Frequently Asked Questions

If you are on the waitlist for your first choice program, you will remain on the waitlist. If a space becomes available for you in your first choice program, you will be automatically placed in that program and removed from your second choice program. You will be notified by email of the change.

If you are happy with your second choice program, you can contact your current school and ask to be removed from the waitlist for your first choice program. Once removed from the waitlist, you cannot be returned to the waitlist.

If you are a non-TDSB student, please email SecondaryReview@tdsb.on.ca to be removed from the waitlist.

As spaces become available in programs, applicants will be moved from the waitlist to the vacant seats. If you are offered a seat, you will receive an email notification, along with an acceptance deadline.

You can use the link provided to you in your email to see your position on the waitlist change over time.

Offers will continue to be made until February 22, 2023.

Applicants may decide to attend their local school, or attend a school through Out-of-Area Admissions. If you accept a Central Student Interest Program offer and change your mind, please notify your current school before February 22, if at all possible so that another student has the opportunity to take your spot. If you are a non-TDSB student, please email SecondaryReview@tdsb.on.ca to inform us of your decision.

Students must apply through the central TDSB application portal. A centralized random selection process (lottery) will be used if there are more applicants than spots. 50% of the spots this year will go to students of Valley Park Middle School, and 20% of spots will go to historically and currently underserved communities, namely students self-identifying as Indigenous, Black, Latino, Latina or Latinx and Middle Eastern. Students applying from within the City of Toronto will be prioritized over those outside.

This year, there is no student profile. All applications are to be completed through the central TDSB application portal.

This year, TDSB policy states that ALL applicants must complete the Optional Attendance form and hand it in with their student profile.

We will send all documents you need to register as a new student to the TDSB in the event that you are accepted into the program.

No, for this year there is not.

Before COVID-19, we would collect approximately $400 per year to cover the cost of program-based field trips TOPS students were attending. This fee was not necessary in 2020-21 when field trips did not occur.

If field trips are allowed again next year, then the tuition fee of $400 will be collected.

We will send out emails within 72 hours to applicants to inform them that we have received the application.

We will also send out a test email a few days before the exam to ensure that applicants are receiving our emails from tops.exam.mgci@gmail.com.

You are free to apply to TOPS even if you are not a student in the TDSB. However, you MUST have a Toronto residential address at the time of submission. While students living outside of Toronto may APPLY it is unlikely there will be spots to offer, since the TDSB optional attendance policy states that the first offers MUST be made to Toronto residents (Living in a M area code). With the number of students that apply it is highly unlikely that we would get to step 2 of the optional attendance policy, which allows offers to GTA applicants ONLY if all Toronto applicants have been offered a spot first!

If you do not have a Toronto address at the time of submission and will change to a Toronto address in the future, there will be a section on the student profile to indicate that.

The first 5 digits of course codes are the focus of most universities eg: SNC1D. The 6th digit represents the designation of an enriched program, eg SNC1DP, where the P signifies the TOPS program.

Although this is typically not recognized by universities, the benefits of attending an enriched program are still evident. Students fare better in university, and learn the skills necessary to succeed in difficult programs.

No, for this year there is not.

Before COVID-19, we would collect approximately $400 per year to cover the cost of program-based field trips TOPS students were attending. This fee was not necessary in 2020-21 when field trips did not occur.

If field trips are allowed again next year, then the tuition fee of $400 will be collected.

The TOPS Program is a sub-division of Marc Garneau CI. Although TOPS doesn’t have any classrooms or facilities dedicated specifically to the program, there are certain areas within the school where TOPS students and teachers can be found most of the time. While this makes it very easy to integrate with other students of the school, it also allows for a tight-knit group of friends within TOPS. There is a very distinct community at Marc Garneau, and TOPS is an integral part of it.

Marc Garneau is lucky to house nine science labs with a wide array of equipment and scientific instruments for student use. There is an active and vibrant music program that operates the school’s music facilities. The school is proud to host a newly-renovated autoshop, a greenhouse that is maintained year-round, and a weight-training room. Marc Garneau C.I. also hosts the Canadian Space Resource Centre, a facility that supplies educational institutions across Canada and the US with teaching materials and academic information on Canada, it’s space program, and space in general.  Also in the school is a film studio, a drama studio room, eight computer labs, art studios equipped with dark rooms, and a wood-shop. TOPS also owns special scientific probes for field experiments. Marc Garneau Collegiate’s second and third floors were entirely rebuilt in the fall of 1997, thus our classrooms and science labs conform to modern standards. To sum up, TOPS has a plethora of facilities and tools at its disposal and no student is ever unable to complete a project, a lab, or try something for lack of equipment or space.

