ubc application essay questions

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How to Apply

We invite you to apply to UBC to be part of an incredible community of problem-solvers and innovators. Even as undergraduates, our students are making a difference in the world – through their involvement in student engineering design teams , contributions as co-op students and innovative capstone projects .

We'd love for you to join us. Here are the steps involved in applying to UBC to study engineering as an undergraduate student.

Step 1: Admission Requirements

Step 2: Application Process

Step 3: Submit Your Application

Step 4: Tuition and Scholarships 

Step 1: Find out if you meet our admission requirements

If you want to study engineering at UBC, you will be applying to the Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering) degree. The admission criteria vary and depend on factors that include: 

• If you attended high school in Canada or  internationally .
• Whether you want to study at UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan .
• If you self-identify as an Aboriginal person .
• If you are transferring from one of our Engineering Transfer Programs .
• If you are transferring from another UBC Faculty or post-secondary institution .

Check if you meet our admission requirements:

• Read What courses do you need to get into engineering ? to learn about some of the high school credits we’re looking for.
• Head to UBC Admissions   for details on courses you need to have completed, general grade point averages, English language requirements and more.

What to do if you don’t meet our admissions requirements

If you don’t meet our admission requirements and you would still like to study engineering at UBC, you can pursue a few options. Depending on your circumstances, these could include:

• Applying to our Engineering Transfer Program and completing first year at one of nine partner universities and colleges.
• Upgrading your high school courses to get the credits you need in Physics, Chemistry, Math or English.
• Applying to Vantage One Bachelor of Applied Science if you don’t meet the  English language competency requirement.

Next steps if you meet our admission requirements

If you think you meet our admission requirements, great! Check out the steps below to learn what’s involved in applying to UBC. 

Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the application process 

UBC has a centralized application process. That means that no matter what Faculty you are applying to, you will submit your application to UBC Admissions. 

You can find all the information you need to know about applying to UBC on the UBC Undergraduate Programs and Admissions application instructions page.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about the application process:

• Applications will open in October of the fall before you wish to begin at UBC. 
• You can start the application before the deadline . Simply save your application while it is in process and return to it later.
• You will be asked to submit transcripts and other documents after you submit your application, so you do not need to have final grades for your current courses.

As part of your application, you will be asked to:

• Answer a series of questions about yourself and list your top two choices for what degree you want to study and where you want to study (UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan). If you definitely want to pursue engineering, you should indicate Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering) for both options and then either UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan as your first choice (with the other campus being your second choice).
• Submit a personal profile , which requires short essay responses. 
• Share the names of two references .
• Pay a non-refundable application fee
• High school transcripts
• International Baccalaureate results
• Advanced Placement exam results
• Proof of English language competency
• Post-secondary transcripts

These details are explained step by step on the UBC Undergraduate Programs and Admissions application instructions.  

Learn more about UBC Engineering

You likely have some questions about UBC Engineering. A great way to learn more is to sign up for our annual open houses   or one of our many events . These events cover a wide range of topics, from learning more about what engineering is all about to insider admissions tips!

More about UBC Engineering

Learn more about our foundation year program , which sets you up to make an informed choice about which engineering specialization is best for you.

Explore the 14 programs on offer at UBC Vancouver and four programs at UBC Okanagan . You will apply to your specialization at the end of first year.

Chat with a student about their experience.

Follow our Engineering Stories Team on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube to see what life is like as an engineering student.

Step 3: Keep track of deadlines and submit your application

The online application portal for UBC for the Winter Session (September to April) opens in early October. Remember that you can start your application and save it while it is still in process. Just make sure you submit before the deadline !

Application Deadlines

The deadline to apply for September entry is January 15 . However, you need to apply earlier if you want to be considered for scholarships and awards or for first-round offers of admission.

Early October: Online application open

November 15: Award application deadline for international applicants who want to be considered for the  UBC International Scholars Program awards .

December 1 application deadline for: 

• International applicants up for a UBC International Scholars Program award 
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents to be considered for the  Presidential Scholars Awards and  UBC Centennial Scholars Entrance Awards .
• High school students studying a Canadian curriculum who want to be considered for a  first-round offer of admission .
• Canadian post-secondary applicants who want to be considered on the basis of interim transcripts.

January 15 : Application deadline.

You can find all the important dates on admissions deadlines at Dates and deadlines . 

Document deadlines

After you’ve submitted your application, UBC Admissions will email you to let you know which documents you are required to submit and when. The documents required will vary depending on your level of studies, location and program. 

• Review the Dates and deadlines page for the important dates to keep in mind.
• Select the category that best describes your education background to learn how to submit your documents .

Step 4: Learn about tuition and scholarships 

Your tuition fees will depend on whether you are a canadian student or international applicant, as well as how many courses you are taking:.

• Find out more about tuition fees
• Estimate your total fees with the cost calculator    

Want to learn about scholarship and funding opportunities? Learn more about: 

• University-wide scholarships, bursaries and awards
• Engineering-specific scholarships

Remember that you will need to submit your application ahead of the December 1, deadline for admission to the upcoming school year if you want to be considered for certain scholarships.

As a student, you can also earn while you learn by:

• Participating in Applied Science Co-op , where you will benefit from paid, relevant work experiences with leading employers.
• Pursuing other work experience opportunities, including Work Learn and undergraduate research .

A UBC Engineering degree is an investment in your future. Unlike other professional degrees, you can start working in your field immediately after you finish your undergraduate education without having to complete additional post-secondary studies. Find out why engineering might be the most versatile undergraduate degree and how UBC Engineering sets you up for success .

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UBC Supplemental Essays | Essay Examples & Samples

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Ultimate Guide To Writing UBC Supplemental Essays | Essay Samples _ It’s cool that so many students are currently working on their online application process to applying into UBC . Beginning an early application implies that you’ll have enough time to reflect on your UBC application requirements starting from the personal profile section down to the UBC supplemental essays which is a crucial part of UBC’s admissions decision.

With the right information and guide on how to go about the UBC essays , you have no cause to worry as you automatically gets an upper Chance of getting into UBC.

So Welcome Abroad! (In Addy)

The UBC’s supplemental essays gives you the avenue to share your story and the opportunity to tell the admission committee what your passion is. They will use your supplemental essays to get more details and a full insight about your capabilities and to know how you would be of benefit to complement the UBC community.

Does UBC have supplemental application?

Yes! All high school candidates and some transfer applicants are expected to submit a personal profile while submitting their application to UBC. Depending on the degree you are going for, a supplemental essay application, student portfolio, or audition may be also be required.

Do I need to write an essay to apply to UBC?

Absolutely!

Each of these essays and personal profile questions Needs you to submit short essay responses (which ranges from 50 to 200 words) , so you’ll have to think about your answers before you begin your online application, this article will also provide an ultimate guide to your UBC supplemental essay writing.

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How many essays do I need to write for UBC? university of british columbia supplemental essays?

The UBC personal profile essays are some kind of unique essays that are written by Candidates who are applying to the University of British Columbia. The essay kinds will depend on the faculty you apply to, you will be asked to write up to SIX to EIGHT short essays in your personal profile.

UBC Supplemental Essay Examples By Categories and How to Answer Them [PART 1]- UBC application example

Ubc supplemental essays for the bachelor of education personal profile only:.

• Why do you want to become a teacher?

They expect you to Describe the kind of teacher you dream to become. Give instances. Give an example from the experiences you have gained which illustrates your eligibility for the teaching profession. For example, you could tell them a story of how you were able to solve a challenging situation, or how you overcame a problem in a professional related manner, or stories on how you learned from your past mistakes etc. Make sure to use simple English and try to be straight to point, no long stories please!

Check NU Bound Acceptance Rate 2022 | NU Bound Vs NU. in

UBC Supplemental Essays For the Bachelor of Commerce personal profile only:

• Explain how you reacted to a challenge and/or how you have reacted to an unfamiliar situation. You have to tell them What you did, what the outcome was, and what you learned from the experience? This is a global and wide society. So it will have to explain how your community involvement gets you ready for the future in this multiplex world.

How Does UBC Assess your Profile and Essays?

When your applications are evaluated, two trained UBC readers will search out for the four core qualities in your personal profile which are your #engagement and accomplishment, #leadership, # substance, as well as your voice. This is an opportunity for UBC to find out more details about you and your experiences outside of the academic world. They want to get more details about your life and achievements. All have you learned, and how your moments have allowed you to grow? Please Be authentic enough, and focus on what you wish to say about yourself and how you wish to say it, rather than to pen down what you think UBC want to hear.

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UBC Supplemental Essay Guide | Ultimate Guide to UBC Short Essays [ PART TWO]

Ubc essay prompts with ubc application example.

The first part of your application or Personal Profile is writing a few short essays! Which depends on which program(s) you are applying into, you are expected to answer two to four of the application prompts. Once you kick off the application process you’ll find more details;

Here are the 4 UBC essay question examples and their guide (including tell us who you are UBC)

• Explain how you responded to a challenge/problem and/or a how you have responded to unfamiliar situation. What did you do about them, what outcome , and tell them what you learned from the experience? ( It should be 200 words maximum)
• Explain Briefly the culture of your school community and your individual involvement within it. What positive/negative impacts has the school culture had on you? And How would you enhance it or possibly change it? (It should be 200 words maximum)
• Tell UBC about who you are. How would your family, your friends, and/or the members of your community describe your personality? If possible, please make sure to tell them something about yourself that you are so much proud and give them your reasons. (It should be 250 words maximum)
• What is important to you? And tell us why? ( It should be 250 words maximum.) To let them know how you can approach these UBC supplemental essays, we’ll have to go into depth on these difficult questions:

Steps to Answering “tell us about who you are” Supplemental Essay Prompt

Step one: hook.

You have to make sure you stand out the right away with a hook. What is A hook? It is one to two sentences at the beginning of your essay that gets the reader’s attention and tells him or her to keep reading. This could be your personal story or any kind of powerful statement. Give the UBC team a snapshot of your character and tell them that specific event, person or experience that has kept you motivated to be who you are presently.

STEP TWO: Give examples

Try not to answer these questions directly from the directive with your hook. Instead, you are to Give the answer with a very tangible example while writing your essay. Don’t just tell the UBC evaluation committee about your qualities, go a long way to demonstrate and embody how you acquired the traits. You have to check for a volunteer or leadership example of yours that shows key elements of your character.

STEP Three: Conclusion

As you recount the experiences of yours, be sure to recall and connect back to the best qualities that well describes you to round-up your response. This strategy can be used to answer all of these short essay questions in your UBC supplemental essay Personal Profile ; A powerful one to two sentence hook, A leadership/volunteer example described , one to two sentences clearly connecting back to the prompt

Does UBC require letters of recommendation?

A minimum of 3 references are needed for application into the graduate programs at the UBC admission . References are to be requested from the academics who are prepared to write a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Frequently Asked Question

The essay kinds will depend on the faculty you apply to, you will be asked to write up to SIX to EIGHT short essays in your personal profile.

How would your family, your friends, and/or the members of your community describe your personality? If possible, please make sure to tell them something about yourself that you are so much proud and give them your reasons. (It should be 250 words maximum)

Essay Prompts are opportunities for UBC to find out more details about you and your experiences outside of the academic world. They want to get more details about your life and achievements. All have you learned, and how your moments have allowed you to grow? Beginning an early application means that you’ll have enough time to reflect on your UBC application requirements starting from the personal profile section down to the UBC supplemental essays which is a crucial part of UBC’s admissions decision.

The UBC’s supplemental essays also gives you the avenue to share your story and the opportunity to tell the admission committee what your passion is. They will use your submitted supplemental essays to get full insight about your capabilities and to know how you would be of benefit to complement the UBC community.

• Online application process : https://ssc.adm.ubc.ca/sscportal/apply.xhtml
• UBC Admission : you.ubc.ca/admissions/how-to-apply/how-to-submit-documents/
• Personal Profile: https://you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc/how-to-apply/personal-profile/
• https://grantme.ca/how-to-get-admitted-to-ubc/

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How to apply

Follow the steps below to complete and track your application. Once you submit your application to UBC, you’ll receive an email from UBC Enrolment Services acknowledging receipt. This message will contain your student reference number, a list of the supporting documents you are required to provide, and instructions on accessing the  UBC Applicant Service Centre.

Current and returning UBC students

If you’re applying for readmission or to transfer to the BCom program from another program at UBC, please submit a Change of Degree Program or Re-Admission form through the UBC Applicant Service Centre (ASC).

Important dates

Application status

Check the status of your application on the UBC Applicant Service Centre.

Application process

Step 1: review admission requirements.

Ensure that you meet all academic requirements. 

• Direct entry to Year 1
• Transfer to Year 2
• Transfer to Year 3

Step 2: Complete the online application

Complete and submit the UBC online application at  you.ubc.ca

The application deadline is  11:59pm PST January 15, 2024 . If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and wish to be considered for a  Presidential Scholars Award , you must submit your application by  December 1,  2023 .

