Applying to Ontario universities this year: what to sort out before January 15
· 4 min read
If your teen is in Grade 12 and planning to start university in fall 2027, the next ten weeks matter more than most. Applications for current Ontario high school students go through one system, the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC), and one date does most of the work: January 15, 2027.
Here's what to have sorted before then, in the order it tends to bite.
1. Know the date that matters
January 15, 2027 is the equal consideration deadline for Ontario high school students (the "101" application). Apply by then and every Ontario university reviews you on equal footing with everyone else.
Don't leave it to the last night. The site slows down as the deadline gets close, and a payment glitch at 11 p.m. is a stress nobody needs. Aim for early January at the latest.
College is separate. Ontario colleges use ontariocolleges.ca, and their equal consideration date is usually February 1.
2. Budget for the application fee
The OUAC base fee is $156, and it covers your first three program choices. Each choice after that is $50.
A "choice" means one program at one university, not one university. Three programs at the same school uses up all three choices. You can list a maximum of three programs at any one university.
Swapping a program for another at the same university is free. Adding a new university later costs $50. So it pays to settle the list before you submit.
Some programs also charge their own supplementary fee on the university's portal, on top of the OUAC fee.
3. Check prerequisites now, not in January
Every program lists specific Grade 12 courses it requires, such as English (ENG4U) or Advanced Functions (MHF4U). If your teen is missing one, there's still time to add it in second semester or summer school, but only if you spot it now.
On Ypath, program cards show the required courses under "Requires:" so you can check this quickly against your teen's timetable.
4. Watch for supplementary applications
Many competitive programs ask for more than marks: an extra form, short essays, a portfolio, or a video interview. Engineering, health sciences, business and arts programs are the usual suspects.
These often have their own deadlines, and some fall before January 15. Check each program's admissions page as soon as it's on the list.
5. Know that grades are already moving
You don't need to send transcripts for Ontario high school marks. Schools send them to OUAC automatically.
Universities start making early offers based on Grade 11 finals and Grade 12 midterms. That means first-semester Grade 12 marks count more than many families realize.
6. Look at cost and residence alongside the program
The right program at a school that's out of reach financially isn't the right choice. Before you rank schools, get a rough sense of:
- Total cost, not just tuition. Residence and food often cost more than tuition. Our breakdown of the real cost of a year of post-secondary in Ontario walks through it.
- Residence. Many schools guarantee first-year residence, but usually only if you accept your offer and apply for housing by their deadline. Check each school's rules.
- OSAP. Since August 2026, more of Ontario's student aid comes as loans rather than grants. Our guide to how OSAP works in 2026–27 explains what changed.
Quick checklist
- Shortlist programs and confirm prerequisites against the timetable
- Note any supplementary applications and their deadlines
- Decide your choices before paying, to avoid change fees
- Submit the OUAC application by early January (deadline January 15, 2027)
- Compare total cost and residence options for each school on the list
Still working out which programs to pick?
That's the hardest step, and it's the one everything else depends on. Ypath's free quiz builds your teen's profile and matches it to Ontario career paths, schools and programs.