How to apply to a University in Canada as an International student

Congratulations on this new step you are about to take.

During this period last year, I was on this same journey of learning how to apply to a University in Canada, what schools to choose in Canada, what province to choose in Canada, etc.

The journey for me began in January 2021, when I realised I would be coming to Canada.

I began searching for a suitable school in Canada based on my course of study interest.

University Essay Admission Template


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These were my qualifying conditions for choosing a school:

1. The location of the school:I wanted a school in the warmest region of Canada; I mentioned why in my previous blog post on “12 things you should know before you decide to go to school in Canada”; click here to read.
2. The course modules:I had my keen interest in a few course subjects within the program, so when I found universities that did not align with my interest, it was an automatic dismissal for me.
3. The application process and requirements:I only applied to just one school, and to the glory of the Lord, I got admitted to that same school where I am currently schooling (Royal Roads University).Knowing fully well that I was not in the mood to apply to several schools, I scanned through the application process of all the schools I was interested in, and I chose the one I knew I had all the required documents.This is because I was not interested in taking any new exams. We would get into that in a bit.
4. Internship and career opportunities:I am currently studying for a masters in Tourism Management; with this, I wanted a course that would offer me the ability to practice what I am being taught while in school.I also wanted a province that is big on tourism, and British Columbia is one of the provinces I identified that was big on tourism.The internship/Co-Op part is essential if you plan to get a work permit. If your course has an internship program, you would be given both a student permit and a work permit. Not every international student has a work permit.
5.  Masters degree, not a diploma:This year would make it 7 years since I graduated with my undergraduate degree, so I have been looking forward to getting a masters degree for the longest period.
   It was natural for me to choose a school that offered a masters degree in my course of interest and not a diploma.
6.  Tuition cost was a factor as well.
7.  Admission period:I began my admission application in January, and I needed enough time to apply and receive my visa.So I calculated that it would be best to apply for the August intake to give room for my visa application.My school and course program has January Intake, May intake and August intake.
8. Other factors you can look at:
   The size of the class, the professional level of instructors, the language spoken in the province, etc.

With all this, the first step to take in applying for a school in Canada is to know what you want.

The second step is to do your research based on what you want.

Now that you know what you want use the following resources to do your research. This will answer the question:

“How can I get a school admission in Canada?”:

1. Click here to source for a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada that offers your course of interest.
   
2. Screen through the application process and requirements of each school.
   
3. Ensure you give yourself 2 weeks – 1 month to get your documents ready.
   
4. Use LinkedIn to reach out to the professors from your school of interest:
   Most schools would put the full names of the faculty on the website; some universities go ahead and share the emails of the faculty members.You can reach out to any of them if you would like to ask any questions or if you would like to work with any of them based on your topic of interest.To know your professor’s topic of interest, go through their Bio(s) through the university’s website or their LinkedIn pages.This step is not compulsory; it is just advisable. You are a masters level student; you are expected to be proactive, build quality relationships and ask questions where need be.From my few months of being here, I have learned that the instructors/professors are keen on helping. Ask, and it shall be given unto you.
   
5.  Get your documents together for application:For me, what was required for my admission application from my school was:
   – application fees
   – my detailed resume
   – my official transcript
   – my personal statement (2 pages, single line spacing)
   – two letters of reference (one academic, one professional).
   – IELTS to prove my understanding of the English language (I did my IELTS in 2019, it was going to expire in June 2021, everything was just divine timing for me)
   – I paid directly to my school for my transcripts to be evaluated; you can also do this with WES. Some schools require your transcript to be evaluated if your undergraduate degree was gotten outside of Canada.My application fee and transcript evaluation cost me $252 (CAD); the cost of shipping my transcript from my undergraduate university to Royal Roads University is not included; it would differ based on your school and country.
   
6.  Make sure to follow the instructions written on the admission page thoroughly.
   
7.  After all, has been said and done, hand your admission over to God, pray to God and believe that you shall testify.If it is for you, it is for you.
   Just lean on God and trust in the process.I say this because I remember I applied for admission in the UK in November 2020, and in January 2021, the results came out. I was not given admission to that school. I was honestly so surprised.I was surprised because I know I dotted all my I(s) and crossed all my T(s). In fact, prior to the application at the school, I had been given admissions to the top 3 schools in the UK based on my course of study.I did not go to those schools because the scholarships I was expecting did not come through, and the fees are a lot.I share this to say; If it is for you, it is for you, now I am in Canada, right where God wants me to be in this season.He closed the other doors and opened this one because He knows what he has planned for me, and all I need to do is submit.Like I said at the beginning, I applied to only one school in Canada, and I got the admission and all the resources I needed to come here to start my master’s education. What God can not do does not exist. Do not limit God.

How to write an essay to secure an admission when your undergraduate course of study is different from your masters level course of interest:

I studied Human Resource management for my undergraduate degree and I am currently studying Tourism Management for my Master’s degree. 

Those are two different unrelated fields.

If you are in the same shoes, when writing your essay, you need to include why you are choosing to study a degree that is different from your undergraduate degree, and these are a few pointers I can share:

• State why you seek to pursue a masters.
• State why you chose the new course and why you chose the school.
• State what you did with your first degree.
• State why you want to transition into a new industry. It would be great if you support this with years of experience in the new industry.
• Introduce all of this in the first paragraph of your essay.
• Your second paragraph should go on to build on the experience you have in the industry, any impact you have made or accomplishments you have had, and papers you have published.

The essence of the essay is to sell yourself. 

Most schools do not have the ability to interview all new students, so your personal statement/ essay should answer most questions you would expect an admission officer to ask you.

It should also include important details of the milestones you have had in your career in relation to your course of study in a concise manner.

Do you want me to review your essay?

I have made it easier for you, I turned my essay into the template and added other templates and writing guides that would help; click here to DOWNLOAD YOUR TEMPLATE.

If you want to learn how to apply for a Canadian student visa as an international student, either you watch my video on the student visa process or fill out this form so that the agent that helped me with mine can be in direct contact with you.

Next Steps:

Click any of the links below to take your next step as you begin your journey to Canada as a student.

University Essay Admission Template


Getting Scholarships in Canada


12 things to know before coming to canada


Book a 1:1 SCHOLARSHIP review session


Canadian Immigration Application

 

Summary:

1. Know what you want
2. Do your research
3. Reach out to your professor
4. Apply
5. Believe in God for the best.

Wishing you the very best, cheers.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram – @TheFisayo.