Create your Personal Profile

Part of your online application will include your Personal Profile. In this section you’ll have an opportunity to tell us more about the things that are important to you, your significant achievements, what you’ve learned from your experiences, and the challenges that you’ve overcome. You’ll do this by providing a combination of short written essays and video responses to prerecorded interview questions.

Outstanding applicants will possess great leadership, teamwork and interpersonal skills. We are also looking for those who are capable of setting and achieving goals, show an ability to deal with challenging situations, demonstrate solid communication skills and are involved with the community. When you complete the application you will need to draw on your real life experiences inside and outside the classroom. We want to learn more about who you are.  Learn more about the written section of your Personal Profile

Record your BCom Video Interview

It can be difficult through written format alone to express the distinct attributes and abilities that you believe make you a well-qualified applicant to the BCom program. In the Video Interview section of your Personal Profile you’ll have a chance to showcase how you can think critically, perform under pressure, and stand out from other applicants.

Bcom Video Interview

Video Interview FAQs

How does it work.

You’ll record video responses to prerecorded interview questions. Carefully read and follow all of the instructions found at the link provided in the Personal Profile section of the online application. We’ll walk you through the technical setup and you’ll be able to try recording yourself before answering the two formal interview questions.

If you have a documented pre-existing or temporary barrier that prevents you from completing the interview portion of your application in this format, please contact us at  [email protected]  immediately. In your message, please include your full name and provide relevant details regarding your circumstances. We will require up to three weeks once your message is received to consider an alternate format for submission.

Why is the video interview necessary?

In-class discussion, collaboration, and public speaking are fundamental activities in many of the courses you’ll take in the BCom program. Your ability to communicate clearly by verbally articulating your thoughts and ideas is essential to your success, and in many cases, the success of your team when group work is required.

How can I prepare? What are you looking for in my responses?

The questions we ask will relate to your own opinions and experiences. Remember, you are the expert on you. Think about your past challenges and achievements, your strengths, and your beliefs. The questions are all open-ended, meaning that there isn’t one correct answer. Your answers should:

• be clear, insightful, and complete;
• be genuine and unscripted (that is, not read from prepared statements or notes);
• demonstrate professionalism and maturity; and 
• confirm that you have understood the questions asked by providing relevant responses.

Step 3: Pay the application fee

Please note all application fees are non-refundable and include general admissions and the Commerce application fee (all 2024/25 fees listed in Canadian dollars).

• Canadian citizens (including permanent residents of Canada): $169.25
• International applicants (studying in Canada on Study Permit): $221.50
• Current or former UBC students applying to change programs: $169.25
• Housing application fee (if you choose to apply): $50

Step 4: Submit your supporting documentation

Once you have applied, UBC Enrolment Services will notify you of the other documents you need to submit, including your transcripts of grades from all of the schools you've attended.

• An interim transcript of your grades.
• Additional documentation: proof of English Language proficiency, SAT scores (for US students apply to Year 1), and more may be required depending on where you’ve completed secondary school. Visit  you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc  for more information.

Disclosure of information

All applicants to the Bachelor of Commerce program at UBC are required to disclose information pertaining to attendance at all educational institutions. This includes all institutions attended prior to the submission of the application for admission as well as any institutions attended after the submission of the application for admission and prior to the commencement of classes at UBC. Failure to disclose any information regarding previously attended educational institutions is a serious offence and may result in the withdrawal of an offer of admission or suspension from UBC.

Step 5: Check your application status

You can check the status of your application on the  UBC Applicant Service Centre . We encourage you to apply as early as possible—you may receive a decision sooner.

Have a question?

Our team is happy to help., get in touch.

+1 604.822.8333 [email protected] Virtual office

Visit our contact us page .

Take the next step towards your career

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Examples & Interview Questions 2023-2024

If you are looking for guidance on the UBC Sauder Commerce (BCom) application , including Personal Profile examples and video interview questions prep, then you’ve come to the right place. 

This Application Prep guide is fully updated with the 2022/2023 application (i.e. for applicants planning on starting the program in Fall 2023 ).

Before you dive in, it’s important to understand that the admissions committee receives thousands of applications every year. To help set you apart from the crowd , you need to demonstrate a clear sense of self , strong life experience , and exemplary communication skills .

Our ‘full student’ coaching process does exactly that. If you’re not working with a coach, be sure to read the Self-Awareness , Goal-Setting , and Narrative Communication Skills Guides.

The Narrative Communication Approach™ is a particularly useful storytelling framework that helps you tell a clear and concise story, while creating an emotional connection with the reader. All UBC Sauder BCom essay examples and templates use this approach ( access your UBC Sauder Commerce Personal Profile template here ).

We’ve also created a comprehensive Interview Skills Guide that covers every step of the interview process so you can ace any question that comes your way. Check it out before getting started!

If you’re serious about getting into UBC Sauder School of Business and reaching your fullest post-secondary potential, read our UBC Commerce Program Guide and connect with a Youth Coach . It’s never too early to receive coaching.

Table of Contents

• 2022/2023 UBC Sauder Application : Personal Profile overview; Question templates and examples; Interview prep and possible questions; and More.  
• 2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application : Personal profile questions and overview; Essay templates and examples; Interview prep; and More.

2022/2023 UBC Sauder Commerce Application

The UBC Sauder Application has 2 components (keep reading for a full breakdown of each part): 

• Personal Profile : A series of experience/interest questions as well as a ‘resume’ style list of activities/accomplishments and the contact info for two references. 
• Timed Video Responses : 2 randomly generated video interview questions.  

REMEMBER : The application for UBC Sauder BCom must be submitted by January 15, 2023 at 11:59pm PST (the deadline to be considered for most entrance awards is December 1, 2022).  The entire application must be submitted through a platform called EducationPlannerBC . You will find the place to put your Personal Profile Answers in the “Additional Information” tab of your EducationPlannerBC application. Simply write your answers to the questions in a separate doc ( use our template here! ) and then copy and paste your answers for each question.where you will write your Personal Profile.  The video responses are completed through a third-party site. Once you have recorded your responses, you will copy and paste the confirmation URL from this third-part site into your EducationPlannerBC application. Questions? We got you! Connect with a coach for support now.

The admissions committee evaluates your entire online application as well as your academic performance , using this breakdown:

• 30%: Personal Profile
• 20%: Video Interview
• 50%: Grades

Based on this evaluation, your Personal Profile and video interview account for 50% of your overall evaluation . That’s A LOT, making these app components the difference maker for your acceptance or rejection from the program. 

Since your grades can only get you so far, you need to spend extra time thinking about and preparing your Personal Profile and video interview responses, and finding unique and memorable ways to showcase your experiences , interests , l eadership potential , and suitability to the UBC Sauder BCom program. Think of these as your chance to make a great first impression.

This is exactly why we created this App Guide — to help you write the best essays and prepare you for your video interview so you can stand out from the crowd. 

Keep reading for UBC Sauder Personal Profile examples and templates, as well as a breakdown of possible questions and tips to prepare the for video interview questions. 

If you need help creating a unique and authentic application that will help you increase your chances of admission success, connect with a coach for 1-on-1 support.

UBC Commerce Application: Personal Profile – Overview

Your Personal Profile is made up of short written essays with 6 questions (including an optional essay and your references). The essays are focused on your experiences, leadership opportunities, interests, and more.

As mentioned above, your Personal Profile counts for 30% of your overall evaluation .

COACH’S TIP : Write your essay responses BEFORE you start your online application, so that you have time to rewrite, edit, and polish your answers. When you sign in, you will have to upload your answers immediately. Use this template to keep track of all your answers.

UBC Commerce Application: Personal Profile – Evaluation Rubric

We get a lot of questions about how the Personal Profile is evaluated. 

Reviewers evaluate each essay in your Profile according to these 4 criteria : 

• ENGAGEMENT AND ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Using specific examples, your answers should outline the activities, initiatives, causes, accomplishments, etc. that you’re most proud of and care most about, and the accomplishments you’ve had in those areas. 

You should detail what you’ve learned because of these experiences, and how they’ve made you a better person both inside and outside the classroom. 

Here are some things to think about to help you get started:

• What you care most about
• The people who are most important in your life 
• How you manage your time and responsibilities
• Hobbies, volunteer work, or other interests you’re passionate about 
• Community involvement and specific accomplishments you’ve achieved 
• A goal or project you’ve set for yourself and achieved (and how you’ve done that) 
• How you develop your passions and interests in various areas of your life
• LEADERSHIP: 

Using specific examples, your answers should discuss experiences/accomplishments where you became a stronger leader and developed leadership skills , like responsibility, reliability, resourcefulness, time management, accountability, and initiative. 

Leadership can come in many forms , so don’t feel intimidated if you haven’t had much experience with it. It can be something as simple as a group project where you took the lead, or an extracurricular activity where you stepped up and went above and beyond the call of duty. 

Leadership can also be individual, like managing your own time or setting a specific challenge/goal for yourself and making a plan to achieve it.

• A specific experience where you showed exceptional leadership (and how you managed it)
• What being a leader means to you
• How you handle responsibility and accountability
• How you use diverse opinions, experiences, and backgrounds to the advantage of the group you’re leading 
• Effective strategies you’ve learned that help address specific challenges you’ve faced while leading
• How your activities and accomplishments have benefited your peers or community
• How have your leadership experiences influenced how you interact with others 
• What are the lessons you’ve learned (including effective leadership strategies) that you will use in the future 

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Ubc sauder school of business bcom: a definitive guide for applicants (2024).

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• SUBSTANCE: 

The evaluators want to see that EVERY example, detail, and learning outcome you write about in your answers has a purpose and is meaningful . 

They want to see that you’ve really thought about your answers and taken the time to prepare them.  

Uniqueness is a HUGE factor here — you don’t want your answers to be basic and the same as everyone else’s. They need to dig beyond the surface and give relevant and interesting insights that other students might not have thought of. 

The evaluators also want to see that you’ve built self-awareness and have asked yourself big questions like who you are , what you value , where you want to go , and how you’ll apply the lessons you’ve learned to get there . 

If you have filled out our Student Identity Blueprint then pulling out substance and deep personal insight in your essays will be a lot easier (if you haven’t filled out your Blueprint yet, click here to get started or connect with a coach ). 

The evaluators want to see that you can communicate your ideas in an authentic and memorable way , using storytelling, emotional connection, and character development . 

They want to see your personality and voice jump off the page — NOT the same generic essay over and over.

This might seem obvious, but a lot of students don’t know how to articulate their ideas in a genuine way that showcases who they are and explains what makes them different . 

Once your Profile has been evaluated according to these criteria, it is compared with other students’ Personal Profiles . Then this score is applied to your overall admission average as well as other admission criteria (e.g. video interview), if applicable. 

UBC SAUDER 2023 FALL APPLICATION

The UBC Commerce application has 6 questions total , along with the video interview (which we will discuss more below ).

Keep reading for a detailed breakdown of each, as well as examples and essay templates.

Don’t forget to check out our template for all these questions (just click File > Save a Copy).

2023 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 1

Explain how you responded to a problem and/or an unfamiliar situation. What did you do, what was the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience? (Maximum 1,500 characters)

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 1 – Breakdown

As the first question in your Personal Profile, this is where you have the opportunity to make a strong first impression .

This question prompts you to discuss a meaningful experience , where you were required to address a challenge or uncomfortable situation. The important thing here isn’t so much what the situation was, but how you handled adversity and what you learned from it . 

Maybe you learned a new strategy for being a leader, or you saw the benefits of getting outside of your comfort zone, or you learned something about yourself.

Go beyond the surface and try to think of a problem/unfamiliar situation that will allow you to provide deep insight and self-awareness. Be as unique as possible, drawing out a learning outcome that is unexpected and memorable. 

COACH’S TIP : Paint a vivid and detailed picture as much as possible, showing who you were before this problem and/or unfamiliar situation happened, and then what your initial reaction was, and how you resolved it. Let your personality shine through, while taking the reader on the journey with you. 

Choose only experiences where you have a clear learning outcome that has changed who you are and how you view the world . You want to make sure that your answer has substance. 

The reviewers want to see that you’ve really thought about why this learning outcome is important and how it can be applied to your life today (and in the future). If you can do this, we guarantee that your essay will stand out from other applicants. 

Not sure how to communicate your personal growth and learning in essays like these? Our Narrative Communication Guide is a great place to start, and you can also connect with a coach to take your essay response to the next level. 

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 1 – Template

Get started on your template here (click File > Make a copy and save it to your computer).

REMEMBER : There is a 1,500 character limit for this answer. 

Here’s a template that follows our Narrative Communication Approach :

• Quickly capture the reader’s attention and set up the essay so they know what to expect.
• Set the scene with who you were before this problem/unfamiliar situation happened using the 5Ws (Why, What, When, Where, Why). If you can, focus on explaining who you were before this problem/situation occurred, like what you believed in, valued, etc.  
• Describe the problem/unfamiliar situation and exactly what happened. Paint the picture vividly with your words and try to give enough detail so the reader feels like they are there with you. Briefly describe your emotions when this problem/situation occurred. 
• Discuss how you responded to this problem and/or unfamiliar situation, and what happened because the situation occurred (this is the ‘after’ scenario that you introduced in the Context section). 
• Provide deep insight into some specific learning outcomes that occurred during this experience. Focus on 1-2 themes, while providing specific examples of the impact this experience had on your life today. Finally, write 1-2 sentences about how this experience will help you as a student in the UBC Sauder BCom program.

