Studying abroad has become a huge trend for young Chinese students and the number of students in Canadian high school are increasing sharply.
With the development of China's society and economy, more and more parents with good economic conditions are hoping to send their children to attend high school in Canada so they can adapt to the North American life, culture and education earlier. According to data shown on the number of Chinese students studying abroad in 2017,about 30% of parents believe that the best time to send their children to study abroad.
Why do so many high school international students transfer schools?
Because many parents are unaware of the specific conditions of the Canadian high school education systemand universities, and have chosen inappropriate schools for their children, and high school transfers in Canada have become more common in recent years. The most common reasons for high school students to transfer are:
- Remote school areas;
- Poor living environments and inconvenient location, etc.
- Bad English-learning environment;
- High school that grade strictly and students may have difficulties graduating;The Canadian high school system points out that the scores obtained will also affect university applications);nbsp
If the student fails to handle the transfer, it will not only cause wasted time, money, and energy, but also affects subsequent university applications. So today UtoCanada will teach you, step-by-step, how to transfer high schools in Canada.
Canadian High School Transfer
The first and most critical step in transferring is to choose a schoolThis is arguably the most troublesome step for all students and parents. What kind of school is suitable for you? What factors need to be considered when choosing a high school? Should I choose a private high school or a public high school?？
First of all, if you want to find information on a school, you must check the school's official website, which contains all relevant information. If there are specific questions that cannot be answered through reading the website, you can consult the school’s administration by email. Generally speaking, for children going into grade 9, UtoCanada would recommend choosing the following schools: Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), prestigious private schools or public schools. Because of their younger age, they have stronger acquisition ability. These schools are very advantageous for improving English skills and can help children better adapt to Canadian culture. For 12th grade students, we would recommend transferring to a medium-to-large Chinese private school. Not only are their curriculums more flexible, but the students can also take more courses in one year, and the schools offer after-school tutoring and IELTS tutoring, so that their students have better chances of getting higher scores and getting into university.
Canadian High School Transfer Step 2: Assessment
The second step is to evaluate your academic performance to see whether you meet the academic and English proficiency requirements of the targeted schoolIn Canada, the students’ grades are not the only things considered in the decision of accepting transfer-ins. The school needs a comprehensive assessment of students' academic performance, English proficiency, skills and talents, and personal interests in the past 2-3 years. Some prestigious private high schools also require interviews, so it would be most important to show the best side of yourself and make a good impression.
Generally speaking, a school's academic and English proficiency requirements for admitting a student will be lower for those entering a lower grade level. Therefore, as a parent, instead of worrying about whether your child’s grades are high enough, it is better to focus on how to get them to show off their qualities and strengths.
Canadian High School Transfer Step 3: Check Application Dates and Admission Requirements
After evaluating the student's academic performance, the third step is to find out the school’s start date, and if there are any admissions materials required for the application to the school.
Regardless of whether you are applying for a public or private school, application forms, passport photo pages, school visas, transcripts for the last two to three years, parental/guardian forms for students under 18 years old, and vaccine records are all basic materials needed. If you are a 12th grade student, some schools will specifically ask you to submit your IELTS results. If the school is a CAIS+ private school or a prestigious private school, the interview is also part of the application. / The so-called interview is a face-to-face conversation with the principal of the school or the teacher at the admission office. You will be asked about your interests, your future plans, and so on. The school will analyze the students' current English level according to their interview performance and assess their overall strengths and qualities to conduct the admissions assessment. Of course, there are some individual schools that have questionnaires for students to fill in as well.
Finally, you must apply as early as possible and prepare the materials as early as possible to ensure that the school has enough places so that the school will not be full before the application is processed.
Canadian High School Transfer Step 4: Application or Interview
After preparing the materials and submitting the application, you can wait for your new school to notify you of your acceptance.
At the same time, students can go to their old school to apply for a refund on tuition. Although most schools have a no-refund policy on transfer-outs, you can still try to communicate with the school and see whether you can get tuition fees refunded for the semester that has not started. Many students will ask if they need to go to their old school to get their school records transferred after submitting a transfer application. In fact, the change of the student’s status and transfer of records happen after the student has registered for the new school. The new school and the old school will directly communicate and deal with the transfer of student status and records without involving the student.
Canadian High School Transfer Step 5: Wait for the Offer
This next step is exciting. If you meet the admission requirements of the school, you will receive an offer. At this time, you will need to confirm your personal information, your grades and credits, your registration date, and the tuition payment deadline. It should be noted that the tuition fee must be paid before the deadline, in order for you to actually receive an offer.
Canadian High School Transfer Step 6: Register at the New School
The last step is to go to your new school to register, select your courses, and prepare to start your new semester.
It should be noted that if you are transferring to a new school to start Grade 11 or Grade 12, after transferring, there are many things to consider when choosing your courses. Even if you do not plan to apply for a prestigious university in Canadayour future targeted university and major may have certain requirements for your high school courses, so you should know these facts in order to choose the right courses for you in the 11th or 12th grade.。
After registering, you can find your accommodation了。
To sum up:
As a brief summary, international students can transfer high schools following these six steps:
1,Choose an ideal high school
2, Academic evaluation
3,Find out about application dates and admission requirements
4、Apply for admission or interview
5,Waiting for an offer from the high school (invitation letter)
6.Register at your new school
In fact, high school transfers are not difficult. The hardest part is finding a school that suits you. Don't blindly choose a prestigious school. Every student is unique. If you choose the right high school, you will not fall far from a prestigious school. In the process of choosing a school,
if you need any help or have questions, please comment below.
