Braemar College boarding school

• Established: in 1995
• Location of Braemar College: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Total number of students: 150 people, 126 of them foreign students (representatives of 35 states, (9-12 grades, preparation for the university), ESL, summer language camp. 
• Type of education: mixed.

The private Braemar College is located in the prestigious St.George College, which in turn is a part of the University of Toronto. Toronto is considered to be the economic, business, financial and cultural center of Canada, the center of the largest province of Ontario - that's why thousands of students from all over the world come here every year to get high-quality, prestigious and popular education, join the economic and business elite.

Braemar College was founded in 1995 as an international educational institution specializing in preparing foreign students for entering universities in Canada and other countries. Studying in popular college by ranking of schools in Ontario will help foreign students to quickly adapt to the new language, cultural and academic reality, to fill knowledge gaps and bring them in line with the national Canadian system and international standards. Foreign students are admitted to college from the age of 13.

Among the universities, especially popular with the graduates of Braemar College, it is worth noting the following prestigious educational institutions:

• Trent University
• University of Western Ontario
• McGill University
• University of British Columbia
• Brock University
• Queen's University, etc.

All teachers of the college are holders of a master's or bachelor's degree, they are a part of the professional Ontarian association of teachers. Many of them have personal awards in their professional field, numerous publications and even music albums and creative achievements!

Anna Parkhomenko

Ridley College Admission Manager

What makes Canadian schools special? Why do parents from all over the world choose Canada primary and secondary schools for their children?

First of all, it is a high level of education, which is recognized throughout the world. Canada is the most educated country on the planet, so the culture of education is at the highest level here. All schools in Canada - public, private, independent - follow a provincial curriculum, and all educators are required to hold a teaching degree and certification. All these factors convince families that no matter which school they choose, their children will receive a first-class education.

The educational process at Braemar College is built on the Fast-Track system — an intensive academic calendar that the school has used since its founding in 1995 (a similar system is used by Oxford and Cambridge universities). The academic year consists of four nine-week trimesters (quadmesters) + a separate summer academic trimester lasting 6 weeks (July — mid-August).

The structure of the school day includes three periods:

• one course in the morning,
• one course in the afternoon,
• a third period at the end of the second half of the day (an optional choice).

Course load options:

• Part-time load: 1 course at a time,
• Standard load: 2 courses at a time,
• Express Option: 3 courses at a time — allows students to complete their studies 50% faster than usual; the Fast-Track system makes it possible to complete four levels in one academic year.

In the summer program, each school day includes 6 hours of classes. The Toronto Pathway Program features small classes, professional tutoring, personal support, and university-level rigor. All teachers hold academic degrees and have a high level of professional expertise. Ontario Secondary School Credits are awarded to students for work already completed, to avoid repetition. The On-Target Systems approach is used to maintain motivation and meet deadlines.

In addition to in-person instruction, Braemar Online Academy offers three online learning formats.

Braemar College offers education in grades 9–12 within the Ontario provincial secondary education program; graduates receive the corresponding diploma (OSSD — Ontario Secondary School Diploma), recognized by leading universities worldwide.

In-Person Programs

• High School Program (grades 9–12): instruction following the Ontario Secondary School Curriculum using the Fast-Track system. Available workload options: part-time (1 course), standard (2 courses), Express Option (3 courses).
• Pathway Program: individualized study plan from grade 10, 11, or 12 taking into account prior education and academic goals, full support with university applications.
• Express Option Foundation (Pathway): qualified students (e.g., those with three years of secondary school or equivalent) complete the final year of the OSSD program in 5 months (typically February through mid-June).
• Toronto Pathway Program (TPP): specialized preparation for the University of Toronto with four tracks: Humanities, Business, Math & Science, Arts. The program was founded nearly three decades ago.
• Summer Elite Teen (4 weeks): two non-credit Ontario Secondary School Curriculum courses, with optional trips to Canada's Wonderland, Niagara Falls, and the CN Tower.
• Summer Program (7 weeks): two credit-bearing Ontario Secondary School Curriculum courses, activities, and excursions.
• Winter Program: for international students approximately 13–19 years old, two non-credit courses from late November to late January. Schedule: 9:15–15:45.
• Group Programs (Groups): for school groups from Spain, France, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam, China, and other countries; customized curriculum, with the option of integration into classes or separate sessions.

