No early admission to universities in Canada? Don’t sweat it (yet).

Today is April 23rd. As I write this, thousands of Grade 12 students who have applied to universities in Canada are still waiting for an answer. Will they get into the programs they want? Let’s face it, this is tough. Some Ontario universities will send final offers of admission out as late as the last day of May. But rest assured, even if you’re still waiting to hear from your top pick, things are not over yet.

The great May shuffle

If you put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer, you’ll understand why acceptances drift into April and May for Ontario universities. Let’s say your program can accommodate 500 students and you’ve accepted 600, knowing that some are likely to turn down your offer. Remember that an acceptance letter to a student does not confirm their enrolment.

Many students will ‘hang onto’ multiple acceptance letters, not willing to make a final choice right away. While this holds the feeling of “I could go anywhere” for a student, it holds up the admission process for others.

Going back to your roll of admissions officer, if your acceptance of 600 students results in 350 enrolments by the end of April, you have another 250 spots to fill. You might go through several more rounds of acceptances before May 30th, the final day that Ontario universities will send an acceptance letter to students.

Do they really wait that long?

Yes!

For better or worse, acceptance letters can arrive as late as May 30th, even though Ontario universities require a decision by June 1st. I’ve seen this play out first hand. A friend’s daughter received acceptance to the school she wanted on May 30th. Did anyone ask if she had time to read her acceptance letter that day?

Nope. She was actually attending her high school graduation ceremony and discovered the good news when she stepped off the stage.

What’s a student to do?

So, if you’ve not heard back from your top picks for universities in Canada, is there anything you can do? Yes, start with a healthy dose of perspective. Keep in mind that plenty of acceptances are still sent out through April and May to Ontario universities and others across the country. Unless you’ve received a rejection from a given program, there is still reason to hope.

If you’ve been wait-listed or have yet to hear back on your application, there is still every chance that you’ll receive an offer. While some programs and schools are known to accept the bulk of their students by a certain time, all of them make last minute adjustments, according to space.

While you wait, it’s the perfect time to get organized:

• Make a list of your program preferences. Whether you’ve applied only to Ontario universities or a widespread list of universities in Canada, it’s important to have them ranked in your own mind. Write them down, top to bottom, so you know, when the time comes, which is your preference and why. The reason for this is the end-of-acceptance-season rush. You may be faced with a last minute decision, which can feel overwhelming. If you have a clear, written list of your preferences (even throw in your reasons), it will help you to be clear-headed when you decide.

• Make sure you play all your cards. Some universities in Canada allow you to submit additional information about yourself, should the decision be a close call for the admissions officers. At the University of Guelph, for example, applicants can fill out a Student Profile Form to share information about themselves. While this is optional, make sure you take advantage of the opportunities, even for your backup programs.

• Be good to yourself. Remember, once your applications are in, most of application season is out of your hands. Even if friends seem to be celebrating their acceptances all around you, trust that your time will come and your path will soon be clear. This is a stressful time. Do small things to be kind to yourself!

Just-right help for university applications

If you’re interested in finding the right level of support for your university application essays — including planning and editing help for personal statements, personal profiles, supp app essays and more, we can help.

At On Your Mark, we’ve helped Canadian students to map out and edit their application essays for Engineering, Life Sciences and Psychology programs at top Canadian schools. We’ve also helped students prepare and practice for on-the-spot essays and interviews, as part of the supp app Health Sciences at Queen’s University.

We look forward to helping you find your voice for the written or video components of your university applications. Let’s do this.