Are you looking to study abroad in one of the most prestigious international schools in the world? Canada is the all-time favorite destination for international students who want to gain an international study experience.
Canada offers the best on-campus programs, attainable study permits, and several options to extend your temporary residence.
Every year, Canada’s international student population grows. As of 2020, Canada was hosting 642,000 international students. It is the third most popular destination for international students, just behind the United States and Australia.
Canada offers a diverse range of study programs, private and public institutions. It also offers several integration programs to assist international students adapt better like second language programs to improve their English.
Now, if you are looking to get a secondary education in Canada, you should consider private schools. If you are considering working for a short period of time in Canada for an internship or short-term employment, then you should consider the International Experience Canada (IEC). Canada offers the IEC program for young foreign nationals from 36 countries that have a bilateral agreement with Canada to travel to and explore Canada and gain work experience.
What’s Different About Canadian Study Permits That’s Helpful to International Students?
Why Are Private Schools Beneficial for International Students?
What Are the Benefits of Private Schools Compared to Public Schools?
What Are the Differences Between Private Boarding Schools and Private Day Schools?
Which Are the Most Prestigious Top 10 Private Boarding Schools in Canada?
•Columbia International College
What Are the Canadian Visa Programs Available to International Students?
What Are the Canadian Visa Programs Available to International Graduates?
•Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP)
•Two “PR” (Permanent Residence) Pathways for International Graduates
•Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
What Are the Canadian Visa Programs Available to International Entrepreneur Graduates?
•Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa (FGSVS)
•Alberta International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream (IGEIS)
•International Graduate Entrepreneur Category (SINP)
•International Student Entrepreneur Pilot (MPNP)
•Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream (NBPNP)
•International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream (NSNP)
•International Graduate Entrepreneur Category (NLPNP)
What’s Different About Canadian Study Permits That’s Helpful to International Students?
What’s different about a Canadian Study Permit is that it authorizes students to work on-campus or off-campus for 20 hours per week during the academic season and full-time during scheduled breaks. This helps thousands of students to support themselves during their studies in Canada without applying for a temporary work permit.
International graduates are students who graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada for a study program that lasted at least 8 months or 2 years. They are eligible for a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). A PGWP is an open work permit that allows international graduates to gain valuable Canadian work experience and qualify for several immigration programs such as Express Entry.
Why Are Private Schools Beneficial for International Students?
While there are many benefits of getting your secondary education from a public institution, private schools offer a better learning environment and a higher standard of education. Many international students prefer private boarding institutions as it saves them from the hassle of finding accommodation outside of campus.
Parents often prefer enrolling their children in private schools if they want to give the child a specific peer group based on discipline, culture, religious background, philosophical beliefs and by networking with similar circles of economic status.
What Are the Benefits of Private Schools Compared to Public Schools?
Size of Classroom:
Public schools have overcrowded classrooms. Most public schools usually have a 30:1 student-teacher ratio while in private schools class size is limited to only 15-20 students. Many parents prefer private institutions for this reason alone.
School Governance:
Public schools use public funds to develop their study programs or curriculum. Oftentimes, budget cuts can severely affect how these programs function. Private schools are not restricted by budget cuts as they do not rely on public funds.
They are free from government interference and can develop their curriculum as long as parents agree with the intellectual, religious, or philosophical basis and direction of their programs.
Teacher Certification:
In all public institutions, teachers are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree and some form of certification from the federal state, or provincial government. However, teachers in private schools are usually highly qualified with graduate degrees and higher-level certifications. Private schools usually have Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs that require highly qualified teachers.
Quality of Education:
While there are many quality public schools, many parents in Canada prefer private schools for a better quality of education. A study by Harvard University also found that private school students on average performed better in standardized tests compared to public school students.
What Are the Differences Between Private Boarding Schools and Private Day Schools?
Private Boarding Schools |
Private Day Schools |
Saves food, food preparation and housing costs of the minor children |
Overall tuition fee is significantly lower |
Saves parent’s time as it frees them from dealing with school and other activities |
Allows parents to be actively involved in child’s day-to-day activities |
Allows students to invest completely in their school life and academics |
Allows students more freedom while still investing time for school and extracurriculars |
Allows children to interact with a diverse group of new people |
Allows children to maintain their current friendships |
Enhances family time as reuniting with parents allow them to appreciate the time spent together |
Allows children to have different social groups while maintaining lifelong friendships |
Allows children to be self-independent and prepares them for life in university |
Allows parents to guide their children during adolescence |
Helps the child keep stability if the family is always moving |
Allows less sudden changes in the child’s life |
Which Are the Most Prestigious Top 10 Private Boarding Schools in Canada?
1.) Brentwood College School:
Brentwood College School is considered one of the best boarding schools in Canada. It is a progressive, co-education boarding school for Grades 9 to 13. Located on the oceanfront on Vancouver Island, Brentwood offers students a warm, friendly, and diverse community of international students from over 30 countries.
For international boarding students, the annual tuition is $82,000. Brentwood offers many programs such as the BEAT (Brentwood Environmental Action Team) to get you involved in the community. There are also sports activities and outdoor pursuits: camping, hiking, and kayaking which allow you to experience Vancouver island's beautiful nature first hand.
The boarding experience includes an advisor system, house parenting teams, prep (homework time), house events, outings, and activities as well as peer counseling to ensure a thriving learning environment for students.
2.) The Bishop Strachan School:
The BSS is an only girls school with over 140 years of experience in helping young women become leaders. It is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The BSS offers day and boarding schools for students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12.
With state-of-the-art facilities and a highly qualified faculty, the BSS offers every student the opportunity to explore and mature in a creative and challenging environment.
The BSS hosts students from Africa, Mexico, the Middle East, Asia, and many other parts of the world. It offers countless of clubs, extracurricular activities, an emphasis on community service on top of a full curriculum with several Advanced Placement classes. International student boarders are charged $65,850 as the tuition fee.
3.) Appleby College:
Appleby is a co-educational boarding school. Located on a beautiful 60-acre campus in Oakville, Ontario, it is one of the best boarding schools for students in Grades 7 to 12.
Appleby hosts international students from over 40 countries around the world. It offers a dynamic curriculum with the main focus on arts, athletics, and community service.
International student boarders are charged $81,110 for tuition and boarding fees. Appleby has the Residential Life Programme which seeks to fully integrate students from all over the world and promote understanding across different cultural, linguistic, and national backgrounds.