2018
Counsellors’ University
Application Handbook
www.ouac.on.ca/guidance
Contents
A: General Procedures.............................................................................................................................................4
Communication/Distribution of Materials to High Schools.......................................................................................4
Who May Use the 101 Application........................................................................................................................................ 5
Who May Use the 105 Application....................................................................................................................................... 5
November Application Data File.......................................................................................................................................... 6
Transfer Students/Late Applicants...................................................................................................................................... 6
Second Semester Only Applicants...................................................................................................................................... 7
Withdrawing an Application................................................................................................................................................... 7
B: Special Procedures..............................................................................................................................................8
International Baccalaureate (IB) Applicants.................................................................................................................... 8
Out‑of‑Province Institutions................................................................................................................................................... 8
January Admission (Winter Entry)...................................................................................................................................... 8
Applying to Out-of-Province Universities......................................................................................................................... 9
Applying to the Royal Military College of Canada........................................................................................................ 9
C: Fee Schedule and Payment Options.............................................................................................................. 10
Payment Details......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Methods of Payment............................................................................................................................................................... 10
D: OUAC Acknowledgement and Application Changes................................................................................... 11
OUAC Acknowledgement........................................................................................................................................................11
Application Changes.................................................................................................................................................................11
Applicant Status Report..........................................................................................................................................................11
Insufficient Credit Report........................................................................................................................................................11
E: Offers of Admission........................................................................................................................................... 12
Communication from the Universities...............................................................................................................................12
Applicant Responses to Offers of Admission.................................................................................................................12
Changing Responses to Offers of Admission.................................................................................................................12
Re‑Accepting a Previously Cancelled or Expired Offer..............................................................................................13
Changing Program Choices With an Accepted Offer.................................................................................................13
Applicants Who Are Deferred at Early Admission.......................................................................................................13
Applicants Who Are Refused Admission.........................................................................................................................13
Verifying Receipt of a Response to an Offer of Admission......................................................................................13
F: Secondary School Grades Processing............................................................................................................ 14
Overview...................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Recording Academic Data.................................................................................................................................................... 14
Process for Grades Collection Periods.......................................................................................................................................15
Verification of Grades Received...........................................................................................................................................16
Important Details.......................................................................................................................................................................16
Appendix
Appendix
Appendix
Appendix
Appendix
Appendix
A: Valid Codes for Reporting Academic Data..................................................................................................18
B: Rules for Automatically Dropping Course Records..........................................................................................21
C: Schedule of Dates.................................................................................................................................................22
D: Grades File Errors/Warnings............................................................................................................................24
E: Other Services........................................................................................................................................................26
F: University Contacts...............................................................................................................................................28
Special Notices
Secondary School Online
Application (SSOLA)
We wish you the best in the upcoming year and
look forward to assisting you.
The secondary school online application system is
referred to as SSOLA.
Useful Websites
SSOLA schools are those registered with the
Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC)
to offer their students the online application and
amendment systems.
Undergraduate and Professional Applications:
www.ouac.on.ca/applications
Non‑SSOLA schools are those whose students will
use the paper application and manual amendment
procedures.
Counsellors’ Online Services (COLS)
COLS are online inquiry, academic update and
reporting tools available to school officials at both
SSOLA and non‑SSOLA schools (see Appendix E:
Other Services).
Updates to University Program
Information
101 Online Application:
www.ouac.on.ca/ouac‑101
105 Online Application:
www.ouac.on.ca/ouac‑105
The OUAC Guidance Site:
www.ouac.on.ca/guidance
Counsellors’ Online Services:
www.ouac.on.ca/guidance/cols
eINFO, OUF and UIP:
www.myfuture.ca
Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP):
www.ontario.ca/osap
Changes to the high school curriculum admission
requirements are not only becoming more complex,
but also continuing to evolve as the universities
address institutional, systemic and educational
challenges.
Since the OUAC information and university program
information is finalized many months ahead of the
application cycle, some information will become
outdated and changes will be made throughout the
year.
To address this issue, the OUAC provides updates on
our websites as necessary. We urge counsellors to
advise students to consult the website and to visit
university websites to obtain updated information
about the programs they intend to apply to.
You can download and print additional copies of
this publication at: www.ouac.on.ca/guidance.
Ce document est également disponible en français :
www.ouac.on.ca/guidance/fr.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
To obtain this document in an alternative format,
contact the Ontario Universities’ Application
Centre.
Telephone: 519‑823‑1940
Fax: 519‑822‑1682
Website: www.ouac.on.ca/accessibility
3
A: General Procedures
Communication/Distribution of
Materials to High Schools
Late August
• The OUAC launches eINFO:
www.electronicinfo.ca.
• The following materials are sent to high schools:
–– NEW! eINFO postcards
–– 101 posters
–– 105 posters
–– OUF and UIP posters
–– COLS registration forms
–– School Data Collection Sheet
• January Admission (winter entry) availability is
posted online at: www.ouac.on.ca/ouac‑101.
• In the Loop newsletter is posted on the Guidance
site: https://loop.ouac.on.ca.
October
• Application Access Code letters for January
Admission (winter entry) are emailed to high
schools.
• COLS user IDs and passwords are emailed to
high schools/school boards.
• A Winter Entry Applicant Report may be
viewed or printed at any time through COLS by
authorized school officials.
• Final Applicant Status Reports from the previous
year are available through COLS.
November
• Application Access Code letters for September
Admission (online access codes for all students
listed on the school’s November data file sent
to the OUAC prior to the November deadline)
are created. Schools are able to print the
letters themselves through the PIN Letter
Generation option under “PINs”; or, the OUAC
prints the letters and mails them to the schools.
Note: We ask that all schools who chose to print
their own letters to advise the OUAC by email at
guidance@ouac.on.ca.
• Authorized
school
officials
may
access
application records through COLS for students at
their school as applications are submitted.
• Acknowledgement emails are immediately
sent to students when they submit their online
application.
•
•
The OUAC emails school officials and students,
requesting online verification of submitted and
processed February grades.
An audit checklist is made available to all schools
with applicants who have less than six 4U/M
courses.
April
• The OUAC emails school officials and students,
requesting online verification of submitted and
processed April grades.
Mid‑May
• The following materials are posted on the
Guidance site:
–– In the Loop – with updates on current‑year
processing and changes for the upcoming
cycle.
–– The Schedule of Dates for the upcoming
cycle.
–– The Admission Information Service start-up
date announcement.
• Applicant Status Reports may be viewed or
printed at any time through COLS by authorized
school officials.
• The OUAC emails Offer of Admission Response
Instructions to school officials and students.
• An audit checklist is made available to all
schools with applicants who have less than six
4U/M courses.
July
• The OUAC emails school officials and students
to request online verification of submitted and
processed July grades.
• The OUAC emails applicants who have less than
six 4U/M courses.
February
• Applicant Status Reports may be viewed or
printed through COLS by authorized school
officials.
4
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Who May Use the 101 Application
Who May Use the 105 Application
An applicant should use the 101 Application if they
meet all of the following requirements:
An applicant should use the 105 application if they
meet any of the following requirements:
•
They are taking courses during the day at an
Ontario high school (this includes students
returning for second semester and graduated
students returning to upgrade 1 or more courses).
•
Attended a high school in another province or
country and now plan to attend an Ontario high
school, but have less than six 4U/M courses.
•
They have not, at some point, been out of high
school for more than 7 consecutive months.
•
Attended a postsecondary (college/university/
career college) institution.
•
They received/will receive their Ontario
Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with six
4U/M courses at the end of the current year.
•
Registered in an Ontario high school but have
been, at some point, out of high school for more
than 7 consecutive months.
•
They have not attended a postsecondary
(college/university/career college) institution.
•
•
They are applying to first year of an undergraduate
degree program or diploma program at an
Ontario university.
Registered only in night school courses or virtual/
online courses, or are enrolled in any other form
of distance education, such as internet courses
(e.g., they do not hold simultaneous registration
in day school and night school).
The following additional information may assist
school officials in determining the type of
application to be used.
•
•
•
Applicants who meet the requirements listed
above and who are registered simultaneously
in 2 day schools, day school/night school or
day school/correspondence (or other distance
education modes of study) should use the
101 Application. The applicant’s day school is
responsible for submitting all information about
courses and grades for that applicant.
