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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 21, 2009 - 11 Increasingly fierce competition to get into university is driving more high school students to pursue private school to make the right grade. "University expectations in terms of marks have gone up, and being good is no longer good enough. Students are under a lot of pressure to meet these expectations," says Bilal Rashid, principal of Beaconhouse. The Ministry of Education-accredited high school has been experiencing robust growth over its five-year lifespan. Starting with one high school in Mississauga and six students, and now has two more in Brampton and Oakville with about 1,000 students. The demand for Beaconhouse's services is being spurred on by the significant increase in the number of students applying to university. Since 2000, university enrolment has increased by more than 42%. High demand means that university entrance marks have risen, requiring students to achieve grades in the 80s and even 90s. The university-hopeful students who attend Beaconhouse (www.beaconhouse.ca) are focused on boosting their marks and gaining an edge. For $750 per course, they learn in small groups, and have ample individual attention and support from instructors. Courses run 110 hours mandated by the ministry, but the comprehensive and personalized approach enables students to excel. "In our format, there is close contact with students, and we're able to modify teaching strategies to meet their needs. The teachers also encourage them to do their work on site so that they're not struggling with it when they're alone," Rashid says. Qualified and experienced high school teachers, even PhDs, teach Beaconhouse's grade 11 and 12 courses, available in all areas from math and science to English social sciences. Students may study part-time during weekday afternoons and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or even full time during weekdays. Last year, 93% of Beaconhouse students got accepted to the post-secondary school of their choice. Says Rashid: "Our technique really prepares students for what's next ­ we're able to ensure they're performing at the level required of post-secondary schools."