Applying to College & University in Ontario

General Overview When applying to publicly-funded colleges and universities in Ontario, you don’t actually apply directly to your college and university choices You apply online to an application centre in Guelph – OUAC for university applications and OCAS for college applications OUAC and OCAS forward your applications to your selected schools You can apply to college *today* if you so wish - ready to roll You have to wait to receive a PIN number to apply to university (usually November) How are you supposed to figure out where you should apply??

Steps – Research! Complete your IPP on Career Cruising (from D2L/HUB or Westmount web site – not through Google); explore your interests & personality (16personalities.com); email personality type to Ms. Rex to get premium profile Regularly check the Post-Secondary Information icon on the Guidance D2L/HUB page for college program updates, open houses, special events, etc. as well as school email account Ask your friends, family, teachers, co-workers, and guidance counsellors for advice 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 and www.electronicinfo.ca for university information What do I want to do FIRST?

College – Research continued: Research your options to determine which college program is right for you: Attend the College Fair at Mohawk College on October 19 (9 am -noon) Attend the College Fair in Toronto on Oct. 23 or 24; and/or Attend the Post-Secondary Fair at Westdale SS on Nov. 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Attend the College/University Info Fair at Westmount Nov. 6, 8:45-10:45 a.m. in the cafeteria Mohawk College runs College Information Sessions (next session is Dec. 10) – recommended (includes financial aid info)

University – Research continued: Ontario Universities’ Fair - Metro Toronto Convention Centre: Sept. 28-30 Complete and reflect upon IPP University and College Fair at Westmount Secondary: Nov. 6, 8:45 – 10:45 am electronicinfo.ca – here’s a link to an easy-to-read chart Application video tutorials

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 (Crown wards may be reimbursed) Deadline - January 16, 2019 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 (online banking is okay) Acknowledgement Letter via email after application has been submitted and payment verified

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 (no PIN required) Feb. 1 deadline for equal consideration mid-June – earliest date colleges can request payment (college will provide the date)

University - Step Two: Check Program Requirements Six Grade 12 U/M including all required courses is referred to as your admission average. 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 almost always two of the three 4U math requirements plus others)

University - Step Two: Check Program Requirements Some schools will use certain grade 11 marks for early offers (not McMaster). Some schools have programs that penalize students who repeat courses. 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. (Detailed information about all of these policies are available on the einfo web site.)

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, Engineering, Integrated Business & Humanities, Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Science, and Honours Integrated Science require SA’s; Nursing requires CASPer – click for dates; Midwifery requires an interview by invitation Studio Art - Portfolio Interviews Music/Drama – Auditions Check here to learn about additional information required for all university programs

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 their policies)! Check for additional admission requirements (audition, CASPer, portfolio, CPR, etc.) – for Nursing applicants where CASPer is required, check here for testing dates & info. Can apply for January 2019 programs as one of your 5 choices If applying for a highly competitive program, do NOT miss the Feb. 1 deadline!

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) Semester 2 mid-semester marks are sometimes used to keep an offer (ie. must meet minimum requirement) Semester 2 final marks are used to keep an offer (ie. must have met the terms of the offer) 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 Note – early offers of admission – where applicable – 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-by-step

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 in mid-June – date is determined by the college (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.

The College Application in a Nutshell: Watch this short and informative video and you’ll know everything you need to know about applying to college: Applying to College

University – apply online: ouac.on.ca

University – Apply Online continued: www.ouac.on.ca 101 Online Application Follow the steps on creating an 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 16, 2019 – Deadline for application February 5, 2019 – Recommended last date to make changes to your application May 29, 2019 – Date by which universities must respond to your application June 3, 2019 – Earliest date universities may ask you to respond to their offer of admission

College Application Tips: 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, including “highly competitive”

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 Post Secondary Information icon on the Guidance page on D2L/HUB: Money Matters – yconic.com, scholarshipscanada.com, etc. as well as overview of financial aid opportunities/procedure for school-nominated scholarships **Bi-monthly Scholarship Reports** Also: Check einfo and Ontario college websites/parents’ workplaces, etc. Apply for OSAP and check to see if you are eligible for the new Ontario Student Grant program – watch this informative video

Follow-up: *NEW* Community hours are due by Feb. 1/19 – submit to Ms. Abbott in the guidance office *Book a guidance appt before you apply to college or university to discuss your plan

Web Site Demos: www.ontariocolleges.ca www.electronicinfo.ca www.ouac.on.ca guidance page of The Hub Follow us on Instagram: westmountguidance Let’s take a look: www.ontariocolleges.ca www.electronicinfo.ca www.ouac.on.ca

Questions: Let’s take a look: www.ontariocolleges.ca www.electronicinfo.ca www.ouac.on.cad