Applicants who will attend second semester
only, and who meet the criteria noted above,
should use the 101 Application. However, those
students who intended to, but did not, register
for second semester and who have already
applied using the 101 Application must contact
the OUAC prior to February 1 for instructions on
how to transfer the 101 Application over to the
105 Application.
Where applicants are attending 2 day schools,
1 of the day schools must become the “home”
school and hold responsibility for submitting all
academic data on the applicant’s behalf.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Notes:
1. If an applicant completed a 105 Application and
is now registered at your high school for second
semester, contact the OUAC for instructions
on how to proceed. The fees paid through the
105 Application are non‑refundable but may be
used toward the applicant’s 101 Application, if
applicable. The deadline for these requests is
February 1.
2. Certain Ontario high schools allow applicants
to request their official high school transcript
electronically
(completed
courses
only)
using an online service hosted by the Ontario
College Application Service (OCAS). The OUAC
partnered with OCAS to offer this service to
university applicants, which they can access
from the Transcript Request section of the 105
Application.
If the high school an applicant attended is not
included in this online service, they must contact
the high school to arrange for their official
transcript to be sent directly to their university
choice(s). They should ask the high school to
indicate their OUAC Reference Number on their
transcript.
5
November Application Data File
Transfer Students/Late Applicants
Creating the Application Data File
Most Ontario high schools provide the OUAC with
initial demographic information and academic
history in an electronic file format. Specifications for
creating this file are in Appendix A: Valid Codes for
Reporting Academic Data, in this Handbook. Also,
see the Transmission Specification 2017 document
on the Guidance site.
Students who apply after the January deadline are
strongly urged to investigate specific university
deadlines prior to applying. All fees paid to the
OUAC are non‑refundable.
Submitting the Application Data File
The November deadline for submitting the
Application Data File to the OUAC is listed in
Appendix C: Schedule of Dates.
Submitting this file allows the OUAC to do the
following:
• create the Application Access Code letters that
students use to access the online application;
• pre‑load the school’s demographic and
academic information into the OUAC’s database;
and
• include data files for all students who have 2
or more 4U/M courses, ensuring that students
who apply later in the cycle have an Application
Access Code.
Create a PIN
School officials who are unable to submit the
required information electronically can use the
“Create a PIN” option through COLS. The student’s
given name, last name, Secondary School Student
Number (SSSN) and Ontario Education Number
(OEN) are needed to create an account.
Note: If you receive a “Duplicate” error message,
a PIN may have already been assigned with an
identical SSSN or OEN. Check with the student to
see if an Application Access Code was already
created for them by another school or contact the
OUAC’s Secondary School Division for assistance at
guidance@ouac.on.ca.
The OUAC generates Application Access Code
letters that are mailed to schools for distribution
to students. The next business day after a PIN
is created, the school official can log in to the
“Academic Info” section of COLS to enter the
student’s academic history and current courses, and
retrieve the student’s access code.
Transfer students or late applicants can submit an
online application in 1 of the following ways:
1.
The applicant transferred from another SSOLA
school; therefore, the OUAC already has an
application data file for that student.
–– The applicant should request his/her access
codes from the school that originally
provided the data.
–– The applicant should complete the online
application.
–– After the application is submitted, the
new school must fax or email a completed
Student Transfer Between Schools form
to the OUAC. The OUAC will process the
student transfer once we verify all of the
requested
student
information.
Once
processed, the new school will have access
to the student’s file via COLS.
This process is also applicable for students who
already applied and are now transferring to a
new school for second semester.
2. The applicant was not included
November application data file.
in
the
–– Use the “Create a PIN” option in COLS.
–– The next business day, manually add
academic information to the application.
An authorized school official can enter
historical and current grades in COLS with
the “Academic Info” option.
–– Alternatively, a school official can send the
OUAC an official transcript, labelled with
the student’s OEN and/or OUAC Reference
Number (if applicable), along with a list of
current courses.
–– The applicant can complete the online
application, including demographic information.
Depending on when the school official has
added the academic information, the applicant
may or may not see anything under “Academic
Info”.
3. The applicant was included in the November
6
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
application data file.
–– Provide the student with his/her Application
Access Code Letter.
–– Before or after the student applies, use COLS
to ensure that all academic information is
accurate and complete.
Second Semester Only Applicants
Students who start school in the second semester
and meet the 101 criteria on page 5 should use
the 101 Application. However, those students
who intended to, but did not, register for second
semester and who already applied using the 101
Application should contact the OUAC by February
1 for instructions about transferring the 101
Application to the 105 Application.
Withdrawing an Application
If an applicant withdraws/retires from school or
wishes to withdraw their application, the applicant
should delete all of their application choices either
online or by emailing secschool@ouac.on.ca.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
7
B: Special Procedures
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Applicants
Applicants who are following the IB program within
an Ontario high school will use the 101 Application.
Applicants should indicate on the application
whether they are following the IB Diploma or the IB
Certificate program. This information is transferred
to their selected universities. Modifications to this
information can only be made by school officials
who have “Update” access for the “Academic Info”
option in COLS. Applicants cannot change this
information online.
IB Grades Collection Procedure
The OUAC does not record IB academic data
electronically. Hard-copy IB transcripts that are sent
to the OUAC are copied and forwarded to each
of the applicant’s selected Ontario universities.
The OUAC does not collect essays and extracts.
School officials should record the OUAC Reference
Number on any transcripts sent to the OUAC. Faxed
transcripts do not photocopy well, and therefore
will not be accepted.
Important: Schools are urged to transcribe IB
courses and grades into equivalent Grade 12 courses
that can be forwarded electronically to the OUAC.
Many universities require the OSS equivalents for
scholarships and other adjudications.
February (Projected Grades): IB schools will
forward an original hard-copy transcript of each
student’s projected grades to the OUAC by the
February grades deadline (see Appendix C:
Schedule of Dates).
April (Predicted Grades): Schools should send
predicted grades by the April deadline (see
Appendix C: Schedule of Dates).
July (Final Grades): Schools may forward hard‑copy
transcripts of final IB results to the OUAC; however,
it is preferred that they be sent directly to the
applicants’ university selections. Doing so will
ensure that students are appropriately considered
for scholarships, admission, etc. If grades are
submitted to the OUAC, they must be received on
or before the July grades deadline (see Appendix C:
Schedule of Dates).
8
Out‑of‑Province Institutions
The OUAC will not forward IB transcripts to
out‑of‑province institutions. Ontario IB students
who apply to 1 or more out‑of‑province
institution(s) must arrange for their high school to
send their IB grades directly to those institutions.
However, OSS curriculum courses/grades will be
transmitted to specified institutions under regular
OUAC procedures (see section F: Secondary School
Grades Processing).
January Admission (Winter Entry)
Several universities admit qualified applicants
to first‑year studies in January. Typically, these
applicants complete their university admission
requirements (including the OSSD, Community
Involvement requirement and Secondary School
Literacy requirement) at a semestered school by
January.
A list of universities that offer January Admission
(winter entry) and application deadlines is available
in early September at: www.ouac.on.ca/guidance.
Application Procedure
Applicants who wish to apply for January Admission
(winter entry) usually need to apply before the first
November application data file is submitted. As a
result, authorized school officials will be required
to “Create a PIN” for applicants (see “Create a
PIN” in the Counsellors’ Online Services Manual).
Once the account is created, an Application Access
Code Letter is generated and forwarded to the high
school, allowing the student to access the online
application.
Applicants who apply for January Admission (winter
entry) may also select programs for spring and/or
fall entry.
The online application is available at the beginning
of October, allowing ample time for applications
to be completed before the deadline dates the
universities specify. Applicants unable to apply
online can contact the OUAC for a paper application.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Reporting Grades
Academic information can be added to the
application 1 business day after creating a PIN.
An authorized school official can enter academic
data before or after a student applies, using the
“Academic Info” option in COLS. Alternatively,
a school official can send the OUAC an official
transcript, labelled with the student’s OEN and/or
OUAC Reference Number (if applicable), along with
a list of current courses.
Important: Do not send “Counselling Summaries”
in place of official transcripts. These documents are
more difficult for the OUAC staff to interpret.
Winter Entry Applicant Report
A Winter Entry Applicant Report is available online
via the “Reports” option in COLS. As students apply
for January Admission (winter entry), they are
added to this list; therefore, school officials should
return periodically to generate an updated list. This
list is prepared in alphabetical order and is available
in HTML or Excel format.
Using this report, enter the applicant’s historical,
midterm grades and, when available, final grades
and OSSD‑related information using the “Academic
Info” option in COLS.
