Canadian University Admissions — FAQ
Answers to real questions about Canadian university acceptance, organized by topic and by school.
Topic Guides
Canadian University Admissions — How It Works
How OUAC works, what counts as a competitive average, IB and AP credit, waitlists, scholarships, and more.
US Students Applying to Canadian Universities
Eligibility, GPA conversion, tuition, study permits, and how Canadian schools compare to US options.
General Admissions Advice
Universal application advice — essays, extracurriculars, references, interviews, and how to choose between schools.
The UniOdds Admissions Guide
The exact grades that got students into every Canadian university, plus essay and extracurricular strategy.
By University
University of Toronto
Canada’s largest and highest-ranked research university. Grades-first admissions for most programs, with the toughest cutoffs at the St. George campus.
University of British Columbia
A top-ranked west-coast university with holistic, broad-based admissions — your personal profile is scored alongside your grades.
University of Waterloo
Canada’s co-op powerhouse and the most competitive destination for Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Math. The AIF and contest scores matter.
McGill University
A Montreal research university that recalculates every applicant’s grades onto its own scale. Admissions are almost entirely grades-based.
Queen's University
A mid-sized Ontario university known for its Commerce program and strong student experience. Uses supplementary assessments for several programs.
McMaster University
A Hamilton research university famous for its Health Sciences program and its supplementary-application-heavy admissions.
Western University
A London, Ontario university home to the Ivey Business School and BMOS. Strong campus culture and student life.
University of Alberta
A large research university in Edmonton with strong engineering, science, and business programs and generally transparent grade cutoffs.
Simon Fraser University
A BC university with a strong co-op culture and one of the more accessible paths into computing and business on the west coast.
University of Victoria
A mid-sized BC university on Vancouver Island known for co-op, engineering, and a strong undergraduate experience.
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Try the CalculatorAdmissions decisions aren't fully predictable. The information on this page reflects typical patterns from past admissions cycles and publicly available data — not a guarantee of how any university will decide in a given year. Requirements, cutoffs, and priorities can change from cycle to cycle, so always confirm current details on the university's official admissions page.