The application deadline for Canadian students to attend one of 18 UWCs – including Pearson – came just last month at the end of October but Executive Director Lyndsay Sprado and teams of committed UWC National Committee of Canada (NCC) volunteers have already been busy for months.
“We’re thrilled that many exceptional young people representing diverse communities from every province and territory in Canada applied this year,” said Sprado.
The decision was made to open applications to young Canadians interested in applying to the UWC earlier this year on August 1. Similarly, applications closed a couple of weeks sooner than in previous years. The earlier dates were intended to help the process be more efficient for everyone, especially applicants and volunteers who scrutinize applications and ultimately speak with the young people who advance through the process.
“We’re also very grateful for our UWC selection volunteers, many of whom are Pearson College UWC alumni, who support this process regionally across Canada and abroad,” added Sprado. “We’re so excited to learn who will be nominated!”
The NCC selection process means that all applications are carefully reviewed by selection teams to determine eligibility and suitability for UWC. From the initial applicant pool, a shortlist of candidates is chosen for personal interviews with regional selection teams.
Candidates who move forward following interviews are asked to declare their school preferences and, in most cases, will undergo a family financial assessment to determine what a reasonable contribution towards the cost of UWC would be for them. (Candidates awarded certain regional scholarships do not undergo a financial assessment.)
Regional volunteer selection teams review applications in late October with candidates selected to attend an interview in their province or territory usually notified in early November. In most regions, shortlisted candidates meet with members of the regional chapter/selection team in person or virtually. Applicants not selected to attend an interview are notified in November.
Following in-person interviews in December/January, regional selection teams recommend finalists to the NCC’s Matching and Nominations Committee with candidates recommended by their regional team to be considered for a place at UWC usually contacted by the NCC in late December to late January. Full information about the NCC process is available here.
NCC Board of Directors Chair Bradley Chisholm noted earlier this year that the role volunteers play in the recruitment and selection processes ensures that the mission of the UWC, “continues to be relevant for all of us. Volunteers throughout the country have committed endless hours and effort to seek out those students we believe will contribute fully to this movement.”
A volunteer himself, Chisholm said that the committee is continuing “to build upon the foundations to be able to engage more with alumni throughout the country because we believe that a community of alumni, who continue to be engaged in the UWC mission, is a powerful force.”
*Please note that applications are still being accepted through UWC International’s Global Selection Program. GSP is an alternative way for students who do not require a scholarship or financial support to apply for a place at specific UWC schools (such as Pearson College UWC) participating in this program. Students applying through GSP do not do so through National Committees, but they are evaluated and assessed for their affinity with and support for the UWC Mission through a rigorous process based on the movement’s core selection criteria.