For partners Columbia International College
In the process of preparing the material, we referenced the following sources: Wikipedia, Global News, College Factual, Boarding School Review
Programs and prices, tuition fees in Columbia International College
Students of junior and middle classes are under special attention and care of the teacher: they are given special attention, since it is at this stage that basic, fundamental knowledge on basic school subjects is laid. Teachers closely monitor the success and achievement of each student, adjusting the curriculum and the program as necessary to fully prepare students for further education in the upper grades, to receive the OSSD diploma and to enter the university for the chosen specialty.
This is a special program for senior pupils (9-12), designed to deepen and update the knowledge gained and complete preparation for entering the university on the chosen specialty. Students perfect general language skills, improve knowledge of basic school subjects and profile disciplines, and acquire useful academic skills:
- The ability to work independently;
- To search and analyze information;
- To work with sources;
- To prepare and present your own projects and studies.
After successful completion of the course, students receive a profile diploma from the province of Ontario - OSSD, confirming the mastery of the bulk of the material in the secondary school.
It also provides a large number of practical career guidance work: this helps students to better understand what profession they plan to work on, which university and which program is better to do. Features and advantages of this or that direction, high school, faculty, their requirements to entrants are considered.
Combined summer vacation courses are available to students from all over the world. This is a great way to not only significantly improve the level of knowledge of the English language, but also the opportunity to have fun and interesting time in the intercultural environment of students. For the participants of the summer program, a lot of leisure and entertainment activities are provided, great attention is paid to sports, a lot of various excursions are prepared. Children will be able to see the main sights and monuments of the country, to visit unique natural places (national parks, Great Lakes, Niagara Falls), to engage in ecotourism, to develop leadership skills, and speech and communication skills.
The cost of the programs already includes:
- English lessons;
- Evening activities;
- Weekend excursions;
- Accommodation (rooms for 2-4 people);
- Transfers to all excursions and events outside the campus;
- Leisure and entertainment program;
- Branded college t-shirt and certificate after the end of the program.
The cost of the courses is not included and paid additionally:
- Air tickets in both directions;
- Providing students with writing materials;
- International telephone communication;
- Medical insurance;
- Transfer to the airport and back
- Accompanying schoolchildren under 14 years on the road.
The program is designed for 1 academic year and fully prepares students to successfully enter the English-speaking universities of the United States, Canada, Britain, New Zealand and Australia.
Students from foreign countries who graduated from the 11th form of secondary school can apply in January or June (program for 7 months) or in August (program for 10 months).
Additionally, students can be studied during the additional summer term from mid-May to June.
Students are studying a fairly wide range of subjects and educational disciplines:
- Architecture and graphic art;
- Art;
- Social (humanities) sciences;
- Business course and commerce;
- Computer science, computer literacy;
- Engineering Sciences;
- Hotel services, technologies of public catering;
- Scientific course;
- Social work.
Description of Columbia International College
- Location Columbia International College: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Students age: 13 to 18 years.
- Year of foundation: 1979.
- Place in the school ranking: largest boarding school in Canada, a ranking college for university entrants.
Columbia International College's is a residental school in Canada. Its Director has more than 25 years of experience in the educational field, which it to create educational programs that are fully relevant to students around the world. Students are not only full-fledged to enter the chosen university, deepening academic and linguistic knowledge, but also to learn to be citizens of the world, to adapt to the conditions of studying abroad. Each year the college accepts more than 1800 students, representing 70 countries of the world. The quality of education is eloquently confirmed by the academic successes of graduates: every year 100% are enrolled in selected prestigious world universities, and 70% are chosen by the most top institutions in Canada:
- Toronto
- Western Ontario
- UBC
- Waterloo
- Alberta
- McMaster
- McGill.
Columbia International College's studying programs are aligned with Ontario's education system - a single ASEP. It implies individual development of the curriculum for each student and has the goal of comprehensively, fully revealing its potential and develop personal abilities and talents. There is a Personal Success Plan (PSP) - it defines for each student:
- Choice of an institution for further education
- Number of subjects studied in each semester
- Academic areas and specialties required for study (required at the selected university, necessary for building a successful career in the chosen field)
- Duration and intensity of academic learning.
Progress and achievements of each student are carefully monitored throughout the academic year, and as necessary, the PSP is promptly adjusted.
For effective work with foreign students for more than 30 years, a special program Total Care Education System is created. It comprehensively develops each student from an academic, sporting, creative and psychological point of view, brings up self-reliance, the ability to work independently and in a team.
