Applications for SPRINT 2025 have now closed.
Check back in April or May for SPRINT 2026 applications.
Please note that the application selection process may be updated in future iterations.
1. Eligibility Screening
You must be a student enrolled in and attending a high school in Ontario, Canada.
Your application is complete, meets the word count, and demonstrates your strong interest in psychology and research, which includes intentions to pursue the field academically and/or professionally in the future.
You have not participated in the Research Stream of SPRINT before.
2. Weighted Evaluation Based on Prioritized Social Identities
As a program committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) in psychology and higher education, SPRINT prioritizes applicants who identify as Indigenous, Black, and racialized and/or members of other historically underrepresented social groups. SPRINT also prioritizes upper-year high school students given they will no longer be eligible to participate after graduation, as well as former SPRINT applicants to recognize their continued interest in the program. All of which is determined through a weighted evaluation with the following distribution:
Racial/Ethnocultural identity: 50%
Gender identity: 20%
Highest educational attainment of parent(s)/guardian(s): 20%
Grade (Grade 9/10/11/12): 10%
Previous applicant (Applied previously, but not selected): 10%
3. Lottery Selection
Based on the weighted evaluation above, a random lottery will be used to select the participants for this year's cohort. A waitlist will also be generated based on eligibility and priority.
While we greatly appreciate international interests in our program, SPRINT is only open to students enrolled in a high school in Ontario, Canada due to:
Considerations for distance, given the program takes place in person at the University of Toronto, St. George campus; and
A commitment to supporting and giving back to local Indigenous, Black, and racialized (IBR) communities.
SPRINT was launched as an anti-racist initiative to provide Indigenous, Black, and racialized (IBR) high school students with access to psychology content and research experience. We seek to center Black and Indigenous students, which is well-aligned with the recommendations of the University of Toronto Anti-Black Racism Task Force and the Steering Committee for University of Toronto Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The legal framework that allows for certain identities to be prioritized in diversity initiatives has been summarized by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
In 2024, SPRINT also began prioritizing applicants from other historically underrepresented groups in psychology and higher education, such as gender-minority and first-generation university students, to more comprehensively address the issues of equity, diversity, and inclusivity in Canada.
Meanwhile, we prioritize upper-year high school students to ensure those who will no longer be eligible to apply to future SPRINT iterations have the opportunity to access it this year. We also prioritize previous applicants who were not selected to recognize their continued interest in the program.
Why are there two program streams?
In 2023, SPRINT introduced two program streams, a Lecture Stream and a Research Stream, to broaden participation, while accommodating the different interests and goals of participating students. High school participants are selected into one of the two program streams based on their indicated preference and program capacity. Learn more about the two program streams on our Program page!