York University

Overview: three campuses

York University was founded in 1959 and is a large public university in Toronto. It has three campuses, each with a different character (plus an EcoCampus in Costa Rica used for field study):

• Keele, in north Toronto, is the largest, with more than 100 programs.
• Glendon, in central Toronto, is a smaller campus with a bilingual English and French environment.
• Markham, York's newest campus, focuses on technology and entrepreneurship, and York says every degree there includes real-world learning such as paid work placements or applied projects.

York's faculties include the Schulich School of Business, the Lassonde School of Engineering and Osgoode Hall Law School.

How to apply

All first-year applications go through OUAC; see OUAC 101 vs 105 to choose the right form. York lists program-specific prerequisites, language requirements, documents and supplementary evaluations on its "requirements by program" pages, and deadlines on its undergraduate deadlines page on yorku.ca. Some programs keep accepting applications after their recommended dates if space remains, but competitive programs fill early.

Programs in fine arts (such as dance, music, theatre, film and visual arts) and several professional programs ask for portfolios, auditions, interviews or supplementary forms. Read the requirement page for each program on your OUAC list.

Language and grades

You must show proficiency in your program's language of instruction, usually with a minimum score on an accepted test if you need one. Glendon does not require you to be bilingual when you start: a placement assessment sets your starting level, and degrees there include French courses. If unexpected events affected your grades, York lets you submit an extenuating circumstances explanation, which is reviewed if you do not meet the minimum admission requirements.

Admission is based mainly on your Grade 12 U and M courses (or equivalent), including prerequisites. York may give transfer credit for AP exams with scores of 4 or 5 and for IB Higher Level courses with 5 or higher; our guide to IB and AP at Canadian universities explains how that works in general.

Costs and funding

Tuition depends on the faculty and your domestic or international status. York publishes estimated annual tuition on its official tuition and fees page. Domestic high school applicants admitted with an admission average of 80 percent or higher to a direct-entry program may receive an automatic entrance scholarship, as listed in York's OUAC guide entry. For study permits, see the Government of Canada page on studying in Canada.

Getting ready with StudyBrix

• Glendon students can keep their French up with our French learning guide.
• Programs with interviews or supplementary questions reward practice: try the interview skills deck.
• Lassonde and Markham tech students: review calculus readiness.

For the Canada-wide picture, read our guide to universities in Canada.