Q: What happens if
I accept the offer for my alternate application program? Will I remain on the
waitlist for my primary application program?
Yes, you will remain on the waitlist for your
primary choice program. If a space becomes available for you in your primary
choice program, you will be
automatically offered
a seat in that program and removed from the alternate program. You will be
notified of the change by email and you will be required to accept the new
offer of placement.
If you wish to remain in your alternate program,
you must contact your current school by email and request to be removed from
your primary choice waitlist. This ensures that if a seat becomes available in
your primary choice you will not be automatically removed from your alternate
program and seated in your primary choice program. Being removed from the
primary choice waitlist is final and you cannot be returned to the waitlist.
If you are a non-TDSB student, please email CentralPrograms@tdsb.on.ca to be removed from the waitlist. Please
include the applicant’s first and last name in the email.
Q: Is there an application fee?
No.
Q: How many students will be admitted to the
Grade 9 MaCS Program?
54 students. Currently, we have 2 classes of MaCS students.
Although we have over 500 applicants, we are capped at 54 MaCS students by the
TDSB in each grade because our school is fully enrolled.
Q: What is the difference between the MaCS
Program and the Gifted Program (also offered at Mackenzie)?
MaCS – enrichment in Math, Science, and Computers. Unique to
Mackenzie. Gifted – Board identified (IPRC’d) students.
Q: Do MaCS courses appear on the students’
transcripts ?
Yes, from Grades 9 to 12. In Grade 12, students choose regular U,
M, enriched, or AP courses for university admission.
Q. Do MaCS students take courses with other
Mackenzie students?
Yes, english as well as courses outside of math, science and
technology are taken with other students; i.e. Healthy Active Living,
Instrumental Music, Dramatic Arts, Visual Arts, Introduction to Business, etc..
Q. Do MaCS students have the opportunity to
write AP Exams?
Yes. Currently our MaCS students can take the following AP Courses
in grade 12: Computer Programming (ICS4UO), Economics (CIA4U0), Data Management
(MDM4U0), and Calculus (MCV4UO). Students also can write AP Exams in Biology,
Chemistry, and Physics by taking the Grade 12 MaCS Enriched Courses
offered in Grade 12. A benefit of writing an AP exam(s) is that the
result(s) could be used towards University credit, which would lighten the
University course load and lower tuition cost.
Q. What is the duration of the MaCS Program ?
4 years – from grades 9 to 12.
Q. Can I apply for admission to the program
after Grade 9 ?
Yes. Space is limited for grade 10 entry.
Q. What are the requirements for continuing in
the MaCS Program past Grade 9?
Students are encouraged to maintain good grades in order to be
successful in MaCS for Grades 10, 11, and 12.
Q. Is it possible to take some of the MaCS
classes, but not all of them?
The MaCS Program is an inclusive program; students must meet the
program requirements (see
Courses Page). MaCS students still have space in their schedule
each year to select elective courses that they are interested in (i.e. arts,
athletics, business, social sciences, etc.). They also have time to participate
in extra-curricular activities (i.e. clubs, sports, etc.). In grade 11 and 12
they can choose the MaCS courses they want to continue taking as shown on the
courses page.
Q: Can I still apply if I don’t attend a TDSB
school?
Yes.
Q: I am on the
waitlist for one (or both) of my programs. What happens now?
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 your results
link to see your position on the waitlist change over time.
Q: What do I do
if I accept an offer now and change my mind?
Applicants may decide to
attend their local school, or attend a school through Out-of-Area Admissions.
If you accept a Specialized Program offer and change your mind, please notify
your current school in writing before February 25, 2026, if at all possible, so
that another student has the opportunity to take your spot. If you are a
non-TDSB student, please email
CentralPrograms@tdsb.on.ca to inform us of your decision.
Q: My child is
not a TDSB student but has accepted an offer for a Specialized Program. How do
I get them registered?
A unique link to a registration package for the Specialized Program will
be sent to your email address starting in mid-February. Please complete and
submit the registration package and contact the school to arrange an
appointment where you will need to provide the necessary documentation.
Registrations should be completed before noon on March 13, 2026.