St. George's, a prestigious private school in Canada, boasts a long history and is renowned for its outstanding academic achievements, rigorous curriculum, and rich extracurricular activities, attracting numerous families seeking a quality education. As one of Canada's most renowned boys' private schools, St. George's is famous for its small class sizes, personalized education, and high university placement rates , with many graduates going on to top universities in the US, Canada, and the UK, including Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Oxford, the University of Toronto, and UBC.
For students hoping to apply to St. George's, the admissions process is highly competitive, requiring not only outstanding academic achievements but also unique strengths in leadership, extracurricular activities, and personal qualities. With years of experience in applying to top Canadian private schools and mentoring St. George's students , Hillhouse understands the key aspects of the application process, from the SSAT entrance exam, personal statement, and letters of recommendation to the interview, helping students and families prepare thoroughly and significantly increasing their chances of admission.
Next, we will break down the application process for St. George's in detail to help you better plan your application strategy and stand out from the competition.
1. Submit online application.
- Final report card from the 2023–24 school year
- Current report cards (or any daycare or preschool progress reports as received)
- Character Reference Form (available online through the application checklist)
Our first choice for a referee would be a classroom teacher (current or previous). Our second choice would be a coach, youth group director, club-leader, or someone who interacts with your child in a social setting. We prefer not to receive references from one-to-one tutors or family friends.
4. Any additional documents as outlined and agreed to in the online application.
First, you need to register an account and fill in the information on the St. George's application website (https://www.stgeorges.bc.ca/admissions), and submit the required application materials:
- Report Card from the previous academic year
- Report Card for the current academic year
- For the character recommendation form, the first choice for recommender should be the child's instructor ; the second choice should be a coach, youth club leader, club leader, or other person who has interacted with your child in social situations. Tutors or private coaches are not recommended.
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Other documents required to be submitted in the application system
2. Group Assessment (Group Interview)
Kindergarten: All applicants will be invited to attend an in-house group assessment.
Grades 4-8 (Early applicants in late October; selection of dates in mid-November): Applicants will be invited to self-schedule an in-house group assessment date.
Group interviews are only for kindergarten and grade 4-8 students:
Kindergarten: All kindergarten applicants will be invited to participate in an on-campus group assessment (early January).
Grades 4-8: Applicants will be invited to schedule their own in-school group assessment.
3. Shortlist for Interviews
Kindergarten Interviews: Selected parents will be invited for interviews upon completion of the assessment.
Grades 1-3: Non-intake year applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be invited for assessments and interviews in Spring 2025.
Grades 4-8: Shortlisting decisions will be made across Grade levels based on report cards, the character reference form, application form, and group assessments. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a standardized test (see Step 5 for Grade specific testing information), and to schedule a student and parent Interview.
Grades 9–11: Shortlisted candidates for Grades 9–11 will be invited for student and parent interviews in January. To be considered, please ensure to have all items on your checklist, including the SSAT, completed before the deadline.*
Kindergarten Interview: After the assessment is completed, the school will invite some parents to participate in the interview.
Grades 1-3: For applications from non-admission grades, the school will review all applications and invite only shortlisted candidates to participate in the assessment and interview in Spring 2025.
Grades 4-8: Shortlisting will be based on transcripts, conduct recommendation forms, application forms, and group assessments. Shortlisted applicants will be required to take standardized tests (see Step 5 for specific testing requirements for each grade level) and will be interviewed with their parents.
Grades 9-11: Shortlisted applicants for grades 9-11 will be invited for a student and parent interview in January. Please ensure you complete all requirements on the application checklist, including the SSAT, before the deadline in order to be considered for admission.
4. Complete Testing
Kindergarten: See above for details on the Group Assessment process.
Grade 1-3: Shortlisted candidates will be invited for assessments in the Spring.
Grade 4-5: Only shortlisted candidates will need to write the Elementary Level SSAT. Testing will be held at St. George's School in December. Applicants will be notified of their shortlist status after the Group Assessments are complete.
Grades 6–8: Only shortlisted candidates will need to schedule and write the Middle-Level SSAT. Applicants will be notified of their shortlist status after their Group Assessment.
Grades 9–11: All applicants must register for and submit SSAT test results before December 31, 2024.
Must write the SSAT at any test location. Please do not hesitate to register for the SSAT as dates fill up quickly.
Registering for the SSAT: You can register to take the SSAT in person at an SSAT test center, online with the SSAT at home for residents of Canada or the USA, or take the test at any designated Prometric Test Centre. Please make sure to designate St. George's School as a score recipient. Applicants applying for Financial Aid are eligible to request testing fee waivers through the Admissions Team.
Kindergarten: Please refer to the above text for details of the group assessment process.
Grades 1-3: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in the assessment in the spring.
Grades 4-5: Only shortlisted candidates need to take the Elementary Level SSAT, which will be conducted in December at St. George's School. After the panel evaluation, applicants will be notified of their shortlist status.
Grades 6-8: Only shortlisted candidates need to schedule and take the Middle-Level SSAT. After the group assessment, applicants will be notified of their shortlist status.
Grades 9-11 : All applicants must complete the SSAT test and submit their scores by December 31, 2024.
International applicants (outside Canada/the United States): Must take the SSAT at any official testing location. Please register as early as possible to avoid filling up testing slots.
SSAT Registration Method:
You can take the SSAT exam at an official test center, or...
Applicants residing in Canada or the United States can choose to take the SSAT at Home online, or...
Take the test at any Prometric testing center.
Please ensure that St. George's School is set as the school for receiving grades.
5. Admission decision
Kindergarten: February 18, 2025
Grades 4-7: March 4, 2025
Grade 8: February 25, 2025
Grade 9-11: Rolling through March 2025
Non-Intake Years: Rolling through late April
Kindergarten: February 18, 2025
Grades 4-7: March 4, 2025
Grade 8: February 25, 2025
Grades 9-11: Rolling admissions during March 2025
Non-Intake Years: Admissions will continue until late April 2025.
Image and text information source: https://www.stgeorges.bc.ca/admissions/day-applicants
In the next article, we will analyze St. George's interview questions in detail. Hillhouse teachers will analyze real interview questions and procedures to help children greatly improve their interview success rate.
For application analysis of other private schools in Hillhouse, please see the following link:
Andover University, a Top Private High School in the United States - Application Process Analysis
Analysis of Interview Questions for Andover, a Top Private High School in the United States
