Frequently Asked Questions

List of 15 items.

• What are the entry years for Greenwood? Does Greenwood admit students in non-entry years?

  Our entry years are Grade 7 and Grade 9.
  
  Applications for admission in September 2024 will be accepted for Grades 7 and 9. Families interested in applying for a non-entry year may do so but an interview is not guaranteed. Please contact the Admissions Office for details. 
  

• How many students will Greenwood admit for 2024-2025?

  Greenwood will admit 62 students in Grade 7 and 35 students in Grade 9 for 2024-2025.
  
  We may also admit a small number of students in non-entry years as a result of attrition or because an applicant is exceptional.

• What is most important to Greenwood’s Admissions team in making its decisions?

  The Admissions team is particularly interested in prospective students’ character, personality, academic readiness and interest in personal growth. The Admissions team seeks to learn more about these qualities through all aspects of the interview process.
  
  We try hard to get to know our applicants and their families to determine whether the student will make a positive contribution to the Greenwood community and to ensure there is a fit between the applicant, their family and the school.

• What happens in the admissions interview at Greenwood?

  Interviews are designed to allow you and your child to learn more about Greenwood and to enable the Admissions team to get to know you. A member of our Admissions team will meet individually with the student and the parent(s)/guardian(s) together, and individually with the student. If your child wishes, they may bring an item of personal significance to assist in the discussion at the interview.

• What is the school’s policy on the admission of siblings of current or past students?

  The decision to have a sibling apply to Greenwood is an ongoing commitment that is valued by the school. However, there is no guarantee that all siblings who apply will be accepted. Greenwood’s Admissions team assesses the individual merits of each candidate for admission, regardless of whether they are a sibling of a current or past student at the school.

• Do applicants have to write the SSAT in order to apply to Greenwood?

  No, applicants do not have to write the SSAT. However, we do require that applicants complete the Character Skills Snapshot (CSS) administered by the Enrollment Management Association. Learn more about the CSS.

  
  The CSS must be completed before the applicant family can book an interview.

• My child has a psychological assessment, an educational assessment or an Individual Education Plan that I feel doesn't adequately reflect them anymore. Should I still include it in their application?

  We ask you submit the most recent assessment completed for your child, even if you believe it no longer adequately reflects them. Knowing that this is sometimes the case, assessments are reviewed in light of comments from parents/guardians and students, as well as students' growth since the date of the assessment.
  
  If the most recent assessment is more than three years old or you feel it no longer adequately reflects your child, please consider having a new assessment completed to include with the application. If a new assessment is in progress, we ask that you indicate this when applying.

  
  

  Greenwood’s application form requires that you confirm that all requested documentation (including assessments) has been included with the application. Greenwood takes this requirement and confirmation very seriously.

• What should an applicant family do if it’s not possible to obtain teacher recommendation forms?

  Some schools don’t permit their teachers to complete recommendation forms. In that event, you can ask teachers if they might speak on the phone with the relevant member of the Admissions team. Alternatively, you can ask teachers from previous schools or other adults (coaches, tutors, camp directors, etc.) familiar with the student to complete the forms or to write a letter of reference. Any letters of reference should, as much as possible, address the areas listed on the recommendation form.
  
  If, in the end, you can’t obtain recommendation forms or reference letters, please let us know. Applicants are not penalized for this.

  
  Please note that you may not book an interview until the first of the two teacher recommendation forms have been received by the school. This form is typically from the student's homeroom teacher from the previous school year. 

• How does the wait-list process work at Greenwood?

  Greenwood’s Admissions team decides whether to accept,
  wait list or decline applicants. Candidates who are placed on the wait list may be contacted and offered a spot at the school if one or more candidates who have been extended an offer, decline that offer. Such offers may be extended by the school either before or after the cut-off date for families to accept or decline the
  original offers of admission. The cut-off date for accepting or declining offers made to candidates from the wait list will be adjusted depending on when the offer is made.
  
