r/OntarioColleges

Hi all, just curious if anyone has experience studying acupuncture in Ontario and has any advice on which programs are worthwhile and which to avoid?

I have decided to go back to school to become a paramedic. To preface, paramedic programs are extremely competitive. Like mid-high 90’s to even be considered for admission. My highschool grades are mid 80’s, which leaves me with two main choices.

1. Take a pre health course which is recommended to replace the requirements of the highschool classes. The pre health would go from January 2027- August 2027, I would get the best grades I can in that, and then apply for a public college in 2028 (if I applied in fall 2027 it would be for a fall 2028 start. The pros of going to a public college is that there is one only 20 minutes away from me. However it is one of the most competitive out of all public colleges in the entire province. There’s a fair chance that even with good grades in pre health, I still might not get in. The next two closest public colleges are each an hour away

2. Start private college in April 2027, no other admission requirements needed. But the school is 1.25h away. I would be graduating August 2028, before I would have even started if I went public.

At first I thought I should go the public route even though it would delay me by 2 years because a 1h15min commute each way every day sounded too hard. But like I said, even if I went the longer public route, there is a fair chance I’d have to go to a public college an hour away anyways, because the one near me is so competitive. I would hate to wait an extra 2 years only to end up having to drive an hour anyways.

Some other things to consider:

- the cost is about the same, public would be cheaper, but since I’d have to add 2 semesters of pre health it would end up costing the same as private in total.

- I can’t squish my classes together to a couple days in order to be on campus less (at any of the colleges). It’s a smaller program and block based, so you basically get what they give you.

- Relocating/ living on campus is not an option. I already live in an apartment with my boyfriend, we can’t afford to be living in two separate places. I also already have a job here that I plan to continue working at. I’m a massage therapist and make ~55 an hour after tax, so I was planning on just working weekends and maybe adding a few during the week if I can manage it. We can afford all our needs even with me just doing that and him continuing his job, but if I went away he wouldn’t be able to afford the apartment on his own.

I think the most logical thing would be to go private, even though it’s far because there’s a chance if I waited over a year longer for a change to go to the closer college, I still won’t get in anyways. Has anyone else driven over an hour each way to class every day that can let me know how it was?

Hi guys! I applied to this school, and they've been delaying my placement. I don't know what the right word is, but they haven't been replying to me and it's been like 5 months now. I really want to do this placement, but I can't seem to get started. I'm honestly really desperate at this point. Should I keep following up with them, or would it be better to look into another school? Can I just go to another school and do the placement only, without taking the prerequisite courses?????? Is that even possible? I'm about to give up here.

I’ve been at the top of the waitlist for my program since May, and there hasn’t been any movement whatsoever. 😭
Only 20 days left until the semester starts, and I’m starting to lose hope

where am i supposed to get my semesters tuition invoice?

Hi everyone!
I’m a dental hygiene student starting my third semester on August 19, and I’m looking for reliable clients who haven’t been to the dentist in a while.
Our clinic is a teaching clinic, so appointments are more thorough than a regular dental office and usually take 4–6 visits. I work efficiently and do my best to complete treatment as quickly as possible.
Your treatment includes:
🦷 Comprehensive periodontal (gum) assessment
🦷 Dental X-rays (if needed)
🦷 Full mouth cleaning (debridement)
🦷 Polishing
🦷 Fluoride treatment
Clinic times:
Mondays: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Wednesdays: 7:30 AM – 11:30 AM
The clinic fee is $32, but I’ll reimburse the full amount, and once your treatment is completed, I’ll also pay you an additional $100 as a thank you for being my client.
If you’ve been putting off a dental cleaning or know someone who has, please send me a message! I’d really appreciate it, and it’s a great opportunity to get comprehensive dental hygiene care while helping a student complete their clinical requirements.

title, looking for ways where I can accept Seneca but not lose access to my Sheridan offer. Do I need to do this through OCAS, school independently, is this not an option etc.

Has anybody ever at humber recived an email from Office of Student Community Standards (OSCS)?
A classmate who bullies everyone and has caught fights with mostly everyone when called out on her behaviour sent an email saying she was the one bullied. How tf does this happen? And has anybody experienced this at Humber? The meeting is set in place to resolve this issue but what is this…

I have applied in Medical Office Administration Course in Sheriden , the requirement is Grade 12 English. I have Bachelors degree evaluated by WES and sent to the college but dont see it updated in the application. Also is grade 12 transcript necessary if I have the Bachelors degree evaluated by Wes.

