Make an informed choice

Determine your strategy

This page will help you understand how the admission application process works and find out about the many choices available. There are also suggestions to help you make an informed decision about your program choices: eligibility conditions, space available, and having a plan B.

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No need to rank your choices

Regardless of the number of program choices you are applying for, you do not need to rank them in order of priority. All your choices will be reviewed in parallel and decision letters will be uploaded to your Student Centre (Centre étudiant) at various times according to each program’s specific application review timelines. 

Please note that the maximum number of program choices per session is 10, for all study levels.

Tips for making an informed choice

Here are a few tips to help you make the right program choices.

Make sure you know the eligibility conditions

Refer to the Verify eligibility conditions page for general information about the eligibility requirements and prerequisite courses. Carefully review the program description for the study programs you are interested in to know the specific eligibility conditions. 

Be aware that some programs are more difficult to get into than others

In addition to the eligibility conditions, it is also important to know that admission to a program will depend on your grades. The difficulty in being admitted to a program is closely tied to 2 items: the quality and the number of applications received for the program. Refer to the Candidate selection section for further details.

Understand the importance of your university academic record in the application review process 

Once you have completed at least 12 university credits at the time of applying, the application review process will progressively focus less on your pre-university record (DCS or equivalent) and more on your university academic record. Reviews of undergraduate admission applications consider all completed university courses, including repeated or extracurricular courses, regardless of the selected discipline. You can find all the information in the University grading system section.

Have a Plan B based on your interests 

It may be wise to have an alternative, or a Plan B, in place, based on your interests. Keep in mind that no program choice can guarantee that your grades will sufficiently improve for admission to another undergraduate program. The best choice therefore is: 

• A program that you find especially interesting. When you enjoy what you are studying, you may obtain better grades. 
• A program that will lead to job opportunities or graduate studies if your admission application is refused for your program of choice. When the space available in your program choice is more limited, your academic grades will need to stand out more from the other applicants. 

Have a variety of program choices

To maximize your chances of being admitted, make sure you have a variety of program choices when completing your admission application. Here is some helpful information:

• If you have a specific program in mind and there is limited space available, add one (or more) other choice(s) to your admission application. 
• A variety of program choices means that there will be a range of eligibility conditions and available space. There are also a number of major and minor programs where space is not limited, which are similar to the corresponding first years of the bachelor's program. Once you have a minor or major, you can apply for the corresponding bachelor's, if you wish. If you are admitted, the common courses can likely be transferred. Another possible option is the  cumulative bachelor's degree which includes this program.
• Make sure your program choices reflect your interests and can help you achieve some of your career objectives.
• Finally, it's best not to include 10 program choices in your first application, even if this is the maximum number allowed per session. This will give you greater flexibility to apply for additional choices in the event of a refusal (or placement on a waiting list).

Combine your program choices when possible 

Did you know that you can combine more than one undergraduate program during the same admission session? Here are the permitted combinations: 

• A bachelor’s degree and a non-degree program (e.g., microprogram, minor, major or certificate) 
• Up to 3 short study programs at the same time 
• A program (degree or not) with independent studies 

Please note that it is not possible to combine undergraduate doctorates and exchange or internship programs with other programs in the same admission session.