<p>Hi everybody!</p>
<p>We’ve recently moved to Toronto from Calgary, so we’re not too familiar with the schools here yet. My daughter is currently in Grade 7, so I’ve begun the search for her high school (since I believe some schools require you to apply in Grade 8?). She’s a straight-A student, who’s strong in math and science. What schools (public and private) would be good for her?</p>
<p>Thanks for reading.</p>
<p>This is assuming that you’re in Toronto, not the GTA, as I believe you aren’t allowed to go to a school in another board (doesn’t apply for private schools or some specific programs such as TOPS though).</p>
<p>For public schools I would recommend TOPS at Marc Garneau. The program should fit your daughter well, since it also has a math/science focus. It has a competitive admissions process, but it’s a really rigorous program. I think one year, the 60 graduates earned over $1 million together in university scholarships.</p>
<p>Another option would be to go the IB route, in which case I would recommend Don Mills C.I. or Victoria Park C.I. (although I think Don Mills is better).</p>
<p>For private schools, I would recommend UTS. They consistently place highly on math and science contests and send people to the International Bio/Chem/Physics/Math Olympiads every year. However, their intake of students is in Grade 7, with few spots available afterwards, so it may be challenging to get into.</p>
<p>Other private schools I recommend would be TFS, which offers a bilingual education, and the IB program, Bishop Strachan School (REALLY nice facilities), Havergal (also has really nice facilities), or Branksome Hall (also has IB program and really nice facilities). The last three are girls-only if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for.</p>
<p>Is there some reason that the public school in your area isn’t appropriate?</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies!
I’ve heard some good things about TOPS from a neighbour, however, I was also told that Marc Garneau C.I. is not that safe of a school? Is this true?</p>
<p>We’ll look into the I.B. program at Don Mills, and those private schools you mentioned. How much is tuition generally?</p>
<p>@alwaysamom: The public school in our area isn’t that great in terms of academics, and my daughter enjoys school more when she’s challenged. It’s also not the safest school, as there have been a couple of lock-downs in the last few years, and some drug problems (I often see students smoking outside when I drive past), so I would really prefer it if my daughter didn’t go there.</p>
<p>The TDSB has a very good reputation for public education. From experience, I can tell you that it is unlikely that she’d receive a better education at any of the private schools in the city. Unless she has some sort of special needs, the public system is probably just as good. The private schools provide no programming for gifted education, in case that’s what you’re hoping for. The one advantage is smaller classes but at the high school level, that can often be a disadvantage socially.</p>
<p>For the reputable private schools, you’re going to be looking at somewhere in the range of $20,000-30,000/year. If you think that you’re going to avoid drugs, alcohol, or tobacco by going the private school route, you’re mistaken. They are available and used in every high school, trust me. That’s the unfortunate truth.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to spark a whole public-private debate, but I would just like to say that it really depends on what school is right for your daughter (and whether that school is public/private). Alwaysamom is completely right in saying the the TDSB provides really good education, and unlike schools in the US (I believe), the quality of education doesn’t vary widely depending on where the school is located in the city. They also have many programs for gifted students (e.g. TOPS, AP, IB, “Gifted program”). However, although private schools don’t have the “Gifted program”, many of them teach material at a more advanced (compared to regular classes) level (comparable to “Gifted”), and offer AP/IB.</p>
<p>I currently go to a private school, so my opinion is probably biased, but for me, it has provided more than what my local public school could (access to resources, networking opportunities, an accelerated curriculum). However, others at my school dislike the extremely competitive environment, the smaller community (has both advantages and disadvantages I guess) and the snobbiness of some of the students. My reason for choosing this school though, wasn’t that it was private, but because it provided what I wanted in a school.</p>
<p>My next choice for high school was a public school. I considered applying/switching into it for Grade 9, but then decided against it because I was too attached to my school. It provided many of the benefits of the private school (though I guess the networking opportunities would have been more limited, and there wouldn’t be access to as many resources), while offering other benefits (bigger school, closer to home, no tuition).</p>
<p>Anyway, to sum up my rambling rant, both public and private schools offer benefits, and which one you choose should depend on the school and how it fits your daughter. Keep in mind though, that as alwaysamom said, repuatable private schools cost at least $20 000/year.</p>
<p>P.S. About the whole drugs thing: They are at every school; if your daughter wants to find them, she will, if she doesn’t want anything to do with them, she won’t.</p>
<p>Um what. I don’t think universities can actually tell if your school’s public or private (I’m not sure though). I highly doubt they look down on private schools; many private schools have no problem sending kids to top universities (e.g. my school sends 10% of graduates to Ivies and other top American universities).</p>
<p>And at none of the private schools I mentioned (nor any REPUTABLE private school) does paying for marks occur.</p>
