The Pearson School Nomination: Your First and Hardest Hurdle

The Pearson Scholarship starts at your school, not at U of T. Without a nomination, the Pearson application link never arrives and you cannot be considered. U of T describes this as part of the selection process itself: schools are asked to choose “your top candidate for nomination”.

How the nomination works

1. 1
   From 6 July 2026

   Returning schools receive a nomination form

   Schools already verified by University Admissions & Outreach and the Registrar’s Office are emailed a personalised, secure nomination form at their contact on record.

2. 2
   By noon ET, 9 October 2026

   New schools apply to join

   A staff member completes the school participation form with an official school email. If approved, U of T sends nomination instructions.

3. 3
   By 9 October 2026

   The school nominates one student

   One nominee per school per year. The school can nominate you before you apply to U of T.

4. 4
   After nomination

   You receive a private Pearson link

   U of T emails the nominee a private application link, which you complete after applying for admission.

Dates are from U of T’s Pearson page and the school participation form, checked 6 October 2026.

One student per school

U of T is explicit: “Schools can nominate one student per year.” If your school has several strong international students, it will run its own internal selection. Some schools set internal deadlines weeks before October; others choose on reputation alone. Ask early how your school decides, and whether there is an internal form, interview or essay.

U of T encourages schools to nominate “the student that best exemplifies the qualities of a Pearson Scholar” — exceptional academics, creativity and leadership, with potential to contribute to the global community. That is the brief your counsellor is working to.

Many schools, especially outside major international-school networks, have never nominated anyone. They can still join. On the participation form U of T asks for:

• the school name, address and country (search the list first; if it is already there, the school is registered and should not resubmit);
• the curriculum offered (IB, A Level, national curricula and more);
• the staff member’s name, job title, phone and official school or government email address.

If your school is registered but the counsellor never saw the July email, the contact on record may be out of date. U of T asks schools to write to pearson.scholarship@utoronto.ca to update their details.

How to ask for the nomination

Treat the request like a short, professional application. Your counsellor may be choosing between several students and also writing references for other universities. Make the decision easy:

• Ask in person, early. If you are reading this in October, ask today.
• Bring a one-page summary. Grades, the U of T program you will list first, two or three leadership or community projects with outcomes, and anything creative you have built or started.
• Show you will meet the U of T deadline. Confirm you will submit your admission application by 16 October 2026.
• Share the official links. Point your counsellor to the Pearson page and, if needed, the participation form.

Common nomination questions

Can my school nominate me before I apply to U of T? Yes. U of T confirms this, but you must apply for admission before you can submit the scholarship application.

Can a tutoring centre, agent or NGO nominate me? No. U of T says recipients “can only be nominated by their current secondary school through our online process”.

I finished school in June 2026. Who nominates me? Your current or most recent secondary school is the natural nominator, but U of T’s wording refers to your “current” school. Confirm with U of T through the inquiry form and with your school before 9 October.