Students who apply to these out‑of‑province
universities can authorize the universities to request
their academic information from the OUAC. To
authorize, the applicant must include their 11‑digit
OUAC Reference Number on the institution’s
application form.
Note: In all cases, the eleventh digit should be “0”.
This automated transfer of academic data
greatly reduces the work load for high schools by
eliminating the need to prepare and mail hard-copy
transcripts.
Applying to the Royal Military
College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC),
located in Kingston, Ontario, is not part of the
OUAC’s processing service. A separate form and
additional application materials must be obtained
from a Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre. For more
information, call the Canadian Forces Recruiting
Centre at 1‑800‑856‑8488 or visit the RMC website
at: www.rmcc-cmrc.ca.
Note: Applicants who have mistakenly selected
January Admission (winter entry) should log in to
their online application to modify the program entry
point.
Applying to Out-of-Province
Universities
The OUAC assists the following out‑of‑province
universities with collecting academic data for
Ontario high school students who have applied
through the OUAC:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Acadia University
Bishop’s University
The University of British Columbia
The University of Calgary
Concordia University
Dalhousie University
McGill University
Saint Mary’s University
Simon Fraser University
The University of Victoria
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
9
C: Fee Schedule and Payment Options
Payment Details
All fees submitted to the OUAC are non‑refundable.
Applications will not be forwarded to the universities
until the OUAC receives full payment. Partial
payments will not be processed. If payment is not
received for online applicants, an email reminder
is sent, requesting payment as soon as possible. If
payment is not received with paper applications,
the application will be returned unprocessed.
Instructions for submitting application fees are
available at www.ouac.on.ca/101-fees, and in the
101 Application package that is distributed to
non‑SSOLA schools when requested. Instructions are
slightly different for paper and online applications.
Methods of Payment
Credit Card
•
•
•
•
•
•
Base application fee...................................... $150
For the initial 3 university/program choices.
International service fee..................................$10
If the applicant is not a Canadian citizen or
permanent resident.
Additional choice fee...................................... $50
For each university/program choice beyond the
initial 3.
Reminder for 2018: Applicants pay for all program
choices. If an applicant withdraws a choice and
replaces it with a new choice, the new choice will
incur a charge. The only exception is if an applicant
withdraws a choice and adds a new choice or
re‑adds the original choice at the same university.
Online Banking
(Canadian banks and credit unions only)
•
•
•
•
Additional Choice Fees
Applicants who wish to submit additional university/
program choices beyond the initial 3, and who wish
to make these changes online, may pay the additional
choice fee by credit card.
Applicants who are unable to make changes
online must contact the OUAC by email at
secschool@ouac.on.ca
or
by
telephone
at 519‑823‑1940 for assistance.
The payment will be processed in 2 to 5 business
days.
The OUAC accepts online payment through
selected Canadian banks and credit unions.
Applicants should contact their bank for further
information.
This is not a debit card transaction. Once an
application is submitted, the applicant must
proceed to their bank’s website to submit their
payment.
The OUAC will provide the bill payment account
number after the application is submitted. This
number is needed to pay for the application.
If an applicant has applied to the OUAC
previously, they should update their bill payment
account number to reflect the new number
provided. The OUAC’s bill payment name is
“Ontario Universities’ Application Centre” or an
abbreviation of this name.
Western Union Business Solutions –
GlobalPay for Students (bank-to-bank
transfer for international payments only)
•
•
•
10
The OUAC accepts VISA, MasterCard or American
Express.
Prepaid credit cards and VISA debit cards are
not accepted.
The OUAC cannot process credit card payments
over the telephone.
If a credit card is declined or invalid, the
application will not be processed.
Credit card payments are processed and verified
immediately online. The application is processed
upon successful payment.
Online applicants who submit their application
without paying may log back in to their
application and pay by credit card.
For international payments only.
This payment option allows the applicant to pay
Canadian dollar fees in the currency of their
choice. It provides a simple and secure way of
initiating a payment electronically.
The OUAC will provide the bill payment account
number when the application is submitted.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
D: OUAC Acknowledgement and
Application Changes
OUAC Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement emails are sent immediately
to applicants when they successfully submit their
online application. Applicants are responsible for
the accuracy of all application data. Applicants
should log in to their online application to monitor
and amend their application data as required, and to
respond to offers of admission. Access information
should be kept confidential and in a safe place.
One business day after the application is submitted
to the OUAC, the authorized school official can
access the student’s application file through COLS
at: www.ouac.on.ca/guidance/cols.
Application Changes
Application changes should be made through the
online application. The OUAC also accepts change
requests by email and fax. Application change
requests are not accepted by telephone.
The OUAC processes all changes made to the
applicant’s data and transmits the changes to the
applicant’s selected universities.
In mid‑February, the universities begin the early
adjudication process and discourage changes
to program choices. February 6, 2018, is the
recommended last date to submit all information to
the OUAC, including university and program changes,
and additional university/program choices, to be
eligible for early admission consideration. This is not
a deadline date; the OUAC will accept and process
changes at any time. Some universities may not be
able to process late amendments until much later in
the admission cycle.
One business day after making changes, applicants
should log in to their application to ensure that all
requested changes are processed.
Applicants should allow sufficient time for the
OUAC to process and transmit the amendments
to the selected universities. Where necessary,
the university may contact the applicant about
additional requirements. For example, some
university programs require interviews and
assignments as part of the admissions consideration
process.
Authorized school officials may access COLS to
verify that requested changes are made and to view
the complete and current application information.
Applicant Status Report
The Applicant Status Report is available online
through the “Reports” option in COLS. This report
allows you to verify the status of each student’s
application. For details, refer to the COLS Manual
on the Guidance site.
Insufficient Credit Report
The Insufficient Credit Report is available after the
April (third) and July (fourth) grades collection
deadlines. It identifies applicants who have less than
six 4U/M courses. After the July (fourth) grades
collection deadline, the OUAC emails all applicants
with less than six 4U/M courses.
Applicants may access their online application to
make changes to their personal information and
university/program choices, and respond to offers
of admission. Upon successfully submitting all
changes, including responses to offers of admission,
applicants will receive a confirmation number on
the last screen of the “Submit” process. They will
also see a summary of changes and/or responses
to offers of admission that they made within that
session.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
11
E: Offers of Admission
Communication from the
Universities
When the universities receive application data
from the OUAC, they may contact applicants
with information about admission, scholarships,
residences, interviews, etc. Universities may start
making conditional offers of admission as soon
as they determine that they received sufficient
academic and application data. Offer dates will vary
by university and program.
Each university evaluates application files and
makes admission decisions. The universities
communicate offers of admission, including terms
of any conditional offers, directly to applicants.
The OUAC does not make any admission decisions,
evaluate applicant qualifications or receive detailed
information from the universities about offers made
to applicants.
Applicant Responses to
Offers of Admission
Applicants can accept or decline offers of admission
from Ontario universities by logging in to their 101
Application at: www.ouac.on.ca/ouac‑101. Most
universities expect applicants to respond online;
therefore, applicants should be familiar with the site
and store their access information in a safe place.
Important: An online response instruction video is
available at: www.ouac.on.ca/ugrad-tutorials. This
video demonstrates the steps required to respond to
an offer of admission.
Applicants who are offered admission will be
provided
with
instructions
for
responding.
Applicants who respond to their offer of admission
online should not mail an additional paper response
to the OUAC.
Accepting an offer of admission from 1 university will
not cancel applications and/or programs at other
universities (including out‑of‑province applications).
Applicants may have only 1 acceptance of an
offer from an Ontario university on file at a time.
If applicants are worried about accepting or
declining an offer of admission, counsellors may
contact the university’s admissions office to discuss
the applicants’ needs. The university will try to
12
accommodate applicants as much as possible.
Applicants who email, mail or fax their response
to an offer of admission to the OUAC should sign
and date the response form before sending it. The
OUAC will date‑stamp responses on the day they
arrive at the OUAC.
Applicants should ensure the OUAC receives all
responses to offers of admission by the specified
deadline. When 2 paper responses for an applicant
are received at the same time, the OUAC processes
the response with the most recent date. It is
therefore important that both the applicant’s
signature and the date signed appear on the
response document.
After receiving the response, the OUAC forwards
this information to the appropriate university.
Note: Application for residence or deposit cheques
must not be sent to the OUAC. These items should
be sent directly to the university where the applicant
intends to enroll. Residence deposits/responses do
not substitute for an admission response. Applicants
must accept the offer of admission through the
OUAC by the deadline stipulated to retain their offer.
