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Researching and Applying to University

  • How do I apply to an Ontario university?

    Visit "Information About Applying", on eINFO, for details about applying to an Ontario university.

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  • Where can I find detailed course content and descriptions?

    eINFO provides general information about university programs and admissions only. If you would like specific university or program details, such as course content and descriptions, visit the universities' websites and consult their undergraduate calendars. You can find the universities' websites by going to the "Important Information" section of eINFO, and clicking on the "Contact Information" link.

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  • How can I find out more about universities outside of Ontario?

    The Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) processes undergraduate applications for Ontario universities only. If you are interested in applying to a university outside of the province of Ontario, consult the university's website directly or visit your guidance office.

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  • I might take a year off after secondary school (a gap year). Can I apply now, and if I get accepted, just ask the university to defer my acceptance until next year?

    Policies about deferrals vary from university to university. Some universities allow deferrals, others do not. Those universities that allow deferrals vary in how they treat them: some universities may request that you re-apply after your gap year (and pay all the associated application fees again), even though you have a deferral, so that they can ensure that your application and personal information is up-to-date.

    Therefore, if you're interested in deferring admission, you must contact the university directly for more detailed information.

    Depending on the university's policies, it may be easier for you to apply once, halfway through your gap year. At that point, if you are not a secondary school student, you will have to use the OUAC 105 application, available at www.ouac.on.ca/ouac-105/. Keep in mind that you must still adhere to the university's application deadlines.

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  • I’m interested in programs that are offered jointly by colleges and universities, which let students earn a university degree and a college diploma at the same time. Where can I find this information?

    There are a variety of university-college collaborative programs available in Ontario. For some, you must apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC); for others, you must apply through the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS).

    Any programs that are available through the OUAC are listed on eINFO. A good way to find these programs is to use the Program Wizard and do a keyword search for the word “college”.

    To view a list of all university-college collaborative programs available in Ontario, go to the "Important Information" section of eINFO, and select the link called "Collaborative University and College Programs (PDF)". Once you find some programs you are interested in, contact the university and/or college directly for additional details.

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  • Where do I find the length of a program on eINFO?

    eINFO provides only general information about university programs and admissions. It is a starting point for university research - not the primary source of information. Some universities may list the number of years required for completion of their programs; other universities may not. It is always best to check with the universities themselves for the most accurate and up-to-date information. You can find university contact information on eINFO, under "Important Information".

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  • I live in another province, or in another country. Where can I find information about Ontario university program requirements?

    Go to the "Important Information" section of the website, and select the link titled "Applicants Outside Ontario". This section provides links to university admission information for students in other provinces and countries. Contact the universities directly if you have any questions about their admission requirements.

    Please note: Students from outside Ontario must use a different application process than Ontario students. View the eINFO section called "Information About Applying" for additional details.

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  • My grades are not as high as they could be, because some special circumstances in my life have negatively affected my school work in the past year(s). Will the universities consider my circumstances when making offers of admission? Is there a way that I can communicate this information to them?

    Most universities will consider special circumstances when making their offers of admission, but each one deals with them differently. For more information about each university's policies on extenuating/special circumstances, contact your guidance counsellor for assistance or contact the universities directly.

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Programs, Grade Ranges and Admissions

  • If a program says that the "Grade Range" is 82%, and I have 80%, should I still apply?

    Definitely. The grade ranges (and enrolment numbers) provided on eINFO are based on the previous year's first-year admission. The range will vary each year, according to the number and quality of applicants; therefore, you should consider the Grade Range not as a "cut-off point", but as a general guideline.

    Also, remember that many universities use supplemental information such as essays, portfolios, interviews and personal information forms to make their admission decisions, not only your academic average.

    Consult the universities directly for the most detailed information about admission requirements.

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  • I want to study History, but the university in which I'm interested does not offer History as a degree. Does this mean the university doesn't offer History at at all?

    The university probably does offer History, but it is listed as a "subject of major interest" rather than as a degree name. "Subjects of major interest" are essentially majors that you can specialize in as part of a more general degree program. For example, the university might have a degree called "Arts", through which you could study a number of subjects including History, Drama, Economics, English, French, Sociology, Philosophy, etc. To view all subjects of major interest available through a given program, you must go to that program's "Details" page. In order to study one of the specific subjects of major interest, you must apply to the general degree program.

    For the most up-to-date information about program availability, contact the university directly.

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  • I have heard that some programs require me to submit extra information in order to be considered for admission. Where do I find out about these additional admission criteria?

