Admissions FAQ

The admission process for applicants begins the year prior to entry. We open applications for the following year on January 1st.

Families can submit applications at any time during the year, but completed applications submitted on or before the recommended deadlines will receive priority consideration. Applications received after the stated deadlines will be considered on a rolling basis subject to space.

We take a large number of new students into our Early Years programmes. We have room for 32 new PK3 students and 16 new PK4 students. The majority of our preschool students move into our Kindergarten programme, which generally allows for approximately 12 outside applicants to be admitted. In Grade 7 we accept an additional 9 new students and in Grade 8, we accept another 8. When openings in enrollment occur in other grades, they become opportunities for new applicants.

We do not accept students into Grade 12 with the exception of IB diploma students in very specific circumstances.

Admission to Mulgrave is competitive and is based upon the strength of a family’s application, space availability and the composition of the cohort. Interviews, tests, school records, and recommendations are used to select students. Mulgrave looks for students who will profit from its enriched programme and who will be able to contribute their own special talents, abilities, imagination, and curiosity to the school community.

The assessments we require depend on the grade the student is applying to. There are group visits, individual academic assessments, and online tests. The assessments typically include a series of developmentally-appropriate academic tasks and an observation period as students interact with the other children in the group. Some of the qualities our teachers look for are curiosity, kindness, respect and enthusiasm.

No matter the outcome, all families will be contacted if they have gone through the complete admissions process. An Admissions representative will start with a phone call and will follow up with an official letter. We are not able to provide a specific timeline for our decision as our ability to make offers depends on space availability, which is often tied to our re-enrolment process.

Typically, families will have two weeks to accept the school’s offer. This involves a signed ‘Offer of Enrolment Contract’ and the payment of both the New Student Fee and a $2000 tuition deposit to hold the place.

There are many factors that we take into consideration when making our decisions, and often, they are not connected to the student him or herself. Circumstances can limit our ability to take certain students, and if this is the case, you can request to have your application rolled over to the following year.

If the reason is linked to academic performance (typically related to lower levels of English fluency), you can request a follow-up meeting with an Admissions representative and propose a plan for improvement. If you continue to follow up with us over the course of the year and your child demonstrates progress, we will consider the student for the next year’s admissions cycle.

Yes, we do have students in wait pools for many of our grades. Students who have completed the admissions process and have been deemed qualified may be asked to join a wait pool due to space limitations. Students in the wait pool who cannot be accommodated will have their applications rolled over to the following year and will be included in the next admissions cycle.

All students wishing to be considered for Grades 7 to 11 must take the SSAT as it is a condition for acceptance.

Students entering G7-8 take the Middle Level exam; those entering G9-11 take the Upper Level one.

If a student or parent is in Canada on a student or visitor visa, we must apply the international student fee. Students with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and parents with work visas pay the regular tuition fees.

Yes, we have a special process for students who reside and study in China. Please read this document for more information.

Yes, we do prioritise for the siblings of currently enroled students and the children of our faculty and staff.

We do not accept homestay students and do not have boarding facilities. In fact, the partnership we have with our parents and the support they provide to their children on a daily basis is so important that we only accept students who live in Vancouver with at least one parent.

We do admit students partway through the year if the circumstances are right. Of course, our ability to do so is dependent on space.

Yes, our buses cover the North Shore from Deep Cove to Caulfeild. As well, we have a bus service through Vancouver’s downtown core.

The function of the Advancement Office is to increase understanding and support for Mulgrave among parents and to ‘advance’ the school’s strategic direction through fundraising.

No. We do not factor donations or family capacity into our decision to accept a student. Our only priority in considering a candidate is fit.

Funds are raised primarily through annual giving and capital campaigns. The Mulgrave Volunteer Parents Association (MVP) also runs a number of community ‘fun-raising’ events like the annual  Gala, which also raise funds for the school.

In your family’s first year at Mulgrave, a member of the Advancement Team will contact you and invite you to a 1:1 meeting. The purpose is to check in on how you’re settling in; if all is well, we will give you information about the school’s current funding needs, answer your questions, receive your feedback and ask you to consider an annual gift, or multi-year pledge, in support of the school.

Tuition supports salaries and the upkeep of our facilities. Any enrichment or strategic initiatives are funded through the generosity of our parents and their donations to our annual fund. 

Mulgrave benefits from a wide community demographic. We value and respect that every family is different and has unique circumstances. Every donation is valued, no matter the size. What is of greatest value is your participation - at any level - in supporting our school.