CAREER & EDUCATION
From Issue #9
The Double
Cohort Dilemma
Two grades of high school compete for limited
college spaces
By
Leesa Barnes
Tiffany
Hall is not just worried about completing her homework she is
also concerned that she won’t have the marks to get her
into university.
Hall, 17, is just one Ontario high school student who will graduate
next year as part of the ‘double cohort’. Beginning
this school year, Ontario moved from a five-year high school
program to a four-year program, which means double the number
of students will be graduating in 2003. Known as the double
cohort, these students will trigger a surge in demand at universities
and colleges that will challenge each institution’s planning
skills, faculty resources, and physical facilities.
It is estimated that an additional 33,500 secondary school students
could be applying to universities and colleges across Canada,
although it is expected that Ontario will receive the bulk of
applications.
Cim Nunn, Director of Media Relations at York University, in
Toronto, says that York is preparing for the double cohort class
by building additional residences and parking structures to
accommodate the surge. Similarly, the University of Toronto
has committed to providing space for an additional 9,000 students.
UofT, which currently has 5,000 residence spaces, has already
begun constructing 2,600 more spaces to be completed by 2005.
Not only will students see much more crowded first-year classes
beginning in the 2003-2004 academic post-secondary year, but
competition for some programs will increase.
“The demand for space depends on the program. Some programs
that are in high demand, may be more challenging to get into,”
says Nunn. UofT also expects competition for places to increase
although they are attempting to maintain present class sizes.
The double cohort issue will not disappear when the 2003-2004
academic year comes to a close. The strain that the double cohort
class will create on university resources will continue until
they graduate. According to Nunn, this presents a unique challenge
for universities; “The question that universities have
to ask themselves is do they grow and stay big to accommodate
this demand or do they maintain their current size?”
Although Nunn can understand that many students will be concerned
that they may not have the required marks to get into university,
he urges students to ensure that they have some volunteer activities
and community work reflected in their application.
Hall seems to sum it up for many of the thousands of students
who find themselves part of the double cohort dilemma when she
says, “I’m too young to be this stressed out about
my grades and figuring out my future.”
