Applying to College & University in Ontario
College - At a Glance:
• Central application centre in Guelph: Ontario College Application
Service (OCAS)
• 5 choices for $95 (non-refundable) (Crown wards may be reimbursed)
• no more than 3 programs at any one college
• application will not be processed until payment is received – credit card
fastest
• apply at www.ontariocolleges.ca
• Feb. 1 deadline for equal consideration
• (Jan. 15 for early bird – win up to $2000)
University – At a Glance:
• Receive PIN codes by the end of November
• Application made through Ontario University Application Centre – OUAC.on.ca
• $150 for 3 choices (up to three programs per university unless limited by specific
institution). Additional choices $50 each
• Deadline - January 13, 2016 at 11:59 pm for equal consideration
-
Pay online with credit card easiest and fastest option
Online banking can be used – but takes three business days to process
You cannot use pre-paid credit or debit cards.
Acknowledgement Letter via email after application has been submitted and
payment verified
College - Steps:
• Complete your IPP on Career Cruising (from D2L or Westmount
web site – not through Google)
• Regularly check the College link on the Student Services web site
for college program updates, open houses, special events, etc.
• Become highly familiar with www.ontariocolleges.ca which is the
ultimate online resource for everything you ever wanted to know
about applying to college in Ontario
College – Steps continued:
• Research your options to determine which college program is right
for you:
• Perhaps you attended a College Information Program (CIP) in
Toronto on Oct. 19 or 20 or at Mohawk College on Oct. 23
• College Info Fair at Westmount Nov. 3 (Westdale Nov. 2)
• Lab session – Nov. 26, period 2, LC lab
• Mohawk College runs info sessions. See Going to College.
College – Steps continued:
• Check program requirements – not all colleges have the same requirements for
the same or similar programs
• Check the admission policy of each college, including grade differentials (e.g.
most colleges, including Mohawk, do not give bonus points for taking U or M
level courses (exceptions are Conestoga as well as Centennial and Ridgetown for
select programs) – check the chart!
• Check for additional admission requirements (audition, portfolio, CPR, etc.)
• Can apply for January 2017 programs as one of your 5 choices
• If applying for a highly competitive program, do NOT miss the Feb. 1 deadline!
University - Step One: Research!
• Ontario Universities’ Fair - Metro Toronto Convention Centre: Sept. 25 – 27
• Complete and reflect upon IPP (was due Oct. 9)
• University and College Fair – Westdale Secondary: Nov. 2, 5 – 8 pm (includes
Quebec and Atlantic universities)
• University and College Fair at Westmount Secondary: Nov. 3,
8:45 – 10:45 am
• electronicinfo.ca
• Application video tutorials
University - Step Two: Check Program Requirements
• In General, ENG4U1 is required for all programs.
• Humanities (ENG4U1 + 5 others)
• Social Science (ENG4U1 + 5 others plus check for math requirements)
• Science (ENG4U1, math and science requirements plus others)
• Engineering (ENG4U1, MHF4U1, MCV4U1, SCH4U1, SPH4U1 plus one
other)
• Business (ENG4U1 and generally two math requirements plus others)
University - Step Two: Check Program Requirements
• Six Grade 12 U/M including all required courses is referred to as your
admission average.
• Courses ending with a C or O and co-op courses do not count.
• Your admission average is often the number used for automatic
scholarships.
• Check each program you are applying to for the approximate
minimum cut-off average.
University - Step Three: Other Requirements
• Some programs require a Supplementary Application, Portfolio, or
Audition.
• Check with university websites for specific requirements and
deadlines.
• - For example at McMaster:
Health Science, Arts and Science, Integrated Science I, &
Midwifery require SA’s
• Studio Art - Portfolio Interviews
• Music/Drama - Auditions
How mid-semester marks and final marks are used for admission purposes
College
Semester 1 mid-semester marks are used for early
offers of admission for non-competitive programs
Semester 1 final marks are used for offers of admission
(may be disadvantaged if required courses are not first
semester for competitive programs)
University
Semester 1 mid-semester marks are NOT considered
Semester 1 final marks are considered
Semester 2 mid-semester marks are considered – the
majority of offers or rejections are released after this point
Semester 2 final marks are considered to keep an offer
Semester 2 mid-semester marks are sometimes used
to keep an offer (ie. must meet minimum requirement) Note – early offers of admission – where applicable –
Semester 2 final marks are used to keep an offer (ie.
must have met the terms of the offer)
generally are based on grade 11 final marks and grade 12
semester 1 final marks. Your admission average is still
recalculated at mid-semester second semester and at the
end of second semester to determine whether you still meet
the conditions of the early offer of admission (yes, some
students do lose their offers – so work hard all year!).
