Thinking about applying to college? Please see information below to get you started.
Researching Ontario College Programs
- Visit post-secondary events, such as College Information Fair.
- Ontariocolleges.ca is the website where you can verify college entrance requirements.
- Ontransfer.ca is the website to find the information and tools you need to transfer courses or find pathways to/from Ontario's public college, universities, and Indigenous Institutes.
- Alternatively, you can verify whether you have the prerequisites for a program by cross-referencing your course selection with your programs of interest on the "Postsecondary" tab to the left of your High School Planner in myPathwayPlanner.
College Program Types
- Certificate Programs: 1 year
- Diploma Programs: 2 – 3 years
- Degree Programs: 3 – 4 years
- Collaborative Degree Programs: 4 years
- Graduate Certificate Programs: 1 year
Applying to Ontario College Programs
Know your OEN &Student # (can be found on your report card and will be sent to your GAPPS email during the week of October 15th)
Go to: www.ontariocolleges.ca. The application opens September 28, 2024.
Follow the steps below. You can also:
- review the Ontario Colleges online application tutorial
- watch this how to apply video
Click: “Apply Now" under Canadian Applicants (this for Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents). For International applicants (including Convention Refugee and Refugee Claimants), you will need to follow different college application instructions linked on the Hodan Nalayeh Guidance College webpage. Convention Refugees, although filling out the international application, will pay domestic fees.
Complete the New Applicant set-up. Use your legal name.
Under Personal Information, click ‘Get Started’. Fill in all necessary fields.
Under Education, click ‘Get Started.’ Fill in all necessary fields.
Click ‘Apply to College’
On the ‘When would you like to go to start college?’ page, click “After July 31, 2025”
- Click ‘Choose Programs’
- Click “Add” to add the program to your application – make sure to choose the correct delivery, start date and campus
- You may choose five programs (no more than three at any one college)
- On the Program Choices page, rank your program choices by using the “Move Up” and “Move Down” arrows
- We have already submitted a transcript for you electronically.
Review all details of your application and then click the checkbox "all my information is accurate."
You will need to arrange to pay the $150 fee online with a credit card (regular or Visa Debit) or Interac Online – save/print the Payment Summary for your records.
All payments are non-refundable.
Important Notes and Dates
- If you have not been at Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School since Grade 9, or have not been at a school where English was the main language of instruction, you may need to demonstrate a language proficiency requirement (i.e. iELTS, TOEFL) for some programs.
- See Guidance for more information.
- International students are encouraged to apply early as some programs at certain schools have a very limited number of seats for International students.
- Some schools (not all) use a “first come, first serve” system for International Students.
- Some programs (mostly oversubscribed programs) are closed to International Students. For International applicants, you will need to follow different college application instructions linked on the Hodan Nalayeh Guidance College webpage.
- Equal consideration date for highly competitive programs is February 1
- Plan to apply before Feb 1, to have the best chance of receiving an offer!
- Some programs close on Feb 1, as they are already full
- Many programs are available to apply to after February 1.
- List of highly competitive programs accessed from this page.
- First date that colleges can release offers is November 1st
- Offers continue to be released on an ongoing basis
- Many offers for highly competitive programs are not released until February 1 or later
- Check your application status in your College Portal accounts, or contact the college for clarification
- Offers are posted in your ontariocolleges.ca account.
Timelines
If you change high schools midway through the year, you must arrange for your new school to inform OCAS about the change of high school. this will ensure that your current academic data is sent to OCAS.
| Timeline | Action |
|---|---|
| As soon as possible |
|
| Beginning in October |
|
| November 1, 2024 |
|
| Early November |
|
| November 15, 2024 |
|
| February 1, 2025 |
|
| After February 1 |
|
| February 13, 2025 |
|
| Late February |
|
| April 24, 2025 |
|
| May 1, 2025 |
|
| Mid-June 2025 |
|
| July 5, 2025 |
|
Are you an international student apply to college?
Please visit the Ontario Colleges website for more detailed information, including information on:
- study permits
- how to apply
- links to information for internaitonal students for each college
- documents and transcripts
- fees and finances
- language proficiency
For Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School Graduates, to receive a copy of your transcript that you will send to the colleges, please email the Guidance Secretary (come to Guidance for email address) from your YRDSB GAPPS email account and include all information to be sent for verification purposes. For example, your OCAS Application Number, your OEN number, your Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School student number, your individualized College Application ID Number (if the college has given you one upon receipt of your application), the recipient's email address, the recipient's mailing address, the name of the person who the transcript is being sent to?