Hello people,
I’am currently in a serious dilemma. My A-level Exams were finished yesterday and I just realised that I have very little time to wind up my act before I depart for Canada. I have given my exams privately so I hold no mock result sheet. I have given A-level physics, A-level Maths and A-level General papers and my results are going to come in August. Not that they matter much since I was unfortunately unlucky in performing some of the A2 segments. I have spent two years with A-levels and now I don’t want to continue repeating the entire courses again. Its simply not realistic. My dad has told me that I have 25 days to find my way through the canadian education system and gain admission for september semisters in any university or if required, college.
All I hold are my O-level results(I got decent grades) and my canadian citizenship. I did not get much time to understand what requirements are needed for getting admission to the universities and colleges around Canada. I have contacted the Quest university, Ryerson and Seneca college so far and from What I gather, I need to either appear for a Foundation course or a rolling admission. I need some clear information on benifits of joining a diploma based pogram as well.
I’am prepared for giving any kind of exam for the subjects English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Please I need some guidance from an expert in Canada.
^ you might be a little late for fall admissions… especially for Universities, and you’ll have to contact community colleges individually to see if they are still accepting applications. Some institutions offer January admissions, so it might be possible to pursue that avenue.
When you say you didn’t do well - what grades are you expecting? You might be surprised but many Universities will still look favorably on A-Level grades even if you have Bs and Cs, as A-Levels curriculum is considered more advanced than the collegiate level (grade 12 or 13) curriculum. I attended University of Toronto for my undergrad and I got first year credits for all courses in which I had a B or better in my A-Levels, which included Pure Mathematics (got a credit for an advanced 1st year Calculus course), Business Studies (credit for Management 101), and Physics (credit for Physics 101). I had one C which didn’t translate into a transfer credit but was still considered in the admissions application.
I’m almost certain that for admission into an undergraduate degree granting program, you will need to have your A-Level results… but you might be able to apply for diploma programs at a community college. It seems like Seneca accepts O-Levels results for diploma program admissions (see this website). If you are really keen on September admissions and if Seneca is still accepting applications, then may be you can select a diploma program where you can take courses that can help you get transfer credits for a program of your choice in a University. You can attend one year in college and then transfer over to a University. This will mean that you’ll remain productive and also not worry about taking courses that will be wasted.
How is it narrow? There are plenty of diploma programs across many community colleges that you can choose from.
^ I dunno about you but to me, a foundation course seems like a waste of time after completing A-Levels. Unfortunately, none of my friends who did their A-Levels had to opt for that, so I can't comment on that.
i know lucid knows more stuff than i do :D, but i'll just tell you what i know.
you are definitely late for applying for fall semester. all teh admissions into universities have closed. you can try the colleges, like humber, or seneca (all the campuses) to see if they have jan admissions. some unis also have winter semester options, so check into that. as for applying into unis based on what you've completed, you have to have you A levels.
as for foundation courses, those are just basic level stuff, and just courses. high school level maths or physics, stuff like that. if you think you won't be wasting time by re-sitting for classes you've already done, then you can go for it. be sure to check out what things they are teaching you in the course. for that you will have to do a bit of hunting on the websites of the unis, check out the courses they are offering, and then read the description. but, i think to take the foundation courses (because a lot of students take them to get the pre-req requirments for uni-level courses) you have to be a student of the uni.
the best option for you now will be to gain admittance into a college program, and then transfer into the sept semester in 2010. i know seneca and humber has great programs, and the diploma programs are parallel to the degree programs, so once you transfer, there is a good chance they will give you a bulk of the credits.
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the best option for you now will be to gain admittance into a college program, and then transfer into the sept semester in 2010. i know seneca and humber has great programs, and the diploma programs are parallel to the degree programs, so once you transfer, there is a good chance they will give you a bulk of the credits.
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^ it sounds like your perception of diploma programs is somewhat different than what it really is. May be in Pakistan, they use the term more freely, but in community colleges here, diploma programs are accredited and full-length multiple course based offerings. As both Khumar and I suggested earlier, you may be able to find a suitable diploma program where you can take first year courses that will also allow you to transfer those credits into a bachelor's program at a University.
You will need to look into various options for programs that interest you and this should be based on the type of undergraduate degree you're aiming for. For example, if you're planning to go into engineering or computer science, you should look for programs that offer courses in Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Intro to Programming... while if you're interested in the Life Sciences stream, then look for diploma programs that offer first year courses in Calculus, Chemistry, and Biology etc.
According to this I have to get admission via a centralized provincial education administration. Yet I was of the impression that getting admission specially rolling ones are done by college and universities alone.
^ those single application forms are NOT for diploma programs... but for regular degree programs. Admissions to Diploma programs are considered individually by every college.
if you get a degree, you get a title, aka BA or BSc. with a diploma, you get a ceritifcate, ie certificate in pharmaceuticals regulatory programs.
there are some diploma programs, which you need a degree (BA or BSc) beforehand to enroll in. at the same time, you can have joint degree/diploma courses (eg BA in psychology with a ceritificate program in counselling).
universities never (as far as i know) do rolling admissions. they are pretty strict when it comes to admissions, and i am not sure about highschoolers from outside of ontario, but for the residents or ontario, they go through OUAC or OCAS to enroll, and they have dates and everything by which you have to submit your application.