Online Programs (Braemar Online Academy)

• LIVE: live streams with a teacher, three daily periods adjusted for the student's time zone.
• Blended: the teacher conducts live lessons (27 hours per course), meetings twice a week, the remaining time is self-study; tutors are available.
• Independent: self-paced learning through the partner platform TVO ILC (Ontario Ministry of Education), a Braemar mentor has full access and meets with the student regularly.
• Double Diploma: students earn a Canadian OSSD while continuing their education in their home country: 4–6 online courses in the evenings and on weekends during the final three years of study, with a total workload of 5 to 12 hours per week.
• Online Foundation: a pathway from the current level to admission to a Canadian college or university. Tracks — Business, Math & Science, Humanities, Art & Design, each comprising 6–8 courses.

Additional Programs

• Canada Pathway Program (CPP): an end-to-end pathway to leading Canadian colleges and universities in partnership with TVO ILC.
• BLSA Certificate Courses: online courses in personal development and career planning: Red Certificate (~12 hours, asynchronous) and Blue Certificate (~55 hours, asynchronous, covering topics in well-being and communication skills); both include free access to the Canadian software MyBlueprint.
• ESL: all levels available — from absolute beginners to advanced courses.

• Braemar College has official pathway partnerships with four leading Canadian universities: University of Toronto, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and University of Waterloo. This gives graduates exceptional opportunities for admission.
• Express Option Foundation is one of the fastest pathway programs in the world: the final year of OSSD is completed in 5 months, which is only a quarter of the time usually required for a comparable level of education.
• The school's students represent more than 40 countries worldwide.
• The Fast-Track system has been used at the school since its founding in 1995 — Oxford and Cambridge use a similar academic calendar.
• In the 2022–2023 academic year, the school established the Renaissance Scholarship program, under which scholarships were awarded to many students from around the world.
• In the 2023–2024 academic year, the position of «Artist-in-Residence» was established: it was taken by Phoebe Todd-Parrish — a Canadian artist, printmaker, and educator.
• The school's founder is Sheila McDonald; the director since 2016 is Virginia Lemieux, who holds a Bachelor's degree with honors in English and Theatre Arts, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Queen's University.
• Canada Pathway Workshops were held in Turkey, Kenya, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Mexico; in February 2026, a workshop took place in Almaty (Kazakhstan) with the participation of Georgian Bay Polytechnic, Durham College, and Toronto Metropolitan University.
• Braemar Life Skills Academy runs its own podcast on holistic health and lifelong learning.

All Braemar College students live in host families in Canada: each family has been carefully selected, constantly monitored by the school staff - you can be sure that the child will be provided with the best conditions, complete safety and comfort. Students are offered cozy, fully furnished private bedrooms, as well as meals (full board - thrice a day), along with the rest of the family: an excellent opportunity to appreciate the national Canadian cuisine! Living in a Canadian family will allow you to practice the language daily with its native speakers, to learn more about the peculiarities of the national mentality, the culture and traditions of Canadians.

Subject list: Accounting, Art, business, Career development course, engineering, geography, healthy lifestyle, history, humanitarian sciences, International Business, law, maths, Medicine, music, Natural science, physical education, social sciencies, technology, Visual arts

In their free time, students can study theatrical and dramatic art, attend musical and choreographic classes. The General Student Council is responsible for carrying out a variety of recreational activities - for example, everyone's favorite Halloween or the Gala Ball. Performances and theatrical performances (plays, musicals), concerts of music - both modern and classical are regularly held in the college. Separately it is worth noting the great creative festival Luminato, in which any pupil can take part and show his unique personal talents - the possibilities for self-expression are not limited!

The entire sports infrastructure of the University of Toronto is available to college students: the university is responsible for recruiting teams for various sports (football, basketball and hockey are among the most popular). Among the studying options, there are other interesting options for international students:

• Table Tennis
• Hockey
• Fencing
• Swimming
• Football
• Horse Riding
• Track and field athletics
• Ice hockey
• Basketball.

The life of students is closely connected with the cultural life of Toronto: the school's specialists try to provide students with excursions and tours to all the largest and most interesting city events. Groups go to city holidays and festivals, Days of national cultures, concerts, visit museums, theaters, operas, film premiers. There are games in bowling and laser-tag, hikes and viewing of matches on hockey, baseball and basketball with participation of well-known teams are organized.