In general, the yearly parent contribution for the TOPS Program is used to fund the major field trip for a particular year, in addition, funds are used for some smaller trips and to support the senior trip in grade 12. The program undertakes some fundraising of its own in order to cover additional costs. However, this is not enough to accomplish what is required for the enrichment activities of the program; hence the yearly fees. Please note that students have never been refused admittance to the program on the basis of a financial need.

Not at all. In fact, although the courses are more challenging, TOPS classes typically have the highest averages school-wide, and TOPS students consistently enjoy acceptance into their program of choice in Ontario universities. While our primary aim is the exceptional preparation of students considering a math-science type career, our students are often young people of exceptional accomplishment and character. As a result, they often attract recognition in the form of many scholarships.

Of course! While many TOPS students choose to stick primarily to the math and science courses, it is by no means mandatory. TOPS enrichment is provided in all math, science and English courses. These courses are all cohorted together with other TOPS students. Despite the math and science orientation of the program, there are many students who also pursue their interests in courses like Art, Business, Law, Media Studies, Music, Drama, French, World Issues, and History. In summary, regardless of the academic path, TOPS/MGCI engenders an excellent learning environment.

Certainly. One of the things that TOPS specifically looks for during the application process is individuals who are well-rounded and involved in their community. TOPS students are the first to get their volunteer hours submitted, many are involved in the school or in community programs, many take music lessons, or belong to dance clubs, Cadets, or play sports.

Although this touches on a point already addressed above, we would like to re-emphasize it. We cannot guarantee that your marks will not drop, for the most part students’ averages remain around the A level. Although TOPS courses often go far beyond that of the normal high school course, the pace never reaches a point where it can no longer be managed. Our teachers are excellent, and it is rare that anyone should ever find themselves in a place where they simply cannot keep up. But if, for whatever reason, someone does lag behind in a TOPS class, the teachers are very accommodating and will do all they can to help the individual. Beyond the teachers, there is another important part of the safety net: The rest of the people in the program. All people in TOPS are very supportive of each other and will often do all they can to help their friends.

The application process is the same as applying for Grade 9, with the exception being that you need your report cards from the June of Grade 8 and the fall of Grade 9 (if available) instead of your report cards from the June of Grade 7 and the fall of Grade 8.

This year, there is no student profile. All applications are to be completed through the central TDSB application portal.

This year, TDSB policy states that ALL applicants must complete the Optional Attendance form and hand it in with their student profile.

We will send all documents you need to register as a new student to the TDSB in the event that you are accepted into the program.

You are free to apply to TOPS even if you are not a student in the TDSB. However, you MUST have a Toronto residential address at the time of submission. While students living outside of Toronto may APPLY it is unlikely there will be spots to offer, since the TDSB optional attendance policy states that the first offers MUST be made to Toronto residents (Living in a M area code). With the number of students that apply it is highly unlikely that we would get to step 2 of the optional attendance policy, which allows offers to GTA applicants ONLY if all Toronto applicants have been offered a spot first!

If you do not have a Toronto address at the time of submission and will change to a Toronto address in the future, there will be a section on the student profile to indicate that.

If you are in Grade 10, you cannot apply to TOPS. The overwhelming majority of students selected for TOPS are in Grade 8 applying for a position in Grade 9. Some Grade 9 students apply for a Grade 10 position, but since we have virtually no attrition, very few, if any, positions for Grade 10 are available.

Students must apply through the central TDSB application portal. A centralized random selection process (lottery) will be used if there are more applicants than spots. 50% of the spots this year will go to students of Valley Park Middle School, and 20% of spots will go to historically and currently underserved communities, namely students self-identifying as Indigenous, Black, Latino, Latina or Latinx and Middle Eastern. Students applying from within the City of Toronto will be prioritized over those outside.

Our school is overenrolled and although we would like to serve more students into the program we are restricted to no more than 58-60 new TOPS students each year.

Again, we are strictly limited to no more than 58-60 students per TOPS year.

Historically VERY few students leave the program and if they do so most will because their family has moved out of the area. The small number of openings in Grade 10 are a direct result that when in the program so many young people have a great time and meet new friends and do not want to leave!

TOPS is a significantly accelerated and enriched program, by the completion of grade 10, TOPS students have completed three years of mathematics in two with enrichment. In Grade 11, TOPS students take the AP equivalent TOPS Calculus course. More than 2/3’s of them opt for the more difficult of the two calculus options. Either way, these courses are full first year university equivalents and are significantly enriched compared to the high school “Calculus and Vectors” course. Thus, students in the regular stream have not had enough mathematical preparation to pursue studies in grade 11 TOPS.

In grade 12, the academic divide between the preparation of TOPS students and standard program has further enlarged. Physics courses for example, use the calculus that was taught in grade 11 to explain and solve problems.

Please read the information regarding the selection process here

Approximately 550 students apply annually to TOPS. However, this number is gradually increasing each year. Unfortunately, there is only room for 60 people, so be very careful how you write your application!