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 1 – Example

Here’s an example of how to answer this question.

REMEMBER : This is an EXAMPLE ONLY and is NOT meant for you to copy. Why? First and foremost, this is plagiarism and is a serious offense . Plagiarizing these essays will result in immediate disqualification from the admissions process . This can be easily detected using technology and application reviewers are usually trained and/or able to spot when an application isn’t original and does not align with an applicant’s background, personality, values, etc.

2023 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 2

We live in a global and diverse society. Explain how your community involvement prepares you for the future in this complex world. (Maximum 1500 characters)

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 2 – Breakdown

Our society is by no means uniform — and that’s what makes it so amazing. 

Whether you’re walking around downtown Toronto or taking a day trip to your favourite neighborhood in Vancouver, you’ll see people from all different backgrounds, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, economic standings, etc. 

This is exactly what a ‘diverse society’, as outlined in this question, means. A diverse society is a society that’s made up of all types of people with different ethnicities, races, genders, languages, religions, etc., as well as in thought processes, opinions and ideas, life experiences, values, and more. 

Diversity also extends far beyond your community or city . 

When you scroll through Instagram or Tik Tok, you’ll see posts and videos of people from all around the world showcasing their unique culture, experiences, and interests. In this way, social media has created a ‘global society’ that connects us all. More than ever before, we have access to other ways of life, and this can help us learn, grow, and contribute to this connected society.

A key part of diversity is also inclusion , or accepting everyone’s differences and making an effort to ensure that each person is valued and respected for who they are . 

Now that you have a good understanding of what this question means by a global and diverse society, try to think about some ways that you’ve seen diversity (and inclusion) in action.  

During your extracurricular involvement in your community, you’ve undoubtedly come across all types of people with difference backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, culture, ideas, language, sexual orientations, etc. And you’ve probably had the chance to share yours as well. 

When writing this essay, we recommend choosing one extracurricular experience you had in your community within the last couple of years, when you worked or interacted with a diverse group of people. Maybe it was a fundraiser where you had to work as part of a team or an initiative you joined to help a part of your community that was in need. 

You also want to choose one that was particularly meaningful — it should be one that initiated personal growth and changed your view of the world and the people living in it. 

Maybe you realized that diverse perspectives actually make a team stronger because they open up various avenues of interpretation when dealing with setbacks and conflict. Or, perhaps you were part of a community project that initiated meaningful dialogue about an important issue or equipped you with the tools you needed to become a responsible global citizen. 

Pick an experience where you challenged your views of yourself , and one that taught you something about the world you live in. 

The key here is to think about how your community involvement has opened your eyes to new perspectives and will inform your views on diversity going forward. Focus on 1-2 key takeaways (or themes) that you can use as tools in the future to help you become a better person, global citizen, and leader. 

Need some help figuring out which community involvement experience to choose? Connect with a coach for support.

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 2 – Template

Get started on your template here (Click File > Make a Copy within the doc). 

Here’s a template that follows our Narrative Communication Approach :  

• Quickly capture the reader’s attention and set up the essay so the reader knows what to expect.
• Describe how you are active in your community, and how this involvement has allowed you to work with a diverse group of people. Use the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, why) to provide the reader with enough information that they get a good sense of this activity and your involvement. 
• Talk about a situation, conflict, or experience where diversity played a significant role, and discuss exactly what that role was. Be as specific as possible and describe your emotions as much as possible here to create a memorable connection with the reader. 
• Discuss how the situation you described in the Catalyst section turned out. Describe how you (and/or your team) used diversity to your advantage to generate a positive outcome. Use qualitative data (e.g. money raised, hours volunteered, people helped, etc.) as proof for the big impact your efforts had.
• Talk about 2-3 ways that your community involvement and the experience you discussed above have influenced you and changed your outlook on the world and your place in it. Describe how these learning outcomes have impacted you going forward and will help you navigate this complex world in the future and as a student at UBC Commerce.

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 2 – Example

Here’s an example for this UBC Sauder Personal Profile question.

2023 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 3

“ List up to five activities or accomplishments in one or more of the following areas:

• Creative and performing arts
• Family and community
• Service to others
• Volunteering 
• Work or employment
• Other 

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 3 – Breakdown

UBC Sauder wants to see a broad range of activities in your Personal Profile, both inside and outside of school. 

Choose extracurricular activities , like volunteer work or being a President of your school’s debate club, hobbies , like learning a new language, interests , like competitive swimming at your local community center, and/or even general activities you enjoy doing with your family, friends, or members of your community, like playing tennis. 

COACH’S TIP : As mentioned above, the evaluators DON’T want you to simply list a bunch of activities you have done. Instead, they want you to talk about activities and experiences that have created learning outcomes that have profoundly shaped who you are as a person , while communicating these lessons in a unique, authentic, and memorable way (this will be especially important for the next question, which we will discuss more below). 

Choose up to 5 activities that will show the depth and breadth of your experiences. We call this the T Model (learn more about it here ).

Here, you have 1-2 big activities that you’ve put a lot of time and effort into (this is the depth, or the vertical part of the ‘T’). For example, this could be a non-profit you started in your community, a fundraising event you organized to help address homelessness in your community, or giving a TEDx talk on an issue you are passionate about. These are BIG accomplishments that you’re super proud of. These should be the first ones in your Personal Profile, so you can wow the committee from the beginning. 🙂 

Next, you’ll have 2-3 activities that take less time and effort, but are still super important for helping shape who you are (this is the breadth, or the horizontal part of the ‘T’). For example, these could be an online course you took that ignited your interest in finance management or a summer internship you did that helped you develop your communication and leadership skills. 

Structuring your activities in this way will show the evaluators that you have well-rounded experience in many areas.  

COACH’S TIP : UBC Sauder receives thousands of applications per year, so creating a unique Personal Profile can be tough. We recommend choosing activities that demonstrate your initiative, teamwork, commitment, and achievement. If you are having trouble, connect with a coach and they will help you out. 

We know that identifying (and participating in) activities like this can be difficult, especially if you don’t know where to start. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Our unique approach will help you and your coach identify and execute audacious and authentic goals (we call these AYA goals) that are perfectly aligned with your interests and passions, so you can accomplish what you want (and have amazing experiences to talk about on your application). Connect with a coach to get started and check out our Goal-Setting Guide now.

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 3 – Template

REMEMBER : There is a maximum of 300 characters per activity.

For this question, you will be asked for the following information: 

• Activity Type : State what this activity is, using the list above. If your activity isn’t mentioned in that list, write a 1-2 word description.
• Start Date : State when you began this activity (month/day/year) 
• End Date (optional): State when you completed this activity (month/day/year). If you are still doing it, leave this blank.
• Ongoing (optional): If this is an ongoing activity, check this box.
• Frequency: Select from the dropdown menu how often you participate in this activity (for example ‘Regular Weekly Activity (5-10 hours per week).
• Short Description (max 300 characters): Briefly describe your role in this activity and what it was for (e.g. President of your school’s economics club). Then, describe what you did, as well as what quantifiable outcomes (i.e. money earned, hours dedicated, etc.) and what you learned as a result of taking part in this activity (if you have space).

COACH’S TIP : When you’re applying, you will have to add each activity individually (see the image below for what it looks like). Our template will ensure that you have all the correct information beforehand so you can have everything prepared and proofread.

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 3 – Example

Here’s an example of a list of activities for this question:

Need help with your Sauder app? We got you.

UBC BCom Grad Youth Coach™

2023 UBC Sauder Personal Profile Examples – Question 4 

Tell us more about ONE or TWO activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response. (Maximum 2100 characters)

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 4 – Breakdown

This question gives you the chance to discuss further insight into the impact your experiences have had on you and how they’ve shaped who you are . 

We recommend choosing 1 activity to write your essay on so that you can provide enough detail and create a memorable and unique story. 

However, if you have two activities that both helped you discover a similar learning outcome , then you can write about 2.

For example, if you volunteered to help organize a fundraising event for Alzeheimer’s research and awareness, you could talk about why you took on this role, and then the leadership skills, time management, team work, and problem solving skills you developed along the way. Talking about this one activity using the template below is perfectly fine. However, let’s say you with the help of your Youth Coach you took your goals to the next level and started your own non-profit to continue the journey to fund research for this disease. This would be a great opportunity to discuss two activities because it shows your dedication and your evolving leadership and interest in entrepreneurship and business.

It’s also important to choose an activity that you genuinely care about , so that you can convey your passion to the admissions committee. Your experiences make up what you value and what you care about. If you completed your Student Identity Blueprint™ , it will be really easy to choose activities that align to your Nurtured Values and communicate these values in your Personal Profile. If you haven’t filled out your Blueprint, connect with a coach to get started.

COACH’S TIP : Make sure you give your reference a heads up that UBC Sauder might contact them. Discuss the activity you were involved in, as well as your role, responsibilities, and what you learned as a result of that experience. You can even email some talking points for them to use when Sauder gets in touch with them. You don’t want your essay to give one learning outcome and then your reference to give another, so take the time to make sure the messaging is aligned.

Finally, when discussing what you learned in the process, make sure you really focus on the qualities that Sauder looks for in its students, like leadership, community involvement, team work, and a passion for business. 

If you need help deciding which activity to choose, connect with a coach for support. They can help you write an authentic and memorable response that will help you stand out from other applicants and increase your chances of admission success.

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 4 – Template

Your essay should have these five components: 

• State the activity that you are discussing from the list you gave in the previous question. Describe what you did in that activity (i.e. your role, responsibilities, etc.). Try to answer the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, and why). 
• Describe who you were before you started this activity and how your interests, values, etc. evolved while you were doing it. This can be a specific event that occurred while you took part in this activity or change over time.
• Describe how this experience allowed you to learn and grow as a leader and student (this is the ‘after’ picture that you started in the Catalyst section). Provide deep insight and a unique learning outcome. Focus on 1-2 themes, while providing specific examples of the impact this activity had on your life today. Finally, briefly state how you will use this learning at Sauder.

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 4 – Example

Here’s an example from the list of activities in Question 3, from a student who was the President of their school’s economics club.

REMEMBER : Please note that all of the examples in this guide are EXAMPLES ONLY and are NOT meant for you to copy.  

2023 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 5

Additional Information (Optional): You may wish to use the space below to provide UBC with more information on your academic history to date and/or your future academic plans. For example: How did you choose your courses in secondary school? Are there life circumstances that have affected your academic decisions to date? What have you done to prepare yourself specifically for your intended area of study at UBC? (maximum 600 characters)

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 5 – Breakdown

So far in your Personal Profile, you’ve given the admissions committee some insight into your experiences and achievements inside and outside of the classroom with volunteer opportunities, extracurriculars, and various other activities.

All of these questions show how you undertake responsibilities, deal with setbacks when they arise, and have grown as a person along the way. Think of this as the development of your interests and passions through the activities you are involved in.

Question 7, on the other hand, focuses less on extracurriculars and other activities, and looks inside the classroom . Here, the reviewers want to know how your academic journey has developed your interest in business and led to you applying to UBC Sauder. 

This question is very open-ended so that you can focus on any area that has impacted your academic choices and performance. This is a great place for you to provide more context about any irregularities in your transcripts , like a course you didn’t do the best in or explaining a gap year you took.

If you aren’t sure what to write here (if anything at all), have a look at your Student Identity Blueprint™ to help you identify why your interest in business began, your achievements thus far, and the skills/values that helped shape this interest (and who you are more generally). If you haven’t already completed your Blueprint, connect with a coach to get started on one.

The most important thing to focus on for this question is how your courses in high school helped you develop your interest in business , which you are then continuing to explore at UBC Sauder. 

You can discuss a gradual development over time or a specific event that changed academic choices/plans.  

Focus on business courses as much as you can here, like Business Studies, Accounting, or Entrepreneurship. Think about such questions as:

• What made you want to take this course?
• What challenges did you face when you did?
• How did this evolve your interest in business more generally?
• What skills, like leadership, communication, team work, and problem solving, did you develop along the way, and how? 
• How will these skills and experiences you developed help you at Sauder, and how?

COACH’S TIP : Use specific details and talk about the emotions you experienced as much as you can. This will help create an emotional connection with the reader and transport them into exactly what you felt during the situation/experience you are talking about. 

If you are unsure how to approach this question, connect with a coach to find an authentic angle that will connect with the reviewers while communicating your unique journey. 

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 5 – Template

REMEMBER : There is a 600 character limit for this answer. 

