Uni Quest: Adventures of OUF
Authors: William Nikel, Nancy Chen
Have you ever wondered what the Ontario Universities’ Fair is?
Every year, thousands of curious high school students converge on the Toronto Metro Convention Center in the heart of Toronto for the Ontario University Fair. Waiting for them is one of the largest gatherings of universities in North America. More than twenty schools fill the space, each with all their faculties represented. For a weekend in October, students flow from booth to booth, talking to ambassadors from hundreds of programs.
McMaster always has a strong presence at the Ontario Universities’ Fair, or OUF for short. Like other schools, it is given a large space in the hall and fills it with booths from all faculties. Mac Eng proudly takes up three booths, with one for Engineering and Computer Science programs, one for BTech, and one for iBioMed. They are staffed by passionate volunteers from McMaster, including staff, faculty, and even current students who share information about applications, admissions, courses, school-life balance, job prospects, and much more. They understand the stress that comes with choosing a school and want to support students as best as they can while showcasing everything McMaster has to offer.
The volunteers happily put a lot of effort into creating an amazing OUF experience for prospective students. From the commute into Toronto in the early morning to welcome all the guests, to answering hundreds of questions every hour, it is a long day for the volunteers. However, when they love the work they do, a weekend like this is really rewarding for the team. McMaster was ready for the rush of students eager to connect with a university representatives. Talking to so many students and their parents is demanding work for the throat, but the volunteers were well-prepared with pockets filled with lozenges so they could help as many students as possible.
Despite the overwhelming crowd that formed around each booth, the representatives made sure to take the time to fully answer questions. Jwalit, a 3rd-year Computer Science student, said that the average conversation would last around 5–7 minutes, but he would often have 15+ minute conversations with particularly interested students and parents. McMaster often hosts other events on campus to support the applicants’ journeys and has many student and staff teams that can be contacted to continue conversations beyond those of OUF specifically!
Many representatives of the events were students, once applying to post-secondary institutions, just like you. They were nervous about school and had many conversations with family, friends, institution representatives, and themselves about which school to go to. Potential applicants should not be afraid to ask the current McMaster students about why they chose their current program. Ask them for information about courses, application requirements, co-op opportunities, extracurricular involvement, student life, and more. Sometimes the answer will surprise you, as everyone’s journey is unique.
So, if you are looking to catch a glimpse of what post-secondary life will look like for yourself on your application journey, the OUF is a great resource to explore the different Ontario universities and get a glimpse of what makes each school unique. We hope to meet you at the next OUF or on campus too!
Check out a fun recep reel here to feel the energy of OUF!