Hey everyone, for context I’m 20, a dental assistant, getting paid $25/hr but I feel like this isn’t a forever career for me and the pay could be better for the amount of work we have to do.

I got accepted into dental hygiene but the private college sounds like a prison…and I’m not sure if this is the right career either my wrist is already on its way to carpel tunnel.

Wondering if there’s anything else I could become with no gr 12 math which I deeply regret dropping now.

Or should I stick to dental assisting but maybe do part time later on in life if this gets too much.

Hello! I am unsure if this the right subreddit to ask but I am currently a dental hygiene college student from Manitoba. Finding clients for school has been tough when I don’t have any family or friends in Toronto. Any suggestions on how I can find possible clients who are need of a dental cleaning and haven’t been to a dentist in a while? Would really appreciate any recommendations!🙏

I’m currently in a bit of a dilemma and would really appreciate some advice.

I applied to a Dental Hygiene program for the May 2027 intake. I was told that because the program is highly competitive, admission decisions won’t be released until after the equal consideration deadline in February 2027.

The problem is that I currently have two college offers, and both offers have a deadline today. I need to accept one of them now so I have a confirmed place for school.

However, Dental Hygiene is the program I’m most interested in, and I would still really like to attend if I receive an offer in February.

Would accepting another college’s offer now affect my Dental Hygiene application in any way?

If I accept one of my current offers today and later receive an offer for Dental Hygiene in February, would I still be able to accept the Dental Hygiene offer and give up the other college offer?

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Thanks

Hi everyone. Male 30, turning 31 this year. To start off, it isn't all about the money, but it does help of course...

I'm starting with Pre-Health, then my BScN then NP (which requires 2 years FT work as a RN). So totally 9 years for NP.

Essentially I'd much rather be a doctor of Psychology, and that will take roughly 13-14 years.

With doing my NP route ill be 39, turning 40, making salary of $120-150k... working for 25 years..

Or graduate with a PhD of Psychology at 45, making $270k-400k+ working 20-25 years.

Regardless im doing my BScN/NP (possibly MLT) and that'll net me 9 years...

Is it too late to say F it, and just go for the extra 5 years?

Genuinely curious and serious....

Thank you for all your input.

Please be kind, as I said, its not all about the money, the goal is a rewarding career both financially and empathically.

Hi everyone I’m thinking of attending centennial college for either electromechanical or mechanical engineering technology with coop i want to know if anyone was down this path before or currently is attending one of these programs what are the transfer options that are partnered with the college or where would you start in a another university program

Thank you.

Hi everyone! Has anyone had this OSAP status before?
My application currently says:
“Your school is currently being reviewed for approval for OSAP.”
I’m attending Medix College Toronto, and my program starts in September. I’ve applied for OSAP before, but I’ve never encountered this status, so I’m a little confused.
Is this a normal part of the process for private/career colleges? Does it usually resolve on its own, or should I contact my school’s financial aid office?
If anyone has had the same status, how long did it take for yours to change?

Hi are these good courses to have if you wanna get into an undergrad for dentistry?
Advanced function
Bio
Families in Canada
English
And sec semester
Calc
Chem
Cooking
And
Business management?
I’m a bit worried about taking calc I heard it takes your avg down and is really difficult to manage it, I do well in bio and functions so I think I’ll be fine but idk if I should take calc as an online course or not, i also heard that even if I get a 70 for calc unis look at business or families instead
Any thoughts?

Hi everyone! I hope someone can help or give me some advice regarding my situation. I apologize in advance for the long post.

I recently moved to Canada as a Permanent Resident about four months ago. I also graduated from Senior High School (STEM) in the Philippines earlier this year.

When I first arrived, some people advised me that I might need to return to high school in Canada, so I completed the English and Math assessment through the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) in Aurora. My assessment results were good. During the assessment, I was asked what program I wanted to pursue, and at that time I answered Dentistry. The teacher suggested that retaking Grade 11 and Grade 12 Math could make my future university application stronger.

On the same day, we brought my assessment results to the nearest secondary school and met with the vice principal. She told me that they could not enroll me because I was already 18 years old and they generally do not place adult-aged students in the same school as minors. She also reviewed my Philippine transcript and said that my grades were strong and that she did not see any reason why colleges or universities would reject me simply because I graduated from another country.

