• Validate your interest in nursing or allied health by spending time in a clinic as an employee or volunteer or attending a summer or spring break camp in a related nursing or allied health field. Most schools require that you have seriously considered the field by spending time in a setting where nurses or health care professionals are working.
  
  
• Consider how you can develop leadership skills while you are still in high school. Admissions committees value applicants who can demonstrate leadership potential. You can acquire leadership in school clubs, volunteer programs, and through an internship or summer job.  
  
  
• Act on your interests and undertake to read and study independently. You will benefit from exploring your interests and learning your own strengths and limitations. Those who pursue their genuine interests are more likely to excel. This is a good way to develop interests, expand your knowledge and improve your vocabulary and reading comprehension skills needed for school.  
  
  
• Admissions committees are often interested in a student's extracurricular activities.  Consider joining school clubs, athletics, musical activities, and arts and drama, especially if you have excelled in one or more of these areas. This is also a good way to develop demonstrated leadership skills, which are an important aspect of a competitive application.

Check out CampusStarter's database of Canadian Nursing and Allied Health Schools and Programs