ISSYP

Students are welcome to apply if they meet all of the following criteria:

• They have a passion for and strong ability in physics and mathematics as reflected in high school course grades and extracurricular activities; and
• They intend to pursue physics at the university level in the future; and
• At the time of application, they are in the final two years of secondary school (in Canada this means Grade 11 or 12 or first year CEGEP); and
• At the time of ISSYP 2023, they will have completed Grade 11 physics (or international equivalent); and
• They are fluent at speaking, reading, and writing in English. The entire program is conducted in English.

Grade Level Exceptions:

• Students who are in Grade 10 at the time of application AND will have completed Grade 11 physics (or international equivalent) before July 2023 may still apply and will be considered. Students in Grade 10 who have not completed the above level of education will not be considered for ISSYP 2023 but are encouraged to apply in future years when they are eligible.
• Students who completed high school in 2022 and are currently taking an unplanned gap year due to the pandemic are eligible to apply.
• Students who have begun or will begin full-time university or college courses before July 2023 are not eligible and will not be considered.

International Applicants:

• Students around the world who meet the eligibility criteria are welcome to apply. 
• Students outside of the Eastern Time Zone should expect that the daily schedule (approx. 10am-4pm ET) may not match their usual daily routine of meals or waking and sleeping times. A detailed schedule will be provided in acceptance packages.
• It is highly recommended that prospective applicants consider the time difference between Waterloo and their community before applying. 

For ISSYP 2023 the program fee is $250 (CAD) payable upon acceptance into the program. Students will receive a small package of supplies at their home address before the program begins. No additional material or equipment fees are anticipated, but students may need to gather some common household items for hands-on activities. There is no application fee.

Financial Aid: Funding is available to help offset the program cost for students with financial need. Information regarding this funding will be made available as requested by students accepted into the ISSYP program.

There is no application fee. The entire application package will be completed online and includes 7 tasks:

1. Personal Information Form
2. Extracurricular Activities and Essay
3. Teacher Assessment (Confidential)
4. Reference Letter (Confidential Option)
5. Upload Transcript and Interim Report Card
6. Applicant Consent Form
7. Parent/Guardian Consent Form

Yes, ISSYP 2023 is a fully online program.

Topics include quantum mechanics, special relativity, cosmology, general relativity, and black holes. Additional topics may be added or covered in keynote presentations.

• Students must actively participate in all scheduled activity, including team-building activities, and must complete the required preparation work to continue in the program and earn their ISSYP certificate.
• Students are required to have a dedicated device (minimum laptop or tablet screen-size) and a strong, reliable internet connection during all online sessions.
• Students must have a working webcam and microphone and webcams must be turned on throughout the online sessions to build the class atmosphere.
• Students are expected to give their full attention during scheduled online sessions. If there is another program running during ISSYP’s scheduled activity, you must choose between the programs – do not attempt to virtually ‘attend’ two simultaneous programs.
• ISSYP is a collaborative, not competitive, experience. All students must bring their best effort, an open and questioning mind, and a readiness to support other learners to this program.
• There are no tests, exams, or formal presentations during the program.

There is no application fee.

Program Fee: For ISSYP 2023 the program fee is $250 (CAD) payable upon acceptance into the program. Students will receive a small package of supplies at their home address before the program begins. No additional material or equipment fees are anticipated, but students may need to assemble some common household items for hands-on activities.

Financial Aid: Funding is available to help offset the program cost for students with financial need. Information regarding this funding will be made available as requested by students accepted into the ISSYP program.

Students will interact with Perimeter scientists in the following ways:

• Keynote presentations given by PI physicists on their specific fields of research. Presentations go far beyond anything available in popular treatments or textbooks and provide deep insight into what lies at the forefront of our understanding of the physical world.
• Informal 'speed-mentoring' forum to discuss life as a physicist
• Additional opportunities may be offered

The program will accept 30-40 students each year - with 50% from Canada and 50% from around the world. Students who are not accepted are encouraged to apply again the following year if they are still eligible.

There are no specific grades required to apply to the ISSYP program, however there must be evidence of a strong academic background in physics and math. Acceptance is based on the strength of the applicant's overall application package.

