Admissions FAQ

Please review our How to Apply webpage for dates and deadlines specific to the grade you are applying for. Please note that applications for 2026 entry will open on August 27th.

Start by creating an account on our MySJS portal. From there, complete and submit the online application form and remit the application fee. The application fee is $350 for Key Intake grades and $250 for all other grades.

Once you have submitted the application, you will be able to upload the required supporting documents listed on your online checklist in the mySJS portal.

Different documents may be required at various stages of the process, depending on the grade to which a student is applying. All required items will be listed on the applicant’s online checklist.

As part of the application, please be prepared to upload the following documents:

• Previous grade (2024–2025) final report card, and any current report cards (2025–2026) as available. If applicable, please include the applicant’s in-school ELL or ESL reports in the same file as the report cards.
• The applicant’s birth certificate (a professional or notarized translation required if not fully in English).
• The applicant’s Status in Canada document if not born in Canada. This must be their Canadian Passport, Permanent Residency Card, or Study Permit. A Visitor Visa for the student will not be accepted.
• A recent photo of the applicant.
• A recent family photo.
• The Parent/Guardian’s Status in Canada document. This must be one of the following: Canadian Passport, Permanent Residency Card, Work Visa, Visitor Visa, or Diplomat Status.
• Name and email of one person you’d like to complete the Confidential Character & Family Reference Form (known as a “referee”) for the applicant. This form will be sent directly from SJS admissions. Our preference is that this person is a teacher or program leader who knows the applicant in a group setting.
• Psychoeducational assessment (PsychEd) and/or Individual Education Plan (IEP), if applicable.
• Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) scores are required for applicants to Grades 8 to 12.

Please submit only the requested documents. To ensure a fair and consistent review of applications, only the documents listed on the checklist will be reviewed. Kindly do not submit additional reference letters, certificates, or awards to the Admissions Office.

Yes. SJS is proud to provide financial assistance (FA) for families with children from Kindergarten through Grade 12, helping make an SJS education more accessible to those who may need a little extra support.

The application for FA is separate from, and in addition to, the application for admission. Visit the Tuition and Financial Assistance page for more information. Please contact Catriona Cheng, Director of Finance and Human Resources, at ccheng@sjs.ca if you have questions about financial assistance.

No. Students are placed in grades according to their birth year (January to December). Rest assured, admissions assessments for our youngest learners (JK, K, Grade 1) are norm-referenced, meaning applicants are assessed based on their age in months, not years.

For 2026 entry, the birth years of our youngest learners are as follows:

Junior Kindergarten  Born 2022

Kindergarten             Born 2021

Grade 1                       Born 2020

Yes. SJS welcomes applications from international students, that is, students who will be living in British Columbia with a parent or legal guardian (as defined under the Family Law Act) who is joining them on a Visitor Visa, provided that:

1. The student holds a valid Study Permit, Permanent Residency, or Canadian Citizenship;
2. The student will be living with that parent/guardian while enrolled at SJS; and
3. Tuition and fees, including the International Student Fee, are paid in full upon accepting an Offer of Admission.

Students may apply as domestic students if:

1. The parent or guardian, who is living in BC with the student, holds a valid Status in Canada as a Permanent Resident, Work Permit, Study Permit, or Diplomatic Status; and
2. The student holds a valid Study Permit, Permanent Residency, or Canadian Citizenship.

Please note that SJS does not offer a homestay or boarding program. All students must live with a parent or legal guardian in BC.

No. SJS does not enrol students once classes have begun in September. We typically do not have spaces available at that point, and our linear timetable, in which students take the same classes from September to June, makes a mid-year transition particularly challenging.

We only require one reference, which is provided through the applicant’s online checklist. In the applicant portal, you will be asked to provide the name and email address of an adult (not a relative) who knows the applicant through academic, extracurricular or social activities. The contact you provide will be emailed a Confidential Reference Form directly through our admissions portal. Our preference is that it be a teacher or program leader. However, when this is not possible, a neighbour or family friend will be fine.

We do not accept separate, traditional reference letters.

Please submit only the requested documents. To ensure a fair and consistent review of applications, only the documents listed on the checklist will be reviewed. Kindly do not submit additional reference letters, certificates, or awards to the Admissions Office. 

You may have been referred to SJS by a valued member of our community, such as a current parent, alumnus, or staff member. We always appreciate knowing how families are connected to the school. If applicable, the application includes a section where you can name the person/people who referred you.

This individual may also serve as your formal referee for the Confidential Reference Form, but it’s most important to choose someone who knows your child well and can speak to their strengths and character.

To ensure a fair and consistent review of applications, only the documents listed on the checklist will be reviewed. Kindly do not submit additional reference letters, certificates, or awards to the Admissions Office.

Applicants will join other applicants and SJS teachers and participate in one-on-one and small group activities. Through these age-appropriate, engaging activities teachers assess the applicant’s current language proficiency, numeracy, literacy and communication skills within an SJS context. There is no preparation required.

For applicants to Grades 2 and above who don’t live locally, a virtual assessment can be arranged.

For applicants to Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grade 1, assessments are offered in-person only. A virtual assessment is not available for applicants to these grades. This allows for a more comprehensive evaluation for young learners, including observation of social interactions. If your child is unable to attend the assessment in person, we hope you will apply in a future year. If shortlisted, the parent interview may be conducted virtually or in person.