Changing Responses to
Offers of Admission
After applicants accept a university’s offer of
admission, they may change their decision and
accept another university’s offer. Applicants who
accept another offer online must first cancel the
previously accepted offer.
The OUAC advises applicants who submit paper
responses to the OUAC to indicate on the second
response that the first response (indicating university
and program) should be cancelled. Subsequent
paper acceptances will automatically cancel
previously accepted offers. The OUAC then alters
the applicant’s original decision and informs the
appropriate universities of the change.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Re‑Accepting a Previously
Cancelled or Expired Offer
Applicants Who Are Refused
Admission
Applicants who
• wish to attend a university that has offered them
admission but whose response deadline has
expired, or
• wish to re-accept a previously cancelled offer,
Applicants who are refused admission to a particular
university may decide to request admission
consideration in other programs or at other
universities. This may be done in 1 of 2 ways.
must contact that university’s admissions office to
see if they will still be considered. If so, the applicant
should confirm that the university will issue a new
offer. The OUAC will not reverse a cancelled response.
1.
Add additional university/program selections
beyond the current active university/program
choices on the application. For more information,
see section C: Fee Schedule and Payment
Options.
Remember, many university programs become full.
It will be more difficult for applicants to change
universities as time goes on.
2. Delete an active university/program choice and
add a different choice in its place. For more
information, see section C: Fee Schedule and
Payment Options.
Changing Program Choices
With an Accepted Offer
To make these changes, applicants must follow the
instructions in section D: OUAC Acknowledgement
and Application Amendments.
Applicants cannot make changes to a program
choice if there is an active offer of admission for that
program. The only changes allowed are changes
to the ranking of university selections/programs.
Because policies vary at each university, applicants
should contact the university’s admissions office
before requesting changes to a program with an
accepted offer of admission.
Programs quickly become full once the universities
have sent all offers of admission. Applicants
should not add programs that are full. To obtain
information about which programs have available
places, applicants and school officials can
access the “Admission Information Service” at:
www.ouac.on.ca/ais. This service is available at the
beginning of June. For details, see Appendix E:
Other Services.
Offers (or alternative offers) of admission, for which
the applicant has either not indicated a response or
has accepted, will automatically become invalid if the
applicant deletes the associated program choice. If a
student later decides to re‑add this program choice,
there is no guarantee that the university will re‑issue
an offer. Applicants who delete a program choice
with an accepted offer of admission risk losing a
secure place at that university.
Verifying Receipt of a Response
to an Offer of Admission
Applicants can log in to their online application to
verify that the OUAC received and processed their
response to an offer of admission. The “Response”
column on the “Choices/Offers” screen should
display 1 of: “Accepted”, “Cancelled” or “Declined”.
Applicants Who Are Deferred
at Early Admission
Some applicants will not receive an offer of
admission based on the grades collected in
February or April. These students may have the
admission decision deferred, pending the results of
their final examinations. The OUAC will receive the
final grades directly from the high schools/boards
in July and will forward these grades immediately to
the universities. However, the universities may also
request that the applicant have final grades sent
directly to their admissions offices.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
13
F: Secondary School Grades Processing
Overview
Ontario high schools may send the OUAC academic
information (courses and grades) electronically or
manually. The method of sending grades data does
not need to correspond to the method chosen to
send the November application data file; that is, a
school that sends application data electronically
may send grades data manually, and vice versa.
The specifications for the electronic transmission of
data are standardized between the Ontario College
Application Service (OCAS) and the OUAC. There are
some differences between the OUAC and OCAS, in
processing and in data usage, based on the different
needs of the universities and colleges. Information
about procedures and protocols can be found in
the Transmission Specifications 2017 PDF on the
Guidance site.
3. April Grades Collection
(Third Data Transmission)
In April, high schools provide the following
grades data:
–– second semester midterm grades
–– interim full‑year grades
–– prior‑year finals not already submitted in the
first data transmission
–– night school and correspondence/online
course registrations and grades (if available)
4. July Final Grades Collection
(Fourth Data Transmission)
In July, high schools provide the following final
grades data:
–– final grades (current‑ and prior‑year); and
–– final OSSD indicator, including:
- Community Involvement requirement
- Secondary School Literacy requirement
- OSSD Issue Date
- SHSM program code and SHSM Indicator, if
applicable
Failure to provide final grades and OSSD
information may cause the universities to
rescind offers of admission made earlier in the
cycle.
Additional details for applicants who are enrolled
in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at
an Ontario high school are in section B: Special
Procedures.
High schools will be asked to provide the OUAC with
academic data at the following times:
1. Application Submission
(First Data Transmission)
In October/November, high schools provide the
following data for the 101 Application:
–– prior‑year final grades
–– current first semester or full‑year course
registrations
–– projected second semester course
registrations
Note: The OUAC does not collect first semester
midterm grades.
2. February Grades Collection
(Second Data Transmission)
In mid‑February, high schools provide the
following grades data:
–– November full‑year grades
–– final first semester grades
–– second semester course registrations
–– prior‑year final grades not submitted in the
first data transmission
–– night school and correspondence/online
course registrations/grades (if available)
–– OSSD updates for January graduates
14
5. Summer Grades Collection
(Fifth Data Transmission)
In August, schools or boards may provide the
OUAC with summer school results in a fifth data
transmission.
Note: This submission is not mandatory.
Recording Academic Data
School officials must provide academic data. This
information allows the universities to determine, at
an early stage, whether applicants hold the correct
course requirements for admission. In addition,
the universities may make early conditional offers
of admission after receiving academic data. The
following academic data is required:
•
•
all current‑year courses (excluding Grade 9 and
Grade 10 courses);
all previously completed Grade 11 and Grade 12
courses (this includes all subjects with a “3” or
a “4” in the fourth position of the course code);
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
•
•
•
“CO”, “CU”, “DO”, and “DU” courses, where
appropriate;
LVGBU (Ancient Greek) and LVLBU (Latin)
courses; and
indication of the applicant’s current OSSD status
(including Community Involvement requirement,
Secondary School Literacy requirement, OSSD
Issue Date, and if applicable, the SHSM program
code and the SHSM Indicator).
For more details, see Appendix A: Valid Codes for
Reporting Academic Data.
School officials who are unable to provide grades
electronically or through COLS must submit a
paper transcript to the OUAC. For each grades
collection period, updates to current courses can be
submitted to the OUAC using an official transcript,
an official report card or the Report Courses/Grades
for Non‑Home Schools form. The student’s OUAC
Reference Number must be indicated.
Process for Grades Collection Periods
Before each grades file transmission, school officials
may identify university applicants in their school/
board file(s). This is done through the “Reference
Number File” option in COLS, by choosing “OUAC
Reference Number”.
The “OUAC Reference Number” file contains OUAC
Reference Numbers for the school’s university
applicants and is used to update the school’s or
board’s grades file. As a result, data is transmitted
only for those students who have an active OUAC
application. The “OUAC Reference Number” file
is not intended for manual updating. Counsellors
who have questions about importing this file
into their system should contact their software
supporter. The extract file layout can be found at:
www.ouac.on.ca/guidance/en_CA/resources/.
School officials must notify the OUAC about any
changes to the MIDENT and SSSN for new students
as these numbers are used to match the school/
board electronic file to the OUAC database. School
officials must ensure that students (especially twins)
do not share SSSNs and OENs.
OUAC Grades Collection Periods
The following chart contains the deadlines and purpose for each grades collection period.
February
April
July
Due: February 15, 2018
Due: April 26, 2018
Due: July 5, 2018
• Collect updates to
OSSD‑related information
• Collect final grades for first
semester courses
• Collect current grades for
full‑year courses
• Collect prior‑year final grades
not already submitted
• Collect registered
second semester courses
(including night school and
correspondence/online
course registrations/grades, if
available)
• Collect IB transcripts for
projected grades
• Transfer grades data to the
universities
• Collect updates to
OSSD‑related information
• Collect midterm grades for
second semester courses
• Collect interim grades for
full‑year courses
• Collect prior‑year final grades
not already submitted
• Collect registered summer
school courses
• Collect IB transcripts for
predicted grades
• Transfer grades data to the
universities
• Collect updates to
OSSD‑related information
• Collect final grades for
second semester courses
• Collect final grades for all
full‑year courses
• Collect prior‑year final grades
not already submitted
• Collect registered summer
school courses/grades
• Optional: Collect final IB
transcripts (see section
B: Special Procedures for
details)
• Transfer grades data to the
universities
August 1-31, 2018: Optional summer grades collection.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
15
For details about valid codes for all fields relating
to courses and grades, refer to Appendix A: Valid
Codes for Reporting Academic Data, and to the
Transmission Specifications 2017 PDF on the
Guidance site.
