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Go to child profileWest Island College is a premier, independent, university preparatory school located in the southeast quadrant of the City of Calgary. At West Island College, incredible opportunities happen every day in an environment where learning is tailored to each individual student; where relationships are nurtured through effective teamwork and collaboration; and where students are immersed in a community of enthusiastic learners.
What learning looks like now: West Island College re-opened for Students in a face to face manner on September 1/2020 Students/Staff are wearing masks. Social distance measures are in place as well as frequent sanitizing procedures. Remote attendance has been offered to students who are ill or uncomfortable and cannot attend school. Online streaming of classes and use of Learning Management systems allow students to participate from a home location. Uniform guidelines have been relaxed for this year.
Curriculum delivery for 2020/21:
Grades | Living Arrangement | Delivery Model | Frequency |
---|---|---|---|
Day | Gr. 7 - Gr. 12 | In-person | Full-time |
West Island College offers bus transferring. Service options offered are regular rider, regular rider AM only, regular rider PM only.
The regions West Island College offers busing from are:
Additional notes: WIC has 3 bus routes One runs to the northwest terminating at the Crowchild YMCA. The 2nd to the west side- terminating at the Lutheran Church and the 3rd to the area south of the downtown core.
West Island College was founded in Montreal in 1974, and was intended to provide a strong bilingual option for families living on Montreal’s West Island. The program there provided a foundation, and a name, for West Island College in Calgary when it was established in 1982. That said, the school quickly established its own independent operations and identity. As such, it was free to build and grow to meet the needs of its students, and it certainly has. The international programs are robust, as are the language programs, all of which contribute to the overall culture of the school. It’s a very interactive, engaging environment, one that requires a lot of the students who attend while also providing the support they need to succeed. The ideal student is one who shares the school’s foundational values and can thrive in a very active and engaging student environment.
Focus |
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Academic |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
---|---|
Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
West Island College offers no/limited support for students with learning difficulties or special needs.
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Program | offered |
---|---|
Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
Program | offered |
---|---|
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
English - 80% | French - 20% |
In grade Gr. 12, West Island College students perform an average of >2 hours of homework per night.
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Island College | 60 mins | 60 mins | 120 mins | 160 mins | 160 mins | 160 mins |
Site Average | 53 mins | 57 mins | 69 mins | 81 mins | 97 mins | 106 mins |
Lettered or numbered grades | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Academic achievement reporting | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Parent-teacher meetings | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Competitive sports: 15
Recreational sports: 13
West Island College offers 26 clubs and extracurricular programs.
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
Day (Domestic) | $18,560 | |||||
Day (International) | $24,560 |
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Day | 570 |
Total enrolment | 570 |
Average class size | 15 to 25 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | 1% |
Number of different nationalities within student population | 10 |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Enrollment | 105 | 105 | 105 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
Class Size | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | 7 - 11 | |
SSAT | 8 - 11 | |
SSAT (out of province) | 8 - 11 | |
Entrance Exam(s) | 7 - 12 | |
Entrance Essay | 7 - 12 |
Day students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry:
No
Application fee: $150
Registration fee: N/A
Deposit:
$6,000
Please note we will accept the SSAT instead of our locally offered entrance exams. Choose West Island College as a recipient in the SSAT online tool.
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 100 - 105 (90%) | 1 - 10 (90%) | 1 - 10 (90%) | 15 - 20 (90%) | 1 - 3 (90%) | 0 |
Average graduating class size | 85 |
Students accepted into post-secondary studies upon graduation | 100% |
Percentage of students who attend post-secondary institutions outside of Canada | 5% |
Students who attended a Ivy+ school Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK) | 10 |
Queen's University | 25% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University of Calgary | 25% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western University | 25% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University of British Columbia | 10% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University of Ottawa | 5% |
West Island College Graduates’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Aggregate of All Schools’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Career planning | |
Internships | N/A |
Mentorship Program | N/A |
University counseling |
What West Island College says:
Alumnus | Grad Year | Accomplishment |
---|---|---|
Manjit Minhas | 1998 | Owner of Minhas Craft Brewery. And Current Dragon on CBC's Dragon Den |
Alumni Highlights
Finding the right school is one of the most important decisions you will make, one that will have a profound impact on the rest of your life. I believe West Island College provides great opportunities for your family.
The College has a long tradition of success based on core values and on the shared commitment to a vision of involving each student in unparalleled, relevant and diverse opportunities. We also encourage students to follow their passions. It is in this environment that students can explore their own creativity and leadership, and where they can achieve their full potential. In the West Island College environment, students, faculty, parents and community members together create a culture of caring, a culture of commitment and a culture of community.
We pride ourselves on innovative teaching, activity-based learning, leading edge technology, and unparalleled global awareness experiences. We are committed to ensuring our students have access to an exceptional education which will serve them well in their future endeavours. We also aim to have some fun along the way! With more than 30 years of success in Calgary, West Island College has a proven track record of innovation, growth, success and leadership. Come and discover what inspires you!
West Island College is a place where teachers truly care about students, where parents are involved in all aspects of their child’s education, and where students are engaged in tangible ways in their own learning. West Island College is a place where we can develop the best in each of us. I encourage you to discover the possibilities at WIC.
Come and visit us; I am confident you will be inspired by what you find.
Gord Goodwin
Interim Head of School and CEO
West Island College
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