    Yes, certain programs do require you to provide additional information in order to be considered for admission. This additional information can include such things as evaluation forms, reference forms or autobiographical letters. In some instances, students must attend an interview or audition, or submit a portfolio. You will find this information in the Program Details section of eINFO, under "Quick Facts". (To get to the Program Details section, first compare some programs, and then click on the "More Information" button. Alternatively, you can click on a specific degree in the Program Wizard or Areas of Study Chart.)

    The best source of information is always the universities. Contact them directly for information about additional admission requirements.

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  • How do I know if changes have been made to the programs in which I am interested?

    The quickest way to find changes is to go to the "Addenda" page, located in the "Important Information" section of eINFO. On this page you will find a list of every program that has changed since it was first posted on eINFO in September. You can search for changes by university. The changes are organized by the date that they were made.

    If you are viewing a program in the "Compare" page or if you are viewing a program's details, you will know that changes have been made when there is a little "addenda" link at the top of the program entry. Select this link, and you will be able to view all changes made to the program since it was first posted in September.

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  • When the universities calculate my admission average or scholarship average, which courses do they use? Do they average all the courses that I have taken, or only the prerequisites, or only the top six courses?

    It will vary by university. Some universities use prerequisites in the calculation of averages, while others do not. You should research each university to see how they calculate averages.

    You can start your research in the "Offers of Admission" section of eINFO. This section outlines the number of courses that each university will use to calculate your average (and provides a lot of other very helpful admission information).

    Important note: The grade ranges provided on eINFO are guidelines that are based on the previous year's first-year admission. That range will vary each year, according to the number and quality of applicants. Therefore, you should consider the grade ranges on eINFO not as "cut-off points", but as general guidelines.

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  • How do universities treat grades from failed, repeated, or night school classes?

    Check out the "Offers of Admission" section of eINFO to find out how each university will treat these courses. Every university has a different policy.

    You should also contact the universities directly for more information. eINFO is only a starting point for research – not the primary source of information. The best source of up-to-date information is the universities themselves.

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  • I'm not an Ontario secondary school student. Where can I find information about program availability and admission requirements?

    Certains renseignements compilés ayant trait aux droits d'inscription sont également disponibles par le biais de la page du « Common University Data Ontario » (CUDO) au www.cou.on.ca/_bin/relatedSites/cudo.cfm

    The information on this website is primarily directed to Ontario secondary school students. However, if you are not an Ontario secondary school student, you may still use eINFO to find program admission requirements.

    If you live outside of Ontario, you can go to the "Important Information" section of the eINFO, select "Applicants Outside Ontario" and use the links provided to find details about each university's admission requirements.

    Alternatively, you can use the Program Wizard or the Areas of Study Chart to find some programs in which you are interested, then view each program's "Details" page. On the Details page you will see a section titled "Applicants from Outside Ontario" that will provide links to the university's admission requirements.

    If you live in Ontario, but are not currently enrolled at an Ontario secondary school, you may be subject to different admission requirements than those stated on eINFO. You should contact the universities directly for further information about their programs and admission policies.

     For additional details about how to apply to an Ontario university, visit the eINFO section called "Information About Applying".

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Scholarships and Financial Information

  • How can I afford university? Where can I get funding for my studies?

    Financial aid for university studies is available from a number of sources. Visit the "Financial Support" section of this website for further information.

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  • What is the best way to search for a scholarship on eINFO?

    The "Searchable Scholarships" page consists of a series of drop-down boxes with various search criteria. You can fill in as many or as few of the drop-down boxes as necessary to narrow your search. The best approach is to do several searches, using different criteria each time. Don't forget to check out the scholarships with "variable" numbers or monetary amounts.

    TIP: Scholarships are categorized according to how much money is provided per year. Therefore, a scholarship that appears in the "Under $1,500" category may look small; however, if it is renewable for four years, it could have a total, four-year value of up to $6,000. In comparison, a scholarship that appears in the "$3,000-$4,999" category looks larger, but if it is non-renewable (available for only one year), it would have the same (or lower) total value as the first scholarship. Check out the Glossary for definitions of “renewable”, “non-renewable”, and other terms you may need to know.

    For the most up-to-date information about scholarships, contact the universities directly.

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  • Where can I find tuition costs on eINFO?

    Tuition costs are not listed on eINFO. Consult the universities directly to obtain this information.

    Some compiled tuition information is also available on the Common University Data Ontario (CUDO) website at www.cou.on.ca/_bin/relatedSites/cudo.cfm.

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  • I'm not an Ontario secondary school student. Where can I find information about scholarships and bursaries available to me?