Applicants should:

• demonstrate keen interest and passion in the areas of theoretical physics and mathematics
• be well-rounded individuals with extensive life experience particularly in the areas of theoretical physics and mathematics
• intend to pursue physics at the university level
• follow the submission guidelines carefully
• speak, write, and read English fluently

Yes. Please email ISSYP ([email protected]) for modifications to the application package.

Students around the world who meet the eligibility criteria are welcome to apply. Students outside of the Eastern Time Zone should expect that the daily schedule (approx. 10am-4pm ET) may not match their usual daily routine of meals or waking and sleeping times. A detailed schedule will be provided in acceptance packages. It is highly recommended that prospective applicants consider the time difference between Waterloo and their community before applying.

No – all successful applicants will be notified at the same time.

Due to the volume of applications received, once you submit your application it is considered final. You will not be able to modify it or send new or additional information. If an applicant submits multiple applications using different email addresses, only the first application submitted will be reviewed.

You are responsible for reviewing eligibility criteria and for submitting a complete application. If you submit an ineligible or incomplete application, or you forget to review and submit your application, you will not be considered for the program nor will you be notified that your application will not be reviewed.

There is no application fee. The entire application package will be completed online and includes 7 tasks. In the application interface, you will see a list of your tasks, specific instructions for each task, and the progress you have made on each. You will be able to save your progress and return to edit your application before completing your final review and submitting it. You will also be able to check whether or not your teacher and/or referee have submitted their components. Once each task has been marked as complete, you will be able to “Review and Submit” your final application.

The 7 tasks are:

1. Personal Information Form
2. Extracurricular Activities and Essay
3. Teacher Assessment (Confidential)
4. Reference Letter (Confidential Option)
5. Upload Transcript and Interim Report Card
6. Applicant Statement of Honesty
7. Parent/Guardian Consent Form

Yes. Applicants to ISSYP should be fluent in English, but we understand that not all teachers, referees, and schools provide documentation in English.

For confidential components completed by your teacher or referee, ISSYP will arrange translation when the items are submitted online. It is important to note that all instructions sent to your teacher or referee will be in English.

For non-confidential components, such as your reference letter or transcript, you may include your own translation in the same file as the original document. For example, you can submit a PDF in which the first page(s) is your referee's letter as written in the original language by the referee, and the following page(s) show your own translation. Since you can only upload one file, you must combine the original letter and your translation into a single file. Certified translations are not required; translations will be verified by ISSYP administration as needed.

All other components, including applicant essays, must be written in English.

You will need supporting documents from two different people.

• The Teacher Assessment is to be completed by a teacher, principal or guidance counsellor and includes an information form, written assessment, and assessment form.
• The Reference Letter is to be provided by a referee – this could be a different teacher, mentor, coach, employer, science club administrator, etc. who knows you well and is not related to you. This component cannot be completed by the same teacher who completed the Teacher Assessment.

You can change your teacher and/or referee if:

• The teacher and/or referee has not yet submitted their assessment or reference letter; and
• The application period has not closed; and
• You have not submitted your final application.

If all of the above apply, you can log back into your account and enter a new teacher/referee name and email address. Once you have submitted your application and/or the application period has closed, no changes can be made.

When you open the related task in the application tool, you will be able to see whether your teacher has responded. If they have, the “MARK AS COMPLETE” button will be enabled. For confidential components, you will be able to see confirmation that they have been received, but you will not be able to view the confidential files.

The email account you use when you create your application should receive a notification email when components are submitted by your teacher and/or referee; however your email or privacy settings may block this message. You must stay in touch with your teacher and/or referee - do not wait until after the application deadline has passed to check whether or not items have been submitted.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. The application period opened on December 1, 2022 which provided 4 months to prepare documents. Please see "How do I change the teacher or referee that I entered in my application?" above if you need to change your teacher or referee.

Successful applicants will be notified via email by April 21, 2023. 

A list of successful applicants will also be posted in the right-hand sidebar of this page. 

Yes. Students who are waitlisted will be notified at the same time as successful applicants are notified.