Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find information about the Applicant Diversity Census?

The Undergraduate Application contains a series of questions about applicant diversity in the My Personal Details section. The purpose of the Applicant Diversity Census is to: assist in the implementation of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, ensure that the universities are recruiting and selecting classes representative of the Canadian population and address barriers to a…

Where can I find the Schedule of Dates?

Categories: General

You can find the current Schedule of Dates under “Counsellor Resources”. We typically post the schedule for the next cycle in the spring.

I have a student with several out-of-province and/or international courses. How do I indicate these equivalencies on their academic record?

Categories: Grades

You can add a comment using the Academic Information option in COLS. Note: Not all universities collect “Comment” information from the OUAC. If a student was granted equivalency credits for course work outside of the Ontario school system and you believe this information will affect the student’s admission decision, a hard-copy transcript from the out-of-province…

What can students do if they are refused admission to all their choices?

Categories: General

Beginning in June, Ontario high school students can search for openings at Ontario universities. To begin their search, students can visit the Undergraduate Application Guide and click “Search Open Programs”. Once they find an open program they would like to apply to, they can add it to their Undergraduate Application. We also encourage students to…

What documents should students upload in the Document Upload section of the Undergraduate Application?

Categories: Application Process

Students may upload documents to support their application, like proof of status in Canada, proof of extenuating circumstances, English-language test scores, etc. These documents are not mandatory. Not all universities accept the same types of documents. For some universities, students can upload documents in their application. For others, students send them directly to the university.…

What process should we follow when students who transfer to our school from another school already applied to university from the other school?

Categories: Application Process

You must complete the Student Transfer Between Schools form and email or fax it to the OUAC. You should do this as soon as the student’s Ontario Student Record (OSR) is transferred to your school. If the OUAC does not receive this notification, correspondence will continue to be forwarded to the other school and your…

How are midterm and final grades reported for courses taken at a school other than a student’s home school?

Categories: Grades

Schools can add and maintain courses for their part-time students through COLS. When a school updates a course for their part-time student, a notification is emailed automatically to the student’s home school. Note that the student must add the part-time school to the Education section of their application. How to View and Change Academic Info…

Are students required to include their current Ontario high school in the My Background section?

Yes. Students must provide information about all institutions where they have registered in 1 or more high school or postsecondary courses. Institutions may include, but are not limited to: Regular day schools Private schools Night schools Summer schools Online schools

Why is there no academic information showing when I’m in Application Information?

Categories: Grades

You are in Application Information and not in Academic Information, which is where this information is found in COLS. Courses, grades and diploma details are available only under Academic Information. You can add, view or edit the academic information there.

I have a student who repeated a course and received a higher final mark. When I try to add the course in COLS and select “repeat” under Course Status, I get an error message. What am I doing wrong?

Categories: Grades

When an applicant repeated the same course and received a higher mark, the “Repeat” designation should be placed against the course with the lower passing final grade and the credit value set to “0000”. Do not use the “Repeat” (code “R”) designation for failed attempts. The course with the higher mark should have a credit…