Grade 11 and 12 timeline for parents: what to do each term before university

Grade 11 rarely feels urgent, but it shapes everything after. Most university programs list specific Grade 12 courses as prerequisites, and those Grade 12 courses need the right Grade 11 courses first. A student who drops Grade 11 math or chemistry can quietly close the door on engineering, science or health programs.

Grade 11 marks can also be read. McMaster says it may use Grade 11 grades in a preliminary review when Grade 12 grades aren't available yet, though it won't refuse anyone based on Grade 11 grades alone. Some programs are stricter. McMaster's Midwifery program wants any in-progress Grade 12 prerequisite backed by a completed Grade 11 course at 85% or higher.

Check diploma progress in Grade 11, while there's still time to fix a gap. Students who started Grade 9 in 2023 or earlier need 18 compulsory and 12 optional credits. Students who started in 2024 or later need 17 compulsory and 13 optional credits plus a financial literacy requirement. Everyone needs the literacy requirement, at least 2 online learning credits and 40 hours of community involvement.

The community hours trip up more Grade 12 students than you'd think. Ask in Grade 11 how many hours are recorded and whether the school board accepts the activities. Our Grade 11 marks guide explains how universities use Grade 11 results.

Summer is the quiet window for research. Visit two or three campuses if you can, and let your child lead the tour questions. Make a short list of programs with their prerequisites, supplementary forms and scholarship deadlines.

It's also the time to talk money. Look at the RESP balance, run the OSAP estimator once the next application is published, and agree what the family can pay each year. Our paying for university guide has tuition averages by province.

Dates are the easy part. The harder part is talking about choices without turning dinner into a meeting. Short, regular conversations usually work better than one long, tense one.

In Grade 11, talk about interests and strengths, not rankings. In the summer, talk about money and distance from home. In Grade 12 fall, ask what's on the list and why. In spring, when offers arrive, ask what your child is leaning toward before you share your own view. If you disagree, say so once, clearly, and then let your child decide. Our guide to supporting your student has more on where to step back.

OUAC's Undergraduate application opens in late September 2026. Your child creates the account, verifies their email and adds their Ontario Education Number, the 9-digit number on their report card. The fee is $159 for the first three choices and $51 for each extra one. Choice order doesn't affect admission or scholarships unless a university says it does.

The ontariocolleges.ca application opened September 26, 2026, and colleges can start sending offers from November 1, 2026. Many students apply to both.

Supplementary forms often have their own earlier dates. Our Grade 12 month-by-month timeline lists them.

January 15, 2027 is the OUAC deadline for current Ontario high school students, and February 1, 2027 is the college equal consideration date. Aim to submit both well before, so there's time to fix a failed payment or a typo.

Residence applications open over the winter and spring, and each school sets its own guarantee rules. U of T's 2026-27 guarantee needed a residence portal application by March 31, and students didn't need an offer to apply. Apply at every school still in the running.

College offers must be accepted by May 1, 2027, and college tuition deposits are due in June, on dates each college sets. Ontario universities respond by May 28, 2027 to students who applied by January 15, and June 1, 2027 is the earliest date a university can require an answer and a deposit. See how to accept an offer for the steps.

Once your child accepts, apply for OSAP if they qualify. OSAP lets students submit an application for each school they're considering if they aren't sure yet. Then look for orientation. U of T Scarborough's Get Started registration begins in late May or early June, and parents are welcome.