Note: Schools/boards may send electronic grades
files, if available, at any time during the “Grades
Collection Dates” published on the Guidance site
in the “Popular Resources” section. It is essential
that high schools adhere to the deadlines to ensure
sufficient time is available for the universities
to receive the grades and to adjudicate each
application, especially for limited enrollment
programs.
Important: If the majority of schools/boards wait
until the deadline to submit their electronic grades
files, processing can be delayed due to volume or
errors within the file and, as a result, will cause a
delay in the distribution of grades to the universities.
Verification of Grades Received
Once applicant academic records are updated, an
email is sent to all school officials who have “update
access” to the “Academic Info” option in COLS, and
to applicants who provided an email address.
Academic Info
In the “Academic Info” section of COLS, school
officials can search for all applicants whose grades
were received for the given collection period.
Alternatively, users can search through all students
to spot‑check the grades on file, paying particular
attention to those who do not have the correct
collection period under the “Collection Period”
column.
Audit Checklists and Letters
After the April and July grades collections, the
OUAC audits all applicants to identify those with
fewer than six 4U/M (or equivalent) credits on file.
You can run the Insufficient Credit Report yourself
through COLS.
After the July final grades collection, the OUAC
emails all applicants with less than six 4U/M credits
on file.
Important Details
Alternative Course Delivery
Day school students who are studying via night
school, virtual learning, e-learning, private school
or correspondence courses, must have official
midterm/final grades for these courses submitted
by their “home” school or by the school where the
student has taken the course(s).
Grades for alternative courses may not be available
at the time the school grades data is submitted.
Authorized school officials with access to the
“Academic Info” option of COLS may enter the
grades manually when they become available.
During the current school year, the OUAC will not
accept transcripts that students submit. If a student
is registered at a day school in semester 1, completes
those courses, then registers only for night school
in semester 2, the day school (semester 1) is still
responsible for sending that student’s night school
course data to the OUAC.
Updates to OSSD Status
If any academic data is missing or inaccurate, school
officials must make the necessary corrections as
required. An “Applicant Status Report” can also
be run to identify applicants whose data was not
received at the OUAC.
The universities require up‑to‑date OSSD information
to grant offers of admission, scholarships, residence,
etc. This information is especially important to the
universities when finalizing the admission status
for applicants who accepted a conditional offer of
admission.
School
officials/applicants
must
check
the
information online for accuracy, particularly the
OSSD status, including the Community Involvement
requirement, the Secondary School Literacy
requirement, the OSSD Issue Date and, if applicable,
the SHSM Program Code and the SHSM Indicator.
School officials can make corrections using the
“Academic Info” option in COLS.
For each grades collection period, school officials
should use COLS to submit any changes to an
applicant’s OSSD status, including the Community
Involvement requirement, the Secondary School
Literacy requirement, the OSSD Issue Date, and if
applicable, the SHSM program code and the SHSM
Indicator.
16
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Recording Additional Comments
School officials who wish to record additional
information, such as equivalent credits, can do so
online using the “Comments” field in the “Diploma
Details” tab in “Academic Info”, after searching for
the particular student.
Any documents that support the comments should
be sent directly to the chosen universities.
Extenuating Circumstances
Refer to the Guidance site under “Popular Resources”,
then “Extenuating Circumstances”, for information
about students whose marks were affected by
special/extenuating circumstances.
Students Applying After the February
Grades Collection Period
(Second Data Transmission)
Some students may apply for admission after their
school submits the February grades. If the school/
board includes academic data in their electronic file
for this applicant, the OUAC uses all grades received
to populate the new application.
Any further updates or additions to the applicant’s
academic data must be done using the “Academic
Info” option in COLS.
Courses Dropped by the OUAC
For guidelines, see Appendix B: Rules for Automatic
Dropping of Course Records.
Reporting Summer School Final Grades
The applicant must arrange for the official
transcripts (not copies) of their final summer school
grades to be sent directly to the OUAC. They must
then send copies to their selected universities that
note the original was submitted to the OUAC. The
applicant should make these arrangements with the
summer school well before the grades are available.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
17
Appendix A: Valid Codes for Reporting Academic Data
Course Title
The description or name of the course (e.g., Music,
Biology).
exactly the same completion date (that is, 201802
and not 201801) on subsequent data transmissions.
Course Code
A unique code to identify an Ontario high school
course. It must be a common course code approved
by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities.
Credit Value
The Ministry‑assigned “weight” or credit value
of a specific course. On the manually submitted
forms, record this information only if it is different
than 1.0 (a blank in this field will default to 1.0). On
electronically submitted data, no default is allowed.
•
Sixth Character of the Common Course Code
To facilitate academic information processing at
the OUAC, courses reported during the February,
April and July grades collections (second, third
and fourth data transmissions) must be reported
with the same sixth character as was reported in
the application data in November. For example,
a course reported as ENG4U1 on the application
should be reported in all transmissions as
ENG4U1 and not as ENG4U.
Important: If a particular course is being taken
simultaneously (e.g., in both day school and
night school), the sixth character of the course
code must be different for each course to ensure
that the universities store the student’s academic
information correctly. E.g., ENG4U1 201806 (day)
and ENG4U 201806 (night).
Completion Date
The date that the course was completed or is
expected to be completed. The format is YYYYMM.
Duplicate entries for the same course code are
possible if the completion date and/or the course
type is different for each entry.
Example: ENG4U completed last year would have
a completion date of “201706”. ENG4U to be
upgraded in second semester this year would have
a completion date of “201806”.
If the completion date and course codes are the
same, then the sixth character of the course code
must be different to ensure the universities receive
it correctly.
Note: In order for the OUAC to process grades data
and to avoid errors in students’ academic records,
schools must report course completion dates that
are consistent between the application data and
the grades collection data. For example, a course
reported on the application with the completion date
“201802” (February 2018) must be reported with
18
Valid Credit Values
0000
0025
0030 0033
0034 0050 0066 0067
0075
0100
0120
0125
0130
0133
0137
0150
0167
0175
0200 0233
0250
0266
0267
0300
0333
0367
0400 0433
0467
0500 0533
0567
0600
0633
0667
1.0 in the table is “0100”; 1.5 in the table is “0150”;
0.5 in the table is “0050”.
4U/M courses must always carry a credit value of
1.0 or higher.
Course Status
Valid entries
D Delete
R Repeated
W Withdrawn
X Not applicable
For Deleted Courses
–– Electronic reporting must contain code “D”.
–– Manual reporting: Leave this field blank and
select “drop” beside the course.
For Repeated Courses
–– The “Repeat” designation is assigned to one
of the successful course attempts, but only
when final grades are available for both (all)
successful attempts of the course. The “R”
designation should be placed against the
course with the lower passing grade. This
code should not be used for failed attempts.
–– Electronic and manual reporting must contain
code “R” in Course Status and “0000” in
Credit Value.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
For Withdrawn Courses (those that must remain
on the student’s record)
–– Completion Date must be changed to the
year/month in which the student withdrew
from the course (this requires that the current
course record be dropped and the new
course record be added).
–– Electronic and manual reporting must contain
code “W” in Course Status and “0000” in
Credit Value.
–– A final Grade must be reported for the
withdrawn course.
Mark %
Numeric grade for the course. Use whole numbers
only, no decimal places. See also Grade Type.
Grade Type
A code identifying the point in time that the grade
was reported for a particular course code. No
default value is permitted. See also Mark %.
Valid entries
P Projected (to be taken next semester)
C Currently Enrolled
M Midterm
F Final
Notes:
1. If Grade Type is “P” or “C”, only blanks may
be recorded in the Mark % field.
2. If Grade Type is “M” or “F”, a numeric grade
must be submitted.
3. A Grade Type of “F” (Final) cannot be
reported before the Completion Date of
the course. After the completion date has
passed, only a Grade Type of “F” (Final) can
be reported.
FR (Language of Instruction)
The language in which the course was taught. On
manually submitted application forms, a blank in
this field will default to “E” (English). On electronic
submissions, no default is allowed.
