The number of students who apply varies from year to year, but we usually receive around 150 applications. 28 applications will be accepted to form that year's summit class.

Yes! We will reach out to applicants in January to invite you to an interview/testing day on Jan 28, 2025. This will take place at Van Tech. You will write and take part in a) a math and test, b) a problem-solving skills test, c) a small group interview. You do not need to study or prepare for this - it is intended to assess your current knowledge and abilities.

Along with our Math/Science focus, Summit offers enriched English and Socials classes, which means students need to have a high level of English understanding. If you are still in a process of learning English, Summit might not be the best fit for you. Having said that, we have had a few Summits in the past who had recently moved out of the ELL program and been very successful in all their Summit classes. Summit is a supportive environment; peers and teachers will support students to learn quickly and achieve their best.

You MUST submit your application and report cards (Final Report for Grade 6 & Midterm Grade 7) You have the option to submit additional documents (reference letters, certificates, awards). These should be submitted to Van Tech on paper by Jan 3. More detail about how to submit is on our "How to Apply" page.

The VSB allows you to apply to a maximum of 3 mini schools.

We prioritize students who have chosen Summit as their first choice on their application. There are two reasons for this: Firstly, we want to make offers to students who are excited about our program. Secondly, we are a competitive program to get into, and if you are a strong enough candidate to get an offer from Summit, you will likely also get an offer from your first choice program.

Summit students must take all Summit classes as a cohort. If you have completed Math 8, this would be an advantage as you would have a stronger math background. There would be some repetition in your grade 8 year, but about 80% of our class time focuses on Math 9 material. If you have already completed Math 9, you would have to repeat it with your Summit cohort. The same is true for Science 8/9.

Yes. In order to maintain the continuity of the Summit program, we think it is important to prioritize family members of our previous students. However, the siblings do still need to meet the entrance requirements. If the sibling does not meet the basic requirements and we do not feel they will meet the challenges of the program, they will not be accepted.

Every year, we accept a class of 28 students. We only have openings at higher grade levels if students leave our program. Students rarely leave our program, and most years we do not have any openings at higher grade levels. In case a student leaves our program, we usually search for a replacement from Van Tech’s mainstream school population. However, it is always great to send a quick email identifying later interest in the off chance we have a new opening. Be proactive!

As a district program, you can apply from out of catchment, but you must reside in the City of Vancouver. The selection committee does not take into account whether or not you live in catchment, but the tendency is that usually about ½ of our Summit class lives in catchment, and ½ travels from outside of our catchment to attend. There is no priority for in-catchment students.

No. The timetable constraints mean you would not be able to be in both programs. If you are leaving an Elementary French Immersion program to enter Summit, Van Tech’s French department offers a French Placement test, and you can be placed in a higher grade level of mainstream French to match your knowledge.

We would assess performance in VLN courses on par with any courses taken at an elementary school.