Application FAQs

Yes, the ESP admissions process is entirely separate from the regular degree program application. Our website has details on how to apply. Because we are interested in more than just your grade 12 average, we ask you to put together a portfolio for the application. The ESP has limited space, and are competitive programs.

Yes, because ESP students apply for admission directly to our program you do not need to submit an application through OUAC. Just download our application from our application page.

• High school or college students with the potential to excel at university but who do not meet traditional entrance requirements
• Students who would like support as they begin their first year of university study
• Mature students who would like support as they return to study
• Indigenous students who would like a supported transition to university (in our Indigenous Enriched Support Program stream)

See our application page for up-to-date deadline information . If you have reason to believe your grades may not meet Carleton’s entrance average requirements, and you are interested in the ESP, you should apply to ensure that you keep your options open. Your application to ESP will not affect the degree program application you have already made. If you are accepted to both a degree program and ESP, the choice is yours to make.

ESP is designed to help students bridge into a variety of programs. See our program page for more details.

No; ESP students are enrolled in the same first year courses as other students and participate in the same orientation and campus activities. ESP offers the type of academic support that is useful to any student making the transition to university study. The program’s academic workshops are so successful that the university asked us to offer similar support to degree program students in several popular first-year courses (the Peer Assisted Study Sessions program).

See our Courses & Registration page for a list of last year’s course offerings. All of these are regular credit courses that will transfer to your degree once you complete ESP.

Please see our costs page. Books, supplies and living expenses are not included in this total. The program is eligible for provincial student loans. If you intend to apply for student loans, don’t wait for a response regarding admission. Get your loan application started as early as possible.

Maybe. The residences at Carleton University usually fill up quickly each year. As an ESP student, you are eligible to apply, but there are no guarantees about space. Please contact the housing office for information about how to apply and deadlines at (613) 520-5612.