It’s that time of year again – the process of applying to University has begun mystifying high school seniors and mature students across Ontario (and beyond). If you, too, have been frantically Googling your way to some vague understanding of how OUAC works and what you need to do in order to gain acceptance into the hallowed halls of your chosen post-secondary institution, take a breath and relax. OVS has you covered, with answers to all your burning OUAC questions in one convenient place!
What is OUAC & why does it exist?
OUAC, also known as The Ontario University Application Centre, is a hub where Ontario universities go to view student marks from across the province. Based on the marks posted on OUAC, universities make decisions about which students qualify for admission offers.
Will universities see all my marks on OUAC?
OUAC hosts all grade 11 and 12 marks for universities to view. However, universities are really only interested in a student’s “top six”. This refers to a student’s top six marks earned in courses whose codes end in -U or -M (e.g. ENG4U or BBB4M). Depending on the program you’re applying to, there may be specific courses that a university will look for regardless of achievement (i.e. if you applying to a Science or Math based program, they will want to see your marks for grade 12 science and math).
Am I a 101 or a 105 applicant & what’s the difference any way?
In OUAC’s eyes, there are only two types of university applicants:
- Those applying to university directly from an Ontario high school, and
- Those applying to university from basically any other situation, e.g.…
- a student who attended high school outside of Ontario (including internationally)
- a student who has been out of school for more than 7 consecutive months
- a mature student who has attended a post-secondary institution previously
If you are a 101 applicant: Your full-time day-school will issue all the information necessary to create your OUAC account.
If you are a 101 applicant taking courses with OVS: We can send your marks directly to OUAC during one of their four collection periods. For us to do that, we need to have your OUAC reference number (year of application + 6 digits) on file. This will be automatically assigned to you once your OUAC account has been created.
If you are a 105 applicant: You will still need to create a 105 account with OUAC, HOWEVER OUAC will not be responsible for distributing your marks to universities. Instead, you will have to send all documents directly to your universities.
If you are a 105 applicant taking courses with OVS: We will not be able to submit your marks to OUAC, as they will not be accepted. With that said, our guidance team is more than happy to assist you in sending your report cards and transcripts where they need to go, upon request. To request that we send your OVS marks directly to your university, simply email [email protected] with your admissions office information (either an email address or mailing address), as well as your applicant/student number for the post-secondary institution(s) you are requesting we contact. If you have questions, we encourage you to call our office between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday to speak to an advisor about your request.
How do I find my OUAC Reference Number?
Once you have created your OUAC account using the PIN provided to you by your home school, you can find your OUAC Reference Number (Year + 6 digits) in the top left-hand side of your account homepage.
When does OUAC collect marks?
OUAC runs a series of collection dates and deadlines. All 101 students must follow these deadlines whether you are in standard day school, online, night or summer school.
OUAC Collection Periods:
Oct/Nov – Grade 11 and 12 finals & current course enrollments
February – Semester 1 finals & non-semester current grades
April – Semester 2 midterms
July – Semester 2 finals
August – Any remaining grades &/ summer school courses
*A complete and detailed outline of OUAC dates and deadlines is available here.
What role does OVS play in all of this?
Given the nature of OVS, we offer flexible start and completion deadlines. However, we do still have to follow OUAC’s collection dates for mark submissions.
For full-time OVS students: OVS will create your OUAC PIN, and will be responsible for updating and managing your courses on OUAC. We will also finalize your records and account once you complete your OSSD requirements.
Part-time OVS students: When requesting your midterm or final report cards, be sure to include your OUAC reference number, beginning with your application year (e.g. ‘2020’) + 6 randomized numbers that will serve to identify you within OUAC’s database. Please note that providing an incorrect OUAC reference number to OVS means your mark will not be updated successfully. When inputting your OUAC number, please be sure to double check that you are submitting with the correct year’s applicant number and that the 6 unique digits are correct.
How long does it take for my marks to appear on OUAC?
If you are completing a course within an accepted finals collection period, it will take OVS up to 3 business days for your report card to be processed and sent to OUAC, it can then take OUAC up to 3 additional business days to add your OVS marks to your OUAC account. Please be sure to submit your requests at least one full week in advance of your deadlines to avoid any issues.
Important FYI: April, May and June are amongst the busiest times for graduating students. Leading into these months, OVS teachers will set specific deadlines to make sure students are completing their course(s) in time for graduation and/or OUAC updates. Students must remain aware of these deadlines and follow them closely, as failure to do so can result in missed course completion and declined acceptance offers!
Why are my day school marks showing on OUAC but my OVS courses aren’t?
Your home/full-time school guidance counsellor has access to update student marks themselves; however, for students who are not full time with us, OVS cannot update your marks to OUAC immediately. Instead, we have to send the marks to OUAC with the request that they add them to your OUAC profile; this can take up to 3 business days, which is why you may see your day school marks showing sooner than your OVS courses. If it’s more than a week, please give our office a call to confirm that your marks were properly submitted.
Still have questions? Email [email protected] or call us at 416 907 4899!