Conestoga has established admission criteria and processes for assessing applications to all programs. These criteria and processes are designed to provide applicants with the best prospect of success in achieving a degree, diploma, certificate, or other educational goals. Admission procedures to programs shall be equitable, fair, transparent, timely, measurable, and consistently applied.

This procedure applies to all applicants for full-time and part-time for programs. This applies to programs that have an admission requirement.

Conestoga College maintains a glossary of terms specific to the institution. The terms in use for this document are defined below.

1. Full-time Ministry-Funded Applications:
   1. All domestic applications to full-time Ministry-funded oversubscribed programs received on or before February 1 will be given equal consideration.
      1. Applications to oversubscribed programs received after February 1 will not be considered.
   2. All other domestic applications to programs received after November 1 will be processed on a first- come, first-served basis until the program is full or the registration deadline is reached.
   3. International admissions do not use the equal consideration date but rather offers are coordinated by first-come/first-served, country, and date received.
2. Admission testing is available for required subjects in mathematics, English, biology, and chemistry. Pre-admission testing is not available for degree programs.


3. Applicant Eligibility/Selection:
   The applicant selection consists of the following consecutive steps:
   1. The determination of the applicant’s system eligibility:
      1. Residency priority
      2. Residents of provinces and territories
      3. Other applicants
   2. The earliest an offer of admission may be issued is November 1. This date is established for all Ontario colleges and applies to all programs.
   3. Applicants are considered for admission based on academic strength or a combination of academic strength and, where applicable, the score on any supplementary admission requirements in place for the program, according to the weighting formula determined by the program if applicable.
   4. If the postsecondary program of instruction continues to be oversubscribed after the application of the residency priority, program specific selection criteria will be applied.
   5. In some cases, decisions will be delayed until a mid-term grade is received.
   6. Many oversubscribed programs are full after the first round of admission decisions are made.
      1. Admission decisions are based on the grades available in early February which may be a combination of final grades in required courses, mid- term grades in required courses, or grades from relevant grade 11 courses.
   7. If the program is full prior to Conestoga receiving second semester mid-term grades, the academic strength will not be re- calculated based on the second semester grades.
   8. Random selection is not used in the admissions selection process.
4. Offer of Admission:
   1. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance in an offer of admission letter from Conestoga and all offers to full-time programs will be posted at ontariocolleges.ca.
   2. International applicants will be notified of their acceptance in an offer of admission letter sent from Conestoga. An original offer of admission letter may be issued to international applicants upon request.
   3. Conditional offers of admission are made to applicants to full-time programs who are in the process of completing program requirements.
   4. A conditional offer of admission will be rescinded if the admissions office does not receive documentation (e.g., transcripts) showing successful completion of the requirements before the start of the program as stated on the conditional offer of admission.
   5. Applicants who were not admitted to their program of choice and applicants who were admitted and did not enrol, withdrew from, or did not complete their Level 1 semester and wish to be considered for admission again in a new application cycle must reapply for admission.
5. Admission Deferral – Domestic Applicants:
   Conestoga does not defer admission. Applicants reapplying for a program to which they have been admitted in a prior semester will be considered for admission as part of the current applicant pool to that program.


6. Admission Deferral – International Applicants:
   The International Office at Conestoga allows for deferral of admission to international students who have not yet secured their visa to come to Canada to study. International applicants reapplying to a program to which they have been previously admitted in a prior semester will be deferred to the next available semester if the program is offered again within the same academic year. If a student requests deferral to the next academic year, reapplication to the program is required and the applicant is considered for admission as part of the applicant pool at the time of reapplication.


7. Oversubscribed programs:
   1. Applications for oversubscribed programs close on February 1. Offers of admission to these programs and offers of admission to the wait list are determined and sent at the same time (e.g. usually by the end of February).
   2. Cutoff marks for offers of admission and offers of admission to the wait list are based on the conversion ratio for the program.
   3. The wait list is numbered after acceptances to the wait list have been confirmed, and the numbering is ordered according to ranking (i.e. the highest-ranking applicants at the top of the wait list and numbered in descending order of ranking).
      1. Available second semester grades will be used to determine the position on the wait list of applicants who have received a wait-list offer.
      2. Applicants receiving an offer of admission to the wait list will be expected to confirm their acceptance within the timeframe stated on the offer.
   4. Applicants are called from the wait list in descending order of ranking as (or if) spaces in the program become available.
      1. Applicants will be notified and given 24 hours to confirm their acceptance of the offer of admission to the program. When the semester start is imminent, applicants called from the wait list may have to respond to the offer of admission to the program at that time (same day).
8. Wait List – Domestic Applicants:
   1. Non-oversubscribed programs go to wait-list status once the required number of offers is made to fill the program. Once the program moves to wait-list status, applications are reviewed and offers of admission to the wait list are sent every two weeks.
9. Wait List – International Applicants:
   1. International applicants are generally not considered for wait-list offers since offers of admission to a wait list are not valid offers for securing a study visa.
   2. International applicants who have already secured a study visa may be eligible for a wait-list offer. Wait-list offers for international students with a study visa will follow the procedure listed above for domestic applicants.
10. Targeted Admissions:
    From time to time Conestoga will develop an alternative admissions process for targeted admissions groups in order to satisfy the requirements of a government program or directive. In these cases, Conestoga may deviate from the normal admissions and fees procedure. The intent will be to meet the special circumstances of the targeted group without compromising admissions standards or the goal of Conestoga’s admissions policy to ensure that all admitted applicants will have a reasonable likelihood of being successful in the program.


11. Non-OCAS Applications - Domestic Applicants:
    1. Applying for:
       1. Non-funded full-time programs (not listed on OCAS) must submit a CE (Part-Time) Conestoga Program Application Form.
       2. Part-time programs (not listed on OCAS) must submit a Conestoga CE (Part-Time) Program Application Form.
       3. Advanced standing based on their full-time Conestoga academic background must submit a Conestoga Advanced Standing Application Form.
    2. Applications will be acknowledged as they are received by Conestoga.
    3. Students seeking readmission to a program should refer to the Readmission Procedure for information.
12. Fraudulent Documentation – All Applicants
    Applicants who have submitted an academic record such as, but not limited to, a transcript or credential that has been falsified, tampered with, or modified in any way, or who have provided false information to any College official, office, or member of the teaching staff, will not be considered for admission to Conestoga.
    1. Registered students admitted to the college based on fraudulent documentation of information will be removed/withdrawn from their program.
13. Admission Review
    Conestoga recognizes that disputes regarding an admission decision may occur between applicants and the Conestoga community. Conestoga has established procedures to deal with admission appeals in an effective, timely, fair, and impartial manner. An applicant may request a review of an admissions decision. Applicants wishing a review of a decision should see the Admission Decision Dispute and Resolution and Appeal Procedure for further information.