REVIEW OF Ontario Virtual School BY Alum, Varia Mercoushev

(5) Overall Experience

My time at Ontario Virtual School was amazing. I loved the independent pace I got to create for myself while exploring the materials. Asking for clarification was always time-efficient and very easy, I felt as though I could always ask for support. This was my first time taking an online course, and I would recommend it to those who take their schooling and learning seriously because it requires dedication and self-motivation! A student enrolling should be prepared to create a schedule and routine for their independent learning. In terms of the school itself, I would not change a single thing because it was fairly easy to self-explore the course I took and communicate with the school to receive my grades and ask questions.

(5) School Leadership

As I mentioned, the communication from the administration was amazing! I always got my grades back very, very fast, and they were forwarded to both me and my parents. It was quite easy to navigate the website and upload my school information to get my grades uploaded to OUAC. Then, my grades for the midterm and final were uploaded in no time! Ontario Virtual School also sent emails offering support for well-being, which was nice to be informed about.

(5) Teaching

The teaching at Ontario Virtual School was very self-paced but had very clear instructions and insightful resources. I was very happy with the instructions I received because I was always able to follow them without confusion and follow up when needed. The dynamic I had between my teacher was formal, kind, and had an elevated level of respect. The instructor was very knowledgeable about the course content and even made jokes when he could to make the chemistry course a little bit more fun. Whenever I received feedback, I was able to follow up very quickly if I had to ask anything about it, but it was always great and helped me improve. Amazing communication, thank you!

(5) Academics

Throughout my experience at Ontario Virtual School, I had a great academic experience. Outside of office hours, I could always reach my instructor when needed, showing complete dedication to the students. Additionally, I had access to all the lessons and resources, so I could always have a resource to check my schoolwork or explore my inquiries. I enjoyed my academic experience at Ontario Virtual School because, as part of the independent learning, I did not have to compete with other students. I had a few mutuals who had taken the course in their first semester with a different instructor, so I could ask them questions in regard to submissions and proctors. However, I never felt the pressure to compare myself to other peers because we were outside of the regular classroom atmosphere, which greatly contributed to my academic success.

(5) School Life

Throughout my experience at Ontario Virtual School, I didn't have classmates to compare my progress with. Honestly, that was a benefit for me because it allowed me to solely focus on my own progress without comparing my learning or my grades to those in my class. I really loved the flexibility of the course and being able to choose my own pacing. I think Ontario Virtual School already does an amazing job of supporting the quality of life of their students because they offer guidance and counselling, which is very easy to access! I can't speak for other students since I did not interact with them during my time at Ontario Virtual School, but speaking for myself, I generally had a great experience learning at OVS. It was completely stress-free.

(5) Admissions

For a student who is planning on applying for admission, I would recommend reading all the FAQ information posted on admission websites. I also followed some Reddit threads to keep myself informed with the community who was also applying. While I was applying, I kept up to date with all of the announcements on OVS and managed my time well, so I did not find it stressful whatsoever. Plus, OVS uploaded my grades to admissions automatically, which made the process much easier.

(5) University placement and counselling

I know that at Ontario Virtual School, university placement and counselling are offered and advertised. Personally, I did not feel the need to inquire about them! I was able to get more in-person information at my day school for my basic application needs. Despite the fact that I used different resources, I always saw announcements, emails, and reminders from Ontario Virtual School regarding university deadlines and important dates. This course suited me best because I was able to pace it a bit faster than a regular day school course. This also made my university application process faster and easier because I was still obtaining my required courses, but on my own time. There was always guidance available, just an email or click away.