Amid the pressure of rounding out your senior year at high school, you might feel an additional twinge of stress: choosing the perfect post-secondary school. It’s not an easy ask. Here you are, trying to focus on the present – your assignments, tests, projects and social life – and everyone around you is asking about your plans for the future. You’re just trying to make it to the weekend!

And parents understand the crunch as well. If your kid is destined for a post-secondary education, you want what’s right for them. You want them to feel comfortable in their new surroundings. You want it to be an academically nurturing and socially enriching introduction to adulthood.

At OES, we understand these pressures and concerns. Having seen countless university- and college-bound students exit our digital doorways, we feel like we’re in a unique position to offer guidance. Below, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide for determining how to choose a college or how to choose a university in Canada.

The point here is to slowly and methodically whittle down your options until you are left with a shortlist that reflects your lifestyle and goals. But don’t move too slowly – that OUAC deadline is fast-approaching! Work through the list chronologically, or skip to the steps you feel are most relevant to your situation.

First Steps: Understand Your Options

We begin by casting a wide net that encompasses all (or nearly all) available options. If you wrote “post-secondary school” in the center of a mind map, what might the branches look like? We think they might start with large categories like “university” and “college,” “in Ontario” and “abroad” before further branching into specific institutions.

Below, let’s evaluate your options broadly, before zeroing in on specific schools.

University or College?

Perhaps you already know the answer to this question. In case you don’t, let’s briefly explore the differences.

In general, universities tend to focus more on theoretical and analytical education, whereas colleges often develop hands-on knowledge. For example, a student might attend university in a physics program to specialize their knowledge of electricity and magnetism. Meanwhile, another student might attend a college to learn electrical engineering with an eye toward becoming a tradesperson. It’s a tad more complicated in reality (some colleges offer theoretical degrees; some universities offer job training programs), but these are the general differences.

For an in-depth analysis of the similarities and differences, check out our university vs. college blog article.

Ontario or Abroad?

Another criterion impacting the scope of your options is geography. If you’re attempting to apply to universities in Ontario, you have a relatively small pool of institutions from which to choose. If, however, you want to expand those parameters to include British Columbia or Quebec, The entire United States or even the UK, your options increase by orders of magnitude.

Perhaps your best bet here is to try and zero in on a geographical region. Below, we’ll touch on the merits of home vs. abroad in more detail. For now, try to research post-secondary schools in a rough geographical area that interests you.

Creating a Longlist of Specific Institutions

A “longlist” is a shaggy, informal collection of all your options. The list isn’t yet concentrated or whittled down; it’s simply a snapshot of all schools you would possibly consider.

Using the guiding criteria above – type of institution and rough geographical area – research your options and jot them down in a document. Aim for between 10 to 30 options. Over the next several steps, we will consider how to trim and focus this longlist until only a few names remain.

Ask Yourself: What Might You Like to Study?

Most institutions have programs they’re “famous for,” academic areas in which among peers. Aligning your preferred study subject with a post-secondary school known for that subject can be a fantastic way to find your right fit.

So, ask yourself: What might you like to study? If your answer is something like “creative writing,” you can head back to your longlist to evaluate the options. If you’ve written down “university” and “Ontario/Quebec” as your baseline criteria, you might whittle the list down to those schools which excel in creative writing: Concordia, University of Windsor, Trent University, Queens, etc.

Determine Your Core Values and Preferences

Every post-secondary school has its own unique culture, values and landscape. Since the school you choose may be your home for the next four-plus years, it’s perfectly reasonable to incorporate these considerations into your decision-making process.

In our previous guide to choosing a college or university program, we discussed a few targeted questions to ask yourself. “Do I value modernity and innovation, or tradition and reputation?” “Do I prefer sprawling natural scenery, or a fast-paced urban environment?”

Determine your core values and preferences through simple “I” statements. “I like nature” or “I want to be in a big city.” “I value diversity” or “I thrive in a strong athletic culture.” These personal statements will guide you as you narrow your search.

Assess (and Potentially Improve) Your Academic Standing

Up to this point, the only limiting factor in how to choose a university has been your imagination. Unfortunately, outside constraints can play a deciding role for some students – namely, acceptance requirements and cost.

Some post-secondary schools and faculties feature relatively low minimum entering grades, whereas others have stricter acceptance requirements. For instance, McGill’s engineering faculty requires a fairly exclusive 92-96% minimum entering grade; Windsor requires a relatively lenient 70% minimum for the same faculty.

It’s worth noting that your current grades don’t have to limit your decision-making. If you have your heart set on McGill engineering, you can always apply for OES’s upgrade courses to improve your academic standing. When you successfully complete an upgrade course, (which generally happens on a shorter timeline than regular courses), the higher mark among your two attempts will appear on your transcript.

