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 16. 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.

Yearly summit fees range between $400 per year. This is mostly used to pay for field trips, so we rarely ask for more funds during the year. There is an additional cost for the Grade 10 Grad Trip (approx. $900) and the (optional) Senior Europe trip (approx. $5500).

Yes. In Grades 8 to 10, students take four academic subjects as a Summit cohort (English, Science, Math, Socials), and they take four classes integrated with the mainstream school (PHE, a language class, and other electives that the school offers).

By completing their Science 10 course by the end of Grade 9, students can start taking senior science courses in grade 10, leaving more space in their timetable for those who would like to take multiple science courses. By completing Math 12 by the end of their grade 11 year, students can take AP Calculus in their grade 12 year.

Some assignments are individual and some are team-based. Since our Summits get to know each other well and frequently collaborate, our teachers probably have them do a bit more group work than they would in mainstream courses. ​

We do not keep exact data on the acceptance rates, but the majority of Summit students move on to university in various fields.

We accelerate in Math and Science, we enrich in English and Socials, and students take elective courses with the mainstream school.

Students rarely are asked to leave Summit as we see it as our responsibility to support the students we accept. We do expect students to maintain a minimum of a B (73%) average in all four of their academic subjects ("Proficient" in the Standards Based Grading system used in grades 8 and 9). If a student fails to do so, a warning occurs, after which they might be removed from the program if results do not improve. Summits are also expected to maintain good relations with their peers and the school community in general.

Yes - to an extent. We do frequently have students with IEPs and various learning differences who meet the expectation of the program. Our program teachers work with students with special needs, and they also get support from Tech's Diverse Learners Department. If needs are such that one would require one-on-one support from a support worker and/or would make it difficult to take part in field trips, mainstream would be a better avenue at this time.

Teachers assign an average of 15-45 minutes of homework per academic class (Math, Science, English, Socials). This may mean up to two hours per day). This is fairly comparable to the workload for mainstream students. Summits also sometimes have group projects to work on outside of class time and/or during FIT.

Yes – lots. Summits take part in many of Van Tech’s sport teams. A list is available on Van Tech's website at this link: https://www.vsb.bc.ca/vancouver-technical/page/4630/athletics

As a large school, Tech offers a huge range of electives. Please see Van Tech’s course guide at https://www.vsb.bc.ca/vancouver-technical/page/4643/course-planning

Van Tech offers a variety of AP courses, ranging from AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP Art and Design, etc. You can view the full list of AP's offered by our school at https://www.vsb.bc.ca/vancouver-technical/page/4643/course-planning. Furthermore, the VSB offers the opportunity to self study AP courses and take the exam individually. If this interests you, please speak to the appropriate grade counsellor for more information.

Van Tech offers a variety of clubs, you can view a full list of the clubs offered at https://www.vsb.bc.ca/vancouver-technical/page/4633/clubs.