Valid entries
F The course is/was taught in the French
language
(e.g.,
histoire,
géographie,
mathématiques). Do not enter “F” for French
Core courses.
E The course is/was taught in the English
language.
B The course is/was taught in both the English
and French languages.
Course Delivery
Defines whether a student is enrolled in day school,
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
night school, virtual learning, e-learning, private
school, summer school or correspondence courses. A
blank in this field will default to “D” (day school).
Valid entries
D Day School
N Night School
S Summer School
C Correspondence
O Other
Course Type
Defines the type of course in which a student is
enrolled. A blank in this field will default to “R”.
Valid entries
R Regular
(including
virtual
learning,
independent/private study courses)
O Co‑op out‑of‑school component. Where
Course Type is “O”, Course Note must
contain “C”
Please ensure that the credit value for non‑co‑op
courses at the 4U/M level is 1.0 only (other than
the few Ministry‑approved exceptions).
Course Note
Indicates a special circumstance for a course.
Valid entries
C Co‑operative education
F Course taught in French Core, Extended, or
Immersion program
M Modified curriculum expectations that do
not lead to a credit
I Interdisciplinary studies
S Extraordinary circumstances
A Alternative expectations that do not lead to
a credit
H Specialist High Skills Major
X Substitution for a compulsory credit course
B Credit count adjusted, combined courses
exceed maximum credit value
P Course taken at an inspected private school
T Team‑taught dual credit
Note: Where course note is “M” or “A”, credit
value must be “0000” and course status must
be “X”.
Course MIDENT
The MIDENT number will be collected at the course
code level. If “blank” or “000000” is entered, the
OUAC automatically changes the field to the
MIDENT of the school that submitted the grades file.
If the MIDENT number for the course is unknown,
provide the default value of 000002 for “other high
school/not home school”.
19
Notes:
1. The MIDENT number must be 6 characters in
length.
2. The MIDENT number must be numeric.
3. The default MIDENT value is all zeroes.
4. Only MIDENTs for schools that exist on
the OUAC secondary school file can be
collected.
Valid Entries
A space = Not reported
Y Yes
N No
If SHSM completion is “Y”, then Grad Status Code
must be “1” or “4”, because SHSM completion can
only be granted at the time the OSSD is achieved.
Grad Status Code
Identifies the applicant’s OSSD status. No default
allowed.
Valid entries
1 The applicant has earned the OSSD (OSIS)
4 The applicant has earned the OSSD (OSS)
2 Upon completing the current program, the
applicant will qualify for the OSSD (OSIS)
5 Upon completing the current program, the
applicant will qualify for the OSSD (OSS)
3 The applicant will not qualify for the OSSD in
either the OSS or OSIS curriculum
Community Involvement
Valid entries
Yes Completed (automated data, use code “1”)
No Not completed (automated data, use code “2”)
Secondary School Literacy Requirement
Valid entries
–– Completed the literacy requirement in English
(automated data, use code “E”)
–– Completed the literacy requirement in French
(automated data, use code “F”)
–– Completed the literacy requirement in English
and French (automated data, use code “B”)
–– Not completed (automated data, use blank)
OSSD Issue Date
The date that the applicant achieved their OSSD
(graduated). This date can only be transmitted if
the applicant graduated (i.e., Grad Status Code = “1”
or “4”) and the date cannot be in the future.
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Program Code
A code identifying the current SHSM program a
student is enrolled in or has completed.
If SHSM completion is “Y”, then the SHSM Program
Code must be supplied and should reflect the
program completed.
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Completion
Completed all requirements of the SHSM at the time
the OSSD is granted.
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2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Appendix B: Rules for Automatically Dropping
Course Records
All courses with a Course Status of “D” in the
electronic file will be dropped. All other courses
will be subject to the following rules.
February Grades Collection
(Second Data Transmission)
In February, if the school does not provide an update
for a current‑year course that was submitted on the
application, and the grade type is not “F” (Final),
the OUAC will automatically drop the course from
the applicant’s file.
April Grades Collection
(Third Data Transmission)
Notes
Courses are not automatically dropped, if:
•
•
•
they are changed or added through the “Academic
Info” option in COLS;
a subsequent grades data file is sent for the
same collection period; or
the first file processed for a collection period
is received from a school other than the home
school.
To re-instate a dropped course, the school must
re‑add it with the applicable grade using the
“Academic Info” option in COLS. However, electronic
grades data files will override course updates that
are completed using the “Academic Info” option in
COLS.
At this stage, the OUAC will automatically drop
second‑semester courses that do not have reported
updates in April, and for which the Grade Type is
not “F” (Final) or “M” (Midterm), where:
•
•
•
the Completion Date of the course is June or
earlier (i.e., month = 06 or less);
Course Delivery is “D” (day school) only
(i.e., “N”, “C”, “S” and “O” will remain on file); and
Grade Type is “C” (Current) or “P” (Projected)
and Mark % is “NMR” or “blank”.
July Final and August Grades
Collection (Fourth and Fifth Data
Transmissions)
Course data processed during the fourth and
fifth data transmissions will not be automatically
dropped.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
21
Appendix C: Schedule of Dates
These dates were approved by the Ontario Universities’ Council on Admissions (OUCA) and the Council of
Ontario Universities (COU). Representatives from the Ontario School Counsellors’ Association (OSCA) and Ontario
Principals’ Council (OPC) who attended the meetings of the COU have also reviewed and approved these dates.
Late August
The OUAC circulates eINFO flyers and launches
eINFO: www.electronicinfo.ca.
August 21, 2017
The OUAC starts distributing 101 application
materials to Ontario high schools and school boards.
November 9, 2017
Deadline for the OUAC to receive all electronic
student data files from Ontario high schools.
January 17, 2018
Deadline for Ontario high school students to submit
completed applications to the OUAC.
Note: The OUAC still processes applications
received after this date and distributes them to the
universities; however, specific university deadlines
will apply.
The initial application includes all final grades from
completed Grade 11 and 12 courses and a list of all
current-year courses in progress.
January 25, 2018
Target date for Ontario universities to receive all
application data and grades from the OUAC for
applications submitted by January 17, 2018.
February 6, 2018
Recommended last date for students to submit
all information to the OUAC to be considered for
early admission. This information includes university
and program changes as well as additional active
choices.
Note: This is a recommended deadline. The OUAC
will still accept and process application changes at
any time.
February 15, 2018
Deadline for the OUAC to receive all final
first‑semester grades and current full-year grades
for 4U/M courses from Ontario high schools.
March 2, 2018
Target date for Ontario universities to receive all
final first-semester grades and current full-year
grades for 4U/M courses from the OUAC.
22
April 26, 2018
Deadline for Ontario high schools to report midterm
grades for second-semester courses and interim
grades for full-year courses to the OUAC. Grades
that the OUAC receives earlier than the deadline will
be sent immediately to Ontario universities when
received.
May 8, 2018
Target date for Ontario universities to receive
second-semester midterm grades and interim
grades for full-year courses from the OUAC. Grades
that the OUAC receives earlier than the deadline will
be sent immediately to Ontario universities when
received.
May 29, 2018
The latest date all high school applicants can expect
a response from an Ontario university. This includes:
an offer of admission; a refusal; or a deferral, once
additional information is received.
June 1, 2018
The earliest date an Ontario high school student
may be required to respond to an Ontario university
offer of admission and give a financial commitment
(e.g., registration deposit, residence deposit, etc.).
All other admissions related elements, including
scholarships, other forms of student assistance
or financial incentives, and offers of residence are
considered part of the offer of admission. Therefore,
a student may accept these other offers prior to
June 1, 2018, but Ontario universities will not compel
a student in any way to make a decision earlier than
this date.
July 5, 2018
Deadline for the OUAC to receive final grades for
current semester/year courses from Ontario high
schools.
July 12, 2018
Target date for the OUAC to send all remaining final
grades to the universities. The OUAC will attempt
to contact all schools that have not provided their
grades.
August 1-31, 2018
The OUAC collects summer school grades from
Ontario high schools and boards.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
August 2018
High schools never send summer school course
grades. Some district school boards, however, now
submit summer school grades. Verify with the
summer school whether the district school board
will send the grades directly to the OUAC on the
applicant’s behalf. If not, the applicant must arrange
for original, official final grades to be sent to the
OUAC and for photocopies of these grades to be
sent to each of the universities the applicant has
applied to. Indicate on the photocopies that the
original was sent to the OUAC.