She also explained that if I ever needed to complete an Ontario secondary school credential, adult education would be the appropriate pathway rather than returning to a regular high school.

After that, I created an OCAS account and applied to several Ontario colleges for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program. Before applying, I completed a WES Document-by-Document credential evaluation, which evaluated my credentials as equivalent to an A in the Canadian grading system. Unfortunately, I was not able to apply through OUAC yet because the application period for my desired university programs is still closed. I am currently waiting for the next application cycle to open.

A few weeks later, I received different responses from the colleges:

• George Brown College recommended that I take their Pre-Health Sciences (A108) program instead of obtaining another credential evaluation, explaining that it could increase my chances of being admitted to the Fall 2027 BScN program.
• Centennial College informed me that my application was not selected because I had not yet met the Grade 12 University English and English language proficiency requirements.
• Seneca Polytechnic informed me that my Grade 11 Mathematics was not considered equivalent to Ontario Grade 12 University Mathematics. They advised me that completing Ontario Grade 12 University Math would satisfy the requirement, or that I could pursue a Course-by-Course credential evaluation if I disagreed with their assessment.

Because of Seneca's advice, I am currently enrolled in TVO ILC and completing Grade 12 University Mathematics (MHF4U). I also plan to take the IELTS later this year to meet the English language proficiency requirement.

Last week, I also contacted an adult school to ask if I could enroll. After explaining my situation, they told me they could not accept me because I am only 18 years old. They explained that adult schools generally accept students aged 21 and above unless there is a referral stating that the student cannot attend a regular secondary school.

At this point, I feel very confused because every institution has given me different advice. I am unsure whether I should:

• upgrade my WES evaluation to a Course-by-Course evaluation,
• start over with an ICAS evaluation,
• continue with TVO ILC only,
• or follow George Brown's recommendation and complete the Pre-Health Sciences program first.

Credential evaluations are very expensive, so I want to make the best decision before spending more money.

My original goal was to study Dentistry, but after learning more about the pathway in Canada, I decided to pursue Nursing instead because it seemed more realistic for me. I am trying to figure out the correct pathway as soon as possible because Nursing is already a long-term program, and I really do not want to lose another year due to choosing the wrong process or completing unnecessary requirements. I understand that there is no guaranteed admission, but I want to make sure that I am doing everything I can to become eligible and prepare a strong application.

If anyone has been in a similar situation as a Philippine Senior High School graduate applying to Ontario universities or colleges, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Thank you so so much po! :)

Hi everyone!
I’m 25 years old and currently working as an Early Childhood Assistant/childcare professional in Ontario. Recently, I’ve been feeling pretty burned out with my job, and I’ve realized that I don’t see myself staying in the childcare field long-term.

For some background, I graduated from a private college in Ontario about two years ago with a diploma in Early Childcare Assistant. At the time, I thought this would be a stepping stone toward eventually becoming a teacher. However, after working in the field, I’ve realized that the job and the career path aren’t really what I expected, and I don’t see myself continuing in this field long-term.

I’m now considering going back to school for Office Administration because I feel that my strengths are more suited to administrative work, paperwork, computers, organization, and working in an office environment.

My plan is to apply for the Winter 2027 intake and, if I’m accepted, leave my current job and focus on school.
I’ve already created my OCAS account, but I’m currently working through the education section and I have a few questions.
When I was completing my education history, I declared that I previously studied at a university in the Philippines before coming to Canada as a permanent resident. However, I did not finish the program or obtain a credential from that school.
My questions are:
1. Do I need to have my unfinished university studies from the Philippines evaluated through WES or another credential assessment service, even though I didn’t graduate or receive a credential?
2. I also have my Ontario college diploma from a private college. Do I need to contact my previous college and ask them to send my official transcript directly to OCAS, or is there another process I should follow?
3. Since I already completed a post-secondary program in Ontario, does that change how I should enter my education history in OCAS?
4. I’m currently considering Seneca Polytechnic or Centennial College for Office Administration since I live in Toronto. If anyone has experience with either program, I’d also appreciate hearing about your experience with the program, workload, job opportunities, and whether you think it’s a good choice for someone making a career change.

I’m trying to make sure I complete my OCAS application correctly before submitting it, especially because I don’t want to miss anything regarding my previous education or transcripts.
Any advice from people who have gone through a similar situation would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!