Upon successful completion of the course, the graduates of the school receive a prestigious OSSD diploma - it allows you to enter the chosen university without exams, ensuring an excellent level of student preparation and a high level of academic knowledge.
Please note: if two students from the same family come to study and plan simultaneous studying, the second can receive a discount on education at a rate of 25%.
Why are Canadian schools so popular with families around the world?
Canadian schools are distinguished not only by the quality of their education, but also by their approach to respectful personal development. In a Canadian school, you will not hear rudeness or shouting, which, unfortunately, are so familiar to our schools, they are great at preparing for Western universities.
Educational process
The educational process at Columbia International College is built around its proprietary Total Care Education System®, encompassing academic development, character formation, residential organization, and family communication. At its core is a Personal Success Plan (PSP), developed for each student and determining the choice of university, subject selection, academic directions, and learning intensity. The PSP establishes the choice of institution for further education, the number of subjects per semester, required academic directions and specializations, and the duration and intensity of academic study. Each student's progress and achievements are carefully tracked throughout the year.
The school employs more than 100 full-time teachers — representing the largest teaching staff among private secondary schools in Canada. The average teaching experience is 23 years, and many hold advanced degrees (Ph.D., Master's). A Blended Learning model is used, with interactive boards (Smartboards), computers, and mobile devices; educational content is often provided online in advance. Each class is assessed through a combination of unit tests, projects, presentations, and a final exam (30% of the final grade).
Student support is multi-layered:
- Tutoring support — in person at school during the day, in the residence in the evening, and online 24/7,
- University Placement Office (UPO) — individual support with program selection, application completion, career planning, campus visit organization, and meetings with admissions committees,
- Each family is assigned a personal advisor in their regional language,
- Weekly Circle of Care — a meeting bringing together teachers, residential counselors, nurses, a dietitian, security staff, administration, a psychological counselor, a tutoring coordinator, and student leaders,
- ASEP Tracker — an online system for tracking academic, social, emotional, and physical indicators,
- EZ Report Card — an online reporting system, updated weekly and accessible to parents 24/7: displays attendance, grades, behavior, and extracurricular activities
The ESL program includes 5 levels (ESLAO–ESLEO), up to 33 hours of classes per week, with classes of 15–20 students. Language and computer laboratories, video materials, and seminars are used. The daily schedule: classes 9:00–16:00, clubs and activities 16:00–21:00, independent study 19:00–21:00, lights out at 22:00.
Scientific achievements
- The class of 2025 set a record in CIC's 46-year history: their combined university scholarships totaled $36,993,893 CAD. One graduate received $834,000 CAD in scholarships — an absolute school record — and was admitted to leading universities' biological sciences, biotechnology, and molecular biology programs.
- In 2023, CIC graduates received over $13 million CAD in university scholarships.
- CIC ranks first among all Canadian secondary schools in the number of admissions to leading universities and in the total volume of university entrance scholarships.
- University of Toronto named CIC the largest source school of students in the world among all local and international schools.
- CIC's robotics team is a national competition prize-winner.
- CIC students took first place at the Hackonomics competition at McMaster University.
- In 2013, the largest graduating class in the school's history took place — 537 students.
Things to know about
- Columbia International College annually hosts the Ontario University Fair on its campus — the largest educational fair in Canada, featuring delegates from all 22 universities in the province.
- For the first semester, roommates are matched by regional compatibility (taking culture and language into account).
- EZ Report Card — a unique online reporting system that allows parents to monitor their child's academic progress and life in real time from anywhere in the world.
- The school mascot is Cicero the cougar.
- CIC upholds 11 key character values: respect, honesty, integrity, responsibility, peaceful conflict resolution, inclusivity, fairness, caring, optimism, self-confidence, and perseverance.
- In 1990, Columbia was the first private school in Ontario to open a representative office in Tokyo.
- The Bark Lake Leadership Centre operates as a year-round leadership development camp in Haliburton, Ontario.
Accommodation, meals, prices
On the campus of Columbia International College there are 3 comfortable common residences: Oak Hall, Liden Hall and Pine. The student can choose independently which one he wants to live in - they are all well equipped, offering comfortable and safe conditions.
The rooms are designed for 1-3 people, the amenities can be on the floor or in the rooms, each the room is equipped with internet access and a telephone. Also on the territory there is a spacious pool, laundry, cozy cafeterias (open all year round, including holidays and big holidays).