When the universities receive these final grades,
they will determine whether the applicant’s final
standing meets their conditions of the offer of
admission given earlier.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
23
Appendix D: Grades File Errors/Warnings
When you upload a grades file to the OUAC, several file and data validations are conducted. Any issues are
reported back to you in the form of “errors” and “warnings”. You can view these in the “File Log” found
within the “Search OST Files” section of COLS.
The following chart outlines several common errors/warnings, some of which are informational, while others
require corrective action.
Error Message
Error/Warning Number OUAC Solution
Parsing Failed
N/A
This occurs when you attempt to process a
file. Typical causes:
• incorrect record length (often due to
invalid completion date data)
• missing line endings: <CR><LF>
Unknown Error
N/A
This occurs when you attempt to process a
file. Please do not resend your file; contact
the OUAC immediately.
Invalid Home School Indicator
Error 2101
Your school must correct and resend the
value. No PIN is generated and no updates
are made to the student’s record.
Invalid OEN
Error 2004
Your school must correct and resend the
OEN. No PIN is generated and no grades are
saved to the student’s record.
OEN already exists
N/A
This occurs in the following circumstances:
• The OEN is already on file for another
student; or
• The student changed his/her surname
in the application and the surname and
OEN do not match; so our system thinks
they are 2 different people. Contact the
student to confirm his/her surname and
either change it in your system or in the
101 application.
Duplicate course code and
completion date
N/A
Keep the most recent grades reported for
the course and delete other occurrences of
the same course code and completion date.
Not Applicable (N/A), Equivalency Warning 2100
(EQV) and Alternative (ALT)
reported as grade
Changed to blank on the OUAC system.
Currently no distinction as to type (Midterm
versus Final, etc.).
Final grade already reported for
course
N/A
Report the most recent grades for the same
course.
Invalid completion date
N/A
Your school must correct and resend the
date or update it in COLS.
Invalid course code
Errors 2053, 2054
Your school must correct the code. The
OUAC may attempt to find a valid code
substitute, if possible. Note: The OUAC does
not collect all courses (e.g., co-op place
holder and EQV courses).
24
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Error Message
Error/Warning Number OUAC Solution
Invalid credit value
Warning 2064
Error 2065, 2083
•
•
•
If the credit value sent is blank or “0001”,
then the OUAC will default to “0100” and
issue warning 2064.
If the credit value is not in the OUAC’s
table, then we issue error 2065. Your
school must correct the value.
If Course Status is “W”, “R”, “X” and/or
the Note is “M” or “A”, then the credit
value must be “0000”; otherwise, we
issue error 2083.
Invalid grad status
N/A
The system defaults to “Not Reported”.
Invalid grade type (i.e., Midterm
versus Final)
N/A
The OUAC may use course code/completion
date to correct the type; otherwise, your
school must correct it.
Invalid/missing course language
code
N/A
Value will change to “E” (English).
Midterm grade reported as “zero”
or
Midterm supplied without grade
(blank)
Error 2073
Course will error. Your school needs to enter
a correct grade.
Numeric grade > 100%
Error 2057
Your school must correct the grade.
Course MIDENT is 000000
or
not on the OUAC’s table
N/A
If the course MIDENT is “000000” or blank,
then the OUAC will default to the home
school MIDENT. If the course MIDENT is not
“000000” or blank and not on the OUAC’s
file, then it will default to generic school
code: “000002”.
If you encounter any errors or warnings that you do not understand, contact the OUAC for further information.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
25
Appendix E: Other Services
The OUAC Guidance Site:
www.ouac.on.ca/guidance
The Guidance site is an online resource for high
school officials. The site provides links to important
resources, such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Counsellors’ Online Services (COLS)
eINFO
Forms, video tutorials and common questions
High school publications
OSCA
Schedules of important deadlines and
processing dates
Statistics
University contacts and links to their websites
University Information Program (UIP)
Look for new information on the main page of
the website, directly below the “Welcome to the
Guidance Site” heading. This information is updated
regularly, so you can stay in the loop at all times.
COLS Tutorials
A series of video tutorials are available on the
Guidance site at: www.ouac.on.ca/guidance/en_CA/
tutorials/. These tutorials describe how to use various
features within COLS, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Generating Reports
How to Clear Your Cache
How to Search OST Files
How to Send OST Files
How to View and Change Academic Info
Logging in to COLS
Counsellors’ Online Services (COLS)
Authorized school officials may log in to COLS to
access their school’s applicant records. This service
provides the most timely, accurate and complete
application data for all applicants. COLS is available
daily from 7 am to 2 am.
The following options are available:
eINFO: www.electronicinfo.ca
eINFO is a comprehensive web resource that provides
information about university programs, admission
requirements, scholarships, residence and more for
all 20 Ontario universities and the Royal Military
College of Canada. It is designed as a starting point
for prospective applicants to research their university
options. New for 2018, an eINFO postcard will be
distributed to graduating Grade 12 students, which
directs them to the important resources on eINFO.
Online Application Tutorials
The OUAC developed online video tutorials for
students and guidance staff that describe how
to apply to an Ontario university using the online
application, how to change application information,
and how to respond to university offers of
admission. Find the tutorials at www.ouac.on.ca/
ugrad-tutorials/.
26
Application Info
This tool allows users to view all application
information for university applicants at a given
school, including the dates this information was
forwarded to the universities selected.
Academic Info
This tool allows users to view and, if authorized,
update all academic information for university
applicants at their school, including all courses/
grades, OSSD indicator, Community Involvement
requirement,
Secondary
School
Literacy
requirement, OSSD Issue Date, and if applicable,
the SHSM Program Code and SHSM Indicator.
“Academic Info” may also be used to add
academic data for “Create a PIN” students.
PINs
The Create a PIN option allows users to set up a
preliminary data record for applicants who did
not appear on the November data file so a PIN
can be assigned. This feature can also be used
for students applying to January Admission
(winter entry) programs. Academic information
must be added using the “Academic Info”
option.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
The PIN Checklist allows users to view the
access code information for their students. They
can also print one-off Application Access Code
letters.
The PIN Letter Generation option allows users to
download and print all Access Code letters for
their students.
Send OST Files
This option allows users to transfer demographic
and grades information for university applicants
to the OUAC.
After uploading your grades file, you must click
“Send all uploaded files” to complete the file
transfer.
Search OST Files
This option allows users to view the status of
Ontario Student Transcript (OST) files sent to
the OUAC, as well as details about any errors
and warnings. Total counts and exact line and
position numbers are provided for each type
of error/warning. Users can also view their raw
data file in this section.
Test OST Files
This option allows users to test OST files without
updating any records. Users can then correct
errors before sending their OST file for processing.
Reference Number File
This option allows users to download the OUAC
Reference Numbers for their students.
When these completed forms are returned to
the OUAC, a user ID and temporary password are
assigned to each authorized school official. This
system‑access information is emailed in confidence
to each authorized school official. School officials are
required to log in with their user ID and temporary
password. They must then set a new password and
select a challenge question and answer.
School officials who require additional user access
or have changes to this information during the year
may download the registration form and fax the
completed form to the OUAC. The form is available
on the Guidance site under “Forms”.
Admission Information Service (AIS)
The OUAC operates an information service for
qualified applicants looking for openings in first‑year
undergraduate programs. This service is available on
the OUAC website at: www.ouac.on.ca/ais. It begins
in early June and is available until the last Friday in
August. An AIS flyer with exact dates is posted on
the Guidance site in mid-May.
The AIS provides information about university
program availability. Applicants can search by
university, category and their 4U/M average.
Applicants unable to access the online service may
contact the OUAC for assistance at 519‑823‑1063.
Reports
Two report options are available: an Applicant
Status Report for prior-year and current-year
applicants, and the Insufficient Credit Report.
COLS Registration
In early September, COLS registration forms are sent
to each school. All personnel at each school who
wish to obtain authorization for inquiry‑only, inquiry/
update or electronic data submission capability
must complete a registration form (even if one was
completed the previous year). Each school must
have 1 person designated as the “Administrator”. The
OUAC automatically designates an “Administrator” if
the school does not assign one. The school principal
or vice principal must authorize the registration form
with his/her signature.
Note: A valid and unique email is required with
registration.
