Applications for universities within Ontario can all be found through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre, but this isn’t the case for schools in the rest of Canada. Each school has their own application which is usually located on their website. Although every university is different, here are some things to do or look for regardless of which university you are trying to apply to.

First and foremost you should explore your options. Do not limit yourself to a certain school or program just because it is close, or you know someone there, or it is the one you have always dreamed of. Let yourself explore and see what is out there. I would recommend at least looking through a handful of school websites, even if you are already confident in one place. 

Once you have made a list of places you would like to apply to it is time to actually apply! Most university applications are done on the university’s website. Even those schools who use third parties will have a link somewhere on their website to that location. Look for tabs or prompts such as “Apply Now” or “Admissions”. Remember that if you ever get stuck or confused the university will have a number you can call. Universities are meant to serve students so don’t be afraid to ask for help, they should be happy to help you.

Most applications will have you start a student account or give you a username to track your progress under. Make sure you right down all of the usernames and passwords somewhere because if you are applying to multiple school’s these can get easily confused. I would also recommend completing any written parts to the application in a second document incase a similar question arises on another application. Another tip I have is make sure you save the application often while working on it. Some applications are very long and most of them will time out after a certain duration. Make sure you save what you write.

Once you have submitted the application it is time to wait! I remember how painful it was waiting to here back from all of the universities. My only advice is to check your email often, but not so often that you go crazy. You should also check their website for an admission timeline so that you have a general idea of when you will be hearing back. Never hesitate to find help whether it is from the university or a member here at Ask an Undergrad and good luck on your post secondary journey.

– Kaitlyn Busson, Bioveterinary Sciences at Dalhousie University