THE OUR KIDS REPORT:
Upper Canada College

REPORT CONTENTS

School Overview

Reviews

Analysis

ADMISSIONS

What is involved in the admissions process at Upper Canada College? When is the deadline, and what are the requirements? How does it compare to other schools? How should you factor these into your decision?

Page Contents

Facts and analysis
Qualitative insights
- The focus is on individual student's interests and potentials.
- Financial aid is available.

Facts and analysis

VISITING THE SCHOOL

Upcoming open houses will be announced here.

An open house includes a campus tour and meetings with teachers, staff, and students. Hosting open houses is a typical practice among schools.

Why it matters

A school visit offers a firsthand look at the environment, culture, and daily life of the school. It provides an opportunity to ask questions, observe interactions, and verify your expectations directly. It's a vital part of an informed choice.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

The final deadline is December for Day entry at Upper Canada College.

Entry is typically for the beginning of the next school year in September.

Application deadline by enrollment type(s)

Month	Upper Canada College		Other schools
Month	Fixed deadline	Rolling admissions	Fixed deadline	Rolling admissions
September		Boarding admissions	0%	88% of all other schools have rolling admissions
October			Less than 1%
November			2%
December	Day deadline		7%
January			1%
February			2%
March			2%
April			1%
May			1%
June			Less than 1%
July			0%
August			1%

Why it matters

The admissions timeline helps you plan and prepare for key milestones, including school visits, application submission, and acceptance notifications.

ENTRY GRADES

The highest number of new enrollment openings include Grade(s) 5, 7 and 9.

The highest number of openings across all other schools we cover include Grade(s) 9, 10 and 11 (for the same grades offered at Upper Canada College).

Breakdown by grade

Entry grade	Number of openings available: Day
Entry grade	Upper Canada College	Average of all other schools
SK	18	10
Gr. 1	-	10
Gr. 2	-	8
Gr. 3	20 - 22	8
Gr. 4	-	9
Gr. 5	22 - 24	9
Gr. 6	18 - 22	9
Gr. 7	40 - 50	16
Gr. 8	-	10
Gr. 9	18 - 22	23
Gr. 10	-	13
Gr. 11	-	13
Gr. 12	-	13

Entry grade	Number of openings available: Boarding
Entry grade	Upper Canada College	Average of all other schools
Gr. 8	-	8
Gr. 9	8 - 11	18
Gr. 10	8 - 11	18
Gr. 11	8 - 11	18
Gr. 12	-	14

Why it matters

Popular entry grades may offer more opportunities for peer integration and more extensive orientation programs at the school. Applying to these grades may increase the chances of admission and support a smoother social and academic transition for the student.

ACCEPTANCE RATE

We do not have reliable data on the acceptance rate at this school.

See data for other schools below.

What Upper Canada College says it looks for in students

Upper Canada College seeks to admit well-rounded boys who stand out from the crowd in a variety of ways – through academic performance, involvement in co-curricular activities, and demonstrated social skills. We are looking for the best boys, from across Canada and around the world.
Why it matters

A school's acceptance rate gives you an indication of how competitive the admissions process is. Understanding this can help you set expectations and make strategic decisions about where to apply. Please note that the acceptance rates provided here are approximate.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The admissions process may require an interview and an entrance exam.

See grade-by-grade admissions requirements at Upper Canada College and how they compare with other schools.

Breakdown by grade

Grade	Required by Upper Canada College					% of schools requiring
Grade	Interview	SSAT	SSAT (out of province)	Entrance exam	Entrance essay	% of schools requiring
SK		-	-	-	-	Interview: 35%, Exam: 5%
Gr. 1		-	-	-	-	Interview: 51%, Exam: 16%, Essay: 2%
Gr. 2		-	-	-	-	Interview: 52%, Exam: 19%, Essay: 2%
Gr. 3		-	-		-	Interview: 53%, SSAT: 1%, Exam: 21%, Essay: 2%
Gr. 4		-	-		-	Interview: 55%, SSAT: 1%, Exam: 23%, Essay: 3%
Gr. 5		-	-		-	Interview: 57%, SSAT: 1%, Exam: 25%, Essay: 5%
Gr. 6		-	-		-	Interview: 60%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 26%, Essay: 7%
Gr. 7		-	-		-	Interview: 63%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 28%, Essay: 10%
Gr. 8		-	-		-	Interview: 64%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 28%, Essay: 10%
Gr. 9		-	-		-	Interview: 52%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 25%, Essay: 10%
Gr. 10		-	-		-	Interview: 50%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 22%, Essay: 11%
Gr. 11		-	-		-	Interview: 50%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 22%, Essay: 11%
Gr. 12	-	-	-	-	-	Interview: 44%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 17%, Essay: 10%

What Upper Canada College says about the application process

Application fee: $300

Registration fee: $10,000

Deposit: $2,000

Description:
After exploring UCC and its programs either virtually or in person, prospective families must go to UCC's website, create an account, submit their application and pay the application fee. They will then be guided through submitting birth certificates, report cards and other documents, if applicable, as well as further interviews and assessments depending on the year the student is entering.

