Frequently Asked Questions
Application process
A few of the below items have been altered to match changes caused by COVID-19. Affected questions have been marked with an asterisk (*).
Where can I find an application form? *
Applications forms are only available online this year and can be found here.
How should I prepare for the Group Interview and Mini School Exam? *
You do not have to prepare for any of the above. The group interview does not evaluate skill. Here at the Tupper Mini School, we simply want to see who you are, not what you have done. Your personality and work ethic define who you will be in the future.
Where can I get a cross boundary form? *
You can get a cross-boundary form from the VSB district website. You do not need one to apply to any district-wide programs (such as Tupper Mini School), however, you will need one if you are also applying for the mainstream program at a high school outside of your catchment area.
How do you choose?
We look for students who excel in academics, have good work habits, and are team players. We also look for individuals who play an avid role in their community. We also look for indicators that predict whether you will be able to handle the pace and workload of acceleration. Our first perspective of an applicant's potential success in our program lies in the marks, work habits, and teacher's comment's in their last two report cards. We pay very close attention to these details. We also look for students who seem values align with those of our program as shown in the group interview.
Are there certain quotas for applicants? (e.g. catchment, gender)
We do not set quotas for applicants; however, we aim to build cohorts of diverse applicants of various interests and backgrounds.
How will I find out if I'm accepted?
Acceptance emails will be sent out to successful candidates at the email address they provided.
What do I do if I am not accepted? Can I still apply to the mainstream program?
Yes! You can. Your mainstream application must be made independently from your application to Tupper Mini. The deadline for the mainstream application will be the end of January. Please contact the Main Tupper Office for proper instructions. (Please keep in mind that not all cross-boundary applications will be approved)
Is there a waiting-list?
Yes, there is. If one or more of the 'first offers' accept seats at other Mini-Schools, then we will offer these openings to applicants on our waiting-list. However, we have been asked not to let applicants know if they are on the waiting-list. The reason for that being, you could end up with no choices if you wait for an offer from our program, while declining a confirmed offer elsewhere and not be offered a confirmed seat in our program.
How does Tupper shortlist its candidates?
At a glance, Tupper Mini selects students with diverse interests, skills, and talents; furthermore, they should demonstrate the academic and mental fitness to handle an accelerated and enriched program. Applications must be complete and include elementary school reports (academic and comments, interview performance, personal interests, community involvement, volunteerism, teamwork and any other anecdotal piece of information or interaction all play a factor in the selection of eligible candidates. Finally, as this is a district program, we try to select students from a diverse range of schools and experiences to contribute to the enriched nature of our program. This is a challenging feat in the short time we have, and there is no scientific formula that reveals the perfect candidate, but each year we are pleased with our selection.
Every selection is based on the needs and abilities of the individual and is not always obvious to an outsider looking in, but we are comfortable with these criteria and it has been working for our community. Tupper Mini does not share results or rankings with anyone as this is confidential and, as already mentioned, not based on any scientific data or study.
While many candidates meet the base criteria for our program, we are limited to 28 offers which obviously makes the selection particularly challenging. Should applicants need further information regarding our process or what our program has to offer they can explore more on our website or contact us.