If you choose to answer this question, your response should have these components that are in line with our Narrative Communication Approach™:

• Provide a brief description of your academic experience, including courses you’ve taken, skills you’ve built, and your experiences in high school. Briefly mention how these contribute to your interests and plans for the future (e.g. future studies, career, etc.). 
• Describe any experiences, challenges, or setbacks (academic or personal) and discuss how these affected your academic decisions in high school and while applying to university. Emphasize the uniqueness of your experiences and the emotions you felt so that you can be as authentic as possible. 
• Talk about what you learned as a result of this experience. How did it help you evolve as a person and student? Provide specific examples that show how what you’ve learned will help you excel at UBC Sauder. 

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 5 – Example

Here’s an example of an answer to this question:

2023 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 6

Please submit the names of two referees who know you well and can comment on your preparedness for study at UBC. Examples of referees include an employer, a community member, a coach, a teacher/instructor, or anyone who knows you well. One of the referees you select MUST be able to speak to one of the activities / experiences described in one of your long-answer responses above. For applicants who are currently attending a high school, one of your referees MUST be a school official (e.g. grade 12 or senior year counsellor, teacher, or IB Coordinator). Neither referee should be a friend, family member, or paid agent.

UBC Sauder Personal Profile Question 6 – Breakdown

The purpose of this question is so that UBC Sauder can verify the activities, experiences, and learning outcomes you discussed in the previous questions. 

Before listing the names and contact information for your references, make sure that you ask them for permission first, so that if they get a call or email from UBC Sauder then they’re not surprised. 

UBC Sauder Personal Profile Question 6 – Template

Get started on your template here (click File > Make a copy)

You will need the following information:

• Relationship
• Email Address
• Phone Number

UBC Sauder Personal Profile Question 6 – Example

Here an example of the information for this section:

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2023 UBC Sauder Video Interview Questions

The video interview is the second major component of your UBC Commerce application . 

Here’s a quick snapshot of what to expect:

• You will have a set amount of time to complete your answers.
• You will get 1 mock question to practice, with two attempts to answer it.
• You will be given 2 formal video questions , and you will not know the question until the time you record your answer.
• For each formal video question, you will get 30 seconds to think about your answer, followed by 1.5 minutes to answer the question.

As mentioned above, the video interview is worth 20% of your overall admission evaluation . That’s a lot, so you want to make sure you’re hitting this component out of the park. 🙂

UBC Commerce is looking for students who are articulate , passionate , and dedicated . They learned a bit about you in your Personal Profile, but now they can get even more insight into who you are, what you’ve experienced, what your interests are, and why you want to be a UBC Sauder student.

The admissions committee also wants to see that you can work well under pressure , have the drive to succeed in the program, and can think critically and solve problems. 

We know video interviews are super scary, but trust us — feeling prepared will give you a TON of confidence so you can do a great job on the interview. 

That’s why we created this guide to give you possible questions, tips to prepare, and more, so you can let your personality and confident self shine! 

We know that interviews are super scary! We’ve analyzed thousands of questions and come up with a unique way to prepare for the most common types of interview questions, so you can ace any questions that comes your way. To learn more, check out our Interview Prep Skills Guide here . It’s full of useful templates and prep tips to help you feel more confident going into the interview. If you want to take your interview prep to the next level, connect with a coach for 1-on-1 support. 🙂

UBC Sauder Interview Questions – Possible Questions

Here are some examples of the types of questions you can expect for your video interview:

You’ll notice that most of these questions are personal questions , meaning they’re all about you — like who you are, what you value, what you would do in a certain situation, your interests, and the experiences you have had working on your own and with others. 

These questions are meant to gauge how you react to situations and how you apply key skills like leadership, problem solving, organization, and time management, in all areas of your life. 

COACH’S TIP : Don’t waste your valuable time coming up with different answers to every single practice question. We’ve identified 10 common themes that personal questions fall into and broken each theme down, and provided templates and examples of each type so you’ll be prepared to answer any question that comes your way. Check out the themes and much more in our Interview Skills Guide .

The admissions committee also wants to see that you have self-awareness . This means that they want to make sure you know what your skills are (and what you need to improve on), what you value, and how you plan to make a difference in the world.

It may seem obvious and you’re probably thinking, “Duh.. of course I know what I’m good at and what I care about.” 

This might surprise you, but very few students actually focus on self-awareness. You might think you have it all figured out, but it’s probably more surface-level than you think. 

That’s why we have a whole phase in our coaching methodology (the Discovery phase) where we use a Student Identity Blueprint™ to help you figure out who you are and what makes you tick. Then, when questions like these are asked during the interview, you’ll know EXACTLY how to respond. 

If you haven’t already, connect with a coach to get started on your Student Identity Blueprint™.

UBC Commerce Interview Questions – Examples

When preparing for this section of the UBC Sauder BCom application, practice is key.

Open up your camera and choose a few questions from the section above. Record yourself and practice answering the questions as best you can. Trust us, after a little while you’ll get better and then you’ll have the confidence to do a great interview. You can also work 1-on-1 with your coach and do mock interviews (if you haven’t already,  connect with a coach )!

To help get you started, one of our Youth Coaches has recorded two video question examples. 

Here’s an example for the video question: “Is it better to submit average quality work, on time; or high quality work, but late? Explain.”

Here’s another example for the question: “Who has been a role model for you? What have they taught you about responsibility and respect?”.

How to Prepare for the UBC Sauder Commerce Interview – Question Tips 

Many students ask us for tips for preparing for the UBC Sauder video interview component of their application. 

Here are the ones we think will help you the most for your video interview:

TIP #1: ALWAYS ANSWER THE ENTIRE QUESTION  

It seems silly, but it is common to get off track and later realize you didn’t answer the question. Break down each part of the question into smaller components, and address each one as you move through your answer. 

TIP #2: TAKE YOUR TIME

Sometimes when you know you have a limited amount of time you might speed through everything like a mad race against the clock. As you answer the question, remember to take a breath and pause between your sentences to allow the reviewer time to process what you said. Focus on speaking clearly and slowly. 

TIP # 3: TELL IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT YOU

Remember that every answer you give should tell the interviewer something about you that boosts your application, even if the question isn’t about you. 

Highlight your skills and experiences, show that you have thought about goals, and use the questions to help the admissions committee learn more about you (and want to have you as a part of the program).

TIP #4: BE CONCISE: 

Your answers should be clear and to the point, leaving out unnecessary information. During the interview, don’t ramble — get to the point and be clear. It is better to have a short, concise answer than a convoluted answer that is redundant and possibly unfocused. 

TIP #5: BE PROFESSIONAL (BUT ALSO HAVE FUN!)

When preparing for your video questions make sure that you come across as a young professional with something special to offer the program.  How can you do this? 

• Dress professionally
• Make sure the background behind your camera is empty
• Go somewhere that is quiet and free from distractions
• Maintain eye contact with the camera as you give your answers
• Be aware of your posture and where your hands are (you don’t want to appear like you’re slouching or fidgeting on the screen)

While it’s important to be professional, it’s also important to have fun with these questions. The admissions committee wants to admit unique people who have a shining personality and the experiences to match.  Show them who you are and be yourself.

TIP #6: DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF

The admissions committee reviews thousands of applications. You’ll never stand out if your answers are the same as everyone else’s, so come up with answers that are unique. 

For example, if there’s a question that asks “Describe a time when you had to adapt” don’t simply talk about how COVID made everything more difficult. Instead, you can talk about a leadership experience where you took on a challenge and tried something that hadn’t been done before. Then, shift the question into talking about your successes and what you learned from the experience.  

Trying to come up with a different approach is important and you should only resort to these easy answers if you get stuck. Using storytelling to create an emotional connection with the reviewers can also make a huge difference in creating a unique, authentic, and memorable application. Check out this blog about our Narrative Communication Approach™ to learn more. 

If you would like more tips to help you prepare, as well as the chance to up your game and do some mock interviews, connect with a coach today. Our coaches have helped hundreds of students do great interviews and achieve admissions success! 

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UBC Sauder Interview – Questions Themes

Even though you might not know exactly what questions you’re going to be asked, it will help to think generally about a few themes and ideas that you can use across various types of questions. 

Here are some themes you can draw upon as you’re thinking about your answers.

It is very likely that there may be a question around leadership. To prepare for this, make sure you know a few examples of how you have shown leadership in the past. It is important to not just explain what the leadership role you had, but actually how you demonstrated that leadership (being the President of a club doesn’t necessarily mean you are a good leader).

UBC Sauder wants students who are actively involved in the community (you’ll also notice a question about it on your Personal Profile). Community involvement shows commitment, selflessness, and passion, but also because it highlights time management. Make sure you have 1 or 2 examples of how you have been involved in your community. As much as possible, quantify the impact you had. 

There is often a question about how you have dealt with conflict. This is mainly around how you have dealt with conflict in a team setting or a potential inflammatory situation. Remember to not just focus on the problem, but more so the resolution or lessons learned. 

In addition to conflict in team settings, a lot of the time there are questions about how you have worked in a team effectively. Once again, make sure you can clearly define how you succeed in the team, and not just the team’s success.

TIME MANAGEMENT

There are questions that are really just structured around seeing how you handle pressure and manage your time. Be sure to really explain why the example you are giving is a good example of how you can manage your time and operate under stressful situations. 

ACHIEVEMENT

This is an opportunity for you to discuss something you have achieved. For this, try to think of something that is differentiated and you can really explain how you achieved it, and why that achievement will help you at UBC Sauder.

In short, you need to know why you want to study business, and how it will lead to a future career. Be specific and think ambitiously. 

UBC SAUDER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Similarly, you need to be able to concisely communicate why you want to attend UBC Sauder. Make sure to do lots of research and use it in your answer. The more depth to your research, the more differentiated your answer will be. In all of your answers, make sure you have a statement (or a ‘pitch’) at the end of each answer that shows exactly why you are the perfect fit for the program and how you would add value to their program as a student. 

If you want to learn how you can align these themes to your unique interests and experiences, check out our Interview Skills Guide and connect with a coach now.

Find the mentor you’ve been looking for.

2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application

Ubc sauder 2022 fall application – overview.

The UBC Sauder Application is made up of two parts (see below for how each is evaluated): 

REMEMBER : The Online Application for UBC Sauder BCom (including the Personal Profile, Interview, and all required documents) must be submitted by   January 15, 2023  at  11:59pm PST . The entire application must be submitted through a platform called  EducationPlannerBC , where you will write your Personal Profile. The video responses are completed through a third-party site called Vidcruiter. Once you have recorded your responses, you will copy and paste the confirmation URL from Vidcruiter into your EducationPlannerBC application. 

The 2021/2022 UBC Commerce Personal Profile has short written essays with 6 questions that are focused on your experiences, leadership opportunities, interests, and more. This part of the application counts for 30% of the overall evaluation.

As mentioned above, your Personal Profile counts for 30% of your overall evaluation.

REMEMBER : Check out this template we created to help you write unique and memorable essays (keep reading for breakdowns and examples for each question).

2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 1

“ Explain how you responded to a problem and/or an unfamiliar situation. What did you do, what was the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience?” (Maximum 1,500 characters)

Not sure how to communicate your personal growth and learning in essay questions like these? Our Narrative Communication Guide is a great place to start, and you can also connect with a coach to take your essay response to the next level. 

REMEMBER : These examples are examples ONLY and are not meant for you to copy.

2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 2

“Give us an example of how the pandemic has changed your involvement in the community or group most important to you. What have you learned from this experience? (Maximum 1500 characters)”

This question is similar to Question 1 because it again asks you to discuss your ability to adapt and learn during difficult situations. Think of the pandemic here as similar to the problem/unfamiliar situation you talked about in Question 1. 

Then, take it one step further and give insight into who you are by describing the causes , activities , and community initiatives you care most about.

Even though we know that COVID was super stressful for everyone, don’t be overly negative in your answer. Instead, draw out 1-2 positive opportunities and experiences it has provided to you as a leader, like pivoting your perspective or driving personal growth and change, teaching you something you didn’t know about yourself, evolving your skills, etc. 

Similar to Question 1, you should provide deep personal insight and learning outcomes , while using your chosen experience to highlight your passion, dedication, and commitment. Be as unique as possible. Go beyond simply saying “The pandemic was hard because everything closed.” Instead, paint the picture of your involvement in your community/group before COVID (‘before’) and then talk about how you faced this challenge and came out better in the end (‘after’). Take the reader on a journey with you , while describing your emotions and showcasing your personality.

For example, if you volunteer as Vice President Events and Fundraising at your local Salvation Army, you could use this experience as an example to talk about your how your interest in helping the underprivileged population of your community started because your parents immigrated to Canada when you were young and you saw how hard it was for them to make ends meet. This valuable context will help you establish a strong emotional connection with the reader (and it will make your answer more memorable). Then, you could move into the COVID-19 portion of the question, where you discuss how your involvement shifted and what you learned from that. 

The most important thing here is to write an authentic and memorable story that articulates who you are as well as your growth, learning, and change over time. To make this process easier for you, we’ve developed the Narrative Communication Approach™ so you can create memorable essays using storytelling. Read more about it here or connect with a coach to learn how to use it in your Personal Profile responses.