Subjects and sports
Activities Columbia International College
Hamilton is a cozy, safe and friendly city in the province of Ontario (the third largest, its population is about half a million people). The city is considered to be very international: there are representatives of many peoples of the world, as well as many foreign tourists and students come every year. Hamilton is famous for its excellent infrastructure: there are many gardens and parks, libraries and museums, theaters and galleries, sports facilities and stadiums. Also worth noting the close location to the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls - the road to them will be approximately 45 minutes, which makes it easier for tourist trips and excursions.
On weekends, students of Columbia International College expect a rich program of extra-curricular leisure and entertainment. A lot of students devote time to sports - individual and team, attend classes on developing leadership skills, go on interesting excursions and thematic (including ecological) tours. A special course was prepared for pupils of grades 9-10, aimed at strengthening the motivation and actively achieving success in various spheres of life and learning.
Advantages
The Largest Feeder School to Canada’s TOP Universities
- We are No.1 in Admissions
Students Admitted from CIC Represent a Far Bigger Number Than Any Other School Worldwide.
- We are No.1 in Scholarships
CIC graduates are awarded the largest amounts of scholarships from universities ($7,000,000 CAD awarded to our graduates in 2019)
- Our 2019 Grads’ Admittance TO Canada’s TOP-10 Universities
Facilities and equipment at Columbia International College
The residence area, in addition to residential infrastructure, includes basketball courts, tennis and squash courts, board games, a swimming pool and a cafeteria where it is nice to have a cup of tea or coffee, relax with new friends, and discuss plans for the weekend.
Admission dates and extra charges
The academic year at Columbia International College consists of three semesters: fall (August–December), winter (January–May), and summer (May/June–July). In the fall and winter semesters, a student may take a maximum of 3–4 courses; in the summer — a maximum of 2 courses. The year includes 6 student intake dates.
The Junior Middle School program offers two intakes: J1 (September) and J2 (January). The Sure-To-University program runs from January 4 to June 30, with an application deadline of December 19. The summer camp starts in July, with session lengths of 2–3 weeks.
Categories of additional expenses:
- Registration fee for guardianship processing,
- ESL courses (if required),
- Airport transfer,
- Medical insurance,
- Study Permit processing,
- Excursions and additional activities,
- Personal spending money.
Extras:
- Medical insurance 750 USD
- Internet 100 USD
Enrolment process
Smapse specialists will guide you through all stages of admission to Columbia International College: from choosing a program and preparing documents to obtaining a visa and arriving on campus. Upon arrival, students are met at the airport upon request, and receive a free SIM card and taxi card.
Perspectives
Columbia International College demonstrates outstanding results in university admissions for graduates. The graduate success rate is 100%, with 83.2% of graduates admitted to the world's leading universities.
Columbia graduates are admitted to University of Waterloo in greater numbers than from any other school in the world. Between 2020 and 2022, 792 graduates were admitted to University of Toronto, 648 to McMaster University, and 384 to University of Waterloo. From 2020 to 2023, graduates received more than $21,000,000 CAD in scholarships from universities around the world.
The Sure-To-University program guarantees admission to 5 leading Canadian universities: McMaster University, Ontario Tech University, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, and York University. CIC has more than 10 partner universities — more than any other Canadian secondary school. During the academic year, admissions representatives from more than 35 universities from Canada, the USA, and the UK visit the CIC campus.
CIC graduates are also admitted to leading European universities: UCL, Imperial College London, Edinburgh, Manchester, King's College London, University of Warwick, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, University of Amsterdam. Popular Australian universities include Melbourne, Sydney, UNSW, Queensland; Asian universities include NUS, NTU (Singapore), HKU, HKUST, CUHK, PolyU Hong Kong, University of Tokyo. About 25% of CIC graduates choose business (including Rotman Commerce), computer science, and engineering at the University of Toronto.
Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol
- Composition (English) from 1000 words or more
- Medical card statement, mention of the transferred diseases, available vaccinations
- 2 recommendations from the teachers of the former school
- Passing the English language test
- Report card (it is necessary to cover the last 3 years)
- Certificates, diplomas: language courses, sports and creative sections, thematic clubs on interests.
Scholarships Columbia International College
Note: if two students from the same family come to study and plan simultaneous studying, the second child can receive a 25% discount on education. Also college offers academic and leadership excellency scholarships.
Literature and references
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about Columbia International College
Recommendations on when to apply
| Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
| - we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |
