Admissions 101: Summary of Changes (Part 1)

Posted on Tuesday, April 7th, 2026

Want to know how different Admissions processes will work once the new Student Information System (SIS), Thesis SM, is implemented? Well, look no further! We have compiled a summary of the biggest changes surrounding Admissions, from the new Applicant Checklist feature to how international learners will be admitted.

Some of these processes are completely new, while others are changes from existing processes. Regardless, the new SIS will bring many benefits, and in the meantime, we will prepare you for these changes with a handy crash course.

Since there are a number of changes coming, we decided to split the list into two parts. The first part focuses on the different kinds of Admissions processes, as well as a new feature in the Thesis Student Portal.

Domestic on Demand (OCAS)

Domestic on Demand provides an improved method of exchanging applicant data with the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS), allows the exchange of that data at any time of the day, and is overall more user-friendly, intuitive, and more transparent for applications during the college admission process. That’s a win for both employees and domestic learners!

This is what will be changing:

• The amount of time it will take to complete each step within the Domestic Admissions process will be reduced significantly.

Otherwise, most of the steps within the Domestic Admissions process will remain unchanged.

International Admissions Process

International applicants will continue to submit their applications to Salesforce, which makes things nice and easy for them. The only difference is that Salesforce will be integrated with Thesis SM, meaning applications will be transferred to the new SIS and assigned at the appropriate stage. International applicants will also have access to the Thesis Student Portal, so they will also use the Applicant Checklist to submit and track any additional information.

This is what will be changing:

• International applicants will be given access to the Thesis Student Portal to submit and track some documents.

Besides that, much of the international application process will remain the same.

Continuing Education Admissions Process

With the new SIS, part-time programs, AC Online graduate certificates, and AC Online Ontario Colleges Diplomas (Advanced Diplomas) will have an admissions process and be managed via OCAS. This change also follows the Admissions Policy (AA04), which is different from how things work in current state.

This is what will be changing:

• All programs will be required to be put through an admissions process.
• In-house forms will be moved to OCAS.
• College Certificate applicants will have the option to enroll in up to 3 courses from a program before being required to apply for that program.

Applicant Checklist

The Applicant Checklist is a Thesis Student Portal feature that allows applicants to check the overall status of their application and individual status of each Admissions Component. In other words, this is a new feature that we don’t use today. And the best part: it’s super easy to use!

This is what will be changing:

• Status codes will not exist in Thesis SM, and stages will be clearer and easier to understand.
• The new Departmental Review process will eliminate the need for the RO to act as the intermediary between applicants and Academic Departments.
• Applicants will have the ability to see any outstanding requirements on the Thesis Student Portal.

Applicants will continue to receive email notifications outlining specific requirements they need to complete.

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Want to learn more about Admissions? Check out our Glossary to find out about new Admissions terms. Some of our Showcase events also covered topics related to Admissions. While you’re here, feel free to sign up for our upcoming Showcase!


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