How to Apply to Universities in Canada

In this article, we will show you the necessary steps to successfully gain admission into Canadian Universities. Canada is one of the top study destinations for international students due to the country’s educational standard and employment prospect after studies. But before we continue, we have an article on things you should know about studying in Canada, check it out first.

As a foreign student studying in Canada, you will be given a work permit while studying with a limited amount of working hours. But on completion of studies, a two or three years study program will attract a full-time work permit of two or three years while a one-year study program will attract a one-year full-time work permit.

However, these benefits are only for open for students who are admitted to a Canadian university. This post will assist you in making a successful admission application into any Canadian institution of your choice.

If you follow this step by step guide outlined below, your chances of gaining admission into a Canadian university as an international student will be enhanced.

HOW TO APPLY TO UNIVERSITIES IN CANADA

This post is segmented into stages to aid foreign students who wish to study in Canada.

1. Organization Stage

Gathering information about schools offering your course
Taking the TOEFL test (Some schools do not require this)
Getting recommendation letters from professors and lecturers
Waiting for school’s to process your applications
Waiting for your visa to be granted

Early application is key, you need to start the application process as early as possible because the whole process from application to visa acquisition may take up to 7- 8 months.

Admission is Canada is done three times a year (September, February, and May). However, the deadlines for admission application vary by school and province.

2. Choose your program of study and type of degree

Make a decision on the program(s) of study you’ll like to go for
The type of degree (Diploma, Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Advanced Diploma, Post graduate Diploma, Masters degree)

It is important to note that different programs/majors can have different admission requirements and deadlines. Browse through the list of universities in Canada to obtain information about the programs they have to offer.

3. Choose your top three to five universities to apply to

After going through the list of universities in Canada, select at least five schools that are offering your intended program of study. Furthermore, check for their respective suitability in terms of fees, tuition costs, programs, descriptions of each school and lots of other information such as is available climate type, campus size, big city or small, recreational activities. These will assist you in making your choice. Whichever Canadian school you choose, your degree will be globally recognized.

4. Get to know the schools’ admissions requirements.

Now go to the websites of the universities you’re interested in.
Look for the international students and the admission sections on their webpage.
Find the school’s requirements for admitting foreign students.
Also look for a potential supervisor/advisor to contact. If you can’t find the information, call the school or e-mail. Some schools even have online chats.
As each province or territory governs its universities, the requirements set by each one are different. You’ll notice as well that tuition and other fees vary which is due to the amount of subsidization by each provincial government.
Although every university’s requirements and deadlines can be different, some are common to all. Each of these requirements can take months to complete.

5. Apply Online or obtain the admissions forms

Most Canadian universities allow prospective students to apply online while few will request that you should download the application form.

Note that official documents, like your transcripts, still must be mailed to the university.

Application fee ranging from 75-100 Canadian dollars will be charged for application submission.

In most provinces in Canada, you directly contact each university you want to apply to. Ontario is the exception. To apply to any university in Ontario, you must apply through The Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) webpage.

For prospective postgraduate students, they are advised to find a potential supervisor for their program
You should try to contact the financial aid office to learn about what financial aid and scholarships you can apply for. You can use this government site to search for international scholarships.

6. Things to do while waiting for acceptance offers

Once you get the applications for each school submitted, you will need to wait for admission decision to be reached on your application. It will take 3-5 months for admission decision to be made on your application.

During the waiting period, there are other tasks you should work on.

Housing: Make a decision on where you will like to stay in Canada and how much you can afford to pay for accommodation. Living on campus, in residence, is an affordable option, but space is limited and in high demand. You need to apply as soon as you can.

Try to learn more about the schools you applied to, the city and province they are in. Many Canadian universities have international student handbooks (PDF file) available to download that cover vital information as well as the steps you should do before and after arriving. Or they have a dedicated section on their website to assist international students

Be in constant touch with your Advisor: Find out when you have to be there by and what their orientation is like. Will their orientation get you completely settled in and ready to attend class, or will you be expected to do some tasks yourself?

You should start planning your travel arrangements.

Also start getting your passport, especially if you’ve never had one. Note that your name on your passport must match what you put on the school application forms.

7. Choosing which school you will attend

Upon admission acceptance and admission from all the schools or some of the schools, you need to decide which one you will accept.

After you have accepted the university’s offer, you will receive from them an official offer of admission letter. This is one of the documents necessary to apply for your Canada Study Permit. Make a few copies of this letter. You’ll need to present one when you enter Canada.

From the university, you will also find out when you can start registering for classes and what deposit you need to pay. You should register as soon as possible so you need figure out what your schedule/timetable will be. Plan for some alternate classes in case your first choices become full. After you’re registered for classes, make sure to find out how much your fees are when you have to pay them by.