Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

of the University of Toronto



The University of Toronto

Vari Scholarship

for Prospective

Secondary School Teachers

 


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The University of Toronto Vari Scholarship was established by the Honourable George W. Vari and Helen Vari. It is open to candidates for the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program at OISE/UT who wish to teach secondary school.





Award Value

The value of the Vari Scholarship will be approximately $10,000 for each recipient. This makes the Vari Scholarship the largest entrance scholarship offered to candidates coming into the teacher education program at OISE/UT and among the largest scholarships offered by the University of Toronto. The number and exact value of these scholarships may vary according to the annual income of the endowment.


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Eligibility and Selection

In order to apply for the Vari Scholarship you must also be applying for admission to the Bachelor of Education program at the Intermediate/Senior division. Applicants are expected to have an "A" academic average in a four year degree and an outstanding Applicant Profile. Selection is also based on a letter of reference from a professor, performance on the GRE General Test, and performance on a competitive essay. To be eligible for the Vari Scholarship you must have resided in Ontario for 12 months prior to the beginning of the term of study and demonstrate financial need.



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Application Process

Applications for the Vari Scholarship are available during the application period for the OISE/UT Bachelor of Education program, which is from mid-September until the application deadline in early December. These applications are for admission for the B.Ed. program the following September. If you intend to apply for the Vari Scholarship, be sure to request an application at the same time you request your B.Ed. application from the OISE/UT Registrar's Office, Preservice Admissions Unit. (Complete contact information is included at the end of this pamphlet.)



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Completing the Application

The transcripts which you submit in support of your application for the B.Ed. program will be used to establish your academic eligibility for the Vari Scholarship. Similarly the Applicant Profile which you submit as part of your basic application for the B.Ed. program will be used as part of your Vari Scholarship application.

The reference letter which is required from one of your professors, the GRE General Test score and the competitive essay are not part of the regular documentation required for applicants to the B.Ed. program. They will not be used to determine admissibility for the B.Ed. program, but are important elements in the selection process for the Vari Scholarship.

When you are arranging for the reference letter, ask your professor to return it to you in a sealed envelop with either the professor's signature or an official university seal across the closure so that you can submit it with the Vari Scholarship application. Make sure that you request this letter of reference in sufficient time to meet the application deadline.

You must also arrange to write the GRE General Test in enough time so that the official test result can be received at the OISE/UT Registrar's Office, Preservice Admissions Unit no latter than February 15. Either the paper-based test or the Computer-based test will be accepted. For more information about taking the GRE, please contact the Educational Testing Service. (Complete contact information is included at the end of this pamphlet.)

If our assessment of your academic standing and your Applicant Profile satisfies the conditions of the Vari Scholarship, then you will be invited to sit for the writing of a competitive essay in a two hour examination situation. This will take place in late February. It is important that you be available to write this essay. The essay topic will address issues relevant to the educational system in Ontario.

Under the terms of the Vari Scholarship, financial need must also be demonstrated by successful applicants. You will be asked to provide a brief statement concerning your financial situation as part of the Vari Scholarship application.

Winners will be contacted about receipt of the Vari Scholarship at the time of notification of acceptance to the B.Ed. program.



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OISE/UT Mission Statement

OISE/UT is committed to the study of education and matters related to education in a societal context in which learning is a life-long activity. Its mission emphasizes equity and access and the improvement of the educational experiences of people of all age levels and backgrounds. It includes partnerships with others to address a wide array of problems, drawing upon the insights of academic disciplines and professional perspectives. OISE/UT is dedicated to national pre-eminence and international distinction in graduate studies, preservice and inservice teacher education, research and field development in education, and to providing exemplary leadership within and outside the province of Ontario.



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The Intermediate/Senior Program

The Vari Scholarship is only open to candidates for the Intermediate/Senior (I/S) Division of the B.Ed. program.

Students in the I/S program complete courses in four different areas. They take two curriculum and instruction courses (teaching subjects), three foundations and policy studies (half) courses, the Contemporary Classroom (which covers classroom management, assessment and evaluation of student performance, school law in Ontario, and special education), and Practice Teaching. Regular Practice Teaching consists of 3 three-week teaching blocks in three different schools. In addition, students will be involved in a variety of special events connected to faculty courses.

Some students in the Secondary Program will be participating in Alternate Programs, where they will receive all of the components of the regular program but the components will be "packaged" in a different way. Generally speaking, students in the Alternate Programs spend more time in schools.

More information concerning the Intermediate/Senior program and admission requirements can be obtained from the OISE/UT Registrar's Office, Preservice Admissions Unit.



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About the Donors

George and Helen Vari, world-renowned philanthropists and international developers, have committed $1 million for a scholarship program to encourage exceptional students to pursue careers in secondary school teaching and, thus improve the quality of education in Ontario. This donation has been matched by the Province of Ontario and the University of Toronto to create a $3 million endowment. In addition to the University of Toronto Vari Scholarship administered by OISE/UT, part of this scholarship program has been established in Victoria College, which is a Federated College of the University, for high school students intending to become secondary school teachers. This is just one of many important projects they have supported through the George and Helen Vari Foundation in Canada and around the world.

The Vari's emigrated to Canada after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. George Vari, who holds a degree in civil engineering and a doctorate in economics, has been appointed to both France's Legion d'Honneur and the Order of Canada, and is a member of the Privy Council of Canada. Helen Vari has been appointed to France's Legion d'Honneur and has been named a Knight of the Order of Malta.



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Contact Information

For further information about the Bachelor of Education Degree program or the University of Toronto Vari Scholarship, or to request an application form please contact:

OISE/UT
Office of the Registrar
Preservice Teacher Education Programs
Admissions Unit, Room 132A
371 Bloor Street West (at Spadina)
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R7
 
Telephone: 416-978-8833
FAX: 416-971-2755
 
e-mail: preservice_admis@tednet.oise.utoronto.ca

 

For further information about the GRE or to request registration material please contact:

Graduate Record Examinations
Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6000
Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000
 
Telephone: 609-771-7670
FAX: 609-771-7906
 
e-mail: gre-info@ets.org
website: http://www.ets.org/

 

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