About the contest

Absolutely, you can enroll even if you don’t win the contest. We will consider applications from all contest entrants and will make an offer if we think you’ll be a good fit at SMUS.

The Best School Year Ever^® scholarship is for one year only. However, qualifying students will be able to apply for other boarding scholarships, and all students can apply for financial aid for following years after The Best School Year Ever^® is up.

The cost of a SMUS education varies by the location of the primary residence, as do the options for paying your fees. In 2024-25, tuition for a BC boarding student is $69,580 and for a North American boarding student it is $76,650. All students can also apply for financial aid. Learn more on the St. Michaels University School tuition webpage.

Tuition fees are paid yearly and cover 10 months of instruction, textbooks and transportation costs for SMUS athletic teams, music groups and other clubs. Boarding fees also include accommodation and care in residence, meals, laundry, use of the Health Centre and 24-hour nursing.

To be eligible to enter the contest, you must be a resident of Canada or the United States and be going into Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 in September 2025. You must also meet the age requirement of being 13 or older at the time of entry. You can find the full eligibility criteria in the contest Terms and Conditions.

At this time, only students who are citizens of the United States of America are eligible. We will look at expanding eligibility to students from US territories in future years.

Quebec’s legal system presents us with some challenges when it comes to including students from that province. We will look at expanding eligibility to Quebec students in future years.

Submit your application, which includes answering three questions in writing and copies of your two most recent report cards. Submit your application by clicking the ENTER CONTEST button. Students who are selected as semi-finalists will also need to submit a 2-3 minute video at that stage of the contest.

We can accept copies of your report cards in a variety of formats: as a scanned image or PDF, a screenshot of an online report card or even a photo of paper report cards. Multi-page report cards need to be bundled into a single file in order to be uploaded through our contest entry form. If you are taking photos or screenshots of your report cards, you can insert the images into a Microsoft Word or Google Doc document. If you don’t know how to access your report cards, ask a teacher or school administrator for help.

The scholarship is offered by St. Michaels University School and is only valid for students enrolling at SMUS.

Good question! And we’ve covered this in detail on the tips page.

A video is required if you are selected as a semi-finalist. If you’re camera shy, get creative! If you’re more of a writer, for example, write an essay and read it, illustrating your video with photos. If you’re an artist or a musician, use the video to showcase your talents with a portfolio of your work. We want to hear about your passions and why you’re a great fit for SMUS.

The contest does not make provisions for expenses like travel to and from the school during the school year and breaks, nor does it include uniform costs. When estimating travel costs, budget three return trips in total (to school in September, home for Christmas Break, home for Spring Break and home for the summer in June). Uniform expenses run approximately $500-700.

We will contact semi-finalists by email on December 15, 2024 to notify them that they have been selected as contest semi-finalists. All other contest entrants will be contacted by email.

Absolutely. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study at a world-class boarding school that is very highly regarded by college admissions officers. St. Michaels University School has a long history (we date back to 1906) and it was the first Western school to be accredited by the Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). We’re also a member of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and other organizations. Want to know more? Visit the Introducing Our School page.

Yes, it will have a positive impact! SMUS is very well-regarded worldwide. We have one of North America’s largest AP programs and in recent years our graduates have gone on to universities that include Harvard, Stanford and Brown as well as international schools including Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews and Sciences Po.

Every student who enters the contest must confirm they have the permission from a parent/guardian. If your child is then selected as one of the 25 semi-finalists you will be invited to complete an application. This application must come from the parent/guardian.

The best thing a parent or guardian can do is encourage and remind their child to enter the contest. There can be a lot of distractions and some students don’t manage to enter by the deadline.

This is a good question and it’s something you will want to discuss as a family. It’s really about whether it’s right for your child. Some students aren’t ready but for many, they need to move to a different school and discover new opportunities to make the most of their high school years and reach the college of their dreams.

The cost of a SMUS education varies by the location of the primary residence, as do the options for paying your fees. In 2024-25, tuition for a BC boarding student is $69,580 and for a North American boarding student it is $76,650. All students can also apply for financial aid. Learn more on the St. Michaels University School tuition webpage.

Tuition fees are paid yearly and cover 10 months of instruction, textbooks and transportation costs for SMUS athletic teams, music groups and other clubs. Boarding fees also include accommodation and care in residence, meals, laundry, use of the Health Centre and 24-hour nursing.

You may also be eligible for financial aid through the school. The Admissions team will discuss this with you at the appropriate time.