When you’re ready to submit your post-secondary application(s), you’ve probably already done plenty of research, working through information about programs requirements, career outcomes, and institution amenities. As you fill out your applications online and work through the next stages of the application process, there are six things to bear in mind that will make the whole process go smoothly.
Contact information
Double-check that your contact information is correct on your Ontario college (OCAS) and/or university (OUAC) applications: your email address, phone number and home address are all essential.
Mistakes do happen! Colleges and universities typically send both email and snail mail responses to your initial application, and these often include important information about the school, upcoming events that may be helpful to you, and your next steps in the application process. If your OCAS or OUAC application says “submitted” but you have not heard directly from a particular school within a couple of weeks of submitting your application, you will probably be wise to give that school’s admissions office a call to confirm that they’ve received your application and that they will be sending out the expected information package.
Ranking your choices
In general, you do not need to rank your preference of post-secondary schools on your college or university application. If you already have a definite first or second choice, however, it doesn’t hurt to put them in order of preference in case certain schools’ admission procedures change in the future.
However, if you are applying to more than one program at the same school, you should definitely rank those programs in order of preference. If you are offered admission to one program at the school, you may not be offered admission to a different one unless it ranks higher on your application form. It’s best to have your program preferences figured out early on, but if you feel you’ve made a mistake, you can always change your ranking on your online application at any time during the application process, and this could potentially change the offers of admittance you’ll receive.
Keep track of your application numbers and other details
You will receive an application number from the OCAS and/or OUAC application services when you initially submit an application. You can use this to keep track of your application status online. Your post-secondary application(s) can also be adjusted easily online through these application services, so make changes to your applications immediately if your plans or goals change.
You may receive several other important identification numbers through the application process, such as a student number for each institution to which you applied, an OSAP application number if you applied for a student loan, perhaps some residence application numbers, etc. Devise a strategy to keep track of all of these, as well as any deadlines for the submission of supplemental information (if your application requires any), the acceptance of any offers, the due dates for registration/tuition deposits, residence deposits, etc. Setting up a spreadsheet and/or a physical organizational system for all the emails and paper information you receive from each school or program may save you from undue stress and make the choices and tasks you will undertake later much easier.
Make your payments in plenty of time
Pay any required fees the week before the due date, if possible. This includes your initial college and university applications, but also any supplementary fees for review of documents such as portfolios (if necessary for your application), deposits to be paid upon accepting an offer of admittance, residence deposit, registration/tuition fees, etc. In many cases, online payments must be made either by credit card (which may take several days to be received by the school), or by direct withdrawal from only a few specific banks. Check out in advance what payment formats will be accepted, and send your payment with plenty of time for it to be processed.
If you are offered funding through OSAP, you can have it sent directly to the post-secondary institution. In that case, the school will then require any tuition fees in excess of your OSAP funding to be paid later in the month that you start classes. If you know that you will have difficulty paying your tuition fees on time, talk to the college’s/university’s Financial Aid office, as they may be able to set up a different payment plan for you. They may also have some other funding ideas to help you manage your fees.
Check your email
Check emails frequently to ensure you don’t miss any of that important information sent from the post-secondary institutions you applied to. This is especially important if you’ve applied to a program that has additional requirements, such as a portfolio or reference letter, as instructions for these are often sent in the weeks after you’ve applied. You may also receive essential communication from OSAP, the institutions’ Financial Aid offices, residences, etc., so keep checking and responding to those emails even after you’ve started your post-secondary classes. You don’t want to miss any details or deadlines!
It is highly recommended to include a parent’s email address in your initial post-secondary application as well, since that person will then receive a copy of most of the important emails sent to you, making it less likely that future communications might get missed.
Ask questions
When you have questions about your application, get in touch with the admissions department at that school right away to get the answers you need. Many college and university admissions departments are very busy and are not known for providing immediate responses, so calling or emailing them as soon as your question comes up is prudent to ensure you get an answer before too long.
Most schools also have a liaison office that can provide general information and answer common questions from potential future students. Often they use a chat box on the school’s website, or can be accessed via a general “info” email. If they cannot answer your questions, they can direct you to another office to get appropriate answers.
If you have questions about a specific program that you’ve applied to, find the contact details for a program director or program liaison person on that program’s own web page. Having all the information that you need about a program is essential before and during the application process, to ensure that you can make the best program choices for you.
Also, don’t hesitate to get in touch with institutions’ Financial Aid offices, Student Services offices, residences, athletic services, etc., when you have any questions – only by knowing all the details can you make educated decisions about your future.
Applying for college and university can involve keeping track of lots of information and lots of “paperwork,” all of which can seem overwhelming. Being very careful with your application, keeping on top of all the details and deadlines, making adjustments right away if your plans change, and following through on all the requirements in a timely manner will have you sailing smoothly through to your post-secondary life.
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