Admissions Blog

Oh, Canada! The Definitive List of Canadian University Application Deadlines

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Craig Meister

Looking to go to college north of the border? First, don’t call it college; call it university. Second, be prepared to work with an entirely different set of application deadlines than you have when applying to American colleges. Third, realize that your citizenship will likely influence what your deadline for applying will be. Fourth, it’s always a better idea to get the application completed and ready for review ASAP; don’t wait for the deadline. Fifth, the below chart is updated in early 2019 for students aiming for a September 2019 start date. Sixth, realize that certain niche programs at universities listed below may have other deadlines than those listed; make sure to double check with the school/program before moving forward. Seventh, good luck as you set your sights on studying in Canada!

Canadian University	Deadline for In-Province High School Students	Deadline for International Applicants	Deadline for Other Applicants
Acadia	Rolling	Rolling	Rolling
Alberta	1-Mar	1-Mar	1-Mar
Bishop’s	1-Apr	1-Apr	1-May
Brandon	15-Aug	1-Apr	15-Aug
Brock	1-Jun	1-Apr	1-Aug
Calgary	1-Mar	1-Mar	1-Mar
Cape Breton	1-Aug	1-Aug	1-Aug
Carleton	16-Jan	1-Apr	1-Jun
Concordia	1-Mar	1-Feb	1-Mar
Dalhousie	1-Jun	1-Apr	1-Jun
Guelph	16-Jan	15-Feb	1-Mar
Lakehead	16-Jan	1-Mar	1-Mar
Laurentian	16-Jan	1-Feb	1-Feb
Laval	1-Mar	1-Mar	15-Aug
Lethbridge	30-Jun	15-May	30-Jun
Manitoba	1-Aug	7-Jul	7-Jul
McGill	1-Mar	15-Jan	1-Feb
McMaster	1-Feb	1-Feb	1-Feb
Memorial	1-Mar	1-Jun	1-Mar
Moncton	1-Aug	15-Jun	1-Aug
Montreal	1-Mar	1-Feb	1-Feb
Mount Allison	Rolling	Rolling	Rolling
Mount Saint Vincent	9-Aug	21-Jun	9-Aug
New Brunswick	31-Mar	31-Mar	31-Mar
Nipissing	16-Jan	1-Apr	1-Apr
Ottawa	1-Jun	1-Apr	1-Jun
Queen’s	1-Feb	1-Feb	1-Feb
Regina	15-Mar	1-Mar	15-Mar
Ryerson	1-Feb	1-Feb	1-Feb
Saint Mary’s	Rolling	Rolling	Rolling
Saskatchewan	1-May	1-May	1-May
Sherbrooke	1-Mar	15-Jan	1-Mar
Simon Fraser	31-Jan	31-Jan	31-Jan
St Francis Xavier	Rolling	30-May	Rolling
St Thomas	31-Aug	1-Jun	31-Aug
Toronto	16-Jan	16-Jan	16-Jan
Trent	16-Jan	1-Jun	15-Feb
UBC	15-Jan	15-Jan	15-Jan
UNBC	1-Mar	1-Mar	1-Mar
UOIT	16-Jan	31-Jan	31-Jan
UPEI	Rolling	Rolling	Rolling
UQAM	1-Mar	1-Mar	1-Mar
Victoria	28-Feb	30-Apr	30-Apr
Waterloo	16-Jan	29-Mar	29-Mar
Western	16-Jan	Rolling	Rolling
Wilfrid Laurier	16-Jan	1-Apr	1-Apr
Windsor	16-Jan	1-Mar	1-Aug
Winnipeg	1-Mar	1-Mar	2-Jul
York	16-Jan	6-Mar	6-Mar

Sweater Day at Canadian University Goes Horribly Wrong, Sexism and Racism Alleged

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Craig Meister

Simon Fraser University took down a video that promoted campus wide “National Sweater Day,” all for the sake of political correctness. Even though the video was also used in previous years to encourage students to turn down the heat and put on a sweater to help conserve energy, this year, students at the Canadian university got really offended and SFU folded like a cheap suit.

American vs. Canadian College Admissions

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Craig Meister

More than ever students applying to college in the US are also looking to Canada for more college and university options. The same can be said of their Canadian counterparts. With this in mind, it’s important to review the major differences between the admissions process in the United States and Canada. While the following information is very valuable in general, please remember that specific colleges and universities may of course deviate from the general rule outlined below. Always remember to check with the college or universities on your final list to ensure that you are meeting their admissions criteria and meeting their priority deadlines. Good luck!

	Canada	United States
Application Deadlines	Apply as soon as the applications are available online (in many cases December or January); deadlines vary by institution but are generally later than the US and typically on a rolling basis. Be careful to not apply to late, as Canadian schools don’t have the same May 1 reply by date as US schools and they typically take long to process applications	Deadlines vary by institution, but are generally earlier than Canada and most have specific deadlines including those for Early Action (non-binding) and Early Decision (binding).
Admissions Criteria – Academic Performance	Academic performance is the most important decision factor; requirements vary by institution and by competitive programs. Senior/junior year performance is crucial to many Canadian universities – most all will require first semester senior year grades (or predicted IB scores), so late bloomers can really benefit.	Academic performance is the most important decision factor for both private colleges and universities, with more weight given to rigorous, college-prep curricula. Most US universities will look at grades 9, 10, 11, and 12with more weight on senior/junior year performance. First semester senior year grades are required for admission, unless the student is applying Early Decision, Early Action, or early in the Rolling cycle.
Admissions Criteria – Other	Less emphasis on reference letters, essays, and extracurricular activities (most universities will not require this information for evaluation).	More emphasis on reference letters, essays, extracurricular activities, and demonstrated interest (especially at mid- and small-sized private colleges/universities).
Admissions Criteria – Testing	Some require SAT/ACT, and rarely SAT Subject Tests, but not all. Inquire with each college you are considering.	Most weigh SAT or ACT scores, and sometimes SAT Subject Tests. An increasing number of colleges are test optional (see fairtest.org).
Decisions	Decisions roll out from February to April, or even later.	Decisions can be rolling or with deadline schools no later than April 1. The uniform reply/deposit deadline is May 1.

More information: