Prerequisites and admission requirements - what are they and how do they affect you?

By Rob Taylor and Jessica Barr

Before you can get onto the roof, you need to get a ladder to climb up to the roof with. Prerequisites and admission requirements are life's ladders. You use them to advance upwards towards your goal. Currently, most of the prerequisites you are encountering are related to school.

You've probably encountered them already, even if you haven't graduated from high school yet. You can't take Grade 12 English unless you've taken - and passed - Grade 11 English.

The same situation exists in college and university, but in a bit more of a complicated manner. You may not be able to take a particular second-year English course unless you have taken three particular first-year courses, and, to make it more interesting, not all of those courses will necessarily be from the same discipline.

Going from high school to university or college carries its own set of challenges.

Prerequisites and admission requirements to get into university or college

In general, schools require that students entering their first year at that institution have taken certain courses, based on what province the students come from. For example, a student from Ontario may have to take Grade 12 science while a student from Alberta may have had to take Grade 11 science and a Grade 12 science to be accepted.

Virtually all schools require that students have at least Grade 12 English or the provincial equivalent (an exception being bilingual or French schools for which Grade 12 French is often an acceptable substitute).

A school may also require a minimum grade average for acceptance. When there is no explicitly stated minimum grade, the following guidelines should help you. If your average is over 80% it is a safe bet that you will be accepted to any school you like. There are certain university programs that are extremely competitive, and students with very high averages are likely to be considered first.

If your average is 70-79% you may still have a good shot at being accepted to the university of your choice, and virtually all colleges will accept you. If your average is between 60-69% you may have a tough time getting accepted to university, but there are many colleges for whom this is an acceptable grade range. And finally, if your average is 50-59%, don't fret! You may still qualify to study at college. There are plenty of programs that simply require a high school diploma, regardless of your marks. And if you do well at college, you may be able to transfer to a university program!

Some specialized schools, like a school for the performing arts or an art school, may require that you attend an audition or submit a portfolio with examples of work you have done that relates to the program or school that you are applying to. Generally, the committees that view such portfolios are looking for proof that you are talented and versatile, so submit images of your work in a variety of styles and media. No one wants to see 20 identical pencil drawings of Lara Croft.

Prerequisites and admission requirements to get into a specific program at a school

It's entirely possible for a student to have the prerequisites and other admission requirements to get into a school generally but not to get into a certain program at that school. Many programs have their own specific requirements and prerequisites. This is especially true of programs that are not in the general arts or sciences. For example, an engineering program may require a science course, multiple mathematics courses and a high academic average to enter the program. Use the SchoolFinder.com Web site to investigate these prerequisites, but make sure to always contact the school to make sure that you have everything they want.

Non-academic requirements

As we mentioned before, some specialized schools or programs may require that you submit work related to the program or school as part of their entrance requirements. This might be a sample of your writing for a journalism or creative writing program, or photographs for a photography program. You may even be required to go in for an interview to talk about the work you have submitted. Don't be scared! Focus on your strengths and think positive. Visualize yourself in your dream program. When you have a clearly defined goal, it is much easier to find the path to get there.

Many programs will look for your experience in relation to a program. A teaching program might be interested in volunteer work at a local school or with a youth group while a medical program might be interested in volunteer work at the local hospital. All schools, regardless of the program, are interested in well-rounded students. Work experience, community involvement, leadership skills, and volunteerism are all qualities that will make you more attractive to your prospective school.

Beyond first year

You might think that you'd get away from all of these prerequisites and requirements after you finish your college diploma or university degree. This is not the case. If you want to go to graduate school or enrol in a post-diploma program, you'll probably encounter requirements like these. And even if you don't go back to school, you'll have requirements to deal with for the rest of your life. A job description is made up of prerequisites and requirements.

But don't panic. All you need is confidence, planning and foresight and you will meet those requirements with ease and efficiency.