Private school admissions in Vancouver: deadlines, tests and timeline for 2027

How the timeline works

Independent schools in Metro Vancouver admit students about a year ahead. For September 2027, most applications opened in September or October 2026.

Fall 2026: open houses, applications and, for older students, the SSAT. Many deadlines fall between October 29 and December 3, 2026. A few schools accept non-entry grades until January 2027.

Winter 2027: assessments, group visits and family interviews, mostly from November to February.

February 2027: most decisions for main entry grades. Several schools send Grade 8 decisions on February 17 and Kindergarten decisions on February 24. Offers usually have to be accepted within a few days.

Entry grades matter

Each school has a few main entry grades, often Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten and Grade 8. Some also take a group in Grade 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.

Other grades usually have very few spaces, and only when a student leaves. Applying in an entry year gives your child the most options.

Tests: SSAT, CAT4 and school assessments

The SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) is the most common test for Grade 6–12 applicants at the schools we checked. Elementary Level is for students in Grades 3–4, and Middle and Upper Levels are for Grades 5–11.

Students in Canada can write the Middle or Upper Level SSAT at home online, at a Prometric test centre, or on paper at a test centre. Paper test dates for 2026–27 are October 10, November 14 and December 12, 2026, and January 9, January 30 and March 13, 2027.

Some schools host their own SSAT session for applicants, such as York House on November 21, 2026 and Southridge on November 7, 2026. St. George's is also a Prometric test centre.

Fees in 2026–27 are in US dollars: $177 for a standard Middle or Upper Level test, $250 at Prometric and $263 for SSAT at Home. Late registration costs extra. Schools can give fee waivers to families applying for financial aid.

Other schools use their own tests. Stratford Hall uses the CAT4 for Grades 6–11, Southridge uses the CAT5 for Grades 3–5, and Little Flower Academy has its own entrance exam. None of the schools we checked asks for the ISEE.

School by school: September 2027 entry

St. George's School (boys, Vancouver). Main entry: Kindergarten, Grades 4, 6, 7 and 8, with some spaces in Grades 9–11. Deadline: October 30, 2026 for Kindergarten, Grade 4 and Grades 6–11 (lower fee if you apply by October 15). Grades 1–3 and 5: January 29, 2027. Tests: group assessment for all. Shortlisted Grade 4 students write an in-house test, shortlisted Grade 6–8 students write the Middle Level SSAT, and Grade 9–11 applicants must send SSAT scores by December 31, 2026. Day tuition 2026–27: $37,300 (Junior School) or $37,400 (Senior School).

Crofton House School (girls, Vancouver). Main entry: Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten, Grade 6 and Grade 8. Deadline: November 1, 2026 for Grade 8, and November 20, 2026 for JK, SK and Grade 6. Other grades: November 30, 2026. Tests: in-house assessment for JK to Grade 7. Grade 8 applicants send SSAT scores by November 27, 2026 and also write an in-house assessment. Tuition 2026–27: $35,300.

York House School (girls, Vancouver). Main entry: Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten, Grade 5 and Grade 8. Deadline: November 13, 2026 for JK, SK and Grade 8. Grade 5: November 30, 2026. Other grades: January 29, 2027. Tests: school assessments for JK to Grade 7. Grades 8–12 need the SSAT and the Character Skills Snapshot. Grade 8 SSAT results are due December 7, 2026. Tuition 2026–27: $33,340.

Collingwood School (co-ed, West Vancouver). Main entry: Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grade 3 and Grade 8. Deadline: November 1, 2026 for all grades. Tests: in-house entry assessment and interview. Only out-of-town applicants to Grades 4–11 send SSAT or MAP scores. Tuition 2026–27: $30,075 to $32,750 depending on grade.

Mulgrave School (co-ed, West Vancouver, IB). Main entry: Preschool (ages 3 and 4), Kindergarten, Grade 7 and Grade 10. Deadline: December 1, 2026 for Preschool age 4 to Grade 11, and February 1, 2027 for Preschool age 3. Tests: the school's own academic assessment and writing exercise. Mulgrave does not require the SSAT. Tuition 2026–27: $30,290 to $34,180, plus consolidated fees.

West Point Grey Academy (co-ed, Vancouver). Preferred entry: Grades 1, 5 and 8, with applications accepted for all grades. Deadline: October 29, 2026 for JK to Grade 1, and November 5, 2026 for Grades 2–12. Tests: in-person assessment and family interview for everyone. Grades 8–12 must write the SSAT by November 14. Tuition 2026–27: $33,300.

Stratford Hall (co-ed, Vancouver, IB). Main entry: Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 11. Deadline: November 15 for entry years and November 30 for other grades. Tests: Grades 6–11 do the CAT4, a student video, a group assessment and an interview. No SSAT. Tuition 2026–27: $30,670 for Kindergarten to Grade 10.

St. John's School (co-ed, Vancouver, IB). Main entry: Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten, with smaller intakes in Grades 1, 4, 6, 8 and 11. Deadline: November 16, 2026 for Kindergarten and Grade 4, and December 3, 2026 for JK, Grade 1, Grade 6 and Grade 8. Most other grades: January 5, 2027. Tests: school assessment for younger grades. SSAT for Grade 8 and up, with scores due January 11, 2027. Tuition 2026–27: $28,000 to $36,000 depending on grade.

Southridge School (co-ed, South Surrey). Accepts applications for Kindergarten to Grade 12. Deadline: November 1, 2026 for Kindergarten, and November 15, 2026 for Grades 1–12. Tests: in-person assessment for Kindergarten to Grade 2, the online CAT5 for Grades 3–5, and the SSAT for Grades 6–12 by December 1, 2026. Tuition 2026–27: $29,450 to $33,350.

Vancouver College (boys, Catholic, Vancouver). Main entry: Kindergarten, Grade 4, Grade 7 and Grade 8. Deadline: December 1, 2026. Tests: Kindergarten family interview, a Grade 4 placement exam in January 2027, and a literacy and numeracy assessment for Grades 7 and 8 on January 16, 2027. Only international students in Grades 7–12 send SSAT scores.

Little Flower Academy (girls, Catholic, Vancouver, Grades 8–12). Main entry: Grade 8. Deadline: November 20, 2026. Test: the school's own entrance exam on Saturday, December 5, 2026, based on the BC Grade 6 curriculum in literacy and numeracy. Tuition 2026–27: $11,250.

Costs beyond tuition

Application fees at these schools range from $50 (St. George's, if you apply early) to $350. Most also charge a one-time new student or entrance fee once your child is accepted, from about $3,000 to $7,500. Mulgrave asks new families for a $25,000 refundable deposit.

Tuition for 2027–28 is usually set in December or January, and schools often note increases of about 4–6% a year.

Most of these schools offer needs-based financial aid, starting in Grade 3, 4, 7 or 8 depending on the school. Aid deadlines are often November 13 to December 1, 2026, so apply at the same time as your admissions application.

A simple plan for this fall

October: go to open houses and pick a short list. Check each school's deadline for your child's grade.

October to November: apply, send report cards and reference forms, and book the SSAT if needed.

November to January: attend assessments and interviews.

February: decisions arrive. Have a plan for your public school options too, such as kindergarten registration or Vancouver mini school applications, which run at the same time.