    The scholarships listed on eINFO are primarily available to Ontario secondary school students. However, many universities offer scholarships specifically to students applying from outside Ontario and from outside Canada. To find more information about this financial aid, contact the universities directly or visit their websites. 

    In the "Contact Information" section of eINFO, you will find links to each university's financial aid websites. These links provide a great starting point for your research.

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Using the Program Wizard

  • When I use the Program Wizard, I do not get any results. How can I get the results that I want?

    There are a number of possible reasons why you are not getting results.

    • If you have entered text into a search box, ensure that you have spelled everything correctly. Even a small error could invalidate the search. If you are uncertain about how to spell something, check the internet or university websites for proper spellings.
    • If you have used multiple search filters, consider removing one or two. Remember that each filter that you create is added to the others, so the more filters you create, the fewer results you will have. For example, if you have two filters, “co-op” and “engineering”, your results will show only co-op engineering programs. In order to view all co-op programs available as well as all engineering programs available, you would have to do two separate searches.

    A good way to search is to use only one filter at first, and see what results you get. If you need to narrow the results further, then add another filter at that point. The second filter will search through your existing results and provide a smaller number of results.

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  • When I do a search for "English" in the Program Wizard, the results include a lot of programs that don't have the word "English" in the program name. Is the search working?

    Many universities give their programs very general names, such as "Arts" or "Humanities" or "Science". However, you can usually study a wide variety of specific "subjects of major interest", such as English, through these programs. For example, a university might have a degree called "Arts", through which you could study a number of subjects including English, Drama, Economics, History, French, Sociology, Philosophy, etc. To view all subjects of major interest available through a given program, you must go to that program's "Details" page. In order to study one of the specific subjects of major interest, you must apply to the general degree program.

    So if you search for "English" and the program name does not include the word "English", the search is correct - you probably can study English through this program. You just need to check the program's details to be sure.

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Using the Areas of Study Chart

  • When I compare programs, there is a button that says "Remove Duplicates". What does this button mean?

    Sometimes, a university may have the same program listed in several study areas within the Areas of Study Chart. For example, a university's engineering program may be listed under Biological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, etc. Clicking the "Remove Duplicates" button will clean up your list of comparisons so that each program is only listed once.

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  • When I compare programs, I have several programs in my list that are identical. Why is this, and what should I do about it?

    Sometimes, a university may have the same program listed in several study areas within the Areas of Study Chart. For example, a university's engineering program may be listed under Biological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, etc. Clicking the "Remove Duplicates" button will clean up your list of comparisons so that each program is only listed once.

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  • Can I remove rows from the Areas of Study Chart if I don't need them?

    Yes. Simply select the rows and/or columns that you wish to keep, and then select the "Customize" button on the left side of the page. By "customizing" your grid, you will remove all rows or columns that are not in use. This tool is particularly handy if you are only interested in a few universities.

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  • Using the Areas of Study Chart, how can I view just one program's details, without having to compare it to another program?

    Using the Areas of Study Chart, simply select the one program in which you are interested, and keep your cursor on that degree. Within a few seconds, you should see a little "pop-up" box beside the degree, with the program name(s) inside. Select the program name from this box. You will then be taken to that program's details page.

    Alternatively, you can select the one program in which you are interested and then click the "Compare" button on the left of the Areas of Study Chart page. You will then go to the "Compare" page where you will see an overview of the program(s) represented by the degree. You can select "Program Details" for further information about one program.

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  • When I use the search box in the Areas of Study Chart, I don't always get the results that I want. How can I narrow down my search?

    If you are looking for very specific results, your best idea is to use the Program Wizard. The Wizard will find very specific keyword results.

    The search box that is located in the Areas of Study Chart will search through program names, program details, areas of study, degrees and university names. It is a very general search. If you use multiple words, like "Computer Science", the search will return any programs that contain the word "Computer", as well as any programs that contain the word "Science". This is not a very effective search because it will return a large number of programs.

    The best way to do a word search is to use multiple words, tied together by the word "and". For example, if you want to find only Computer Science programs, you should do a search for "Computer and Science". Another search might be "Waterloo and Engineering and Co-op", which would return only those programs that contain all three words.

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  • When I do a search for "English" in the Areas of Study Chart or the Program Wizard, the results include a lot of programs that don't have the word "English" in the program name. Is the search working?

