TORONTO, January 17, 2007 -- York University continues to be the second most preferred university in Ontario according to statistics released today by the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). Both the overall number of applications and, crucially, the number of students who made York their first choice, confirm York’s position.
Almost 29,000 Ontario secondary school students have applied to attend York beginning in the Fall of 2007. Of those, over 8,000 students have designated York as their first choice – the second-highest among the 19 member institutions for which the OUAC produces statistics.
“What these numbers tell us loud and clear is that students are emphatically choosing York on its academic merits and not as a backup to other universities,” said Rob Tiffin, vice-president students at York University. “As the application pool has increased by 5.2 per cent this year, the question is not one of quantity but of the quality of applicants that a university can attract. We are very happy to be in such a strong position as we start the applicant conversion process.”
The increased participation rate in the university system in Ontario is a testament to the value of a university degree, said Sheila Embleton, vice-president academic at York. “This is part of a long-term shift that is taking place across the world as students – and their parents – increasingly see a university degree as an invaluable asset for building a career or indeed as a springboard for graduate studies.”
”These data also show us that there is a continuing shift toward the professional and applied programs with less growth being seen in what might be termed the traditional liberal arts degree,” said Embleton. “Science and fine arts programs continue to grow in line with the market.”
Applicant data gathered by the OUAC can be found at: http://www.ouac.on.ca/news/uapp/underappstats.html
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 190,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 23 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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Contact:
Alex Bilyk
York University
Media Relations
(416) 736-5603
