I always used to laugh at my parents when they researched their weekend getaways, deciding which hotel to stay at, where they will eat dinner and which golf course to play.
Now, I am in the same position: planning. But instead, I am selecting a residence, meal plan and curriculum for what my family ensures me is definitely not a vacation. Pamphlets and books from every university and college in the province surround me as I scan through school after school to analyse where I am going to spend the next four years of my life.
And in addition to all of this planning, I need to keep my grades up so I will be accepted into my perfect destination.
But isn’t this the same thing everyone who wants to attend post-secondary school has to go through? Not quite. This year is a little different then the average senior year.
Ontario has worked toward removing grade 13, OAC. This means that there will be two graduating classes in the summer of 2003 and therefore double the number of people applying for university and college. The “double co-hort” idea seems to be common sense. Every other province in Canada has dropped the fifth year, and grade 12 is the final year for students in the U.S.A. Ontario is the last province to still have grade 13. With the double graduation next year, Ontario will finally be in stride with the rest of North America.
Sounds like a great plan, right? Not if you’re graduating from an Ontario school next summer and are hoping to head to an inner-province university.
All across Ontario, post-secondary schools are trying to expand their residences and classes. But in some cases, it will be impossible to accommodate everyone wanting a spot. Specialty programs, for example radio and computer studies, usually enrol a limited number of students because of the equipment needed for hands-on work. In addition, the school might not be able to push for larger residences because of a lack of area.
These facts add to the nerves of next year’s graduates. The reality is that most of us are worried we won’t be able to head off to our number-one schools. Some students might not be accepted anywhere within the province.
Schools outside Ontario can help alleviate the abundance of students, but this might come at a higher price. Many scholarships are only usable within the province. Students cannot afford to head out west or east because of travelling and cost-of-living prices. These extra costs can also limit our prospects of enrolling in a U.S.A. school.
The opinion of fast tracking is available, but sometimes it results in lower grades due to larger workloads. A friend of mine who was fast tracking was taking OAC chemistry in her second year of high school! She ended up with a mark that couldn’t even be used towards her university application. She rushed through four years and could not participate in everything she wanted to.
No one has the equation for complete success. Sometimes it has nothing to do with the school you attend but the luck of the draw or being in the right place at the right time. This year, senior students in Ontario can only try their best and cross their fingers.
Wish me luck; I think I’m going to need it.
Kelly Todd, 18, lives in Thorold, Ontario, where she attends Thorold Secondary School. She hopes to study broadcasting journalism at Ryerson University.
