COLS Features and Tips

Quick Links


Academic Information

In Academic Information, you can:

  • Update all academic information for your students.
  • Add, delete or update multiple courses at one time, resulting in easier maintenance.
  • Review any errors or warnings related to a student’s information. These errors and warnings may be the result of making manual changes or processing an Ontario Student Transcript (OST) file during a given collection period.
  • Search for errors and update course or diploma information.

Note: COLS is available throughout the summer for academic updates, including the OSSD indicator.

Video: How to View and Change Academic Info

Watch this video to learn how to check the status of and view student files in the Academic Information function.

How to View and Change Academic Info video transcript


Application Information

You can view all application information for students at your school who have applied to university.


Create a Student Account

We have replaced the previous Create a PIN option with a new functionality called “Create a Student Account”. This new functionality is now part of the Academic Information option. When you search for a student in Academic Information with no results, you will be able to create a student account for them. While most student accounts are created when a school sends an electronic file to the OUAC, there are situations where you might need to manually create a student account.

After creating a student account, you will be able to add the student’s academic information through Academic Information. Note that students will now only be able to view the academic information their school has sent to the OUAC in their Undergraduate Application after submitting their application. Contact us for more information.

Video: How to Create a Student Account

This video will show you how to manually create a student account using COLS.

How to Create a Student Account video transcript


How to Register Users in COLS

Watch this video to learn how to reactivate an existing user, register a new user, deactivate a user and modify user information in COLS.

How to Register Users in COLS video transcript


Reports

The Reports section features 3 reports:

  1. Applicant Status Report
      • Enter your selection criteria to create a report.
      • Search by the same program groupings used in the Undergraduate Application.
      • Available in Excel and HTML.
  2. Insufficient Credit Report
      • View the status of your students’ 4U/M courses.
  3. Courses Not Updated Report
      • The report lists students with courses without a final grade that were reported before the selected Start Date but were not subsequently updated through a grades file or manually through COLS, as of the current date.
      • Available in Excel and HTML.
      • Make any required updates in Academic Information.
      • Tip: Run this report in February or March to check for dropped courses that still show on students’ OUAC account.
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Video: How to Generate Reports Using COLS

Watch this video to learn how to generate 3 different reports to manage student information.

How to Generate Reports Using COLS video transcript


This function allows you to:

  • search the processing status of all grades files you send to the OUAC, including test files.
  • view the raw data sent in your file.
  • view a file summary that includes the number of records, and the number and type of errors and/or warnings.
  • determine exactly where these errors and/or warnings occurred within your file by providing you with line and position numbers.

Video: How to Search OST Files

Watch this video to learn how to search the OST files you send to the OUAC.

How to Search OST Files video transcript


Send OST Files

Send OST Files allows you to transfer demographic and grades data to the OUAC for potential university applicants. You can send a .zip file or select multiple files at once.

How to Send an OST File to the OUAC

  1. Click “Browse” to select a file from your computer.
  2. Click “Upload File(s)”.
  3. Wait for your file to appear in Pending Files with a “Received” status.
  4. Click “Process All Received Files Now” at the bottom of the screen.
Note: If you do not click “Process All Received Files Now”, we cannot process your file.

Video: How to Send OST Files

Watch this video to learn how to send your OST files to the OUAC.

How to Send OST Files video transcript


Student Checklist

The Student Checklist is an Excel file you can download that shows all students who have added your school to the Education section of their Undergraduate Application. This includes students who have submitted or not submitted an application and students whose grades have or have not been matched to their application. With the Excel file format, you can easily sort the information.

The checklist will be helpful to schools who do not send electronic grades files to the OUAC as it will allow them to easily identify the students they need to create a student account for to manually add their grades.

How to Use the Student Checklist


Test Application

Use the Test Application in COLS to view the Undergraduate Application. You need to create an OUAC account first to access the test application. Complete the application as if you are a Grade 12 student. Add OEN 999999998 in the Education section.

Important: Do not submit the test application.

Test OST Files

This function allows you to test your grades file for any collection period before sending it to the OUAC. It helps you reduce errors before submission.

Note: All test files are purged nightly.