Many excursions are devoted to the history and culture of Canada: for example, a visit to Niagara Falls, as well as entertainment in the Canada's Wonderland theme park.

• Free, relaxed atmosphere: students are not drilled in the college, but are taught to be independent, to fully provide themselves with everything necessary, to educate their personal responsibility for their decisions and actions;
• Small student groups (up to 15 people in each) provide an individual approach to each student, the proper amount of personal attention;
• The teachers are aimed at bringing up in the students the craving for knowledge and self-development, and not just for memorizing lectures and remembering "dry" material;
• Attention to the practical application of theoretical knowledge, practice in the course of experiments and laboratory work;
• Use of the latest technologies and innovative educational methods;
• A small size, chamberedness of the Canadian college - only 150-200 students, an international, multicultural atmosphere.

The school campus is located in Toronto, on the territory of the University of Toronto (Canada's largest province of Ontario): within walking distance from the campus (at the intersection of College Street and Spadina) there are all the main attractions of the city - Concert Hall Roy Thompson, Royal Museum, Artistic Gallery, Chinatown, Queen's park (where the Ontario Government and Legislative Assembly are located). Near the campus there are several public transport stops: for example, Queen's park subway station (maximum 10 minutes on foot, the University Line).

On the campus of Braemar College, everything that students need for studying, optional classes, recreation, sports, creativity is prepared:

• Functional scientific laboratories with advanced equipment
• Computer classes (each PC - more than 27 - connected to high-speed Internet)
• Multimedia classes
• Spacious, bright classrooms and lecture halls for classes
• Cozy common living rooms for socializing and relaxing in the breaks between lessons
• Large public library A couple of steps from the college site)
• Numerous sports grounds (both on campus and immediately outside the campus)
• Theater
• Conference room.

All rooms are equipped with modern ventilation and heating systems - it is comfortable here at any time of the year.

The following components are paid additionally:

• Registration fee
• Round trip tickets
• Visa fees and services, translation and certification of documents
• Consular fee (to be paid at the embassy)
• Personal pocket expenses
• Compulsory medical insurance
• Guardianship (registration with the agency + guardian services)
• Educational books, manuals and materials.

Extras:

• Registration fee (for a programme/course) 300 CAD
• Transfer (one way) 150 CAD
• Medical insurance 780 CAD
• Guardianship 300 CAD
• Study materials 75 CAD
• Study materials 525 CAD
• Registration fee (for accommodation) 225 CAD
• Guardianship 600 CAD

When applying, transcripts from the current school are reviewed, and language testing is conducted to determine the level of preparation. The school accepts five student intakes per year.

Smapse specialists will guide you through all stages of admission to Braemar College — from submitting documents to obtaining a student visa.

Braemar College provides its graduates with exceptional prospects for admission to leading universities in Canada and the world. 100% of graduates of the specialized Toronto Pathway Program received an offer of admission from the University of Toronto — one of the world's leading universities (18th in the world, 1st in Canada according to Times Higher Education 2020). Pathway program graduates gain access to exclusive entrance scholarships from partner universities.

Popular fields of study for graduates: physical and mathematical sciences, biochemistry, medical sciences, engineering, finance and economics, business administration, computer science, kinesiology, visual and performing arts, and many others.

The school has helped graduates gain admission to universities in the USA, Europe, and Asia.

Before the beginning of the classes, all students will pass an introductory Placement test (in English), and applicants for a place in the High School Program (senior classes) will additionally pass a math test. After determining the level of academic and linguistic knowledge of the student, an additional ESL & ELD program, allowing you to quickly improve the level of English proficiency for a comfortable, full and effective education.

Braemar College offers the Renaissance Scholarship program, which is automatically applied upon enrollment and is available to students from around the world. In the first year of the program (2022–2023), more than $1.2 million CAD in scholarships were awarded.

Graduates of the Toronto Pathway Program (TPP) have exclusive access to University of Toronto entrance scholarships ranging from $1,000 CAD to $5,000 CAD. Graduates of the pathway program have access to entrance scholarships from many other partner universities.

The school awards named prizes to top graduates entering partner universities:

• Braemar College — University of Toronto Award for Excellence,
• Braemar College — University of Waterloo Sheila McDonald Award for Excellence,
• Braemar College — Toronto Metropolitan University Robert McDonald Award for Excellence,
• Braemar College — York University Award for Excellence.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision