The first step towards studying in Canada is to obtain admission from a Canadian university or college. An Admission Letter is a document demonstrating that the educational institution is interested to have the applicant as a student in his/her field of choice. As of June 1, 2014, you will need a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution.

Obtaining admission from one of the Canadian colleges or universities is a difficult task. Every year, a large number of applications are received by the Canadian universities and colleges. This is mainly because of the high quality and relative affordability of higher education in Canada. Therefore, in order to maximize your chances of acceptance, it is recommended that you apply very early in the application time period.

The typical procedure that you should go through in order to apply for an admission is as follows:

• First, you should decide in which field of specialty you want to continue your education. Not all majors are offered by all Canadian universities; the field of study of your choice will narrow down the choices of universities or colleges you can apply to.
   
• Once you know which universities or colleges offer the major of your choice, you have to initiate communication with the particular department / faculty to know of their application procedure and requirements. The best way to do this is through the website of the university/college you are interested in.
   
• If you are applying for graduate studies (Master's Degree or PhD), you typically need to communicate with a particular member of faculty in your desired department and let them know about your background and research interests. For graduate studies, you usually need to be recommended to the department for admission by a faculty member with whom you have some common grounds regarding your research interests.
   
• Each university / college has its own application procedure. Typically, you need to fill out an online application, followed by supporting documents which should be mailed directly to the admission office of the department of your choice. The required supporting documents usually include 2-3 reference letters from you previous professors, and official degrees and transcripts of high school and/or any degree programs you have taken in the past. These need to be prepared by your previous professors or university/college/school in official and sealed envelopes.
   
• There is normally a deadline for applications. Deadlines are different from one university to the other, and the deadlines for international students are usually earlier than those for US/Canadian students. You should be careful about these deadlines and prepare your application and supporting documents well in advance, to make sure that your application is considered for admission. Also, applications are usually reviewed on a first-come-first-serve basis; so the earlier you submit your application, the better your chances of getting an admission.

After you receive the letter of admission to your desired program, you have to apply to the Canadian Embassy in your country for a Student Visa (Study Permit) in order to be allowed entrance to Canada. The process for issuing a student visa is often long, and you have to time your application so that you have enough time before the start of your desired study program.

As you can see, there are two major steps in order to start studying in Canada: getting an admission, and obtaining a student visa. At Better Life, we can assist you with both of these processes. Please contact us now for a consultation session so that we can discuss these services in more detail.