
The world is changing, and so are people. Let's begin a new journey together to build a school community that does not conform to dated standards or require uniformity but rather focuses on the new generation’s perspectives—allowing them to be themselves, be innovative, be creative, be passionate, be empathetic, be just, be open-minded, be thoughtful, be responsible, be confident, be independent, be resilient, be happy, and thrive. That’s the Laureate spirit! If you agree with this, then let’s connect and push forward with this momentum!"
6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?
"Aligning with the momentum of our Laureate community, we welcome families to come together as founding members and contribute to the growth of our school with added value....(more)
"Aligning with the momentum of our Laureate community, we welcome families to come together as founding members and contribute to the growth of our school with added value. Families seeking a school with a large student body and numerous social hubs may find that Laureate is not the perfect fit. We are a close-knit community with students from diverse backgrounds and learning profiles. The best way to determine if Laureate is the right fit for you is to book a private tour or attend one of our open houses, followed by a Buddy Day to spend time with a designated student ambassador and experience firsthand what our community school is like."
7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
"Choosing Laureate will give students choices and opportunities to advance their learning to receive multiple offers from top colleges and universities. Students will be prepared...(more)
"Choosing Laureate will give students choices and opportunities to advance their learning to receive multiple offers from top colleges and universities. Students will be prepared for their next stages of growth when learning is forever. Their growth is developed through grit, curiosity, and imagination. Every student will understand the importance of research in substantiating their opinions and value acts of kindness, gratitude, and goal setting. We take pride in offering entrance scholarships for various pursuits, ensuring talent and passion are recognized and rewarded. Our Gifted Arts Program provides a unique and high-standard pathway for students to excel in music, design and visual arts and in preparation for portfolios. As a creative hub in the community, we have hosted renowned guest artists such as Daniel Gold, Jessie Garon, Stephen Joffe, Sarah Waisglass, Pulitzer Prize-winner B.D. Colen, Lindsay and Justin T. Lee, founders of the puppet film production Gazelle Automations."
8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?
""Thank you so much for the recap. It certainly gives me a different perspective from what Sam shared with me, which is much simpler than what you have summarized. However, her...(more)
""Thank you so much for the recap. It certainly gives me a different perspective from what Sam shared with me, which is much simpler than what you have summarized. However, her feedback was very positive. She had an amazing buddy guiding her throughout the day, and everyone made her feel exceptionally welcome. She enjoyed the classes she was part of and felt everyone was very inclusive. She described the facilities as an excellent place for inspiration. While the student population is low, she feels that the large space balances it out, making her feel like she is part of a bigger ecosystem. She was very impressed with the talent of some students and really appreciated having the opportunity to mingle with students from other grades. This is a great way to pollinate that talent across many different grades. I appreciate you making the day a wonderful experience for Sam!” Laureate family 2024-2025."
9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
"Laureate College is designed to be affordable, deliver quality programs, and provide excellent teachers. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and develop...(more)
"Laureate College is designed to be affordable, deliver quality programs, and provide excellent teachers. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and develop their strengths through inquiry-based learning and student-centred activities. Laureate's reputation is defined by the people who work, live, and learn together on this beautiful campus or virtually through our online learning platforms. In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, like many educational institutions, Laureate invested in creating interactive and rich content learning and teaching resources for course delivery, extending beyond just in-class lectures for the OSSD program. These courses are designed by specialists, and inevitably, AI technologies are part of the learning process. Parents sometimes oppose AI for all purposes instead of differentiating its use for entertainment from its use as a learning and research resource. AI literacy is an essential skill in the 21st century."
10. What might families find surprising about your school?
"To ensure every student can achieve success, learning is a shared process among staff and students where Laureate instills the belief in lifelong learning for all. Learning...(more)
"To ensure every student can achieve success, learning is a shared process among staff and students where Laureate instills the belief in lifelong learning for all. Learning doesn't just happen in the classroom; it is a state of mind that continuously expands our knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking for students, staff, and other partners. Becoming a self-directed learner and being excited about discovery will enrich our lives and make us active contributors to our communities. Some families find it surprising when students are engaged in self-directed learning in the classroom, which promotes autonomy, responsibility, and ownership of learning. Occasionally, families may interpret this as downtime and feel that learning is not happening and teachers should always be on top of students' learning at all times."
11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?
"We accept advance registrations for Grades 7 and 8 for the 2025-2026 school years. Building on the success of our 2024 Camp Laureate summer camps, which are fully booked each...(more)
"We accept advance registrations for Grades 7 and 8 for the 2025-2026 school years. Building on the success of our 2024 Camp Laureate summer camps, which are fully booked each week with 140 campers and 980 in total this summer, we anticipate more families to sign up for our March Break Camp, PD Day camp, and aftercare programs. Registrations for the Burlington Children's Choir (BCC) at Laureate's Chapel are open. Laureate flyers are on display at Brant Hill and Tansley Woods community centres in Burlington. As an active member of Burlington and Milton Chambers of Commerce, we are attending several mega networking events in August, September, and October to showcase our brand and seek partnerships to further our students' learning and growth on real-world platforms. We actively seek global partner schools and invite exchange students to promote global perspectives and citizenship. The reciprocal exchange program is also in place."
12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?
"Laureate will continue its commitment to families and communities, our vision of forward learning, transforming people, and our mission of becoming a community STEAM school and...(more)
"Laureate will continue its commitment to families and communities, our vision of forward learning, transforming people, and our mission of becoming a community STEAM school and providing an exceptional learning environment to all. In the next five years, to adhere to the Niagara Escarpment Commission's mandate, we anticipate growing our enrollment to 160 students from grades 7 to 12 and JK to 6. We also plan to offer an AP program and expand our Gifted Arts program to include dance and screen arts. We will also expand our co-op courses to allow our students to gain more practical learning experiences."
Gr. 10 (current) — Our daughter transitioned here mid-school year, taking classes in person and online. Getting used to the various online platforms was a bit of a hurdle at first, but we are getting the hang of it.
Our daughter really responds well to the teaching style at Laureate. She works hard but sometimes needs a little extra time, and the teachers’ patience and smaller class sizes allow for that. Having two intensive classes per term was a welcome shift as well. In previous schools, she might have had 8 or 9 classes at once, with exams falling over a one-week period, which was incredibly stressful. At Laureate, if she has a class she isn’t really happy with, we encourage her to give it her best for ten weeks, and she’ll be done. That seems to be a helpful mindset for her to persevere.
Her teachers have been very friendly and supportive as well. Any time our daughter has reached out, they’ve been responsive and ensure she gets the clarity or assistance she needs to excel.
Gr. 11 (current) — Laureate College has provided an excellent platform for students to grow in both their academic and personal pursuits. From their exceptional gifted arts program to their emphasis on both STEM and English literacy, the school provides a perfect place for students like me to become both well-rounded and successful in their future endeavours. I have personally really enjoyed the school because of its flexible learning platforms. As an online student, their ability to successfully provide students with the resources and education they need to grow in their education is not limited at all. The teachers are amazing. They create a classroom where every student feels safe, welcome, and ready to learn. Overall, I am really satisfied and happy to continue with Laureate College as a student until graduation!