• Discuss how you were involved in the community and/or a group that was particularly important to you before the pandemic. Paint a ‘before’ picture here, so that the real impact can be felt later on in the paragraph.  
• Describe in detail how COVID-19 changed everything about this community activity/group for you. Answer the questions: When COVID hit, what happened? Did it impact your involvement in the community/the group that was most important to you? What was the most difficult part and how did you respond? Describe your emotions as much as possible here.
• Discuss how you responded to these challenges. Give 1-2 examples of the shift/changes you had to make and any effects this had on your community involvement/group. Finally, state what happened after all your efforts, listing quantifiable outcomes (i.e. money raised, hours worked, members added, etc.) as much as possible. 
• Describe how this experience allowed you to learn and grow as a leader and student. Provide deep insight and a unique learning outcome. Focus on 1-2 themes, while providing specific examples of the impact this experience had on your life today. Finally, briefly state how you will use this learning at UBC Sauder.

Here’s an example of how to answer this question:

Queen’s Commerce: Supplementary Application Essay Examples & Templates 2023/2024

If you are looking for guidance on the Queen’s (Smith) Commerce supplementary application, as well as Queen’s Commerce essay examples…  Read more

2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 3

The point is here to choose activities and experiences that have created learning outcomes that have profoundly shaped who you are as a person . This will be especially important for Question 4 (which we’ll discuss more below). 

COACH’S TIP : On the EducationPlannerBC site, you will have to add each activity individually to your profile. Our template will ensure that you have all the correct information beforehand so you can have everything prepared and proofread.

2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 4

“ Tell us more about ONE or TWO activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response. (Maximum 2100 characters) “

If you need help deciding which activity from Question 3 to choose, connect with a coach for support. They can help you write an authentic and memorable response that will help you stand out from other applicants and increase your chances of admission success.

• State the activity that you are discussing from the list you gave in Question 3. Describe what you did in that activity (i.e. your role, responsibilities, etc.). Try to answer the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, and why). 

REMEMBER : This is an EXAMPLE ONLY and is NOT meant for you to copy.

2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 5

“Additional Information (Optional): You may wish to use the space below to provide UBC with more information on your academic history to date and/or your future academic plans. For example: How did you choose your courses in secondary school? Are there life circumstances that have affected your academic decisions to date? What have you done to prepare yourself specifically for your intended area of study at UBC? (maximum 600 characters) “

Question 5, on the other hand, focuses less on extracurriculars and other activities, and looks inside the classroom . Here, the reviewers want to know how your academic journey has developed your interest in business and led to you applying to UBC Sauder. 

If you choose to answer this question, your response should have these 3 components that are in line with our Narrative Communication Approach™:

U of T Rotman Commerce: Supplemental Application & Interview Questions Examples 2023/2024

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2021/2022 UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile – Question 6

“ Please submit the names of two referees who know you well and can comment on your preparedness for study at UBC. Examples of referees include an employer, a community member, a coach, a teacher/instructor, or anyone who knows you well. One of the referees you select MUST be able to speak to one of the activities / experiences described in one of your long-answer responses above. For applicants who are currently attending a high school, one of your referees MUST be a school official (e.g. grade 12 or senior year counsellor, teacher, or IB Coordinator). Neither referee should be a friend, family member, or paid agent. “

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 6 – Breakdown

Before listing the names and contact information for your references, make sure that you ask your references for permission first , so that if they get a call or email from UBC Sauder then they’re not surprised. 

UBC Sauder Application: Personal Profile Question 6 – Template

Ubc sauder application: personal profile question 6 – example, ubc sauder school of business program.

Now that you’ve created an extraordinary application, we want to show you what your future at UBC Sauder School of Business looks like! 

Check out this Day in the Life of a UBC Sauder Student by Jerry, one of Youthfully’s student Insiders. He’ll give you a sneak peek at life as a first year, the UBC campus, application tips, and much more!

You’ve Got a Dedicated Coach in Your Corner

For over a decade, we have worked with thousands of students to help them achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Our coaches have a strong success rate supporting students as they apply to UBC Sauder BCom, among other top university programs.

Our 1-on-1 Youth Coaching fills that gap that most high schools miss. We can help you build self-awareness through probing questions and assessments, set bigger goals to elevate your extracurriculars and future career plans, and improve skills that matter on applications, such as interviewing, written communication, critical thinking, and creativity.

We use a coaching methodology, called ‘full student’ development, that’s been proven to increase your chances of admission to top-tier universities and obtaining competitive jobs/internships.

So, what are you waiting for? Fulfill your post-secondary potential with the mentorship and coaching you’ve always wanted! 🙂

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2022/2023 Sauder App

• App Overview
• Personal Profile - Overview
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2023 Personal Profile Qs 1-2

2023 Personal Profile Qs 3-4

2023 Personal Profile Qs 5-6

• Q6: References

Video Interview

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2021/2022 Application

• Q1 - Situation Response
• Q2 - Pandemic Response
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Tips for creating your Bachelor of Commerce application video interview

By Crissy Campbell on October 10, 2023

If you’re applying to  UBC Sauder School of Business’s Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) program , your  Personal Profile will include a video interview section. You’ll be asked to provide on-camera responses to two pre-recorded formal questions. We’ve created these tips to help you prepare for, and create, a strong video. Read on for more information!

Why is the video interview important?

In the BCom program, collaboration, in-class discussion, and public speaking are daily activities. Your ability to listen to others and to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly are essential to your success, and, in many cases, the success of your team during group work.

If you’re intimidated by the thought of speaking on camera, don’t worry. The questions will relate to your personal experiences and opinions, so there are no wrong answers. In fact, the video interview is a great opportunity for you to showcase how you can think critically, perform under pressure, and stand out from other applicants.

How to create your video interview

Within your Personal Profile, you’ll be directed to a separate online video-interview platform. Be sure to:

• Read all instructions thoroughly.
• Allow yourself ample time to test your recording equipment. Check if both your camera and microphone are functioning and recording properly.
• Try a practice question before recording responses to two formal pre-recorded interview questions.
• Once you have successfully recorded your responses to both formal interview questions, copy the personalized link for the video interview provided on the final confirmation page and paste it into your UBC online application where indicated.

Please keep in mind that you’ll only have one attempt to respond to each formal question. Once you’ve started to view a question, you   won’t be able to pause or replay it . You’ll be given 30 seconds to think about your answer, and up to 90 seconds to record it.

Tips for creating your video interview

• Take time to reflect.  Think about past challenges, achievements, strengths, and beliefs.
• Create the best recording space possible.  Close all other browser windows and programs on your device. Make sure there’s good lighting in front of you. Silence all audible alarms and alerts. Eliminate loud background noises, and make sure you are free from other distractions.
• Be confident.  Maintain good posture, smile, and present yourself professionally. You’ll find these simple actions will put you in the right mindset to deliver a natural response. Do not read from prepared statements or notes.
• Don’t dwell on mistakes.  Natural speech isn’t always perfect – the occasional “umm” or mispronounced word is commonplace and to be expected. If you misspeak during your response, take a moment, breathe, and keep going. Remember, you’ll have just one attempt to answer each formal question – there are no do-overs.
• Be authentic.  One of the reasons we’ve incorporated the video interview into your application is to get to know you better. Don’t tell us what you think we want to hear;  tell us what you want us to know about you .

We’re looking forward to learning more about you. Good luck!

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Application Frequently Asked Questions

Canadian immigration updates.

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

This FAQ answers many questions about applying to UBC Graduate Studies. Please read carefully to see if your question has been answered here.

Who to contact?

Contact the graduate program for:

• application status
• transcripts
• extensions to application deadline
• missing documents
• supervision

Contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for:

• credit card payment problems
• persistent log in problems with the online application

Pre-Application

How to Apply to Undergraduate Programs at UBC

How to Apply to Graduate Programs at UBC

MBA, MM, MBAN programs at the Sauder School of Business

MEng and MEL programs in the Faculty of Applied Science

MDS program in the Faculty of Science

MGSC program in the Faculty of Medicine

Students who take graduate level courses without enrolling in a degree program are known as unclassified or non-degree students. Please visit the following web page for information: Admission Requirements for Unclassified Students

Complete details on admissions requirements and the application process are included on our website.

Check the list of program contacts and visit the program web site for information about academic requirements.

UBC's online application is the only way to apply to graduate school at UBC.

Apply via the online application . Information about graduate degree programs at UBC Okanagan can be found at the College of Graduate Studies .

Yes. You can apply as long as your current degree program is completed before the start of the UBC program to which you are applying. Upload the most updated version of your transcript during the application process.

It depends on program to which you are applying. See GRE or Other Required Tests for GRE requirements by program.

General information on English language proficiency test score requirements and the GRE can be found on our website. You can also check your program's minimum requirements for English Language Proficiency and GRE test scores on the UBC Calendar .

Detailed information on application fees, including payment options, are found on the page Online Application and Fee .

• whose citizenship and correspondence address are located in the world's 50 least developed countries, as declared by the United Nations.
• Complete list of eligible countries

If you are eligible for an application fee waiver, you do not need to apply for it. You will not be asked for a fee when you complete the online application.

The application fee is not refundable. We can only refund the application fee when a program applied for has been cancelled.

• Make sure your application is for the correct program
• Only click the "submit" button once; if the application is not submitted contact the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies before re-submitting, as your credit card may be charged twice.

In order to submit an application for UBC graduate programs you must have a UBC Campus Wide Login (CWL) account. The CWL system provides access to UBC's online services with one secure login ID.

For CWL issues, please contact the  IT Service Centre Help Desk . If you are experiencing technical issues, please ensure your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See  Browser Help  for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari.

For all other questions, please email  [email protected]  and include your full name, the program(s) you are applying to and a general description of the problem.

No, you should login to the online application system using your existing CWL account. If you experience difficulties using your CWL account then please contact the  IT Service Centre Help Desk . If you are experiencing technical issues, please ensure your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See  Browser Help  for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari.

Yes, you will need to submit a separate application and application fee for each program you want to apply to. Decisions are made by the program(s), and they each need complete information in order to evaluate your application. If you are indeed applying to more than one program, references must be sent to each program you have applied to.

While Applying

Please contact the program to which you are applying to and ask them if you can do this.

Find program contact information

When filling out your Academic History on your application, you will be asked whether or not the institution(s) you have attended have provided you with a degree or other credentials. If you are in the process of completing your degree, but your degree has not been conferred yet, make sure to select "Not Yet. Credential is in progress."

You must list all post-secondary schools and institutions.

The online application has room to list six higher education institutions of study. If you have attended more than six previous institutions, you will be instructed to upload all remaining transcripts into one file within your online application.

Program specific document instructions are provided within the online application system and on the website of the program you are applying to. Please check with the program to which you are applying to determine what additional support documents they may require and for instructions about uploading and sending documents to support your application. Main document requirements are listed on our website .

For more information on document requirements, see:

Canadian applicants:  https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/canad... International applicants: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/inter...

For initial application, you will normally scan and upload digital files (.pdfs) of documents in the online application system. If you are offered admission, you will be required to send in one copy of each of your official academic history documents. Official documents are normally sent to:

University of British Columbia Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies 6371 Crescent Rd Vancouver, BC  V6T1Z2  CANADA

Some graduate programs may require you to send in paper documents directly to their department office upon initial application. Please check the website of the program(s) to which you are applying for instructions.

Canadian applicants:  https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/canad... International applicants: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/inter...   Further information on providing scanned and official paper documents is also provided within the online application system.

You must scan and upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official required documents in the application system. The scanned transcripts must be copies of your official transcripts, which usually means that you must order official transcripts from your institution(s), open the envelopes, and then scan and upload copies to the application system. Since this requires you to break the official seal on the transcripts, these are considered “unofficial documents”. These uploaded copies of your official documents will be used for the initial evaluation of your application.

Please note: Some programs will require an official set of transcripts at the time of application. Please refer to the website of the program(s) to which you are applying and the instructions in the online application for specific information about sending your official documents.

If you are offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration. Do not send official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission unless you have received special instructions from the graduate program to which you have applied.

Please contact the program to which you are applying.

Applicants are unable to remove uploaded documents from the application system. You can upload an updated version as long as the program’s document deadline has not passed, but it will not overwrite the existing document. If you decide to upload another version of a document, please provide a different name for the updated document.

Please clear all fields and then re-enter your payment information on the payment page. Make sure that you have entered your credit card information in the correct format. Your name must be exactly as it appears on the credit card, the numbers must be entered with no spaces in between, and the expiry date must be entered in the correct format (January/2019 entered as 0119).

If you are still having problems submitting your online application, please e-mail [email protected] and include your full name and the program(s) you are applying to.

Document submission deadlines are set by the graduate program. Contact your graduate program if the information made available on their website and in the online application is unclear.

Application deadlines are set by individual programs, not by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please contact the program you wish to apply to for approval to apply after the deadline.

If you have missed the application deadline please do not submit an online application until you have received approval from the specific program. Application fees are non-refundable.

If you are not currently a Permanent Resident of Canada, choose "Study Permit/Student Visa" as Visa Type in the online application. Once you have obtained permanent resident status, please upload a copy of both the front and the back of your Permanent Resident Card by logging in to My Applications . If you are unable to upload the Permanent Resident Card, please send a copy of both the front and the back of your Permanent Resident Card to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. We will then update your status in our files.

