Conestoga College

This guide is for Nepali students applying to Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. It covers the acceptance rate, the grades and English scores you need, the documents to prepare in Nepal and each step from application to study permit. For campuses, fees and scholarships, see our Conestoga College profile, and for programs, intakes and PGWP status, our Conestoga programs guide.

What is Conestoga College’s acceptance rate?

Conestoga College doesn’t publish an acceptance rate. Percentages quoted on other websites are outside estimates, not official numbers.

What decides an offer is meeting your program’s admission and English requirements while seats are still open. Conestoga accepts international applications only until each program reaches capacity, and it processes only complete applications with the fee paid.

For programs with more applicants than seats, Conestoga compares applicants by academic strength, the average of the marks in the program’s required subjects. Its degree pages say higher averages than the minimum are often needed because of competition. Graduate certificates such as Applied Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning compare applicants on grades and the length, level and subject of their degree or diploma, so apply early with a complete file.

What grades do you need from Nepal?

Conestoga accepts the NEB Higher Secondary (+2) certificate and transcript for diplomas and degrees, and a completed diploma or degree for graduate certificates. There is no Nepal minimum percentage; each program’s required subjects and grades decide.

Conestoga’s academic documents page lists what it needs from Nepal, and each program compares your subjects with the Ontario Grade 12 courses it asks for. Examples from Conestoga’s program pages:

• Computer Programming (diploma): Grade 12 English and Grade 12 Math, with at least 50 to 60 in Math depending on the course.
• Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design and Analysis (advanced diploma): Grade 12 English and Grade 12 Math, with at least 55 in advanced Math.
• Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours): six Grade 12 subjects including English and Math, with a cumulative average of at least 65%.
• Supply Chain Management – Global (graduate certificate): a two- or three-year diploma or a degree in business, or an engineering degree with business courses or experience.

Practical Nursing has no direct entry for international students: you must first pass the Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas, and a place afterwards isn’t guaranteed. To see where your +2 grades stand, convert your NEB GPA to a percentage with our NEB GPA calculator.

What English scores does Conestoga College accept?

IELTS 6.0 with no band under 5.5 for certificates and diplomas, and IELTS 6.5 with no band under 6.0 for degrees, graduate certificates and a few diplomas.

Some diplomas need the degree-level score, including Practical Nursing, Advertising and Marketing Communications, Business – Insurance and Journalism. Pharmacy Technician doesn’t accept Duolingo, and scores can differ for some IT and engineering programs. The full list is on Conestoga’s admission requirements page.

If your score is short, Conestoga’s General Arts and Science: English Language Studies program starts from IELTS 2.5 and leads into full-time programs. To compare scores across Canadian colleges, see our IELTS and PTE guide for Canada.

Which documents do you need from Nepal?

Your +2 certificate and transcript (plus your diploma or degree and transcript for a graduate certificate), your English test result and your passport details, all uploaded to the OCAS portal.

• Your NEB Higher Secondary (+2) certificate and transcript of study; Conestoga needs both the graduation document and the transcript. Our guide explains how to get transcripts in Nepal from NEB, TU and other boards.
• For a graduate certificate, your diploma or degree certificate and its transcript.
• Your IELTS, PTE, TOEFL or Duolingo score report.
• A valid passport: if the name on your documents differs from your current name, Conestoga asks for official proof such as a copy of your passport. If you don’t have one yet, see getting a Nepali passport for study abroad.
• For some graduate certificates, such as Applied Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, a resume showing your work experience and goals; our CV guide for university applications shows the format.

Upload original documents to the portal; Conestoga may ask for official documents to be sent straight from your school, university or exam board. Nepali certificates and bank documents often carry Bikram Sambat dates; our Nepali date converter helps you match them to the A.D. dates on your forms.

How do you apply to Conestoga College, step by step?

You apply through the OCAS (Ontariocolleges.ca) international applicant portal with a CAD 100 fee. After your Letter of Acceptance, you pay the CAD 2,500 deposit, Conestoga requests your PAL, and then you apply for your study permit.

1. Choose your program and check it’s open on Conestoga’s open programs list, then read the program’s admission requirements.
2. Apply online. Create an application on the OCAS international applicant portal (agents use the OCAS agent portal), upload your documents and pay the CAD 100 fee through Flywire. Then go back and click “submit”, because an unsubmitted application isn’t processed.
3. Get your Letter of Acceptance (LOA). Conestoga emails you or your agent if anything is missing. You print the LOA from the portal, and it includes the link to the PAL request form.
4. Pay the deposit. Pay the non-refundable CAD 2,500 tuition deposit within 30 days of your acceptance. To send tuition from a Nepali bank you need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Education; see how to apply for an NOC in Nepal.
5. Get your Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Fill in the PAL request form. Conestoga asks the Ontario ministry for your PAL, and you get an email when it’s in the OCAS portal. Read what a PAL is and who needs one.
6. Apply for your study permit with your LOA, PAL, payment receipt and proof of funds, plus a statement of purpose explaining your study plan (see our SOP guide for a Canada student visa). If your program has co-op, optional co-op or a field placement, you also need a co-op work permit.
7. Pay the rest and register. Pay the balance by the dates on your LOA. After you arrive, enter your study permit (and co-op work permit) in Conestoga’s International Registration Portal and upload your ONE Card photo.

Conestoga doesn’t publish a fixed decision time, so check the portal and your email regularly. Apply 9 to 12 months before your start date so there is time for the offer, the PAL and your study permit. For the visa stage, read our guides to Canada student visa requirements and proof of funds.