Applying to Post Secondary School

Please check with your Guidance Counsellor for timelines for applying to Post Secondary Schools.

What information will I need for my online application?

You will need:

• Demographic data including name, address, postal code, date of birth, and telephone number (if you are a current secondary school student, this is provided by your school).

• A valid email account.

• Social Insurance Number (SIN)  - You may still apply without a SIN, but you must supply the college with a SIN number, if you wish to receive an income tax credit for your college tuition.

• Ontario Education Number (OEN) - The OEN is a student identification number that has been assigned by the Ministry of Education to elementary and high school students in Ontario. Your OEN appears on all report cards and Credit Counselling Summaries. 

• For university, your Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) access codes (your school number, your student number and your personal identification number - PIN), which will be distributed by your Guidance Department.

• To provide your status in Canada (Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident/Landed Immigrant, Student Authorization/Visa Student, Other). If you were not born in Canada, you will need to know the year and the month that you arrived in Canada.

• Method of payment (online banking, online credit card, certified cheque or money order, credit card by phone or a mail-in credit card form)

• To select your college and university program choices:

  • college has up to five choices with a maximum of three choices for any one college

  • university has up to three choices, but you can pay an additional fee for additional choices

• To record your unique username, password, and other unique application information.

• Your high school to electronically send your academic data to the application centres.

What happens if I change schools during the school year?

• If you already have an account with Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) or if you are opening an OCAS account for the first time, you must arrange for your new school to inform OCAS about the change of high school. This will ensure that your academic data is sent to OCAS.

• If you already have your OUAC access codes, you must arrange for your new school to inform OUAC about the change of high school. This will ensure that your academic data is sent to OUAC.

• If you do not have an OUAC access code, in early October, you must ask your Guidance Counsellor to "initiate a SSOLA record" for you. This will generate the appropriate access codes for you to apply online.

College

• Once you understand the application process, visit ontariocolleges.ca, select Apply Now. OCAS has a number of valuable resources on their website to help you through the process.

• Before you can Sign In, you will need to Sign Up.

• Record the Username and the Password that you have selected to access your account, because you will use the same username and password to return to your application to make changes or check the status of your application. If you applied last year, use the same username and password to apply for this year.

• At the end of the online application process, you will receive a unique OCAS number. Record your OCAS number in case you need to contact OCAS in the future.

• If you are a high school student, your school will already have submitted a transcript for you. (Once you have paid your fees and received your Verification Form from OCAS, your will be able to go to the OCAS site, choose Apply to college, choose Review or update your application, login to your account and review your academic information under the heading Information - Grades).

• If you are not a high school student, on the OCAS Homepage, choose Apply, Sign In and then read the section on Transcripts and Grades. You may need to contact your last high school or school board to acquire a copy of your high school transcript.

University

• If you are currently registered as a day school student in an Ontario Secondary School, you will apply online using the OUAC 101 Secondary School Online Application.
  You must apply to university through your Guidance department to ensure that your grades will be transmitted to OUAC.

• If you are NOT currently registered as a day school student at an Ontario Secondary School, you will apply online using the OUAC 105 process.
  Please read the criteria carefully to determine if you should be using the OUAC 105D or the OUAC 105F online application.

Winter Programs

• To be eligible for winter entry programs, applicants must have completed the requirements of the OSSD before January. Applicants interested in applying to a college for entry to a winter session will be able to do so online by selecting the correct Start Date.

• Learn more about the application process for Mature Students.