Once decisions are issued, families will receive registration instructions that include, but are not limited to, the following:

Registration of new day students:

Parents or guardians must confirm Registration by completing the online registration within 7 days of the date of offer (as indicated in the emailed letter of offer). The Initial Registration Fee of $10,000 and the first instalment of $2,000 are applicable for all payment plans and must be forwarded to the College within 7 days of the date of offer.

Registration of New Boarding Students:

Parents or guardians must confirm Registration by completing the online registration within 10 days of the date of offer (as indicated in letter of offer). The Initial Registration Fee of $7,500 and the first instalment of tuition and boarding fees must also be forwarded to the College within 10 days of the date of offer. The second instalment of fees for new boarding students and new international boarding students will vary according to the chosen payment plan.
Why it matters

Understanding admission requirements is crucial as you assess your fit with a school and the likelihood of acceptance. These requirements often reflect the school's educational priorities.

Qualitative insights

These insights are based on conversations with parents, alumni, and school leadership. Handpicked and curated by our editor, they offer a close look at how the school is experienced and perceived by those who know it best.

The focus is on individual student's interests and potentials.

Observations from students and alumni suggest that the diverse range of academic, athletic, and co-curricular activities at Upper Canada College provides students with numerous avenues for personal development.

A family that is seeking what our mission defines as a transformational learning experience. A family that wants for their child, for their son, specifically, an opportunity to become the best version of themselves. They want a breadth of opportunities available for their child, opportunities that are clearly within the classroom, a rigorous, Liberal education that is supported by a breadth of cocurricular opportunities, opportunities on a sporting field or in a theater with a musical instrument, a club. There are 20 different sporting activities in the school, performances across all year levels at the school that are theater in nature, musical opportunities across our year levels, there are approaching 100 clubs that are student led for our students in the school. And that breadth of opportunity is what I would anticipate a family would be seeking for their son. Ultimately, what I hope and what I believe we provide is the development of a platform for an individual to stand on when they leave the school.

—Sam McKinney, Principal (see full interview)

I've often stood in front of a group of individuals at an open house and I've asked them as they take a walk around to take a moment to picture their child in a room or seated in that auditorium or on a basketball court or on a theater or stage, picture their child there. And how does that make them feel? That will be? In many ways, the guide interact with students where it's possible. Again, I come back to that idea of the most valuable asset that we have in our lives. ... What I would suggest is investigate the school, spend time learning and understanding and trying to match what the school represents and offers with what you know of your child.

—Sam McKinney, Principal (see full interview)

I got the acceptance, and the financial aid offer at Upper Canada College was amazing. It made a lot of sense for me to take that opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I was a founder of the Mock Trial Club at Upper Canada College where I was co-president with others. It was created in Grade 11, and in Grade 12, we placed second in Toronto in the mock trial competition.

—Sevion DaCosta, alum (see full interview)

I would recommend prospective students attend Upper Canada College as long as when you go to the information session, you see that this is the best school for you. The main reason I would say that is because the opportunities you get at Upper Canada College are plentiful You get funding in different clubs, and you’re able to create your own clubs like I was fortunate enough to do, which means that you can tailor that Upper Canada College experience and get the most out of what you want.

—Sevion DaCosta, alum (see full interview)

Financial aid is available.

Insights from the school community highlight that Upper Canada College is committed to supporting students from various socioeconomic backgrounds through scholarships and financial aid, ensuring a diverse and inclusive student body.

What might surprise some people is that not every boy that goes to Upper Canada College is a boy of means, whose family is wealthy, who are from the surrounding area. Upper Canada College draws boys from all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds through the various scholarship programs, but also from around the world via the boarding program.

—Chris Birks, alum (see full interview)

The first thing you'd want to do when considering sending your child to Upper Canada College is understand if there is any financial burden. If there is, make sure that you reach out to the financial department, and see what scholarships or financial aid is available at that point, because Upper Canada College wants to bring the best students to the school. So if there's any financial burden, make sure that you do some research, but understand that Upper Canada College is willing to work with you, and that shouldn't be the reason you don't apply. Another thing is, as a parent, talking to your child, and making sure that they understand that if they do get in, no matter what their status is, that they deserve to be there, and that they're able to gain as many opportunities as possible. I grew up with a single mother, and as I got into that program, she told me, ‘you deserve this. You worked extremely hard,’ but to make sure that I continue working hard throughout the program You have to make sure you're fostering a relationship with your child, and talking to them about their different experiences so that you're able to help them in that same mind of being a soundboard, so that they can then go and apply the skills that they're learning either from you or in the college to get the best experience.

—Sevion DaCosta, alum (see full interview)

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