The opportunities available for students are vast and exciting—opportunities that tend not to be available for anyone else. Throughout their educational pursuits, a student may, for instance, participate in activities and experiences they never thought themselves capable of—from acting to writing poetry, or playing water polo—even travelling the globe with a sports, debate, Model UN, or chess team.

The possibilities aren’t endless, but they are substantial, and not to be taken for granted.

Once you are no longer a student, these sorts of opportunities may never come again, either because they cease being available to you, or because you simply do not have enough time. If you have a full-time job, you likely won’t have much time to rehearse for a local play. If you have kids, you likely won’t have time to travel the globe. Opportunities decrease, as we age, and even if they don’t, our priorities certainly do.

“Youth is wasted on the young” is a quote that’s often wrongly attributed to the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Regardless, whoever said it—or whoever said something like it—had a point. When we are young students, we may not understand how many options are at our disposal, or how many opportunities the decisions we make now will open in the future.

It might not be until we finish school and enter the workforce that we come to realize how open the world was to us when we were students. We may look back at our student days with a mix of nostalgia and regret, or we may thank our younger selves for seizing the day.

Carpe Diem with Online Learning

There have always been unique opportunities for students willing to capitalize on them, but now that students can do most or even all of their degrees at the secondary and post-secondary levels online, the opportunities for students are even greater, as well as more accessible.

Indeed, one of the many benefits of online courses, especially for international students, is that you can take them from anywhere in the world, so long as you have a decent internet connection and a willingness to learn.

In past years, before the rise of online schools like OES, students were confined to attending schools in the towns and cities they lived in. Now, they can attend schools anywhere in the world, including in Canada, when they take online high school courses at a school like OES.

A student living in France, for instance, may take Canadian high school courses without ever leaving France. Technically, a student living in France could complete an entire Ontario secondary degree online through a school like OES without ever stepping foot outside their home, let alone leaving the country.

There are several benefits to receiving a Canadian secondary education. A quality education can open up a whole world of opportunities for international students, opportunities that would not be available to them if they were to study in their home country.

Studying in Canada (either online or in-person) can enable international students to immerse themselves in Canadian culture and make new friends in the country. Studying in Canada can also:

• Increase their chances of getting accepted into the post-secondary school of their choice, either in or outside of Canada
• Provide a quality of education they would not receive in their home country
• Offer courses that they would not be able to take elsewhere

If you’re an international student considering studying in Canada, there are plenty of factors worth taking into consideration. Whether you are considering moving to Canada to study or remaining in your home country and taking Canadian courses online, the decision you end up making must be informed.

If you do choose to study in Canada, we’re confident you’ll look back on this time with pride, knowing you took a chance on yourself and expanded your educational horizons.

Why Study in Canada

Although its population isn’t as grand as its American neighbours, Canada is the second-largest country in the world, spanning over nine million kilometres. It’s also home to some of the best secondary and post-secondary schools globally. Canada has 27 globally ranked universities and comes in 1st in the world in access to advanced education.

Canadians value quality education, so it comes as no surprise that its government invests significant money into education and educational institutions. Per capita, Canada spends more on education than any other country in the Group of Eight (G8), which in addition to Canada comprises the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, Italy, France, and Germany.

In 2018-2019, private and public education expenditure on all levels of education amounted to nearly 113 billion dollars, according to the Councils of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). 78.5 billion was spent on elementary and secondary education, while 41.5 billion was spent on postsecondary levels.

Since 1990-2000, education expenditure in Canada has risen steadily, according to Statista.

It makes sense, therefore, that Canadian students rank 4^th in the world in writing, problem-solving, and reading categories.

Canada is a Highly Educated Country

Canada, overall, is a highly educated country, and the number of Canadians who are highly educated are rising. According to a study by Statistics Canada published last year, in 2000, 59% of Canadians ages 25 to 34 had earned a post-secondary education. As of 2019, that percentage rose to 73%.

According to the study, “International Educational Attainment,” which was published in 2020 by the National Center for Educational Statistics, as of 2018:

• Along with Finland, the United States, and Japan, Canada was the only country among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries where over 40% of adults ages 25-34 had earned any kind of post-secondary degree (over 50% of adults ages 25-64 in Canada had earned any sort of secondary degree)
• 92% of Canadians had obtained a secondary degree (the only countries that placed above Canada were the Czech Republic [94%] and Lithuania [93%])

Global Rankings of Canadian Universities

For a country with a relatively small population, Canadian universities rank quite high globally, and a secondary degree from an Ontario high school like OES can be a golden ticket to elite Canadian universities.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings

Five Canadian universities are included among the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022’s top 100 universities. The University of Toronto (UofT) comes in at 18 (it’s tied with Peking University and Tsinghua University in China), the University of British Columbia (UBC) comes in at 37, and McGill University comes in at 44. After that:

• McMaster University comes in at 80
• The University of Montreal comes in at 88

For perspective, UofT comes ahead of three of America’s eight Ivy League Universities: Cornell University (number 22), Brown University (number 64), and Dartmouth College (number 101). UBC and McGill both come ahead of Brown and Dartmouth.

