REVIEW OF University of Toronto Schools BY Alum, Sophia Chow

(4.5) Overall Experience

UTS has provided me with a support system of teachers, peers and mentors that I'm able to carry forward with me in all stages of life. The balance between the rigorous academics and meaningful extracurriculars has been exactly what I wanted from my high school experience, and I've been able to grow in areas I wouldn't have thought were possible because of the wide-ranging opportunities UTS has provided me. Everything from leadership skills to peer bonding, I’ve been prepared very well for my life’s next step, entering university including academic, social, and pre-professional aspects. What I love about UTS is how this school allows you to dive deep into anything you want. We can open our own clubs, immerse ourselves in causes we care about, travel to different countries for competitions, and so much more. At every step, we are met with support and enthusiasm. When a student enrolls in UTS, they can expect to discover new interests, take on challenges, and, best of all, be inspired by their peers.

Looking Back

Every event, big or small, where my peers and I came together was special, especially grade events and school assemblies. Grade events varied from movie nights to Timbit trivia to even ice skating, but no matter the kind of event, it was always something I could look forward to each month. It was a time for all of us to share laughs and unwind from the school day. As for the school assemblies, watching the creativity and passion shine through student performances was so inspiring and allowed me to learn about other cultures and the different ways we express ourselves through song and dance.

Current Perspective

When I was a student, I overlooked the resources the school provided, such as access to the University of Toronto libraries, the University of Toronto athletic facilities, subscription newspapers, audiobooks, etc. Now that I’ve graduated, it is clear how lucky I was to have these resources readily available for research projects, personal projects, and sports training.

Your Advice

An honest piece of advice I’d give someone considering this school is to prioritize what matters to you and not to worry about what others are doing. In a class full of high achievers, we each will have our own path, and even though it’s easy to get distracted by what everyone else is accomplishing, it is important to think of it as motivation and not competition.

(3.5) School Leadership

The leadership respects students and implements many tools and initiatives to ensure students’ concerns are addressed, such as stepping forward tools, annual surveys, workshops, town halls, etc that show how much they encourage concerns being brought up. One aspect I believe could be better is the communication with students and parents. Since our school has grades from 7 to 12, sometimes different age ranges may react differently to information, which slows down the flow of information from the administration to the student body. There are ways they have tried to improve this, such as involving student leaders in decision-making processes.

(4.5) Teaching

Every teacher who taught me at UTS was truly passionate about the subject they were teaching, and their passion motivated me to learn more and ask more questions. I loved how the teachers welcomed our questions because whenever I was stuck or confused, I knew a teacher would be happy to help me understand. Their passion set the tone for the room and made us excited to learn. I also appreciated how teachers had various teaching styles. For example, some classes would be discussion-based, and others would be problem-solving on whiteboards around the room. All my teachers respected us students and understood how different students were at different starting points. Some of us had already written the exam for the course, whereas others were learning the material for the first time.

(5) Academics

The academic strengths of UTS are that there are teachers in every subject who are experts, and that it prepares us very well for university. The student body prioritizes academics, so everyone feels a desire to do well. Since we all take accelerated reach-ahead courses in math and science, our course options in the upper years are more flexible, allowing us to take more senior classes than we would have been able to at other schools. There is also a large variety of STEM classes, humanities, languages and arts, so students can feel free when deciding what to study. Since we all have different schedules, it pushes us to become independently responsible for what work we have to get done and set individual deadlines for ourselves, which is a skill we’ll need to carry with us throughout university.

(5) Extracurriculars

The best part of UTS is definitely the extracurriculars! Everyone finds something they are passionate about, and everyone is able to have a leadership role if they would like one at UTS. There is a good mix of competitive extracurriculars with just-for-fun ones, and all extracurriculars are extremely welcoming. If there is a competitive club, there is also a beginner club, so students have the chance to develop skills no matter where they’re starting. I’ve been able to develop leadership, empathy, adapt in stressful situations, communicate with large teams, organize events, etc and I’ve also been able to build meaningful relationships with people in my extracurriculars that maybe I would not have crossed paths with otherwise.

(4) Students

Students from UTS come from all across the city, and we bring a diverse set of viewpoints and experiences that add to our learning experience at school because there are so many unique ideas being contributed. A value I’ve found us to all share is the idea that we all belong here. It is a phrase posted up in many places in our school, and even though it is a simple message, it is a good reminder for all of us students. The school spirit at times can be on the lower end, but it depends on what events are being hosted. Some have amazing turnout and strong energy, and others have less participation because students get caught up in other extracurriculars, which is understandable. The size of the school feels neither too big nor too small. After being at the school for many years, seeing familiar faces in the hallway is always nice and also having the chance to meet new students each year is nice too.

(4) School Life

I loved going to school at UTS because I always had something to look forward to. Even if I had a test coming up or a big project due, there was always something fun I could get excited for, like a school trip, holiday breakfast, alpine skiing training, etc. As long as you involve yourself in the school, you won’t become bored or easily stressed since you have other outlets and spaces at school where you’re genuinely excited about what you’re coming to school for. The aspect of school life I think could be improved would be a larger place for students to gather for lunch. Students tend to scatter themselves across all 6 floors of our building, which is nice that we have so much space, but a lot of the socializing that happens at lunch can be lost when groups split off into separate areas.

(4) Community

At alumni events, when I have interacted with alumni, my experience has been that they are all very nostalgic and grateful for the time they had at UTS. The one part they all emphasize is the friendships they made and continue to hold onto. They always have endless conversations with one another, and it seems like they never want to leave the event because they enjoy reconnecting with each other so much. Alumni also have an association where alumni can remain involved in the school and provide support. Parents are often invited to volunteer at school events, and there are many ways for parents to get involved, such as through the Parent Association. There are socials held for parents; however, since families at UTS come from all different areas of the city, it can be difficult for them to gather frequently.

(5) School Location

The school location is amazing. We have the University of Toronto libraries only a few minutes' walk away from the school, so students can study in a quiet place after school, on weekends if they want to. We also have a lot of food options nearby, including bubble tea, acai bowls, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, dumplings, a Korean supermarket, and matcha cafes, to name a few. I often would venture with their friends after school to try new food spots and grab a snack, which is a super fun way to end the day before heading home.

(5) Admissions

The advice I would give to someone applying to UTS is to get to know the school and see if it is a fit for you! Ask yourself if you could envision yourself here and how your years here may look. Through this process, I think you’ll have a strong understanding of what you want out of a school. Plus, the admissions teams work extremely hard to make sure prospective students are able to experience the school through open houses, student-led tours, etc so everyone's questions get answered. I think it is normal to find this process slightly stressful, especially because you are young when applying, but don’t worry, I believe you all got this!

(4) University placement and counselling

I felt supported in how early we began preparation for university applications. At the time, it felt like we were doing everything so soon, even when applications didn’t open until September of senior year, but if we hadn’t started the preliminary preparation, such as selecting which programs we wanted to apply to and brainstorming essay ideas, I don’t think my classmates and I would have been able to apply to all the schools we did. We have guidance sessions all year, Grade 11 and 12, which allowed us to practice our interview skills, our timed essay writing, and to also ask questions about the application process with our guidance counsellors. I also really appreciated how we each are assigned a guidance counsellor when we join UTS because they get to learn about us and form a relationship with us throughout high school.