Check the Relative Costs against Your Personal Budget (and Explore Financial Assistance)

We understand that cost may be a deciding factor for some students. Luckily, there are several price ranges for post-secondary education. According to Stats Canada, costs for university undergraduate programs vary from $2,550 (Memorial University) to over $10,000 (Royal Roads). Meanwhile, the average college diploma program in Ontario is $2,400 (per OCAS).

Importantly, you may reduce these costs through financial assistance like scholarships, bursaries and government grants. OCAS and Ontario Universities Info have detailed breakdowns of the financial assistance available in the province. Moreover, you can choose to borrow money through a loan or line of credit (but that’s a discussion for the entire family).

The Comfort of Home or Thrill of the Unknown?

Where do you want to live for the next four-plus years? Some like the familiarity and turnkey convenience of being close to their home. Others prefer to strike off on a new path, exploring a different part of the country or world. There’s no right answer; it depends entirely on personal preference.

Weigh this consideration against the one above (finances). Remember, if you aren’t living at home, you must pay for student or private housing. In some areas (looking at you, Toronto and Vancouver), this might be cost-prohibitive.

Determine Whether You Want to Continue Your Education Online

Let’s say you’ve really enjoyed your time at an Ontario online high school (most students do, at least at OES!). Let’s say you flourish in an online educational setting and wish to continue your education from the convenience and flexibility of a laptop.

Luckily, you have options. Several universities offer remote and online programs, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. And some colleges do the same (though, for obvious reasons, certain trade programs require a hands-on, physical setting). You can consult this handy list of online degrees in Canada or investigate your preferred schools’ websites for info on online programs.

Weigh the Pros and Cons and Create a Shortlist of Ranked, Preferred Options

Figuring out how to choose a university program or how to choose a college is a process of elimination as much as it’s a process of choosing the right fit. In all likelihood, you’ll encounter several “right fits,” each with their own merits and advantages.

But that’s what we call a “good problem” to have. You’d rather have too many options than too few. As you reach this advanced stage of picking a university of college, it’s time to break out the spreadsheets.

List your top choices – your shortlist, in other words – in neat rows on a spreadsheet or physical notepad. Alongside the contenders, make two simple columns: pros and cons. Consider every step above as you list the advantages and disadvantages of each option, re-examining the geography, conditions, cost, viability and values of each post-secondary school.

But wait, there’s more! A simple “pros and cons” list can be a tad reductive, which is why we like to weight each pro and con with a score of five, relating to how strongly you feel. Let’s say you really love the location of U of T (+5 points), you somewhat like its school culture (+2 points), but you don’t love the cost (-4 points). You simply add the pros then subtract the cons to achieve an accurate aggregate score. Weighting your enthusiasm/hesitancy in this way helps paint a clearer picture of your perfect school.

Once finished, you can rank your shortlist according to score. This doesn’t have to be a definitive ranking. For instance, if you see that York University sits below Concordia in the rankings, but that result doesn’t quite sit right with you, feel free to swap them. Ultimately, your intuition should guide how to pick a university.

Take a Few Tours to Get a Sense of Fit

We’ve made it – the last step before applying to college or university, and it’s a fun one! If you live nearby your shortlist of schools and are able to tour them, we recommend grabbing the opportunity.

A university or college tour can tell you a lot. Pay attention to the amount of campus green space. Look at the number of community events posted on the quad’s cork board. Consider the state of the facilities (shiny and modern or run-down) and the quality of technological tools. Circle the cafeteria to explore the culinary options and enjoy a slice (or two) of pizza.

Together, these experiences paint a holistic picture of what to expect. Can you expect a scenic, communally vibrant and well-equipped school? Or should you move on to the next tour? As you make your way around, really try to envision yourself living there for months-long stretches.

Relax! And Remember That You Can Always Transfer

You don’t ink a four-year contract with a university or college – they don’t expect you to stay if you don’t like it. Provided you have the necessary minimum credits and academic standing, you can transfer to another university or college at any time.

We hasten to mention this because we understand the pressure – how to pick a university, how to choose a college. It can be a lot. And students tend to think it’s a non-negotiable decision, which further adds stress. But, as you’ll probably learn throughout your academic career, there’s always space for pivots and U-turns. The only thing you need to worry about is how to choose a university program that’s right for you right now.

Apply!

Phew, we’ve made it to the finish line… Well, not yet. Now, there’s just the small matter of actually applying.

Take a deep breath. If you’ve followed this guide correctly, you have a few options to fall back on if your top choice passes. As you apply to post-secondary schools, utilize the resources on this blog. Check out our top tips for writing university and college application essays, our list of important deadlines and guides to OUAC and OCAS. Together, these resources should steer you toward a successful application.

Best of luck finding the perfect college or university for you. Remember that you can always take upgrade courses through OES to improve your academic standing ahead of application deadlines.