Because of Canada's safe and friendly social environment,peaceful and beautiful natural scenery, high-valued education, relatively easy employment and immigration policy, and other advantages, it attracts students worldwide to study in Canada. It can be said the money invested in studying in Canada is justifiable. Also, Canada's top-ranked famous universities have been favoured by many Chinese students. Below is an introduction to the preliminary plan for the application to prestigious Canadian schools.
Canadian universities, most of which are public, have undergone strict government regulations, assessments and reviews, and the overall education level is among the highest in the world. The common majors are agriculture, architecture, science, education, engineering, art, environment, and so on. These universities have their own strengths and are generally divided into three categories:
1）Medical/Doctoral Universities
2）Comprehensive Universities
3）Primarily Undergraduate Universities
What are Medical Doctoral Universities?
Medical/doctoral universities refer to colleges and universities that contain medical schools and doctoral authority.In Canada, there is a total of fifteen. These large-scale schools have a long history, with a wide selection of programs, adequate funding, research projects, and excellent teaching resources. The most prominent feature is that these universities have independent medical schools. Medical/doctoral universities can award bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees.
Among them, the more well-known medical universities in Canada according tothe rankings of Canada’s Best Medical Doctoral Universities published by MacLean’s magazine include Toronto Universities，McGill University，University of British Columbia，Western University，Queens University,etc.
What is a comprehensive university?
In terms of school scale, comprehensive universities are slightly smaller than medical and doctoral universities.Comprehensive universities do not have a medical school, but they have a large number of research programs and a wide range of courses. They also offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
Among them, the more famous comprehensive universities listed onthe Canadian university rankings published in MacLean's magazine includeSimon Fraser University， University of Waterloo，Victoria University，York University,etc.
What are Primarily Undergraduate Universities?
Primarily undergraduate universities focus on undergraduate education, with relatively fewer graduate programs and graduate students.They generally focus on providing courses in several disciplines, with more practical courses. In addition to bachelor's degrees, some primarily undergraduate universities can award master's and doctoral degrees, but there are relatively few academic research projects. In contrast, the class are mainly small, which facilitates the interaction between teachers and students.
On the premise of the rankings for Canada's best Primarily Undergraduate universities published in MacLean’s magazine include Laurentian University，Ontario Institute of Technology，OCAD University,etc.
Entry Requirements for Prestigious Universities
For example, an undergraduate program at University of Toronto requires the following materials:
- University of Toronto International Student Application Form;
- TOEFL / IELTS test results;
- High school transcript, high school graduation certificate/enrollment certificate, high school graduation exam results
- SAT, ACT, college entrance exam, or A-level results
- Letter of recommendation + personal statement;
It should be noted that in addition to these general requirements, many programs may demand for more. For example, some departments have special requirements such as writing compositions and video interviews.
Proof of academic achievement and language proficiency
Regarding the application, schools generally require applicants to submit two types of academic certificates – a high school certificate (plus college entrance examination results) and language proficiency test results.
Academic results are shown through students' high school transcripts and diplomas. At present, all Canadian universities recognize the high school results of Chinese students. For well-known colleges, a three-year high school average of at least 80% is necessary. For a popular business or engineering major, the applicant might even need a 90% average or more. It is worth noting that with the increase of Chinese student applications, some well-known universities also require students to provide high school graduation examination and college entrance examination results. Some students can also submit their SAT results if they have it.
Regarding language proficiency levels, Canadian universities have precise requirements for IELTS or TOEFL scores. Generally speaking, most schools and majors require an overall score of at least 6.5 on the IELTS, and a few schools and programs may require at least 6.0 or 7.0. Some may require a specific score in a single section. As for TOEFL, most schools and programs require a minimum score between 80 and 100, and some schools and programs also have minimum requirements in single sections of the test.
Because of the long, hectic preparation process for the college entrance examination in China, many students have not taken language tests such as IELTS or TOEFL. In order to recruit more of these outstanding students, many universities in Canada have specially opened up "conditional admissions" opportunities. This means that Canadian universities will issue two admission notices to international students who lack language proficiency. Therefore, the student will receive two admission notices; one for a language program and the other for the undergraduate program they applied to. The student will be required to study English and complete the language requirement after arriving in Canada. After that, the student can begin university courses in the undergraduate program.
Portfolio + Supporting Documents
According to the application requirements of different schools and programs, there are some supplementary application conditions that may require students to submit personal statements, resumes, recommendation letters, portfolios, and other supporting materials.
Special requirements for some programs
Let's look at the University of Toronto's business department as an example. The business school at the University of Toronto is among the best in Canada, so admissions are stricter. In addition to the above requirements, you also need to record a video introducing yourself.
Application deadlines vary by school and major
Regarding the application time, the deadline for each school and major is different. Canadian universities are mostly follow the semester system in an academic year, with October being the start of the application season for fall admissions in September of the following year. The deadline for online applications is generally from January to March of the following year, and the deadline for submission of documents is generally in April to May. For winter enrollment, the deadline is mostly from September to October of the previous year, but not many university programs allow for winter enrollment. Students who wish to start school on time must manage their time well. Therefore, it is recommended that they start to act immediately. Popular schools are more competitive, with many applicants and very few spots. The later the application is submitted, the more intense the competition will be.
To sum up:
Finally, as a reminder to students applying for prestigious Canadian schools: Carefully prepare your application materials according to the specific school and program, and submit your documents on time. Canadian universities, like those in other countries, select candidates who have excellent academic standing. So, studying hard, getting good marks in high school and on language proficiency tests increases your success rate. We hope our advice helps you in preparing for your university applications.
