COLS Features and Tips

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Academic Information

In the Academic Information section, you can:

  • update all academic information for your students, even before they apply.
  • add, delete or update multiple courses at one time, resulting in easier maintenance.
  • review any errors or warnings related to a student’s information. These errors and warnings may be the result of making manual changes or processing an Ontario Student Transcript (OST) file during a given collection period.
  • search for errors and update course/diploma information.

Note: COLS is available throughout the summer for academic updates, including the OSSD indicator.

Video: How to View and Change Academic Info

Watch this video to learn how to check the status of and view student files in the Academic Information function.

Read the How to View and Change Academic Info video transcript.

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Application Information

You can view all application information for students at your school who have applied to university.

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PINs

Using the Create a PIN function, you can set up a preliminary data record for students who did not appear in the October/November data file so that PINs can be assigned to them.

You can also use this function for students applying to winter admission programs.
Contact us for more information.

Video: How to Create and View PINs

Watch this video to learn how to create and view student PINs and generate application access codes.

Read the How to Create and View PINs video transcript.

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Test PINs

To view the 101 application, you can set up a preliminary data record for yourself using the Test PINs option.

Note: You cannot submit a test application.

Important: Do not create a PIN for your students using the Test PINs option. You must use the PINs function to create valid PINs for your students.

Reports

The Reports section features 3 reports:

  1. Applicant Status Report
      • Enter your selection criteria to create a report.
      • Search by the same program groupings used in the 101 application.
      • Available in Excel and HTML.
  2. Insufficient Credit Report
    • View the status of your students’ 4U/M courses.
  3. Courses Not Updated Report
      • The report lists students with courses without a final grade that were reported before the selected Start Date but were not subsequently updated through a grades file or manually through COLS, as of the current date.
      • Available in Excel and HTML.
      • Make any required updates in Academic Information.
    2. Tip: Run this report in February/March to check for dropped courses that still show on students’ OUAC account.

Video: How to Generate Reports Using COLS

Watch this video to learn how to generate 3 different reports to manage student information.

Read the How to Generate Reports Using COLS video transcript.

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This function allows you to:

  • search the processing status of all grades files you send to the OUAC, including test files.
  • view the raw data sent in your file.
  • view a file summary that includes the number of records, and the number and type of errors/warnings.
  • determine exactly where these errors/warnings occurred within your file by providing you with line and position numbers.

Video: How to Search OST Files

Watch this video to learn how to search the OST files you send to the OUAC.

Read the How to Search OST Files video transcript.

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Send OST Files

Send OST Files allows you to transfer demographic and grades data to the OUAC for potential university applicants. You can send a .zip file or select multiple files at once.

How to Send an OST File to the OUAC

  1. Click “Browse” to select a file from your computer.
  2. Click “Upload File(s)”.
  3. Wait for your file to appear in Pending Files with a “Received” status.
  4. Click “Process All Received Files Now” at the bottom of the screen.
Note: If you do not click “Process All Received Files Now”, we cannot process your file.

Video: How to Send OST Files

Watch this video to learn how to send your OST files to the OUAC.

Read the How to Send OST Files video transcript.

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Test OST Files

This function allows you to test your grades file for any collection period before sending it to the OUAC. It helps you reduce errors before submission.

Note: All test files are purged nightly.

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How to Register Users in COLS

Watch this video to learn how to reactivate an existing user, register a new user, deactivate a user and modify user information in COLS.

Read the How to Register Users in COLS video transcript.

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