<p>Okay, as I stated, I really didn’t mean to turn this into a public vs. private thing. But what you stated is pretty misleading. It even says in one of the articles that the “credit-mills” they speak of are different from legitimate private schools such as UCC. You’re right, a lot of THOSE private schools do exist (mostly in sketchy strip malls where you can pay $1000 per course), and do provide students with a grade-bump they don’t deserve, not all private schools are like that.</p>
<p>Yes, I am “just a sophomore”. But next time, instead of attacking my age, how about you show me how my beliefs are incorrect so that I can learn from your greater maturity and wisdom? Anyway, private vs. public schools is not what this thread is about, so if you want to keep discussing this, PM me.</p>
<p>Nalenthi, the type of schools mentioned in that article are not the typical private schools which most people are interested in. There are many fine private schools and, no, universities do not look down on them. That’s just silly. And I say this as a mom whose Ds all went to public schools and got into very good schools both in the U.S. and Canada.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for good public schools with an easy (In my opinion) commute to downtown, Markham is your best bet (Currently go there for school). PM me for any more info, and if you want some specifics i can’t really talk about here. Note, that its only private schools that require entrance tests and other things to get into grade 9, for public schools you just go to your zip code school. </p>
<p>To be honest, I do believe that public schools are just as great as private ones, and will give you the same opportunities. Its only in the U.S that this doesn’t apply, so you should be fine with a top public school here! :)</p>
<p>*Do note, housing prices are rising rapidly in my area (Much higher than most places in the GTA), so its kind of like private (Trust me, most of the students here are very rich). No smoking or drugs here, and everyone is smart and determined.</p>
<p>Hey MapleLeafMom, this is a very late response but I thought it would help you out. In grade eight your daughter will be given the opportunity to apply for up to two regular stream programs (academic/applied) at high schools that are not her home school and not closed and up to two specialized program high schools (AP,IB,MaCS,TOPS,etc) via optional attendace ([Optional</a> Attendance](<a href=“Toronto District School Board”>Toronto District School Board).) The schools guidance’s counselers will walk you and your daughter through the entire application process. </p>
<p>Specialized programs are usually the best route but if your daughter chooses the academic stream, a general rule of thumb is that the wealthier the neighborhood is on average the better the school performs academically. The public school system is chalk full of math-science specialized programs with TOPS and MaCS off the top of my head.</p>
<p>Although don’t be quick to write off private schools. Many established independent schools offer generous financial support to those families who qualify. In my opinion UTS blows every other school in Canada out of the water academically, however if you are looking for a more rounded educational experience consider BSS, Branksome or Havergal. I strongly encourage to research more about these schools and definitely visit the open houses or school fairs which will help you choose the right school. </p>
<p>Feel free to PM me about any questions you may have or for more information.</p>
<p>For private schools Bishop Strachan School girls school in Forest Hill is probably the best in the city if not the country, with an impressive list of alumni and stunning facilities. However it costs a small fortune to attend.</p>
<p>I went to UTS. To be quite honest its reputation exceeds the reality. Yes the students are smart, but if you took these students and placed them in public schools they would do just as well. The school can be very competitive pitting student against student and the school is quite cliquish. Students will hide opportunities from each other in an attempt to make themselves stand out for university applications. </p>
<p>You aren’t hurting your child one bit by sending your child to a public school. The students from UTS who get into top american colleges would likely have gotten into even better american colleges if they went to public school (mostly because other schools have less competition and would allow that student to rise to the top). </p>
<p>At UTS, nearly all students want to be club president, and lets face it, for their resume. At a public school, maybe 10-15% would actually care to be club president. Not only that but UTS mark harder than public schools. Its a lot easier to rack up the grades you need and the fluff on your resume when most students don’t care to even try for them.</p>
<p>Hey, I’m from Toronto (I just graduated high school last month) </p>
<p>Here’s my advice, stay away from Blessed pope john Paul II, Mother Theresa, and Jean vanier, these are all the ghetto schools in Toronto</p>
<p>The school I would recommend would be St. Joseph’s</p>
<p>[St</a>. Joseph’s College School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph’s_College_School]St">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph’s_College_School)</p>
<p>Is there a reason why out-of-province (not sure about US schools) Us seem to ask more from Ontario applicants? Is it because there is a glut of good students from Ontario or because Ontario generally seems to grade more leniently?</p>
<p>I just recently graduated from high school in Toronto. High school is JOKE compared to university (unless you went to a super prep high school)</p>
<p>Read this article if you don’t believe me</p>
<p>[High-school</a> grade inflation balloon ready to pop - The Globe and Mail](<a href=“http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/high-school-grade-inflation-balloon-ready-to-pop/article10452197/]High-school”>High-school grade inflation balloon ready to pop - The Globe and Mail)</p>
<p>@MDSurvivorDO Hence why I chance Ontario kids as though they were educated in New York City (it’s the closest thing to Ontario high schools as far as grade inflation is concerned)…</p>