Frequently Asked Questions for International Students
- How do I check my application status?
- What is the deadline to submit the required documents?
- What documents are required by the transcript deadline?
- What are official transcripts?
- My transcript was sent directly from my school. Why is it 'unofficial'?
- What are official English translations?
- What are detailed course outlines?
- What if my school won't send detailed course outlines?
- My college or university does not send transcripts. What do I do?
- Do I have to send a transcript for every school I attended?
- Who do I contact when I have questions?
- What advice do you offer for international students applying to the U of C?
1. How do I check my application status?
In order to stay informed about the status of your application and fulfill any outstanding requirements, you should check your application status regularly by signing on to the myUofC portal. Sign on to myUofC portal at: https://my.ucalgary.ca/ using the eID you selected when you submitted your Application for Admission and access your online Student Centre. Be sure to monitor your To Do List and Application Status.
2. What is the deadline to submit the required documents?
See the Important Dates page on the Recruitment and Admissions website.
3. What documents are required by the transcript deadline?
- All transcripts indicated in your online Student Centre. A transcript is an academic record of the subjects completed and grades received, as issued by an examining board, high school, college or university.
- Photocopies of your original transcripts will normally allow us to make an admission decision. If you are admitted, official transcripts will be required at that time.
- All transcripts in a language other than English must be accompanied by official English translations. The two languages must come together at the same time.
- All post-secondary transcripts MUST have hours or credits listed for each course. Alternately, your school can provide this information in a letter or as part of detailed course outlines sent directly from the school. Without this information, we may not be able to evaluate your application. If you are having transcripts sent directly from your school, please notify them of this requirement before transcripts are sent.
- Proof of English Language Proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB, CAEL, PTE-A), if required.
- DO NOT SEND YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS TO THE RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS OFFICE. All documents submitted to the Recruitment and Admissions Office become the property of the U of C and will NOT be returned. After being scanned, they will eventually be destroyed.
- Submission of any other requirements (if applicable) listed in your online Student Centre, such as detailed course outlines, proof of immigration status, copies of degree certificates, etc.
- Detailed course outlines are sometimes not required by the deadline. If you are having trouble getting them, phone the Recruitment and Admissions Office at (403) 210-ROCK(7625) to see if they are needed by the deadline in your case. If your outlines are needed by the deadline, they will not be accepted late.
4. What are official transcripts?
To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution (ex. high school, university, examining board) to the U of C in a sealed envelope with the stamp of the institution over the seal. For many countries, results of examinations conducted by national examining boards must be sent straight from the board rather than your high school. From certain countries, we will allow you to bring your original high school transcript to our office, where a photcopy will be made and considered official. For further information, call the Recruitment and Admissions Office at (403) 210-ROCK(7625). Post-secondary transcripts must always be sent directly from the issuing institution. Our address can be found on the Contact Us page on the Admissions website.
5. My transcript was sent directly from my school. Why is it 'unofficial'?
Only transcripts in sealed school envelopes with the stamp of the institution on the seal are considered official. If the envelope is blank and there is no school logo or stamp, or if the seal has been broken before arriving in our office, we cannot confirm where the transcript was sent from. Please ask your school to stamp the envelope before mailing.
6. What are official English translations?
Official English translations are made by a Certified Translator. If your school will not provide English translations, have them send the documents to the U of C in the original language only. Then, have a copy of the documents to be translated brought to a Certified Translator. Translations must be submitted with a copy of the original language document. You cannot translate your own documents.
7. What are detailed course outlines?
Detailed course outlines are normally required for post-secondary courses not completed in Canada. Outlines must be verified (stamped) by school authorities and sent directly to the U of C in a sealed school envelope with the stamp of the institution over the seal. Outlines sent by the student are not acceptable. Outlines are not normally required for high school courses.
- Course outlines should be very detailed and include a description of topics covered, textbooks used, grading practices, number of weeks of attendance (not including exam period), and hours per week of lecture, lab, and tutorial.
- Calendar descriptions are not acceptable. They are too brief and do not include all of the above information.
- Course outlines are normally only required for certain subjects at a university, depending on the program applied to:
- Faculty of Nursing: we require outlines for courses completed in the areas of anatomy & physiology, English and statistics.
- Faculty of Education (Bachelor of Education After Degree Program): The Faculty of Education may require outlines for certain subjects completed in order to determine that you have the appropriate content for your chosen program. Please contact the Faculty of Education to see if outlines will be required.
- All other Faculties: we require outlines for courses completed in the areas of science, mathematics, language course other than English, business, philosophy, and economics.
- Course outlines are required for ALL courses completed at a college (except for English as a Second Language (ESL) courses).
8. What if my school won't send detailed course outlines?
Contact the Recruitment and Admissions Office immediately at:
- (403) 210-ROCK(7625) (phone), or- (403) 220-0762 (fax).
9. My college or university does not send transcripts. What do I do?
If you have your own copy of your transcripts, start by mailing a photocopy or faxing them to the Recruitment and Admissions Office. We require you to make every effort to obtain official transcripts (ex: email, fax, phone, mail). If you are still unsuccessful, contact the Recruitment and Admissions Office as soon as possible. You will be asked to follow a detailed procedure in attempt to obtain your transcripts. This procedure may take months, so do not wait until the last minute. Please be aware of document deadlines when attempting to obtain transcripts.
10. Do I have to send a transcript for every school I attended?
You must submit a transcript for every post-secondary school you ever attended (including ESL schools). If you stopped attending before completing any courses (ex: moved, withdrew, etc.) you must still arrange for your school to provide a transcript, or a letter indicating that you withdrew in good standing and that no transcript is available. If you did not list all post-secondary schools you attended on your application, notify the Recruitment and Admissions Office. Failure to report attendance at any type of school could result in permanent dismissal from the U of C.
11. Who do I contact when I have questions?
- For almost every question you have, there is an answer on our website: www.ucalgary.ca/admissions.
- If you cannot find the answer to your question on our website, you can ask your question at www.ucalgary.ca/currentstudents/asktherock.
- If you have questions about your application status, call the Recruitment and Admissions Office at (403) 210-ROCK(7625).
- If you have been offered admission and have questions about which courses to take, contact your faculty.
- If you have questions about how to register for courses, call Enrolment Services at (403) 210-7625.
12. What advice do you offer for international students applying to the U of C?
Plan ahead. Stay informed. If you check your application status regularly, we will keep you informed of all required transcripts and documents needed to evaluate your application. Since the Recruitment and Admissions Office does not accept late documents, arrange for international transcripts far in advance. International evaluations take time, so please be patient. The earlier you submit all required documents, the earlier a decision will be made regarding your application. An evaluation of your application will not begin until all required documents are received. If you are unable to submit any required document or notice any errors on your Online Student Centre, inform the Recruitment and Admissions Office immediately.
For a listing of document deadlines, please visit: Important Dates.
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