Your online application must reflect your citizenship status as it is on the day you submit your online form and payment. If you don’t have a Study Permit at time of application but you will need a Study Permit to attend UBC, please choose “Study Permit/Student Visa” in the Immigration and Visa Details section of the application form. If your citizenship status changes after you submit your online application please contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by email at [email protected] for information about additional documents required to support your application.

The online application requires that your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See Browser Help for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari.

No, you should create a single CWL user name and use it for all applications. If you experience difficulties using your CWL account then p lease contact the IT Service Centre Help Desk . If you are experiencing technical issues, please ensure your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See Browser Help for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari. For all other questions, please email [email protected] and include your full name, the program(s) you are applying to and a general description of the problem.

After Applying

Only very limited edits can be made to your online application after it has been submitted. You may replace each referee once, change referee email addresses, and send reminders to referees through the application system. If you need to update other information then please contact the graduate program you applied to for assistance.

For changes to personal information such as citizenship, date of birth, or name, please contact [email protected] and include the appropriate documentation (e.g. birth certificate) to support your request.

Many programs take several weeks to evaluate applications. To check the status of your application and to provide any new information or updated documentation required, please log in to My Applications . My Applications is also where you can find Information about your references and the status of your reference requests. Please note: you will only be able to upload documents after submitting your application as long as the program's document deadline (which is different from the application deadline) has not passed. If you cannot find the information you need in My Applications or on this website, please contact the program(s) you applied to for further assistance. For updates regarding documents received please note processing times for confirming documents received at peak times can be lengthy, please check back regularly.

No. There is a known issue with the application submission process that affects a small number of applicants. We are working to resolve this issue and your application will be manually processed as soon as possible. This issue will not affect the review of your application.

Many programs take several weeks to evaluate applications. To check the status of your application and to provide any new information or updated documentation required, please log in to My Applications . My Applications is also where you can find Information about your references and the status of your reference requests. If you cannot find the information you need in My Applications or on this website, please contact the program(s) you applied to for further assistance.

You can see the status of documents received by logging in to My Applications . Please allow 4 weeks after sending in your documents for the system to be updated. If you have already submitted your online application and don’t see a document you are expecting in My Applications, please contact your graduate program directly. If four weeks have passed and you have received an offer of admission and you don’t see a document you are expecting in My Applications, please contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at [email protected] for instructions.

Please note: applicants are also sent an email when documentation is received and added to your application file.

If you need to update your address, log in to My Applications and select "Update Personal or Contact Details". This link will connect you to the UBC Student Service Centre (SSC) where you can update your personal information.

The application fee is not refundable.

Obtaining References

Applicants may choose to use academic and/or professional references. Please have in mind that some thesis-based programs place more weight on academic references. If you have questions about the type of references expected by your prospective program, get in touch with your graduate program .

Reference request emails are sent to your listed referees at the moment you submit your online application. Please note that if you have provided a free email address (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) for any referees, they will receive an email providing instructions for submitting a paper reference, as they will not be able to submit online.

The application system also allows for applicants to send reminders to their referees as long as their prospective program’s reference deadline has not passed.

Please include your referee’s information as part of your application. Your referee will receive an email providing instructions for submitting a paper reference form.

Referees should provide either a paper or an electronic reference, but not both. Referees are contacted by UBC via email with detailed instructions about how to submit a reference (by completing an online form or manually submitting their paper reference if required). If your referee has questions, please ask them to review these instructions or contact [email protected] for more information.

For security reasons, references cannot be submitted by e-mail. Referees are contacted by UBC via email with detailed instructions about how to submit a reference. If your referee has questions, please ask them to review these instructions or contact [email protected] for more information.

Referees will receive an automatic e-mail (sent to the e-mail addresses you entered in the "Referees" section) asking them to provide a reference report on your behalf. They then submit their references via an online form. Please note that we are not able to accept emails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free email accounts for Referees. Applicants receive email notifications if an email to a Referee cannot be processed or if a Referee declines a reference request.

The status of your reference letters is visible to you in the online application system under the references tab.

Please have your referee check his/her email inbox junk folder. You can also re-send the email under the “references” section when you logon to the application portal.

The section “manage references” will allow you to send your referees a reminder email which includes the link to access your reference request.

You can replace each referee once. You may do this under the “manage references” section of your application.

Please refer to the email sent to you by UBC from [email protected] for instructions on how to submit your specific reference. In general, there are two options for submitting a personal reference letter. You may be able to scan and upload your personal reference letter using our online reference system form. Or, a personal reference letter can be sent by post to the program which the student has applied. In both cases, personal reference letters must be written on institutional letterhead. Letters sent by post must be in a sealed envelope with your written signature across the envelope seal and should be directed to the graduate program directly. Program addresses are listed in our degree program listing .

For security reasons an e-mail or an e-mail attachment is not an acceptable format for a reference letter.

Many programs accept reference letters electronically, but this must be done via the link provided in the "Reference form for UBC Graduate Application" e-mail that you received. We are unable to accept e-mails from Hotmail, Yahoo, or other free e-mail accounts.

If you submit your reference via the online reference form, you will receive an online confirmation message indicating your form has been submitted to the program. If you did not complete the online reference form, please contact the program directly or ask the student you are referring to log in to their online application system (My Applications) where they can view the status of all reference requests.

Please mail the form directly to the program to which the student applied. The automatic email you have recieved will include the program name and their mailing address.

Yes, as long as the program’s reference deadline has not passed. Please send the request to [email protected] .

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If you're ready for an interdisciplinary, community-based first-year science experience at the University of British Columbia, you're ready to apply to Science One.

Science One has a separate application process from UBC undergraduate admission. Start by creating an account and application on the UBC undergraduate admissions site . You can then simultaneously work on that application and the separate Science One application. To start your Science One application, click on the link on the right. To log in you can use your EPBC credentials or your CWL if available, or you can request a one time link using your email address and student number. Admission to the Faculty of Science at UBC (Vancouver Campus only) is a prerequisite for admission to the Science One Program.

Enrolment in Science One is limited. Admission is based on your demonstrated interest in science, our assessment of your essay, as well as your academic record. The Science One online application system will open December 1 .  Students are encouraged to submit their Science One application early as applications are reviewed by the Science One Committee in the order that they are received.  Early admission may be offered to outstanding applicants before April 30, provided their applications was received no later than April 15. Applications received after April 30 may be considered but will not be evaluated on the same basis or with the same priority as those received before April 30. Students accepted into the program will be contacted by Science One via email. Students receiving an offer of admission should confirm acceptance via their Science One application.  

Students applying from outside Canada

AP and IB programs are globally recognized. If you attended an AP or IB program please enter your grades with your application. If you attended school (Grades 11 and/or 12) outside of Canada and outside of an AP or IB systems, you are not required to record any grades on the Science One application. You may submit your Science One application with an approximate 600-word essay along with any other information. We will refer to the UBC system for your courses and grades once they have been evaluated by the UBC Admissions office for BC equivalency with your Application for Admission to UBC. 

As part of completing the online application for Science One, all applicants must provide an approximately 600 word essay (575 - 625 words) addressing one of the following questions:

• Does knowing science make you a better person?
• Which scientist - past or present - would be most helpful if both of you were stranded on a deserted island?
• Can mathematics be more beautiful than art?
• Does the value of science depend on its practical applications?

Your essay will be judged on content, imagination and creativity, style, and clarity of exposition. This is where your curiosity, maturity, personal views and interest in science can shine! Your text should be original. Please do NOT send us additional materials, references or research papers.

Admission Requirements

At least 75% in English 12 or English Literature 12 (or equivalent) is required.  Students who have not achieved this minimum English requirement may still apply for the program. They may be asked, however, to provide writing samples that will be evaluated by Science One professors. 

Completion of Physics 11 and Chemistry 11 (or equivalent). Completion of Biology 11 or 12, Physics 12 and/or Chemistry 12 (both are highly recommended for success in Science One, but those in AP or IB programs may only have to take one), Pre-Calculus 12 or Principles of Mathematics 12, and Calculus 12, each with a minimum of 80%. If you are missing either Chemistry 12 or Physics 12, please contact us.

IB-HL or AP studies in the subject areas above also satisfy the requirements to Science One. IB-HL Mathematics or AP Calculus (AB or BC) provides the necessary calculus background. IB-SL Mathematics with a grade of 5 or better is also suitable. It is to your advantage to have taken one or more of the core subjects (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Calculus) at the AP or IB level. However, transfer credits (including those based on AP or IB studies) will not exempt you from participating in any part of Science One.

Attaining a grade of at least 80% on the Cambridge O-levels satisfies the English 12 requirement for Science One. 

Applications from students studying outside of Canada who will have completed the prerequisites are also welcomed. The preparation of these students for Science One will be judged on a case-by-case basis. International students entering Science One are expected to complete UBC Jump Start in August. JUMP START is a first-year transition program for new international and Aboriginal students.

Your admission to Science One is based on preliminary information provided by you and your school. A drop in high school marks after application may indicate a weakness in your background. If any of your marks dropped by more than 2-3%, or if you have not met all of our requirements after marks are finalized, we should be contacted immediately to discuss strategies for academic success.

Missing Requirements

Are you missing calculus 12 (or bc equivalent).

• Are you going to miss the minimum 75% in English 12 or English Literature 12?

Are you missing Biology 11 or 12 (or BC Equivalent)?

Are you missing physics 12 chemistry 12 (or bc equivalent).

Historically the majority of incoming Science One students have had an introductory course in calculus (Calculus 12 or a locally developed equivalent course). This subject is now a requirement for admission to Science One. The syllabus for Science One has been prepared assuming that the students will be completely at ease with the fundamental ideas of Calculus and will have master key computational skills. Self-study will not be sufficient in this case. Therefore, if you are not currently taking this course, you must complete it through summer school or distance education before classes start in September.

Are you possibly going to miss the minimum 75% in English 12 or English Literature 12 (or BC Equivalent)?

Since writing skills are an important aspect of Science One, you must have at least 75% in English 12 or English Literature 12 (or equivalent) for admission to Science One. This Science One requirement is the higher of the school or provincial examination mark in BC and other provinces with similar government examinations. If there is any doubt that your mark will not be 75% or higher, please contact us and we will arrange you to submit writing samples to the admissions team.

Students in the Cambridge system who do not achieve at least 80% on their O-level English must contact Science One.  If there is any doubt that your mark will not be greater than 80%, please contact us and we will arrange you to submit writing samples to the admissions team.

The Faculty of Science has a Communication Requirement. Students admitted directly from secondary school are required to take at least one of the ENGL courses or WRDS 150B in their first year if eligible to do so. For more information on the Faculty’s requirement, click here .

Biology 11 or Biology 12 (or BC Equivalent of either) is acceptable to meet the Biology Requirement for Science One. If you lack both, you must complete either Biology 11 or Biology 12 (or BC Equivalent) through summer school or distance education before classes start in September. The syllabus for Science One has been prepared assuming that the students will be completely at ease with the material usually covered in these courses and self-study will not be sufficient in this case. Acceptance to Science One is on the condition that a grade of at least 80% is achieved. 

To be properly prepared for Science One students are expected to have Physics 11, Chemistry 11, and both Physics 12 and Chemistry 12 (or equivalent courses). Science One has been designed assuming that the students will have exposure to the material usually covered in these subjects. However, with the prevalence of IB and AP course, and the increased number of course offerings in high school, we are aware that some students might not be able to take all of Biology 12, Calculus 12, Physics 12 and Chemistry 12. In some cases we will consider waiving either Chemistry 12 or Physics 12 and recommend self-study. More commonly, we will recommend to meet this requirement by completing these courses through summer school or distance education before classes start in September. If you are missing one of the courses, please contact Science One. 

Step One: Apply to UBC

Start by making sure you've applied to UBC  in the Faculty of Science. UBC Application for Admissions opens in early September and closes on January 15.

Step Two: Apply to Science One

Science One online application opens  December 1 . Students are encouraged to submit an application early. Applications received after  April 30  may be considered but not with the same priority as those received before  April 30 .

Musqueam First Nation land acknowledegement

UBC Science acknowledges that the UBC Point Grey campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm.

Learn more: Musqueam First Nation

Science One

Faculty of science.

For students registering for courses starting in September 2024, UBC has switched to a new system, Workday . Please check your email for setup instructions. Summer Session students should continue using SSC .

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How to tackle essay-based exams

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Regardless of whether they exhilarate you or exhaust you, essay-based exams are the backbone of testing in some faculties.

I used to think that just flipping through my notes was enough to study for essay-based exams—I would just write about what I remembered from the class, right?

Not so much. This type of exam does give you some flexibility in what you choose to write about, but it also requires careful studying beforehand and adjustments to how you approach essay-writing during the exam—not to mention a healthy dose of stamina to get you through.

Essay-based exams are challenging, and, as an undergrad, I often came out of them feeling like somebody had rearranged my brain with an electric mixer. However, having to prepare for and write one usually helped me understand the big picture of the course better.