The best thing you can do to prepare your child for the assessment is to help ensure they come healthy and rested. Otherwise, no preparation is required. In fact, the less pressure they feel about it, the better.

Yes. Before applying, we recommend that families consider the following:

Applicants to Grade 2 and above should have a minimum of two years of experience learning in an English-language instructional environment. Students must be proficient in English. Applicants to Grade 1 are generally expected to have experience learning in an English-language instructional environment.

Applicants to Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten are not expected to have had formal instruction in English, but they should be able to understand and speak English in a group setting. 

SJS does not offer an EAL/ELL program (English as an Additional Language). If the applicant has previously received in-school EAL or ELL support, it is recommended that they no longer require it.

As part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, students are required to study a Language Acquisition subject through graduation, which is an additional language other than English in which they are not already fluent. At SJS, French and/or Mandarin are offered from JK through Grade 12.

Applicants to Grade 6 and above should have some prior experience learning French or Mandarin. We recognize that students come from a variety of language-learning backgrounds. To ensure we can offer appropriate class placement, some applicants may be asked to complete a brief language proficiency activity as part of their admissions assessment.

In Grade 11, students may continue with the same language or switch to beginner French or Spanish.

For applicants to Grades 8-11, the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) is required. The SSAT may be written anytime, but the scores must be available by the application deadline.

SSAT scores must be remitted through your SSAT portal in order to be received. SJS’s code for submitting the scores is 6531.

There are no minimum scores required. The SSAT is only one of many pieces of information reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The Character Skills Snapshot is not required.

To ensure a fair and consistent review of applications, we do not accept alternative standardized tests in place of the SSAT. If the SSAT is not offered in your country, please contact our team at admissions@sjs.ca.

Interview requirements vary by grade and stage of the application process.

For Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5, parents of shortlisted applicants will be invited to schedule an interview with a member of the Admissions team. 

For Grades 6 to 10, there is no additional interview beyond the student admissions assessment. Parents will be asked to provide their insights through the application form, and the student interview is incorporated into the admissions assessment. 

For Grade 11, students and their parent(s) of shortlisted applicants will be invited to meet with our Vice Principal and DP Coordinator.

For current SJS families or families who completed an interview for the 2025–2026 intake year, that are applying to JK to Grade 5, an additional interview is not required. However, if shortlisted, they are welcome to request one if they wish.

Admissions decisions are made by considering all the information gathered throughout the admission process. The Admissions Committee takes a holistic view of each applicant. Depending on the grade, this may include previous report cards, admissions assessment, parent interview, reference letter, and more. We seek to enrol students who will thrive at SJS, not only academically, but also as an engaged member of the community.

Each applicant is reviewed individually and in the context of the overall cohort to ensure a well-rounded, balanced class. Final admission decisions are also influenced by the number of spaces available in a given grade.

All applicants to Key Intake grades (JK, K, Grade 1, Grade 4 and Grade 11) are automatically invited to attend the in-house admissions assessment. These grades have known spaces. Following this assessment, the Admissions Committee considers the number of spaces available, then reviews all applications, including information provided in the application, report cards, and assessment results, to create a Shortlist.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to proceed to the next stage of the admissions process and schedule their parent or family interview.

For all other grades (Grades 2, 3, 5 and Grades 6 to 10), the Admissions Committee will review all applications and supporting documentation, such as report cards. Applicants to these grades will be invited to the Admissions Assessment once they have been shortlisted.

The number of applicants shortlisted will be based on the anticipated number of spaces we expect to have after re-enrollment has concluded in early February. As part of our commitment to supporting family connections within the school community, siblings of currently enrolled SJS students are automatically shortlisted.

Admission decision dates vary by grade, beginning in February. For specific timelines, please refer to the table on the How to Apply webpage.

SJS is committed to fostering strong family connections within our school community. As a part of this commitment, siblings of currently enrolled students and alumni are automatically shortlisted. They also receive priority consideration in admissions decisions, provided they meet the admission requirements.

In addition, SJS offers a 3% family tuition discount for each additional family member enrolled at our school.

Being placed in the waitpool means your child has met the admission requirements for SJS. However, due to the highly competitive nature of our admissions process and limited availability, we are not currently able to offer a place.

To keep your child’s file active, we encourage you to submit their most recent report cards and inform us if you would like their application to remain active for the following year. Should additional spaces become available, all waitpool applicants will be reconsidered.

Families considered for the additional offers will be contacted directly by the Admissions team. The waitpool remains open until the end of August.

Yes. We offer After School Care for Kindergarten to Grade 7 students from 3:30–5:00 PM on school days. Additional fees apply. Please note that before school care is not provided.

Yes. SJS is pleased to provide a complimentary one-way morning bus service for students in Kindergarten and above. There are currently two routes available: Burnaby to Vancouver and Richmond to Vancouver. We welcome both regular and occasional riders. There is no fee to use this service.

Yes. SJS offers an optional hot lunch program, available to students for a fee. Organized by dedicated parent volunteers, the program runs daily from September through June.

We are incredibly proud of the breadth and depth of an SJS education and all that our school has to offer. We invite you to explore and discover whether SJS is the right fit for your child and family.

A great place to start is right here on our website. You’ll find dedicated pages for each of the three IB Programmes (PYP, MYP, DP) along with an overview of our wide range of clubs and athletics. We also host a variety of in-person and virtual events designed to help prospective families learn more about SJS. To see upcoming opportunities to connect with us, please visit our Visiting SJS page.