Columbia International College is Canada’s largest private boarding school, offering Grades 7 to 12 for day and boarding students. At the heart of our success is the holistic Total Care Education System® - an innovative approach to learning and living. Our Total Care Education System® ensures that every student’s academic, social, emotional and physical needs are tended to. We are #1 in scholarships awarded by universities and we offer the only official U of Toronto partnership program - the Elite Pathway Program.
While some schools pride themselves on being small, Columbia finds its strength in being large—with a student population in excess of 1800, it is easily the largest boarding school in Canada. What Columbia might lack in intimacy it gains in the ability to provide a wealth of supports and programs that smaller schools simply can't. The school maintains extensive liaison offices, a dedicated guidance staff, and even its own medical clinic. The faculty, through size and experience, is remarkably adept at providing a quality, well-rounded education with an eye to success in postsecondary education. The school provides ESL to students who need it, and liaises directly with universities in Canada and beyond in order to facilitate the transition to postsecondary education. In all, the school excels at doing what it was created to do: to support the university-bound international learner who is living away from home within a culture, and at times a language, that is unfamiliar.
Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of Columbia International College.
Focus |
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Academic |
Subject | offered |
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Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
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Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
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Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
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Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
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Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Type | offered |
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Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Program | offered |
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Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: This information is not currently available.
Program | offered |
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Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
In grade Gr. 12, CIC students perform an average of >2 hours of homework per night.
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
CIC | 120 mins | 120 mins | 160 mins | 160 mins |
Site Average | 68 mins | 80 mins | 96 mins | 109 mins |
Lettered or numbered grades | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Competitive sports: 3
Recreational sports: 10
Columbia International College offers 19 clubs and extracurricular programs.
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
Boarding | $2,700 / course |
Discounts
Discount Type | Enrolment Type | Amount |
---|---|---|
2nd child (sibling) | all students | 25% |
3rd child (sibling) | all students | 25% |
4th child (sibling) | all students | 25% |
This information is not currently available.
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
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Group 1 | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Day | Varies |
Group 2 | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Boarding | 1700 |
Total enrolment | 1,700 |
Average class size | 12 to 22 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | N/A |
Number of different nationalities within student population | N/A |
Five-day boarding program offered | N/A |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | ||
SSAT | ||
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | 7 - 12 | |
Entrance Essay |
Day students: Rolling
Boarding students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry: N/A
Application fee: N/A
Registration fee: N/A
Deposit: N/A
Students are asked to submit their transcript from their previous school with their application.
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 (100%) | 0 (100%) | 0 (100%) | 0 (100%) | 0 (100%) | 0 (100%) |
Boarding Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Average graduating class size | 500 |
Students accepted into post-secondary studies upon graduation | N/A |
Percentage of students who attend post-secondary institutions outside of Canada | N/A |
Students who attended a Ivy+ school Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK) | N/A |
Columbia International College Graduates’ Post-Secondary Studies:
This information is not currently available.Aggregate of All Schools’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Career planning | |
Internships |
Mentorship Program | N/A |
University counseling |
What CIC says:
Welcome!
As Principal of Columbia International College, my belief is that in order for your children to be successful as international students, they need to be cared for as if they were at home with you. All my teachers and staff share the same belief.
The need for students to learn in an environment where they are well supported is the chief concern that thousands upon thousands of parents have shared with us over the years. From its beginning in 1979, CIC was built to address this concern. We wanted to make sure that every international student could study in a fully supported environment of caring: academically, socially, emotionally and physically.
We created an approach that would do just that – look after the whole child around the clock. We call it the Total Care Education System®. It’s a study environment where the academic program, the staff and the facilities are fully integrated as one – all geared towards helping students achieve success and give parents peace of mind.
After almost 40 years, we are proud of how well our Total Care approach works. Our students are most successful in getting admitted to some of the world’s best universities and receiving admission scholarships. Our consistent, proven track record has gained the confidence among parents from over 100 countries.
But most important to me, it’s how the students have achieved success: in a supportive environment, one where they can study in health, safety and happiness and where their parents can be fully confident that they are being cared for.
Columbia International College can make the difference in how your child can go higher with their future: positively building their character and helping them to be responsible, global citizens. Through our brochure and website, you can learn more about how Total Care Education System provides peace of mind for parents and fosters success for students.
If you have any questions about our approach, please reach out to me personally at [email protected].
January 28, 2019
CIC Students Leave Their Marks in Ecuador
16 CIC students and 2 staff members from Columbia International College embarked on a ME to WE overseas trip to Ecuador.
Read full article
August 13, 2015
Columbia featured in local news
Last week, Columbia International College’s newest facility – the Longwood Sports Complex - was featured in the Hamilton Spectator.
Read full article
March 6, 2015
Sodexo brings Global Chef Program to Columbia
Columbia International College is excited to play host to Sodexo’s Global Chef Program!
Read full article
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