Which Ontario University Programs Require a Supplementary Application

Why Some Programs Ask for More Than OUAC

Applying to an Ontario university usually means one application through OUAC and a wait for an offer built on your admission average. A number of competitive or specialized programs add a second step. Some want to see how you reason through a scenario, some want to see your creative work, some want a written statement of why the program fits you. Miss that second step and your OUAC application alone will not carry you to an offer.

These extra components run on their own timelines, separate from OUAC's dates. Track each one individually.

University of Waterloo: Admission Information Form (AIF)

Waterloo's Admission Information Form is mandatory for all Engineering programs (except Architecture), all Faculty of Mathematics programs, and Computing and Financial Management. Arts, Environment, Health, and Science programs at Waterloo do not require it.

The AIF asks 5 short answer questions, each capped at 150 words, covering a personal passion, community involvement, a time you witnessed or experienced unfair treatment, your goals for attending Waterloo, and your activities outside the classroom with estimated hours. You submit it once even if you apply to multiple Waterloo programs, and you cannot edit it after submission. Waterloo reviews responses with identifying information removed, using both staff reviewers and automated screening, and flags dishonest or AI generated answers for possible admission denial.

For the 2026-27 application cycle, most AIF-required programs are due February 15, 2027, Engineering is due February 1, 2027, and Pharmacy (PharmD) is due January 20, 2027.

McMaster: Honours Health Sciences Supplementary Application

McMaster's Honours Health Sciences (BHSc) program layers a supplementary application on top of your OUAC academic average. (CASPer applies to McMaster's Nursing program, not Health Sciences.) Level I (direct from Grade 12) applicants have a supplementary application due early to mid February 2026. Applicants moving into health sciences from another McMaster program (above Level I) have a supplementary application due early May 2026.

CASPer, run by Acuity Insights , tests judgment, ethics, and communication rather than course content. You book and sit it separately from your McMaster application.

Toronto Metropolitan University: Grades-Plus Programs

TMU runs a Grades-Plus model for several of its creative and performance based programs, combining your academic average with a portfolio, audition, or interview. Fashion (BDes) is a clear example: 4 portfolio pieces, a 500 word statement of intent, and a $50 CAD assessment fee, submitted through SlideRoom. For Fall 2026 entry, the Fashion deadline is February 1, 2026, or 10 business days after you apply, whichever is later.

Other Grades-Plus programs set their own component list and deadline, so check your specific program's admissions page rather than assuming Fashion's requirements apply across TMU.

Programs That Commonly Add a Written or Interview Component

Beyond these three, several Ontario business and specialized programs are known for asking for more than grades, among them a number of direct-entry business programs that request an additional essay, video response, or resume alongside OUAC. Requirements and deadlines for these change by program and by cycle, so confirm current details directly on each program's own admissions page rather than relying on what a previous applicant describes.

Comparison at a Glance

What Happens If You Skip a Supplementary Step

Skipping a required supplementary component does not lower your chances quietly, it removes you from consideration for that specific program outright. Your OUAC application stays valid for other programs you applied to at the same university, but the one requiring the missed step typically will not review your file at all.

If you are unsure whether your program needs an extra step, check the specific program page before you assume OUAC is the only application you need to complete.

How to Keep Track of Multiple Deadlines

Write down every deadline the moment you submit your OUAC application, not after you receive an email reminder. Supplementary components rarely share a deadline with OUAC or with each other, and a missed one usually removes your file from consideration regardless of your grades.

Set a calendar reminder at least 2 weeks before each deadline so you have time to fix a technical problem with an upload or a booking system before the cutoff, not on the day itself.

Quick Checklist Before You Submit Your OUAC Application

• Confirm whether any program on your list needs a supplementary application, portfolio, audition, or form beyond OUAC

• Write down each extra deadline separately from your OUAC deadline

• Check whether the extra step needs its own account or portal, separate from your OUAC login

• Note any fee attached to the extra step, such as TMU's Fashion assessment fee, and budget for it ahead of time

• Read the specific instructions for your exact program every cycle, since requirements sometimes change year to year

Why This Matters for Your Application Strategy

If you are applying to several Ontario programs at once, supplementary requirements affect how you sequence your work. A program with an early supplementary deadline, like McMaster's Level I application in February, needs your attention months before a program that decides mostly on your final Grade 12 transcript. Plan your fall and winter around the earliest supplementary deadline on your list, not around your OUAC submission date alone.

If two of your programs both carry supplementary requirements with close deadlines, start the one that takes longer to prepare first, such as a portfolio, and treat a short written form as something you finish in between.