Registration is required only for the testing day – everyone is welcome to attend information meetings without pre-registration. Applications open in September.

Information for New Applicants (2023/2024) and Parents

Application Update:

 

Thank you for your interest in the University Transition Program. The application and assessment process for the 2023/2024 academic year will be as follows:  

For all applications received between September 2022 and January 9, 2023, there is an information session on Monday, January 23 at 6 pm. All applicants will participate in a group assessment on January 30, 2023. If applicants cannot attend this assessment date, please contact Mrs. Carswell, District Principal, PRP at utp@vsb.bc.ca. (Please note, all applicants who applied between September 2022 and January 9, 2023 will have received an email with a registration link to both the information session and the group assessment.)

All applications received between January 10, 2023 and March 13, 2023, the applicants will participate in a group assessment on April 03, 2023. This is the last assessment date for the 2023/2024 intake. There will be an information session offered on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 6 pm online. Please see the meeting link below for the 3rd information meeting. (Please note, the above process timeline is for the 2023/2024 intake only and reflects the extended deadline for the 2023/2024 academic year intake.)

When the application is received and when the applicant writes the group assessment has no impact on the applicant’s eligibility for the program. All applications will be evaluated on the same admissions criteria.

After applicants have completed the Group Assessment, students will be invited to participate in a school visit and for possible further assessment. Please note, only invited students will be contacted. There is a limited number of seats in the University Transition Program. As students are offered seats and accept or decline their offer, further applicants will be contacted.

First round of offers will be by May 05, 2023.

Upcoming 3rd Information Meeting (Online):

DATE: February 7th, 2023 (Tuesday)

TIME: 6 PM – 8 PM

Online Meeting Link: –> Click here to join the MS Team meeting

Note: You may need to install the MS Team App in your device before you can join the meeting.

Upcoming Group Assessment Date: 

DATES: April 03, 2023
TIME: TBD

Completed Information Meetings:
1st Info Meeting: September 26th, 2022 (Monday), 6 PM – 8 PM, On UBC campus

2ndInfo Meeting: January 23rd, 2023 (Monday), 6 PM – 8 PM, On UBC campus

Completed Group Assessment:

1st Group Assessment: January 30th, 2023 (Monday)

ADDRESS: 1924 West Mall – Auditorium Annex B
BUILDING: University Transition Program
ROOM: 240 D
TIME: All applicants (who have applied before Jan 9, 2023) will have received an email with assessment time info
PARKING: 6440 Memorial Road, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, UBC (Fraser River Parkade) OR 2140 Lower Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, UBC (West Parkade)

UBC, the Vancouver School Board, and the BC Ministry of Education run a joint university preparation program – the University Transition Program – for academically exceptional students. Students enrolled in this program are eligible for admission to the University of British Columbia after their second year of UTP upon the recommendation of the UTP Program Coordinator, the approval of the dean of their faculty of choice, and the completion of required Grade 12 courses (or their equivalent) necessary for entry to that faculty.

Each year, the program accepts a maximum of 20 new students between the ages 13 to 15 out of over 200 applicants. Selection encourages gender balance and support for diversity, which is furthered as half of the accepted students must be from outside the Vancouver School District. The identification of potential students is comprehensive, rigorous, and unbiased using a variety of data.

*Note: The program will not accept current grade nine students.

How to Apply: The Most Important Steps

This page is intended as an overview and checklist for applicants. For more information about any of the steps, please visit FAQ. 

  1. Attend a mandatory information session. After attending the first information meeting, you can attend any of the assessment days available. If you attend the first meeting, we recommend that you attend the first assessment day. You will not be able to prepare for our exams during the month in between the two exam dates.
  2. Fill out and submit the application form here to the following email: utp@vsb.bc.ca. Be sure to attach a photo of the applicant to the application. In the subject, please only include the full name of the applicant (not parent, or guardian) with the last name, followed by the first name. (i.e. Subject line: Smith, John). You will receive an automated reply; if it doesn’t appear, try sending it again in a few minutes.
  3. Attend a Large Group Assessment. The student dropoff and pickup point is at Room 240D, Auditorium Annex B, University Transition Program, 1924 West Mall.
  4. Based on the results of the Large Group Assessment,  students will receive further information regarding their application.