  Greenwood seeks a mix of students that can develop into a diverse and mutually supportive community. The admission decision is not based solely on the qualities of the individual candidate, but also on the composition of the overall community. As a result, wait-listed candidates are not placed in priority on the wait list; rather, as spots become available, the Admissions team considers all the candidates on the wait list, and makes offers to candidates based on an assessment of the overall circumstances of the relevant grade group and the school and how the wait-listed candidates will contribute to the grade and the school.

• What is the student:teacher ratio at Greenwood?

  Our student:teacher ratio is 7:1.

• What is the cost of attending Greenwood?

  Tuition for the 2023-2024 school year is $42,780. All new students are also required to pay a one-time, non-refundable Initial Enrolment Fee of $9,000 in addition to the tuition fee. Siblings of current and past Greenwood students receive a $3,000 deduction on this fee. 
  
  

  When comparing independent school tuitions, it is important to consider what is and is not included in your fees. Unlike many schools, Greenwood’s tuition fees cover:

  • Outdoor education (with the exception of optional experiences)
  • Student Success Centre resources
  • Local field trips
  • Team entry fees and transportation for local, same-day extracurriculars (e.g. athletics and arts) and field trips
  • Service and outreach initiatives

  We strive to keep additional charges to a minimum. 

  
  

  The school issues tax receipts to Greenwood families for all students for whom child care has been provided by the school based on Canada Revenue Agency regulations. Greenwood includes in those receipts the portion of tuition fees that may be attributed to child care for supervision of students during regularly scheduled breaks and lunch periods.

  
  No other tax receipts are issued by the school in relation to tuition fees or the one-time enrolment fee of $9,000. If a student at Greenwood is receiving learning support and accommodations mandated by a psychological or educational profile prepared by a psychologist, Greenwood will issue a letter to the parents of the student confirming such accommodations. The confirmation letter from the school may be used by those families to support a medical expense claim.
  
  See our Financial Overview page for more information.
  

• Does Greenwood provide financial assistance to students and their families?

  Greenwood offers limited financial assistance to a small number of families, both current and incoming. We are hopeful that in the years to come, philanthropic support of our endowed funds will continue and the available funds will increase.

  
  

  This program is made possible by the Greenwood College School Foundation. The Foundation was created in 2003 to oversee endowment funds established through philanthropic support of the school.

  
  

  Families wishing to apply for financial assistance must complete the Financial Aid for Canadian Students (FACS) application through Apple Financial Services, a third-party financial aid service. Apple Financial will conduct a means test to recommend to the school the amount of financial assistance needed by the applicant. 

  
  

  Financial Assistance applications for the 2024-2025 school year close on December 22, 2023. Applicants awarded financial assistance will be notified on or immediately following the admission offer date. All applications for financial assistance are reviewed and evaluated independently from admission applications.

  
  For more information about student financial assistance, please contact Kelly Giannoccaro, Vice-Principal, Finance & Operations.

• Which postsecondary schools do Greenwood graduates attend?

  Greenwood graduates pursue highly selective postsecondary programs across Canada, the United States and Europe. Here is a sampling of institutions attended by our alumni:

  
  

  Canada: Dalhousie University, McGill University, Mount Allison University, OCAD University, Queen’s University, University of British Columbia, University of Guelph, University of Toronto, Western University

  
  

  United States: Berklee College of Music, Harvard University, Lynn University, Parsons School of Design, Cornell University, New York University, Purdue University, Stanford University, Syracuse University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vassar College

  
  Europe: Durham University, Fontainebleau School of Acting, Imperial College London, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Nuova Accademia delle Belle Arti (NABA), University College London, University of Edinburgh, University of St Andrews

• Where do I park when I visit Greenwood?

  Limited visitor parking is available behind the school. Visit our Directions page for more parking options.

• Does Greenwood accept international students and/or does it offer an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program?

  International students who have the necessary English language skills to perform at the same level as students who have English as a first language are welcome to apply to Greenwood. Greenwood does not offer an ESL program.

  
  

  Please note that Greenwood does not offer a boarding or homestay program. ESL students may be required to write an English assessment such as the TOEFL test or the IELTS test.