Graduating Students

Tips for Graduating Students

1. Begin researching your post secondary school plans early; contact university/college liaison representatives and or find out about apprenticeship and work options. Use Web links below or visit the guidance office for more information.
2. Attend the university and college fairs. Listen to the announcements for in school visits.
3. If you are planning on attending a university/college out of province or country remember that their deadlines are early. SAT’s or other testing may also be required.
4. Take advantage of university and college fall, spring fairs and open houses. You would never buy a car without test driving it, why would you attend a university/college without visiting it.
5. Research costs. Think about how you will finance your education i.e. OSAP, scholarships or work. There are millions of dollars available. Scholarship applications take time to fill out; get started early.
6. Keep files for each university/college with important information they send you. Identify important deadlines on a calendar and keep it handy and visible.
7. Remember that deadlines are firm. By not meeting deadlines you are jeopardizing your application.
8. Supplemental and scholarship applications take time. Begin researching early and ensure that they are impeccably done.
9. Have a plan, work hard and stay focused. Final marks do count and offers are rescinded in July and August if you fall below cut off averages. If your marks improve some universities/colleges will increase scholarship offers.
10. Stay positive! It may be a tough year, but you can do it!

Please come see us in guidance if you need any help along the way!

Post-Secondary Pathways

• Apprenticeships are a paid job that provides a hands-on training program for people who want to work in a skilled trade and who enjoy learning by doing e.g. Automotive Service Technician, Electrician, Baker, Tool and Die Maker. Learn more about Apprenticeships from Skilled Trades Ontario.
• Colleges offer many types of programs. Some types are not available for direct entry from high school. Most high school students enter college through a Diploma Program. Learn more about College programs
• University programs are either 3 years (pass or general) or 4 years (honours) in length. Learn more about university programs in Ontario.
• Applying to Universities and Colleges Outside of Ontario. You are responsible for your application. Begin by finding out when each universities' deadlines are! Often they are earlier then those in Ontario! Guidance normally must fill in a portion of the application.
  • ACT refers to American College Testing. The ACT is a national admission examination that is required by many American colleges and universities.
  • The SAT is a standarized test widely used in the United States for post-secondary admission.
• Learn more about registered career colleges.
• If your first language is not English, you may be required to write an English language proficiency test as one of the requirements for admission to an Ontario college or university. One of the most commonly used tests is TOEFL - the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards

There are thousands of scholarships out there and it is just a matter of researching to find the ones that you qualify for. Remember, there are different types of scholarships:

• Automatic scholarships: Awarded by universities based solely on your entrance average (best 6 grade 12 U/M courses, usually but not always including your prerequisites for the program).
• Scholarships requiring applications: You must seek out and apply to the majority of scholarships. Scholarships, as the name implies, are based on academic merit and other criteria. Check out your parents’ place of work, the institutions you are applying to or one of the many scholarship web resources available on-line to find scholarships that you are eligible for.
• School Nominated Scholarships: You will notice that some scholarships say "School Nominated". This means that we will be nominating candidates on behalf of the school. If your average from grade 11 places you in the Top 25 students, you are eligible for school nominated scholarships with deadlines in semester 1. At the end of semester 1, we will generate a new Top 25 list based on semester 1 averages and this pool of candidates will be eligible for school nominated scholarships for semester 2. There is usually still a "Direct Entry" pool for these scholarships which means that even if you are not nominated by the school, you may still submit your application on your own.
• Bursaries: Unlike scholarships, bursaries are based less on academic merit and more on financial need. They will also require other criteria.

Resources

• Scholarships Canada. This is a free searchable database. Users must first register before conducting a search. This Canadian website gives you immediate access to a database of thousands of scholarships, bursaries, fellowships, grants and other financial awards.
• Student Awards. This web site is a free, searchable Canadian Scholarship database. It is also available in French. Like most other data bases you must register and fill in a profile in order to be allowed access to this site.
• School Finder. Find information on more than 700 Canadian universities, colleges and career colleges, including admission requirements, costs, programs and contact details. Search by keyword for programs, schools, careers and scholarships.
• Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). At the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) site, you can apply on line as well as check the status of your application, find out about loan forgiveness, and check to see if a particular institution is approved for OSAP. IMPORTANT: you can only apply for OASP once you have accepted your final offer of admission.
• Electronic Info. Provided, is a listing of scholarships and awards offered at each institution and whether an application is required or not.
• Scholarship and Financial Aid at Ontario Colleges. This site provides a link to all of the Ontario college financial aid departments and scholarship opportunities under the "Pay for College" tab.
• Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. This is your single stop for complete, up-to-date information on Canadian higher education. Universities, publications, international activities, scholarships, advocacy, and much more - all the information is here - in a single window.
• CANLEARN. Government of Canada site with all kinds of resources for planning your post-secondary education including financial planning and aid information.

Financing Your Education

Paying for post-secondary education is something many parents think about from the time their children are born. Children begin to think about it as they grow closer to graduation. These resources will assist you with calculating costs, planning and financing post-secondary education.