College – Prepare to Apply:
The Ontario Colleges web site is separated into categories:
APPLYING (application process
including a user guide)
COLLEGES (information about
colleges, locations, etc. and
financial information)
PROGRAMS (search for college
programs)
FAQ (frequently asked questions)
College – Prepare to Apply continued:
• Be sure to have a valid email address – you cannot apply to college
online without one!
• Have your Ontario Education Number (OEN) and student number
handy – they are located at the top of your mid-semester and final
report cards and on your student card.
• View the user guide - takes you through the online application step-bystep
College – Apply Online:
Now that you’re ready to apply, go to www.ontariocolleges.ca and click
“apply”, then “create new account”, then “sign up”
• Fill in the required fields, including username and password (which you will create)
• You will be sent an email from ontariocolleges.ca with your login information and will have
to click the link to log back in
• Simply follow all the prompts – skip over the “experience” section unless you have job or
volunteer experience RELATED to the program for which you are applying
• Do NOT make a transcript request – Westmount will forward your grades electronically
• If you have fewer than five college programs in mind so far, go ahead and apply now – you
can always add additional programs later (but before Feb. 1 for equal consideration)
College – Accept an Offer:
• Accept offers online by the deadline(s) stated in the offer(s) – in most cases, the deadline
to accept an offer will be May 1:
• Go to www.ontariocolleges.ca, and click “confirm”, then “confirm now”
• Sign into your account and click the “View Offers” tab
• You may accept only one offer in one 24 hour period
• You will receive an email from ontariocolleges.ca, confirming your acceptance
(contact OCAS if you do not receive an email confirmation)
College – Accept an Offer:
Can accept only one offer at a time
OCAS will inform the college that you have accepted its offer, and your
current acceptance will automatically cancel your previous acceptance.
*Remember* to pay tuition fees by the deadline set by the college, which will
be no earlier than June 15 (residence fees are different – follow the college’s
policy, if applicable).
If you become “stuck” during any stage of the application process, check the
user guide. If you are still stuck, click the Live Chat tab at the bottom of the
main web page, click “Help”, or phone/email OCAS directly. If you are still
stuck, see your guidance counsellor.
University – Apply Online: OUAC.ON.CA
University – Apply Online continued:
www.ouac.on.ca
101 Online Application
- Follow steps on creating application
University - Accepting an Offer:
• Accept online through Review and Change your Application Choices/Offers.
• Can change your mind about an offer but can only accept one offer at a
time.
University – Timelines:
• January 13, 2016 – Deadline for application
• February 5, 2016 – Recommended last date to make changes to your
application
• May 27, 2016 – Date by which universities must respond to your
application
• June 1, 2016 – Earliest date universities may ask you to respond to their
offer of admission
College Application Tips:
Important – if you apply after Feb. 1, you MUST notify your guidance
counsellor and the guidance secretary.
Check the grades data on your account regularly and report any
errors or omissions to your guidance counsellor ASAP.
Starting Feb. 1, check for offers on your online account – usually
later (end of March) for highly competitive programs.
College – Options Beyond the Typical:
• College to University – stepping stone
(see the Ontario College University Transfer Guide)
• Applied degrees – conferred by the college
Collaborative degrees – conferred by the university (eg. “MoMac” Nursing)
• Depending on the institution, must apply through college or university (or
either).
• Can search by type on the ontariocolleges web site
Further Planning:
TOUR the campuses in which you are interested.
Be sure to determine residence availability, criteria, costs, and
fee deadlines (if you do not plan to live at home).
If you have a disability (physical, learning, psychological, etc.),
be sure to contact the “disabilities office” early in the
application process. Refer to the Transitions Resource Guide for
comprehensive information.
Financial Assistance:
• For more detailed information, go to the Scholarships &
Resources link on our Student Services web site
• Attend the Financial Aid Workshop on Nov. 3 (period 4)
• Tip: apply for OSAP!
Web Site Demos:
www.ontariocolleges.ca
www.electronicinfo.ca
Let’s take a look:
www.ouac.on.ca
www.guidance.commons.hwdsb.on.ca
www.ontariocolleges.ca
www.electronicinfo.ca Remind service:
www.ouac.on.ca Enter this number on your cell:
289-203-1201
with this message:
@wsmt
Questions:
Let’s take a look:
www.ontariocolleges.ca
www.electronicinfo.ca
www.ouac.on.ca