You don’t have to learn to love them, but figuring out how to approach these kinds of exams can make them more manageable.

Strategically prepare with case studies and theory

Studying for an essay-based exam isn’t quite like studying for a multiple choice test . While both have their challenges, writing essays when you have a limited amount of time requires you to do a lot of active preparation beforehand. 

1. Use the review sheets to study efficiently

Most courses I’ve taken with essay-based exams have also provided a review sheet with topics and information about the exam beforehand.

This means that you often don’t have to review the entire course in depth to do well. If the professor gives you a list of say, 15 topics, and you know that there’s going to be 5 essay questions on the test, and you only need to write 3 essays in total, you can do a bit of math to figure out how many topics you’ll need to study to be prepared. 

Each essay question will probably require knowledge of more than just one topic in the course, but strategically focusing your studying can make you better prepared for the questions you’ll actually answer on the exam. 

2. Focus on flexible case studies

In courses like political science and history, I liked to spend a good portion of my prep time reviewing case studies that can be adapted for a number of essay topics. Prepare at least 3 or 4 case studies for each essay, with some backup. 

You can use these in different combinations depending on the essay question—you won’t have time to go extremely in-depth in the essay, but make sure you know the main points and how the case study relates to the theory of the course.  

3. Find links between examples and theory

Don’t neglect studying the theory—what have your course readings been arguing? Do you agree or disagree with them? It’s okay to have opinions that differ from the readings, but make sure you can back your arguments up with evidence. 

Consider what the overall themes of the course have been—how do all the topics link together? How can you link case studies together with course themes and theory?

Additionally, check out these tips if you're preparing for an English exam specifically!

Maintain a good pace while writing the exam

Once your preparation is done and you’re writing the exam itself, make sure you keep track of the time. If you have 2 hours to write 3 short essays, don’t spend 90 minutes perfecting your first essay only to realize you have half an hour to write both the second and third. 

Give yourself a few minutes at the beginning to read through the questions and plan your essays. Space out the essays so you have some time at the end as well—this gives you a bit of breathing room if you end up spending longer on a section or want to do some minor edits at the end. 

Commit to your thesis 

Whenever I wrote essays for assignments, I inevitably ended up readjusting my entire paper after I got further in my research and figured out what I actually wanted to focus on. While that freedom is nice when the due date is a week or two away, you won’t have the flexibility to change your thesis after a bit of writing in an exam scenario.

If you get halfway through your essay and feel you should've picked a different argument, you likely won’t have time to go back and restart. Whatever you end up writing, commit to it and be confident in your arguments—you’ve studied hard, so sell what you know!

Adjust your writing

The TA or professor marking your exam isn’t expecting a hyper-polished, publishable result here—they want to see that you can craft a solid argument and that you have a perspective on the course material. 

Of course, syntax, grammar, and  punctuation are still important, but keep your writing simple and to the point. Getting the information across is more important than showcasing your most eloquent writing. Focus on writing clear, straightforward sentences that reflect your understanding of the course, and save straining for colourful synonyms for your papers.

Lastly, don’t sweat the introduction and conclusion. All you need are a few sentences—the marks are in the discussion.

Writing essay-based exams takes practice, but with the right preparation you’ll find they’re a great way to cap off your understanding of the course!

Header photo credit: Paul Joseph / UBC Brand & Marketing

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UBC Admissions Ultimate Guide

Arry pandher - july 13th, 2022.

If you’re hoping to get into the University of British Columbia (UBC) after post-secondary, GrantMe can help you with your choices of courses and academic tiring. We offer a range of services to guide you through the admissions process, from choosing the right program to writing your personal statement.

UBC Admissions Overview

For those who need a little extra help, we also offer one-on-one consulting and workshops. Our experienced student success team will work with you to improve your essay-writing skills and increase your chances of getting into UBC. We know the admissions process can be daunting, but we’re here to help. So don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need some advice. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the UBC Admissions process!

Where is UBC?

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is located in Vancouver, Canada. It’s a world-renowned university, ranked as one of the top 20 universities in the world. UBC is also one of the largest universities in Canada, with over 60,000 students enrolled. UBC offers a wide range of programs and degrees, from arts and humanities to science and engineering. So no matter what you’re interested in studying, UBC likely has a program for you.

There are two campuses at UBC: the Vancouver campus and the Okanagan campus. The Vancouver campus is the main one, and most students attend school there. The Okanagan campus is smaller and is located in Kelowna, BC. When you apply to UBC, you’ll need to decide which campus you want to use.

• The programs offered: UBC offers different programs at each of its campuses. So if you have your heart set on a particular program, make sure it’s offered at the campus you’re applying to.
• The location: Vancouver is a big city, while Kelowna is smaller. Consider your lifestyle and which location you think you’d be happier in.
• The cost of living: Vancouver is a more expensive city to live in than Kelowna. If you’re on a budget or if you want to save money, Kelowna may be the better option for you.

What Do You Need When You Apply to UBC?

To apply to UBC, you’ll need to submit your transcripts, a personal profile, and some other important documents. GrantMe can help you with each step of the process, from choosing the right program to writing your personal profile.

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for your UBC application:

– Your transcripts

– Your personal profile

– Two letters of recommendation (depends on the program)

– Your resume (depends on the program)

– An interview (depends on the program)

The University of British Columbia is a highly competitive school, and the admissions process is designed to identify the best and brightest students from around the world. If you’re hoping to gain admission to UBC, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances. First, make sure to start your application well in advance of the deadline. This will give you plenty of time to gather all the necessary materials and ensure that your application is complete and accurate. Second, be sure to put your best foot forward in your personal statement and essays. 

Maximize Your UBC Admissions Chances

Getting into UBC is a competitive process, but there are things you can do to improve your chances of being accepted. First, make sure you research the programs you’re interested in and select the one that’s the best fit for you. Make sure to prioritize the personal profile aspect of your application as it’s one of the most important parts. They also want to get to know you as a person, so be sure to include detail and impact in your well-rounded personal profile. If you take the time to craft a strong UBC personal profile, you’ll give yourself the best chance of being admitted to UBC. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

GrantMe can help you with every step of the application process, from researching programs to writing your essays. Our knowledgeable student success team will work with you one-on-one to help you put your best foot forward.

How Does UBC Weigh Its Admission Applications?

UBC’s admissions team weighs each application differently as long as you are eligible, depending on the program you’re applying to. For example, some programs may place more emphasis on your transcripts, while others may give more weight to your high school grades, personal profile, or letters of recommendation. The best way to ensure your application is given fair consideration is to ensure all of your materials are strong. Write a well-rounded personal profile, have a good academic record, and get letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your skills and abilities. When reviewing applications, UBC looks at each student’s personal profile, which includes their academic history, extracurricular involvement, and unique life experiences. They also consider the context of each student’s application, such as their family background and the school they attended.

GrantMe can help you with every step of the university admissions process. Our experienced student success team will work with you one-on-one to help you put together a strong application.

How Many Students Apply to UBC for Post Secondary?

The university receives  over 40,000  applications every year from students around the world. Of those, only a tiny portion of applicants are offered admission to the post-secondary institute. The competition is fierce, but there are things you can do to improve your chances of being accepted.

First, make sure you select the right UBC degree for you. Do your research and choose a faculty you’re passionate about that fits your skills and interests. Then, work on your profile and make sure it’s well-written and highlights your strengths. Finally, take the time to write strong essays and get letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your skills and abilities.

UBC offers a wide range of programs that are popular with students. Some of the most popular programs include business, engineering, and computer science. These programs are popular because they offer strong career prospects and provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. In addition, UBC’s programs are known for their rigour and excellence, which attracts many top students from around the world.

What GPA do you need to Apply to UBC?

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a highly competitive school, and the average GPA for applicants is about 3.7. There is no set GPA that you need to get into UBC. However, competition is fierce, and your school marks will be one of the factors considered in your application. To give yourself the best chance of being accepted, aim for a high GPA. Work hard in your courses and get good marks. In addition to your transcripts, UBC will also consider your personal profile, letters of recommendation, and essays when making their decision.

UBC Admissions Average

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a highly competitive university, with an admission average of 90%. The University of British Columbia is also one of the largest universities in Canada, with over 60,000 students enrolled. This means that there are a large number of students competing for limited spots in each program. As a result, UBC is a very competitive university. The UBC admission average varies depending on the faculty you’re applying to. For some programs, the average is as high as 90%, while for others, it may be lower. To find out the specific admission averages for the degree you’re interested in, check out the UBC website or contact the admissions office. Remember that meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into UBC.

Tips to Get Into UBC for Post Secondary

There is no surefire way to guarantee acceptance into UBC. However, you can increase your chances by doing your research, choosing the right program, and working hard to put together a strong application. Your GPA is one of the factors that will be considered in your undergraduate UBC application, so aim for a high GPA. As well as your academic record. Make sure to review admission requirements prior. In addition to your transcripts, UBC will also look at your personal profile, letters of recommendation, and essays online.

UBC’s ideal candidate is someone who has demonstrated academic excellence, but also knows how to have fun and enjoy the moment. They value students who are active in their communities and who have a strong sense of social responsibility. If you’re a UBC-caliber student, you’re someone who is excited by challenges and ready to make a difference in the world. UBC is always welcoming students from all parts of the world is constantly growing the thunderbird community!

UBC Admissions Deadlines

The UBC first-year undergraduate admission requirements and dates vary depending on the program you’re applying to. For some degrees, the deadline is as early as November, while for others, it may be later in the year. To find out the specific deadlines for the undergraduate UBC faculties you’re interested in, check out the UBC website or contact the admissions office. Remember that meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into UBC. So make sure to apply to UBC by the deadline.

UBC is a highly competitive university, and the admissions process can be quite daunting. Keeping in mind UBC admissions dates and deadlines can definitely be handy. Starting the admissions process early can give you ample time to write your Personal Profile essays and collect all the necessary documents. Head to our blog about admission deadlines to learn more today.

How Much is UBC Tuition?

UBC offers a range of programs that prepare students for success after graduation, whether they plan to enter the workforce or pursue further education. UBC’s tuition rates are reviewed annually by the Board of Governors and may increase in line with inflation. UBC also offers a range of scholarships, bursaries, and financial aid options to help students meet the costs of their education.

UBC’s tuition varies depending on the program you’re enrolled in. For most degrees, tuition is around $6,500 per year. However, some of UBC’s first year competitive post secondary programs, such as engineering and business, may be more expensive. To find out the specific tuition for the degree you’re interested in, check out the UBC website or contact the admissions office. Remember that UBC also charges additional fees for books, supplies, and student services. So be sure to factor those into your budget as well.

Looking For More Support?

To access in-depth coaching and guidance on your writing,  check out the GrantMe platform ! Our trained essay editors know exactly what UBC’s admission selection committees look for and can help you draft a winning application. We also provide personalized scholarship matches, essay editing, and student mentorship from past winners to maximize your success. Complete our short  scholarship eligibility quiz  to learn more about how GrantMe can help you achieve your post-secondary goals.

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Freshman requirements

• Subject requirement (A-G)
• GPA requirement
• Admission by exception
• English language proficiency
• UC graduation requirements

Additional information for

• California residents
• Out-of-state students
• Home-schooled students

Transfer requirements

• Understanding UC transfer
• Preparing to transfer
• UC transfer programs
• Transfer planning tools

International applicants

• Applying for admission
• English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS)
• Passports & visas
• Living accommodations
• Health care & insurance

AP & Exam credits

Applying as a freshman

• Filling out the application
• Dates & deadlines

Personal insight questions

• How applications are reviewed
• After you apply

Applying as a transfer

Types of aid

• Grants & scholarships
• Jobs & work-study
• California DREAM Loan Program
• Middle Class Scholarship Program
• Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan
• Native American Opportunity Plan  
• Who can get financial aid
• How aid works
• Estimate your aid

Apply for financial aid

• Cal Dream Act application tips
• Tuition & cost of attendance
• Glossary & resources
• Santa Barbara
• Campus program & support services
• Check majors
• Freshman admit data
• Transfer admit data
• Native American Opportunity Plan
• You will have 8 questions to choose from. You must respond to only 4 of the 8 questions.
• Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
• Which questions you choose to answer is entirely up to you. However, you should select questions that are most relevant to your experience and that best reflect your individual circumstances.

Keep in mind

• All questions are equal. All are given equal consideration in the application review process, which means there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing certain questions over others.
• There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions. It’s about getting to know your personality, background, interests and achievements in your own unique voice.  
• Use the additional comments field if there are issues you'd like to address that you didn't have the opportunity to discuss elsewhere on the application. This shouldn't be an essay, but rather a place to note unusual circumstances or anything that might be unclear in other parts of the application. You may use the additional comments field to note extraordinary circumstances related to COVID-19, if necessary. 

Questions & guidance

Remember, the personal insight questions are just that—personal. Which means you should use our guidance for each question just as a suggestion in case you need help. The important thing is expressing who you are, what matters to you and what you want to share with UC. 

