My online storage system has recently allowed for the sharing of files publicly, so I’m testing it out with an electronic copy of the CD that was handed out at the KWCHEA conference earlier this year. You can now download one big zip file at the following link:
Download of KWCHEA CD package

The file will have to be unzipped or decompressed using any standard program. Then you should see 6 folders which all contain a bunch of pdf files:

- Articles Written by Sarah
- Ontario Ministry of Education High School Resources
- Ontario University Admission Policies 2010 (all were updated as of spring 2010 for admission in fall 2010)
- Open Universities (information about Canada’s open universities available to Ontario Students)
- OUAC e-info information on all universities and programs (Ontario institutions)
- Standardized Tests for University Admission (including SAT, AP, CLEP and ACT)

Let me reiterate: this is not leisure reading. It’s boring. It’s not particularly pretty. But, if you are applying to university in Ontario as a homeschooler without a traditional high school diploma, I can’t think of any information you need (before you get to the point of speaking with individual universities) that’s not included here.

I also want to be perfectly clear: everything except the articles written by me is freely available online. I’m not claiming to have authored this material; I only compiled it because frankly, some of it is pretty darn difficult to find on your own. You’d be amazed at some of the navigation paths, file names and various educational jargon that industry professionals think makes sense. There’s some information here that even I had to pull my hair out to find online, so my goal was simply to put it all in one place for those who have neither the time nor the inclination to track down the information for themselves.

As this information is available freely online, there is no copyright infringement by providing it to you. Some of what’s included are simply screen shots from websites, and in that case, it’s enough to provide you the basics of what you need to know, but also provides you with the website address and how to get there yourself to get more information if you need more than the basics. And, since this information is freely available online, I have not sold nor are you allowed to sell the contents of this file. I was not financially compensated from KWCHEA in any way for this project. (They offered to reimburse me for my time, but I insisted that any money they had should go towards creating as many CDs as possible for free distribution.)

By downloading this file, you acknowledge that this file may not be sold and agree not to sell this file. It simply hasn’t been created in such a way to make that legal, as it was never my intent to receive compensation for this work. But, I hope you’ll share it freely.

I believe the contents are extremely accurate, but of course, mistakes happen. Please do let me know either by email or in a comment below if you find an error. Also feel free to let me know how you’re using the information, or if there’s anything I haven’t included that you think would be helpful, and I can consider that for version 2.0.

Depending on your browser, the link above may initiate a download automatically, so be prepared for that. The file is safe to download, but if you experience any problems please do let me know and I’ll take immediate action.

Ontario Universities’ Fair – http://www.ouf.ca/ ~ Sep 26-28, 2008 at the Metro Convention Centre in Downtown Toronto.  This is the big, annual university fair.  Keep in mind that this is not the place to get serious answers to your questions or spend any quality time with an informed admissions officer.  But, since the universities consider this to be a huge marketing opportunity, you’ll be able to bring home lots of written material, probably pick up some swag, and those little “fill this out to receive more info about . . . ” cards will be taken seriously.

Note: The “Canadian University & College Fair Annex” will be held at the same time, in the Skywalk between the MCC and Union Station. Only Ontario universities have booths inside the MCC. Read more at http://www.studentlifeexpo.com/.

In related news, Maclean’s will be hosting a “virtual” university fair on October 22, 2008.  All info will be archived and accessible on the website for 90 days after the event, but live chats and other interactive features will only be available on October 22.

But, admissions isn’t an exact science with students applying to several more institutions than they could possibly attend, and therefore with universities offering conditional acceptance to far more students than they can actually admit, the summer is when all the gaps get filled.

Here’s a direct link to the search page that this year’s high school seniors are using to see which Ontario universities still have open spots, and in specifically which programs.  The search allows you to narrow down or view all openings.  Simply choose an institution (or not, to see all), a program (or not, to see all) and enter a “Top Six” average and you can view the list of all programs with open spots that meet your criteria.

Of course, one hopes that you won’t have to use this tool when it’s your year to apply, but it’s good to know that it’s there, just in case!

Link to OUAC web application