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
27
Appendix F: University Contacts
Algoma University
Mr. Brent Krmpotich
Director of Student Recruitment
Algoma University
1520 Queen Street East
Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 2G4
Telephone: 1 888-ALGOMA-U or
705-949-2301, ext. 4243
Email: info@algomau.ca
University of Guelph-Humber
Ms. Ritu Mathur
Manager, Admission
University of Guelph-Humber
207 Humber College Blvd.
Toronto ON M9W 5L7
Telephone: 416-798-1331, ext. 6083
Fax: 416-798-3606
Email: ritu.mathur@guelphhumber.ca
Brock University
Ms. Michelle Lea
Director, Admissions
Brock University
500 Glenridge Avenue
St. Catharines ON L2S 3A1
Telephone: 905-688-5550, ext. 4445
Fax: 905-988-5488
Email: mlea@brocku.ca
Lakehead University
Mr. Nick Chamut
Manager of Undergraduate Admissions
Enrolment Services – Undergraduate Admissions
Lakehead University
955 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1
Telephone: 807-343-8676
Fax: 807-766-7209
Email: nchamut@lakeheadu.ca
Carleton University
Ms. Jean Mullan
Director, Undergraduate Recruitment Office
Carleton University
315 Robertson Hall
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa ON K1S 5B6
Telephone: 613-520-2600, ext. 8879
Fax: 613-520-3847
Email: jean.mullan@carleton.ca
Laurentian University
Ms. Melissa Ouimette
Manager, Applicant Services
Laurentian University
Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury ON P3E 2C6
Telephone: 705-675-1151, ext. 3913
Fax: 705-675-4891
Email: mouimette@laurentian.ca
Ms. Jen Elliott
Assistant Director, Undergraduate Recruitment
Office
Carleton University
315 Robertson Hall
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa ON K1S 5B6
Telephone: 613-520-2600, ext. 8713
Email: jennifer.elliott@carleton.ca
Université Laurentienne – Université de Hearst
Mme. Sylvie Roy
Secrétaire générale
Université de Hearst
S.P. 580
Hearst ON P0L 1N0
Téléphone : 1-800-887-1781, ext. 224
Télécopie : 705-362-7518
Adresse électronique : sylvie_roy@uhearst.ca
University of Guelph
Ms. Deanna McQuarrie
Associate Registrar, Admission Services
Office of Registrarial Services
University of Guelph
Level 3, University Centre
Guelph ON N1G 2W1
Telephone: 519-824-4120, ext. 58714
Fax: 519-766-9481
Email: dmcquarrie@registrar.uoguelph.ca
McMaster University
Ms. Rebecca Hamilton
Associate Director, Admissions
Enrolment Services
McMaster University
Gilmour Hall, Room 109
Hamilton ON L8S 4L8
Telephone: 905-525-9140, ext. 24800
Fax: 905-527-1105
Email: hamiltnr@mcmaster.ca
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2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Nipissing University
Ms. Heather Brown
Associate Registrar, Admissions
Nipissing University
100 College Drive
P.O. Box 5002
North Bay ON P1B 8L7
Telephone: 705-474-3461, ext. 4516
Fax: 705-495-1772
Email: heatherb@nipissingu.ca
OCAD University
Mr. Donald Kelly
Manager, Undergraduate Admissions
OCAD University
100 McCaul Street
Toronto ON M5T 1W1
Telephone: 416-977-6000, ext. 428
Fax: 416-977-6006
Email: dkelly@ocadu.ca
University of Ottawa
Ms. Geneviève Gauthier
Manager, Undergraduate Admissions (interim)
University of Ottawa
550 Cumberland Street
Ottawa ON K1N 6N5
Telephone: 613-562-5800, ext. 1594
Fax: 613-562-5790
Email: genevieve.gauthier@uottawa.ca
Queen’s University
Mr. Stuart Pinchin
Associate University Registrar
Undergraduate Admission
Queen’s University
Kingston ON K7L 3N6
Telephone: 613-533-2218
Fax: 613-533-6810
Email: pinchin@queensu.ca
Royal Military College of Canada
Mr. Graeme Duke-Gibbs or
Ms. Krys Burke
RMCC Liaison Officer
Royal Military College of Canada
P.O. Box 17000
Station Forces
Kingston ON K7K 7B4
Telephone: 613-541-6000, ext. 6985 or 6962
Fax: 613-542-3565
Email: liaison@rmc.ca
2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Ryerson University
Ms. Marisa Modeski
Assistant Director, Student Recruitment
Ryerson University
350 Victoria Street
Toronto ON M5B 2K3
Telephone: 416-979-5030
Fax: 416-979-5221
Email: modeski@ryerson.ca
University of Toronto
Ms. Ellen Dubelt
Manager, Ontario Secondary School Admissions
University of Toronto
172 St. George Street
Toronto ON M5R 0A3
Telephone: 416-978-2388
Email: ea.dubelt@utoronto.ca
Trent University
Mr. Kevin Whitmore
Manager, Admissions
Trent University
1600 West Bank Drive
Peterborough ON K9J 7B8
Telephone: 705-748-1011, ext. 7748
Fax: 705-748-1629
Email: kevinwhitmore@trentu.ca
University of Ontario
Institute of Technology (UOIT)
Mr. Adam Wingate
Assistant Registrar, Admissions (Acting) – Office of
the Registrar
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa ON L1H 7K4
Telephone: 905-721-8668, ext. 2017
Fax: 905-721-3178
Email: wingate@uoit.ca
University of Waterloo
Mr. Andre Jardin
Associate Registrar, Admissions
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo ON N2L 3G1
Telephone: 519-888-4567, ext. 32265
Fax: 519-746-2882
Email: acjardin@uwaterloo.ca
Western University
Ms. Lori Gribbon
Director, Undergraduate Recruitment and
Admissions
Western University
London ON N6A 3K7
Telephone: 519-661-2116
Fax: 519-661-3710
Email: lgribbon@uwo.ca
29
Brescia University College at Western University
Ms. Marianne Simm
Registrar
1285 Western Road
London ON N6G 1H2
Telephone: 519-432-8353, ext. 28266
Fax: 519-858-5137
Email: msimm@uwo.ca
Huron University College at Western University
Ms. Meagan Vande Vooren
Assistant Registrar
Huron University College
1349 Western Road
London ON N6G 1H3
Telephone: 519-438-7224, ext. 207
Fax: 519-438-3800
Email: mvandev7@huron.uwo.ca
York University – Glendon Campus
(Glendon programs only; service in English/French)
Mr. Pascal Arseneau
Coordinator, Admissions & Strategic Enrolment
Welcome Centre, York Hall, B108
275 Bayview Avenue
Toronto ON M4N 3M6
Telephone: 416-736-2100, ext. 88337
Email: pascala@glendon.yorku.ca
King’s University College at Western University
Ms. Marilyn Mason
Registrar
King’s University College
266 Epworth Ave.
London ON N6A 1Z3
Telephone: 519-433-3491, ext. 4308
Fax: 519-433-2227
Email: mmason@uwo.ca
Wilfrid Laurier University
Mr. Craig Chipps
Manager, Admissions & Waterloo Recruitment
Wilfrid Laurier University
75 University Avenue West
Waterloo ON N2L 3C5
Telephone: 519-884-0710, ext. 5660
Fax: 519-884-8826
Email: cchipps@wlu.ca
University of Windsor
Ms. Charlene Yates
Associate Registrar
University of Windsor
Windsor ON N9B 3P4
Telephone: 519-253-3000, ext. 3332
Fax: 519-971-3653
Email: yater@uwindsor.ca
York University
(All programs available at Keele and Glendon
campuses)
Mr. Jock Phippen
Director Recruitment and Admissions
Bennett Centre for Student Services, N301
99 Ian Macdonald Boulevard
North York ON M7A 2C5
Telephone: 416-736-2100, ext. 33301
Email: jphippen@yorku.ca
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2018 Counsellors’ University Application Handbook
Ontario Universities’ Application Centre
Application Processing
Address
170 Research Lane
Guelph ON N1G 5E2
Secondary School Division
Michelle Kemper
Martha Pollard
Aisa Saho
Katherine Turner
Office Hours
8:30 am – 4:30 pm (ET)
Guidance Site:
OUAC 101 Website:
www.ouac.on.ca/guidance
www.ouac.on.ca/ouac‑101
Telephone
Application-related inquiries: 519-823-1063
Email: guidance@ouac.on.ca
Manager, Undergraduate Programs
Jennifer Paradise‑McCurdy
Telephone: 519‑823‑1940, ext. 6250
Email: paradise@ouac.on.ca
All other inquiries: 519-823-1940
Press “1” for English, then “1” for the direct Guidance line.
Fax
519‑823‑5232
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