UTS - A Tradition of Excellence in Education
Parents interested in applying to UTS (University of Toronto Schools) should be aware of the following key considerations and examination requirements for admission:
APPLICANTS FOR GRADE 7 ENTRY:
Important for UTS for Foundation I Applicants
UTS has made the decision to move away from its own test in Stage I of the admission process and will now require the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test). UTS will continue to have a Stage II which includes an interview and additional math testing.
STAGE ONE: Applicants must complete the Lower Level SSAT examination. Only 100 boys and 100 girls are chosen to proceed to Stage Two.
The following information may help you better understand the SSAT.
What is the SSAT?
The Secondary School Admission Test consists of five parts: a brief essay and four multiple choice sections: two quantitative, one verbal and one reading. The test is normed to the student’s grade and gender.
Why the SSAT?
The test measures student academic ability as well as evaluating the ability to think logically and solve problems systematically. It provides a common measure for evaluating the abilities of all students seeking admission to the school, regardless of background or experience. The SSAT Board is committed to the use of data in the admission process and provides schools with a variety of reports.
When?
The UTS application deadline of December 1 will remain the same, however, students may take the SSAT at a variety of schools throughout Ontario (and around the world) as long as the results reach UTS by early December. Check the UTS website for admission deadlines. The SSAT is offered in many locations at different times, beginning in October. It is highly recommended that you apply early—as soon as next year’s dates have been announced—as spaces do fill up fast.
NOTE: UTS will recognize only ONE test result; in other words, students will be disadvantaged by taking the test more than once. Please familiarize yourself with the SSAT website: www.ssat.org/ontario for Ontario test takers, which will provide you with more detailed information.
How?
Online registration at www.ssat.org/ontario is the most convenient way to apply, however, it is still possible to mail or fax an application to SSAT. As well, you may want to purchase the Preparing & Applying Guide that walks students step-by-step through the admission process.
If you have further questions about the SSAT, contact the PREPSKILLS® office. Should you have questions about the change to the UTS admission process, feel free to contact UTS at 416-946-7995.
STAGE TWO:
Entrance Examination (Part 2)
Part 2 consists of a 30-minute short-answer Math test and a 20-minute interview. Details will be sent to all candidates invited to participate in Part 2. UTS no longer administers an essay for Stage Two. Instead, the school will review student's writing sample from the SSAT exam.
UTS has 104 Grade 7 placements (52 girls and 52 boys). A committee reviews all Stage Two applicants and selects those who they feel would be best suited to attending UTS.
APPLICANTS FOR GRADE 9 - 11 ENTRY:
- Admission is strictly based on merit as determined by the entrance examination
- Candidates must:
- Be a Canadian Citizen or landed immigrant.
- Have taken the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) with (most) results above the 85th percentile. Results must be available at the time of your application.
For further information regarding the SSAT, visit www.ssat.org/ontario
For BEST performance:
- Practice answering questions in a multiple choice format
- READ! READ! READ!
- On test day, answer as quickly but as carefully as possible!
Students may write the SSAT for UPPER level entry to UTS at any consortium school, and it might be to your advantage to do so sooner in order to provide UTS with scores by January or early February. Click here for a list of Ontario SSAT examination dates.
Visit www.utschools.ca for updates and details.
For further information regarding UTS admission procedures, visit UTS Admission website.
HOW CAN PREPSKILLS® ASSIST MY CHILD?
PREPSKILLS® is renowned for its outstanding ability to inspire children to reach their full potential. There are fundamental skills and facts that students need to master in order to do well on standardized tests. The basic areas covered on most standardized tests are reading comprehension, math, vocabulary and essay writing. PREPSKILLS® teaches test-taking strategies and skills that will benefit students writing any admission test. The PREPSKILLS® team is well-versed with many entrance examinations offered throughout the GTA. We will gladly assist you and your child on the educational journey towards... KNOWLEDGE - CHOICE - SUCCESS™
For further information about the PREPSKILLS® program, click here.
"YES! Our son made it into UTS. We are so glad he did! Even if he did not make it, he would still have benefitted from your course for his student academic life. The Resume/Application/Interview workshop was excellent and really made him "sell himself" with confidence! Thank you for all your help!"
- Ann
Toronto
"What can I say - my wife and I are very pleased at the SSAT test results - 99th percentile! A special thanks to my son's teacher, for his effective and skilled instruction. We think your course made a very tangible difference in the outcome. When we compared the actual SSAT results with my son's scores on your diagnostic test, (written just ten weeks before) we could see the improvement... about a 75 total scaled points increase! For UTS Lower level testing, he exceeded the cut-off scaled score for boys by 24 points and placed in the top ten boys accepted!"
- John
Toronto
