Motivate. Support. Equip.
Columbia International College's high school program is for students who have completed Form 2, Sec. 1, Junior Middle 2, Grade 8 or its equivalent. We aim to provide a strong foundation that enables high school students to succeed in university. We understand that students have varying interests and academic abilities therefore we tailor their educational program to match their ASEP needs. This allows our high school students to enrol in courses that are compatible with their personal interests and career goals, enabling them to pursue their studies with strong conviction and perform well academically. To maximize students' potential, we provide:
- Dedicated and passionate teachers who are eager to impart their knowledge into their students.
- A technology-enriched learning environment which requires high school students to employ multimedia in their school work. This allows them to be familiar and comfortable with similar educational technology used in university.
- Practical teaching methodologies, through which our students gain hands-on experience and better understanding of concepts in the course.
- A co-op (internship) program that allows high school students to work in jobs they are interested in to gain work experience and make informed decisions about their future career.
- A broad-based curriculum that allows high school students to select courses they are interested in, to enable them meet their university and career goals.
- A classroom environment that encourages and rewards student participation.
- A fair evaluation system where students do not have the pressure to memorize to only pass final exams and are encouraged to pursue true learning.
- An Academic Support Program that identifies and provides relevant support to students who require extra academic help or are identified to be gifted.
- Large variety of high school courses for the development of personal interests and choices
- Students are challenged to discover their potential and are guided to achieve it
- Students are encouraged to internalize academic integrity, self-discipline and high academic standards and are taught it is their responsibility to apply the appropriate effort to yield desired results
- Class attendance and absences are tracked and reported daily on our online ezReportCard
- In addition to the regular academic courses, languages, music, art, leadership, physical education and drama courses are also offered
- Passionate teachers who are attentive to their students varying academic needs and are dedicated to assist them to achieve academic success
- A comprehensive and solid foundation for higher learning particularly in the areas of Mathematics (Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, Data Management), Sciences, Business, Economics and Accounting
- Classroom interaction and participation, which is essential in university studies, is encouraged with rewards
- Graduates are awarded the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
- Final examinations constitute no more than 30% of final marks; which reduces emotional stress or mental pressure on students
- Coursework is 70% of final marks and is assessed at regular intervals during the semester to minimize memorizing and promote true learning
- Student-teacher ratio of 20:1 means the individual learning needs of students are cared for
- Well-equipped Chemistry, Physics and Biology labs promote hands-on learning through experiments
- Modern language labs offer ESL students an excellent place to practise English skills
- Broadband (10 Gigabytes) internet service in school and in residences
- Wireless internet access in Student Café, Reading Room and Cafeteria of the Ainsliewood school building
- Virtual Private Network (VPN) between schools and residences
- Open computer lab during school hours for students to research assignments and do homework
Students who are identified as gifted/exceptional or as requiring extra academic help are placed on the Academic Support Program (ASP) to enable them to maximize their potential.
- Teachers identify students who require academic support within the first 2 weeks of classes
- Students who require extra help with school work are assigned a 2-week intensive academic support session to assist them to understand course material and be better prepared to progress with the course
- Gifted students are:
- Provided more challenging questions to practise during their spare time
- Recommended for the AP (Advanced Placement) program at Columbia which enables them to get advanced credits for first-year university
- Guided to select and participate in extracurricular and volunteer activities that will add to their personal portfolio and increase their chances of gaining admission to Ivy League universities
- The ASP is offered during school hours, after-school and in the residences in the evening
| Time of Day | Venue | Provider | |
| During School | 9:00 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. |
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| After Classes | 3:35 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
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| Evening in Residence | 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. |
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| All Day | 24 hours a day |
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- High school students (Grades 9-12) need to complete 30 credits to earn their graduation diploma – the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
- High school students are awarded credits based on the education completed before enrolling in Columbia. They only need to study the outstanding credits needed to meet the OSSD requirements
| Education Received | Maximum Credits Recognized | Grade in Columbia | Need to Study | Aug-Dec | Jan-May | Jun-July | Aug-Dec | Jan-May | Jun-July | Aug-Dec | Jan | ||
| Completed Grade 11 | 22 Credits | Enter Grade 12 | 8 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits | Summer Holiday | Enter University | ||||||
| Completed Grade 10 | 16 Credits | Enter Grade 11 | 14 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits | 2 credits | 4 credits | Enter University | |||||
| Completed Grade 9 | 8 Credits | Enter Grade 10 | 22 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits | 2 credits | 4 credits | 4 credits | Summer Holiday | 4 credits | Enter University | ||
| Completed Grade 8 | 0 Credits | Enter Grade 9 | 30 credits | Can be completed in 36 months | |||||||||
- Course evaluation at Columbia International College promotes true learning and places less emphasis on final exams
- Coursework accounts for 70% and final exam is 30% of final mark, therefore pressure is lower when writing final exam
- Marks are evenly distributed between coursework and unit tests therefore students achieve better results
- High school students can comfortably select 3 or 4 courses per semester depending on their academic ability
- Columbia's fair evaluation system provides greater opportunity for students to earn higher marks and gain admission to enter top universities in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and UK.
| Course Work (6 Unit Tests) | Final Exam |
| 70% | 30% |
Columbia International College recognizes that international students need to acclimatize to the North American education system, the English language and the study of the free economy. Therefore, Columbia's programs have been specially designed to support international students as they make the transition. The transition includes:
- Improvement in English proficiency
- TOEFL preparation to improve test scores
- Learning business-related courses such as Economics, Accounting, Organizational Behaviour, Marketing and International Business, with relevance to the North American free economy
- In-depth focus on Mathematics by learning 110 hours each of Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors and Data Management
- Familiarization with the Ontario Education system
- Course evaluation system
- Teaching style and classroom interactions
- Research skills
- Report writing and presentation skills
- Critical-thinking and analytical skills
- English skills
- Math skills
- Cultural Adaptation
- With the credit system, students only need to retake courses they do not pass. They do not need to repeat an entire year in the same grade
- High school students can study at their own pace according to their ability and personal choice.
- Students may choose to fast track their entire high school studies (Grades 9-12) in 36 to 48 months depending on their ASEP (academic, social, emotional, physical) needs
- The fast track is suitable for students from countries that require National Service or Military service
- The fast track is suitable for students who plan on pursuing programs that require longer studying periods such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and law
- High school graduates who complete their program in May or July are eligible to enter university in September
- High school graduates who complete their program in December are eligible to enter university in January, right after completion of their OSSD
Our University Partners® provide our high school graduates with special advantages including:
- Conditional letters of acceptance
- Designated entrance scholarships
- Dual admission
- Reduced or waived TOEFL requirements
- Extended deadlines for application and results submission
- Dedicated staff assigned by the university to be the contact person for Columbia's UniversityPlacement Office (UPO). This staff provides assistance and mediation services between the university and Columbia's UPO
- 100% of our high school graduates are admitted to university
- Majority of our graduates are awarded university entrance scholarships and enter top universities in Canada and the USA
- Continuing scholarships at universities are won by or our top high school graduates
- 100% of Columbia International College's high school graduates have gained admission to university since 1995