One noteworthy difference between Canadian universities and Ivy League Universities is the cost of tuition. For international students, the cost of tuition at elite Canadian universities is more affordable than the cost of tuition at Ivy League and other elite private post-secondary institutions in the United States.

US News Best Global Universities 2022

According to US News Best Global Universities, UofT comes in at 16 in the Best Global Universities, tied with University College London (UCL) and Princeton University. UBC comes in at number 35, and McGill University at number 51.

Cornell University comes in at number 22, Brown at 119, and Dartmouth at 247.

QS World University Rankings 2022

According to QS World University Rankings 2022, UofT comes in at number 26, McGill at number 27, and UBC at 46.

Cornell University comes in at number 21, Brown University at 60, and Dartmouth College at 191.

For perspective, in addition to Brown University and Dartmouth College, UofT and McGill rank ahead of:

• The University of California, Berkely (UCB)
• Kings’ College London
• The University of Melbourne
• The University of Sydney
• New York University (NYU)

Why Study at OES

International students can obtain their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) by taking some or all of their high school courses at a fully-accredited online Ontario secondary school like OES. In doing this, they may increase their chances of getting accepted into a top university in Canada as well as other top universities elsewhere in the world, including Ivy League schools like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia University.

A high school degree from Canada at a school like OES, in other words, can be a first-class ticket to an advanced degree from a prestigious institution in and outside of Canada.

The Ontario Secondary School Diploma

But what is an OSSD?

An OSSD is what students in Ontario receive when they graduate from a high school in the province. These high schools include Ontario-based online high schools like OES.

The credits a student must obtain to get an OSSD are determined by the Ministry of Education.

Note that OES is a private school, and Ontario private schools function independently from the Ministry of Education. These private schools must meet certain requirements to be able to grant students OSSD diplomas. These requirements tend to be like the ones determined by the Ministry of Education.

It is common for Ontario students to obtain their OSSD by taking courses at their home high school in the province in combination with online courses at OES.

How Things Work at OES

When students take some courses at OES and some at their main school of registration in Ontario, OES communicates with their main school of registration by sending them a midterm and final report. The marks students receive in OES courses are then added to the student’s Ontario Student Record (OSR) and Ontario Student Transcript (OST).

This means international students living in Ontario can obtain their OSSD by taking courses at their main school of registration as well as courses at OES.

Students living outside of Canada can obtain their OSSD entirely by taking OES courses online.

Post-secondary schools in and outside of Canada consider the grades students receive in OES online courses the same way they consider the grades students receive in courses they take at traditional in-person schools in Ontario.

An OSSD is recognized by post-secondary institutions not only in Canada but also abroad, meaning Canadian and international students who obtain OSSDs either fully or partly through OES qualify to study at the post-secondary level in and outside of Canada.

Obtaining an OSSD through OES

OES provides all kinds of prerequisite courses, including summer school courses, for further study at the college and university levels. OES also offers enough courses for secondary students to do their entire degree online, meaning Canadian and international students could complete their OSSD entirely by working from home.

OES offers full-time and part-time enrollment and accepts students on an ongoing basis; you do not need to register before the fall semester to get admitted to OES. This means students have more flexibility with their applications to OES and more time to decide which courses they plan to take.

In addition to more flexibility, OES also offers:

• The opportunity to learn at your own pace
• Small class sizes
• Attention from tutors
• Work-life balance

English Courses for International Students at OES

International students may choose from a long list of compelling courses at OES, but some courses may appeal to some international students more than others. For instance, international students whose first language is not English may find taking English courses at OES beneficial and intellectually stimulating.

English courses at OES are offered at all levels—that is, from grade nine through twelve. In total, there are six courses:

• ENL1W: English Grade 9
• END2D: English Grade 10
• ENG4C: English for College Grade 11
• ENG3U: English for University Grade 11
• ENG4C: English for College Grade 12
• ENG4U: English for University Grade 12

Another ENG4U course online, the upgrade course ENG4U: English Grade 12, is an option for international students looking to upgrade their high school marks.

International students looking to improve their knowledge of all things Canadian may wish to take:

• CHC2D: Canadian History Grade 10 (Academic)
• CHC2P: Canadian History Grade 10 (Applied)
• CLU3M: Introduction to Canadian Law Grade 11 (University-College)
• CH4U: Canadian History & Culture Grade 12 (University)
• CLN4U: Canadian & International Law Grade 12 (University)
• HHS4C: Families in Canada Grade 12 (College)
• HHS4U: Families in Canada Grade 12 (University)

Taking science and math courses like MH4U online may be a great option for students who love math, regardless of whether or not English is their first language. Math, after all, is a universal language.

How International Students Can Register at OES

International students looking to obtain their OSSD through OES need only register online to get admitted.

If you are an international student living outside of Canada, you do not need a study permit to enroll in online courses at OES. If you are an international student living in Canada or planning to live in Canada, you may need a study permit or visa.

See Citizenship and Immigration Canada to learn about entrance and residency permits and visas. See here to access documents for registration at OES.