    Many universities give their programs very general names, such as "Arts" or "Humanities" or "Science". However, you can usually study a wide variety of specific "subjects of major interest", such as English, through these programs. For example, a university might have a degree called "Arts", through which you could study a number of subjects including English, Drama, Economics, History, French, Sociology, Philosophy, etc. To view all subjects of major interest available through a given program, you must go to that program's "Details" page. In order to study one of the specific subjects of major interest, you must apply to the general degree program.

    So if you search for "English" and the program name does not include the word "English", the search is correct - you probably can study English through this program. You just need to check the program's details to be sure.

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  • What is the difference between the search box in the Areas of Study Chart and the "Search our Site" box at the top right of the site?

    The "Search our Site" box in the top right of the site will search through all information on the site, including programs, scholarships, campus visits, news, residence, language requirements, liaison numbers, universities and FAQs. In other words, it's a very broad search. The search results will be displayed in a list.

    In contrast, the search box in the Areas of Study Chart searches only program information (including the related degrees, study areas and university names), and results will be displayed within the Areas of Study Chart.

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Using eINFO - General Information

  • How do I save my searches?

    It's easy: In the Program Wizard, simply click the button that says "Save Search". In the Areas of Study Chart, click the button that says "Save your Selections and Results for Later". If you're already comparing programs, select "Save your Comparisons for Later". In each case, the "Save" button will bring you to the "Accounts" page, where you will need to create an eINFO account. To create an account, type your name (last name optional), a password, and an email address so that eINFO can send you a reminder email if you forget your password. Then click "Setup" and you're done! Your search is saved.

    If you log in to eINFO later, use the same email address and password to view, edit or delete any previously saved searches.

    Remember to check the eINFO Addenda page each time you log in, to see if any program details have changed since you last logged in.

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  • I want to see all the programs offered at one university in one easy-to-read chart. How can I do this?

    Just go to the eINFO homepage: www.electronicinfo.ca. On the right side of the page, click the grey button titled "PDF Download". That button will take you to a page where you can access PDFs that contain charts of each university's information, including grade range, prerequisites and additional admission criteria.

    Using the PDF, find the pages that interest you, then print only those pages.

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  • I want to print some information from eINFO. Is there an easy way to do this?

    Just go to the eINFO homepage: www.electronicinfo.ca. On the right side of the page, click the grey button titled "PDF Download". That button will take you to a page where you can access PDFs that contain charts of each university's information, including grade range, prerequisites and additional admission criteria.

    Using the PDF, find the pages that interest you, then print only those pages.

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Other Information

  • I am interested in Medical School (or Law School, or Rehabilitation Sciences, or Dentistry, etc.), but I can't find any information about it in the Program Wizard or Areas of Study Chart. Where can I find information about this program?

    Some programs, such as those listed above, cannot be entered directly from secondary school - you need some university studies in order to enrol. Details about these programs can be found in the Professional Programs section of eINFO, or in the "Programs Requiring Prior Studies" section.

    The following links provide additional information about some professional programs:
    Medical School: www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/
    Law School: www.ouac.on.ca/olsas/
    Teacher Education: www.ouac.on.ca/teas/
    Rehabilitation Sciences: www.ouac.on.ca/orpas/

    Contact the universities directly for further information about their professional programs.

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  • What is the OUAC and what does it do?

    "OUAC" is the acronym for the Ontario Universities' Application Centre. The OUAC is a centralized processing office for applications for undergraduate admission to Ontario universities. The OUAC receives and processes applications and then transfers the applications to the universities that applicants have selected.

    The OUAC does not make admissions decisions. That is the responsibility of the universities.

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  • How do I find information about applying to Ontario colleges?

    If you are interested in applying to an Ontario college, visit the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) website at www.ontariocolleges.ca or visit your guidance office.

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  • I have not yet found an answer to my question about applying to university. Where should I go for help?

    If you are an Ontario secondary school student:
    Visit www.ouac.on.ca/ouac-101/ for a variety of helpful links. Select "Common Questions" for a detailed list of answers to common application questions.

    You should also get in touch with your secondary school guidance counsellors. They have a great deal of experience with the application process and will be able to help guide you to the resources that you need.

    If you have specific questions about programs and their admission requirements that are not answered here, you should contact the universities directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

    Finally, if you still have questions about the application procedure or eINFO itself, you can contact the OUAC.

    If you are not currently registered in an Ontario secondary school day program:
    Visit www.ouac.on.ca/ouac-105/ for a variety of helpful links. Select "Have a question? We have the answer!" for a detailed list of answers to common application questions.

    If you have specific questions about programs and their admission requirements that are not answered here, you should contact the universities directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

    Finally, if you still have questions about the application procedure or eINFO itself, you can contact the OUAC. 

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