This experience was by no means unique to Ontario. The universities in Great Britain - and their applicants - were experiencing similar challenges. Their solutions influenced what was later done in Ontario. The following summary analysis by the British Universities Central Council on Admissions could just as easily have been written for Ontario. In 1963, the Council reported:

"The Universities Central Council on Admissions was set up in July 1961 by the universities of Great Britain in an attempt to solve some of the problems arising from increasing pressure of applications for admission. Hitherto each university had considered its applications without reference to other universities, although most candidates applied to several universities simultaneously. But although it was known that, for example, about 150,000 applications were received for admission in October 1960 to universities in Great Britain other than Oxford and Cambridge and it was clear that, on average, each candidate was applying to more universities, there was no means of knowing how many candidates these figures represented. The lack of such information, in a period of growing public interest in the means of entry to universities, was embarrassing enough: but of particular concern to each university was the problem of knowing whether any candidate it considered for admission really wished to come or whether, having accepted an offer of a place representing a large investment of public money, he might - as far too many did - withdraw at the last minute in order to go somewhere else, too late for the university to be able to find a suitable applicant to take his place. No easier was the problem facing the candidates, or that of the headmaster or headmistress in dealing with universities each operating a different procedure".

("The Universities Central Council on Admission, First Report 1961-3", London England, page 1)

As a solution, the British Council set about in the early 1960s to form, staff and equip a "highly mechanized office" to act as a central application clearing house.

In Ontario during 1963, the Committee of Presidents (later to become the Council of Ontario Universities, COU), created a working group to "...review the problem of students who do not report for registration after being admitted". They also authorized drafting a long term plan for a central clearing house for applications in Ontario. The plan was drafted by A. P. Gordon, Registrar at the University of Waterloo; it was published in March 1965 but no implementation date was established.

In 1966, the Committee of Presidents created the Ontario Universities' Council on Admissions (OUCA). At its first meeting in October of that year, OUCA considered a list of recommendations submitted by a Committee of the Ontario University Registrars' Association (OURA) regarding plans for what would later become the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC). Although no immediate action was taken to establish the OUAC, the Council on Admissions did take several significant steps to improve the admission process, which included:

• The development of a common application form for currently registered Grade 13 students allowing four (later reduced to three) simultaneous university choices; however, other applicants continued to apply on a form for each specific university.
  
• A system to report on vacant places in various programs so admissions officers could make additional offers if needed.
  
• Agreement on common processing dates.
  
• A system to report applicant confirmations of accepting an offer.
  
• A new data reporting system.

In February 1971, the Committee of Presidents re-examined the matter of an application centre and appointed Herbert ("Herb") Pettipiere, then Registrar of the University of Guelph, with the aid of an advisory committee provided by the OUCA, to assess the needs and design of a processing centre. Herb was given only two months to conduct his review and develop final recommendations, which built on the work of Gordon and the OUCA. Herb's seminal report was presented on April 30, 1971, and it included the following summary statement:

"The climate for the establishment of a Centre during the two month period in writing this report has radically changed. The shroud of mystery on how many applicants are presently applying to universities, the meaning of the large increase in the applications being experienced and the question of whether we will have sufficient spaces for all qualified applicants surely must indicate the need for a Centre.

The pressure to create an instant Centre must be resisted. It is essential that the Centre be properly designed and integrated with the various admission systems of the universities if we are to have an effective and efficient Centre. A hastily designed and implemented Centre will not serve anyone.

The applicant, the universities, and the government can be assured that a properly established Centre controlled by the Registrars and admission officers will satisfy their needs in the admission of qualified applicants to Ontario Universities."

The principles set out in this statement continue to guide the steady evolution of the OUAC today.

Following Herbert ("Herb") Pettipiere's report submission, much discussion took place, more suggestions were made, and feasibility questions arose. The outcome was a proposition that the processing centre begin operation for the 1972 admissions year. Though some university colleagues had reservations about the need for such a service agency, it was officially approved on June 4, 1971. Shortly after, Herb was appointed the Founding Director of the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre.

There are several speculations about how the Centre came to be located in Guelph. Herb’s report made the following observations:

“The primary consideration for the location of the Centre is that it must have ready access to a service computer. Consideration was given to the use of an input device at the Centre but with updating of the file on a weekly basis and the cost of $20,000 per year it was felt that during the first few years of operation it was not necessary.

The Centre does not have to be readily accessible to the public so that it can be located outside of a metropolitan area. If possible the Centre should be located away from a university.

The Centre ideally could be located in a low cost office rental area close to a computer centre.”

It is known that several locations in southern Ontario were considered, but it is believed that the location in Guelph was selected, in part, as a means to attract the very talented Herb away from the University of Guelph.

An integral part of the centre’s establishment was the importance placed upon it by the Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thus, during the admissions cycle of 1971-1972, the OUAC commenced operations.