Resources for Universities and Applicants

Tips for IB World Schools: Applying to Canadian Universities

Many universities in Canada have policies that offer significant admission and placement advantages to IB Diploma students. The Recognition Policy Summary for Canadian Universities, a chart that provides comparative data, should be reviewed.

Many Canadian universities will offer early admission or conditional admission, placement and sometimes scholarship on the basis of anticipated success at the diploma. Some universities have a form prepared for completion. Others will accept a school prepared form showing the IB courses completed or in process and an IB ‘anticipated’ grade (1 through 7) per course and preferably an anticipated total diploma score including diploma points. The EE title and a summary of CAS involvement is often welcome. The anticipated score is expected to be provided and confirmed by the IB Diploma Programme Coordinator.

• Canadian universities view the IB Diploma favourably, and actively recruit Diploma students. By using the chart and going to the website of the individual institution, one can determine the considerations that are offered.
• The IB Diploma is “the most rigorous program” available at an authorized IB high school.
• Applicants should provide information about the nature of their CAS program as well as the title of their extended essay. Many Canadian universities actively seek students with international experience and/or participation in some aspects of global education either within school or in extra curricular activity. Students should include such experiences in their application.
• Many Canadian universities have a dedicated IB counsellor/advisor for admissions and course planning. Students should seek out this person in planning academic programs.
• Admission requirements vary considerably from year to year and throughout the admission cycle. Applicants not accepted in early rounds may qualify later in the year.
• Admission requirements also vary by faculty. Typically, faculties such as engineering or medicine have higher expectations of performance and may insist on certain prerequisite courses for admission. Students should check such prerequisites when determining course choices for the Diploma Programme.
• Certain faculties at some universities may require two science courses at the grade 11 level for admission. Check the prerequisite requirements in the catalogue. This requirement can be met within the IB Diploma. However, if the IB Diploma includes only one science course, then most universities with this prerequisite will also accept an additional, non IB, science course taken for at least one year during grade 11 or 12 as a means of meeting the requirement.
• Review Some College Admission Assumptions, a document that summarizes the admissions assumptions that Universities are encouraged to make when considering the application of an IB Diploma student.