You’ve received an offer of admission, congratulations!

If you have been admitted, we will email you to let you know we’ve made a decision. Read the PDF offer of admission in your admission file carefully. You’ll find information on your admission conditions, the average you need to maintain, the deadline for accepting your offer and any transfer credits you have received. 

Even if you have received an offer of admission, you may still be able to add French immersion or CO-OP to your original application. To find out if you can make changes to your program, email us at [email protected]. Be sure to include your student number.

Say “Yes”!

Follow the instructions in your admission file to accept your offer. It usually has conditions — make sure you really understand them. You must accept your offer of admission by the deadline indicated on your offer.

Start planning your transition to the University of Ottawa

Once you have accepted your offer, find out about course enrolment. Enrolment for the fall term usually begins in mid-May. It’s never too early to figure out your course sequence and start shopping for courses you might want to take!

Don’t forget to research scholarship and bursary opportunities by using Online Scholarships and Bursaries, also available in uoZone, under Applications.

Careful budgeting is another important element of being well prepared for university life and the financial responsibilities it brings. Visit the financial aid and awards site for tools, forms and financial planning information to help you keep your finances on track so you can stay focused on your studies.

Thinking of staying in residence? Get more information on housing.

Canadian students

In the months before you arrive at uOttawa, check the Get started! website and join our Facebook group for future students.

Discover the Regional Mentoring Centre, which organizes social and cultural activities, holds orientation sessions for students across Canada…and more! The regional mentors are like your GPS for your first year on campus. They’ll help you get used to your new home and life, meet new friends and start you off on the right foot for success at the University of Ottawa.

International students

If you’re an international student, be sure to follow the steps below in the months leading up to your arrival in Canada.

• Obtain you study permit. You must have your study permit from the Government of Canada before arriving in order to study here. Find out about the Government of Canada requirements to study in Canada.
• Learn about the International Office, which manages the International Mentoring Centre, organizes social and cultural activities, holds orientation sessions for international students…and more! The International Office and its mentors are here for you, to help you get used to your new home, meet new friends and get you off on the right foot for success at the University of Ottawa.
• Join the International Office Facebook page to find out what’s going on at the University of Ottawa and to get to know some of our mentors and students.
• In the months before you arrive at uOttawa, check the Get started! website.

Also, once you’ve arrived, you’ll need to attend an orientation session for international students, a mandatory activity for all new international students. Be sure you make plans to arrive in Ottawa in time to attend. It takes place about a week before classes begin. Check out the information for newly admitted international students for all the details.

Except under exceptional circumstances, it is normally not possible to defer an offer of admission, as they are only valid for the program, year and term specified. As such, students who wish to be considered for an alternate year or term must submit a new application, fees and any new supporting documents.

However, if exceptional circumstances prevent you from starting your studies as planned you may request a deferral of your offer of admission.

The following criteria will need to apply:

• You must have accepted your offer of admission;
• You must meet the conditions of your offer;
• You will not be attending any academic institution during the deferral period;
• The deferral period does not extend more than 12 months;
• Your program must be open for admission the session for which you are requesting the deferral. Please check the list of available programs per session.

Deferral requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and can be submitted to the Admissions Office, after July 1st and no later than October 1st for the Fall cycle.

Please note that offers to our English Intensive program (EIP) are not eligible for deferral.

To request a deferral of admission, please complete our InfoAdmission web form. Select the Undergraduate studies, Faculty of Education or Faculty of Law - Civil law section depending on the program you are requesting the deferral for and then select Deferral Request. You will be asked to explain the reasons for requesting the deferral and summarize your plans for the deferral period.

Deferral requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be granted for reasons including illness, mandatory military service, etc. In the case of a student visa not yet issued, only those presenting their ‘Acknowledgment of Receipt of Visa Application’ confirming that the application was submitted within reasonable deadlines will be considered.

If your request is accepted, we will confirm this by email and issue a new offer of admission once we start accepting applications for the entry point you selected.

Please note that, if your original offer of admission included a scholarship, scholarship eligibility for your deferred offer will be based on your final academic average according to the regulations in effect for the year/term of your new offer admission.

If you weren’t admitted, and wish to re-apply in the future, you must improve your academic record.  Remember that you will still need to pass the required prerequisites for the program to which you’re applying.

I applied from high school or lycée

If you have been not been accepted based on your high school or lycée grades, you can retake courses to bring up your admission average. Be sure, though, to take the courses we use to calculate your admission average.

I applied from college or CEGEP

If you have not been accepted based on your college or CEGEP grades, you can continue to take courses at this level to bring up your admission average.

You can also show us that you can succeed at university by taking university-level courses as a special student. Once you have completed 24 units, you will be evaluated based on these new university courses.

I applied from university

If you have not been accepted based on your university grades, see the appropriate requirements for re-admission including the “Academic upgrading conditions according to faculty.”

Admissions decisions are usually final. However, you can request an informal review of a decision or appeal a decision for the following reasons:

• Your grades have improved since you submitted your transcript.
• You have completed additional courses for which results are now available.
• You have submitted a missing document that might affect your admission.
• You have reason to believe there was an error in the decision process.

Informal review

If you have new information related to the above reasons, email details to the Admissions Office at [email protected] within five business days of the admission decision. An admission officer will review the decision.

We recommend that you request an informal review before proceeding to an appeal. However, you can proceed directly to an appeal if you wish.

Appeal

You can formally appeal the admission decision based on the above reasons. You cannot appeal our decision without a reason or based on decisions other applicants may have received.

There is no appeal process for the Faculty of Education.

You must file your appeal in writing within five business days of the informal review decision or the initial admission decision, providing relevant supporting documentation. If you delay your appeal, however, the program may have reached its maximum enrolment number even if the appeal is successful.

• Email your letter of appeal to [email protected].
• Use the subject heading “Appealing an admission decision.”
• Include the following in your appeal letter:
  • your name, your student number and the name of the program for which you have applied 
  • the reason for your appeal

You will receive the Appeals Committee decision in writing within 10 business days. The committee’s decision is final.