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. Things to consider: A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities?

Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn't necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family? 2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. Things to consider: What does creativity mean to you? Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do with that skill? If you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution? What are the steps you took to solve the problem?

How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career? 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? Things to consider: If there is a talent or skill that you're proud of, this is the time to share it.You don't necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about it, feel free to do so). Why is this talent or skill meaningful to you?

Does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent? Does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom? If so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule? 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. Things to consider: An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. For example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that's geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you; just to name a few.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you've faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them? What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who you are today? 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you've faced and what you've learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you're currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family? 6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. Things to consider:  Many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can't get enough of. If that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs and what you have gained from your involvement.

Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)? Are you inspired to pursue this subject further at UC, and how might you do that?

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place like your high school, hometown or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community?

Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community? 8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? Things to consider:  If there's anything you want us to know about you but didn't find a question or place in the application to tell us, now's your chance. What have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better?

From your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for UC? Don't be afraid to brag a little.

Writing tips

Start early..

Give yourself plenty of time for preparation, careful composition and revisions.

Write persuasively.

Making a list of accomplishments, activities, awards or work will lessen the impact of your words. Expand on a topic by using specific, concrete examples to support the points you want to make.

Use “I” statements.

Talk about yourself so that we can get to know your personality, talents, accomplishments and potential for success on a UC campus. Use “I” and “my” statements in your responses.

Proofread and edit.

Although you will not be evaluated on grammar, spelling or sentence structure, you should proofread your work and make sure your writing is clear. Grammatical and spelling errors can be distracting to the reader and get in the way of what you’re trying to communicate.

Solicit feedback.

Your answers should reflect your own ideas and be written by you alone, but others — family, teachers and friends can offer valuable suggestions. Ask advice of whomever you like, but do not plagiarize from sources in print or online and do not use anyone's words, published or unpublished, but your own.

Copy and paste.

Once you are satisfied with your answers, save them in plain text (ASCII) and paste them into the space provided in the application. Proofread once more to make sure no odd characters or line breaks have appeared.

This is one of many pieces of information we consider in reviewing your application. Your responses can only add value to the application. An admission decision will not be based on this section alone.

Need more help?

Download our worksheets:

• English [PDF]
• Spanish [PDF]

Cornell Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Search cornell admissions, cornell first-year writing supplement prompts.

In the online Common Application Writing Supplement, please respond to both the Cornell University essay question and the essay prompt that corresponds to the undergraduate college or school to which you are applying.  

Cornell University Essay Question

In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, Ezra Cornell wrote, "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." For over 150 years, Cornell University has remained deeply committed to Ezra’s vision. Explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a learning community devoted to “... any person … any study.” We encourage you to think broadly about your life experiences, including how local (e.g., family, school, neighborhood) or global communities you’ve been part of have helped shape your perspective. (350 word limit)

College- and School-Specific Essay Questions

College of agriculture and life sciences.

Required: Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. How will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University specifically serve to support your learning, growth, and the pursuit of your goals? (650-word limit)  

Instructions: The optional short-answer questions invite you to share additional information about your background, interests, and experiences as they relate to aspects of the Cornell CALS mission. The content of any responses submitted will be included in the holistic review of your application (which is also the case for any optional additional information submitted as part of your Common Application or uploaded through your Cornell Application Portal once you've applied).

Optional: At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are not simply driven to master their discipline, but who are also passionate about doing so to serve the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you had a meaningful impact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you. (200-word limit)

Optional: Cornell CALS is dedicated to purpose-driven study of the agricultural, life, environmental, and social sciences and welcomes students with interests that span a wide variety of disciplines. Given our agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background or interest in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. An "agricultural entity" for the purpose of this question is defined as cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock (e.g., farm, ranch, greenhouse, vineyard, etc.). 

Select all that apply:

• A primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity.
• My extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity.
• I have experience working in an agricultural entity.
• I have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity.                                           

Please feel free to share additional details (optional). (100-word limit)

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 word limit)

College of Arts & Sciences

At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. (650 word limit)

Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy

Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals. (650 word limit)

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 word limit)

College of Engineering

Instructions: All applicants are required to write two supplemental essays. Each has a limit of 250 words. Essay 1 is required of all applicants. For Essay 2, you must choose between Question A and Question B.

Essay 1: Required response. (250-word limit)

How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? If you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at Cornell Engineering? If you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with Cornell Engineering. It may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about.

Essay 2: Choose either Question A and Question B. (250-word limit)

Question A: Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. This could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. Describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem.

Question B: Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. Engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the Cornell Engineering community? What is the unique voice you would bring to the Cornell Engineering community?

College of Human Ecology

How have your related experiences influenced your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE)? How will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should show us that your interests and aspirations align with CHE and your choice of major. (Refer to our essay application tips before you begin.) (650 word limit)

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School. (650 word limit)

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Essays That Worked

The essays are a place to show us who you are and who you’ll be in our community.

It’s a chance to add depth to something that is important to you and tell the admissions committee more about your background or goals. Below you’ll find selected examples of essays that “worked,” as nominated by our admissions committee. In each of these essays, students were able to share stories from their everyday lives to reveal something about their character, values, and life that aligned with the culture and values at Hopkins.

Read essays that worked from Transfer applicants .

Hear from the class of 2027.

These selections represent just a few examples of essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. We hope these essays inspire you as you prepare to compose your own personal statements. The most important thing to remember is to be original as you share your own story, thoughts, and ideas with us.

Ordering the Disorderly

Ellie’s essay skillfully uses the topic of entropy as an extended metaphor. Through it, we see reflections about who they are and who they aspire to be.

Pack Light, But Be Prepared

In Pablo’s essay, the act of packing for a pilgrimage becomes a metaphor for the way humans accumulate experiences in their life’s journey and what we can learn from them. As we join Pablo through the diverse phases of their life, we gain insights into their character and values.

Tikkun Olam

Julieta illustrates how the concept of Tikkun Olam, “a desire to help repair the world,” has shaped their passions and drives them to pursue experiences at Hopkins.

Kashvi’s essay encapsulates a heartfelt journey of self-discovery and the invaluable teachings of Rock, their 10-year-old dog. Through the lens of their companionship, Kashvi walked us through valuable lessons on responsibility, friendship, patience, and unconditional love.

Classical Reflections in Herstory

Maddie’s essay details their intellectual journey using their love of Greek classics. They incorporate details that reveal the roots of their academic interests: storytelling, literary devices, and translation. As their essay progresses, so do Maddie’s intellectual curiosities.

My Spotify Playlist

Alyssa’s essay reflects on special memories through the creative lens of Spotify playlists. They use three examples to highlight their experiences with their tennis team, finding a virtual community during the pandemic, and co-founding a nonprofit to help younger students learn about STEM.

More essays that worked

We share essays from previously admitted students—along with feedback from our admissions committee—so you can understand what made them effective and how to start crafting your own.

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Our interactive workshops—on topics like the college search process and essay preparation—will help you build your strongest application when you’re ready to apply.

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Applying to Medical School with AMCAS®

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The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) is the AAMC's centralized medical school application processing service. Most U.S. medical schools use the AMCAS program as the primary application method for their first-year entering classes.

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The AMCAS applicant guide outlines the current AMCAS application process, policies, and procedures. This comprehensive resource helps you understand how to complete your AMCAS application.

The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) is the AAMC's centralized medical school application processing service.

These pages outline the sections of the AMCAS® application, including the Choose Your Medical School Tool. Full details can be found in the AMCAS Applicant Guide . Visit the  FAQ page  for answers to your questions.

Use the AAMC American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) Medical Schools and Deadlines search tool to find application deadlines at participating regular MD programs.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application process. For more detailed FAQs on the AMCAS Letter of Evaluation process including information for letter authors please visit the AMCAS How to Apply section of the site.

The AAMC American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) resources, tools, and tutorials for premed students preparing to apply to medical schools.

The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application policies are established protocols for applicants and admission officers.

Send us a message .

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET Closed Wednesday, 3-5 p.m. ET

The 2025 AMCAS application is now open . If you wish to start medical school in Fall 2025, please complete and submit the 2025 AMCAS application.

As of June 10  AMCAS is:

Marking transcripts as "Received" that were delivered on or before:

Paper (mailed) – June 7

Parchment – June 7

National Student Clearinghouse –  June 10

Processing applications that reached "Ready for Review" on May 28.

Processing Academic Change Requests submitted on  June 6.

Outline of the current AMCAS application process, policies, and procedures.

This resource is designed to help you prepare your materials for the AMCAS ® application but does not replace the online application.

The application processing fee is $175 and includes one medical school designation. Additional school designations are $46 each. Tax, where applicable, will be calculated at checkout. 

If approved for the Fee Assistance Program, you will receive a waiver for all AMCAS fees for one (1) application submission with up to 20 medical school designations ($1,030 value). Benefits are not retroactive.

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot – your copilot for work

Mar 16, 2023 | Jared Spataro - CVP, AI at Work

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Humans are hard-wired to dream, to create, to innovate. Each of us seeks to do work that gives us purpose — to write a great novel, to make a discovery, to build strong communities, to care for the sick. The urge to connect to the core of our work lives in all of us. But today, we spend too much time consumed by the drudgery of work on tasks that zap our time, creativity and energy. To reconnect to the soul of our work, we don’t just need a better way of doing the same things. We need a whole new way to work.

Today, we are bringing the power of next-generation AI to work. Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot — your copilot for work . It combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your data in the Microsoft Graph and the Microsoft 365 apps to turn your words into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet.

“Today marks the next major step in the evolution of how we interact with computing, which will fundamentally change the way we work and unlock a new wave of productivity growth,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “With our new copilot for work, we’re giving people more agency and making technology more accessible through the most universal interface — natural language.”

Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 in two ways. It works alongside you, embedded in the Microsoft 365 apps you use every day — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more — to unleash creativity, unlock productivity and uplevel skills. Today we’re also announcing an entirely new experience: Business Chat . Business Chat works across the LLM, the Microsoft 365 apps, and your data — your calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings and contacts — to do things you’ve never been able to do before. You can give it natural language prompts like “Tell my team how we updated the product strategy,” and it will generate a status update based on the morning’s meetings, emails and chat threads.

With Copilot, you’re always in control. You decide what to keep, modify or discard. Now, you can be more creative in Word, more analytical in Excel, more expressive in PowerPoint, more productive in Outlook and more collaborative in Teams.

Microsoft 365 Copilot transforms work in three ways:

Unleash creativity. With Copilot in Word, you can jump-start the creative process so you never start with a blank slate again. Copilot gives you a first draft to edit and iterate on — saving hours in writing, sourcing, and editing time. Sometimes Copilot will be right, other times usefully wrong — but it will always put you further ahead. You’re always in control as the author, driving your unique ideas forward, prompting Copilot to shorten, rewrite or give feedback. Copilot in PowerPoint helps you create beautiful presentations with a simple prompt, adding relevant content from a document you made last week or last year. And with Copilot in Excel, you can analyze trends and create professional-looking data visualizations in seconds.

Unlock productivity. We all want to focus on the 20% of our work that really matters, but 80% of our time is consumed with busywork that bogs us down. Copilot lightens the load. From summarizing long email threads to quickly drafting suggested replies, Copilot in Outlook helps you clear your inbox in minutes, not hours. And every meeting is a productive meeting with Copilot in Teams. It can summarize key discussion points — including who said what and where people are aligned and where they disagree — and suggest action items, all in real time during a meeting. And with Copilot in Power Platform, anyone can automate repetitive tasks, create chatbots and go from idea to working app in minutes.

GitHub data shows that Copilot promises to unlock productivity for everyone. Among developers who use GitHub Copilot, 88% say they are more productive, 74% say that they can focus on more satisfying work, and 77% say it helps them spend less time searching for information or examples.

But Copilot doesn’t just supercharge individual productivity. It creates a new knowledge model for every organization — harnessing the massive reservoir of data and insights that lies largely inaccessible and untapped today. Business Chat works across all your business data and apps to surface the information and insights you need from a sea of data — so knowledge flows freely across the organization, saving you valuable time searching for answers. You will be able to access Business Chat from Microsoft 365.com, from Bing when you’re signed in with your work account, or from Teams.

Uplevel skills. Copilot makes you better at what you’re good at and lets you quickly master what you’ve yet to learn. The average person uses only a handful of commands — such as “animate a slide” or “insert a table” — from the thousands available across Microsoft 365. Now, all that rich functionality is unlocked using just natural language. And this is only the beginning.

Copilot will fundamentally change how people work with AI and how AI works with people. As with any new pattern of work, there’s a learning curve — but those who embrace this new way of working will quickly gain an edge.

The Copilot System: Enterprise-ready AI

Microsoft is uniquely positioned to deliver enterprise-ready AI with the Copilot System . Copilot is more than OpenAI’s ChatGPT embedded into Microsoft 365. It’s a sophisticated processing and orchestration engine working behind the scenes to combine the power of LLMs, including GPT-4, with the Microsoft 365 apps and your business data in the Microsoft Graph — now accessible to everyone through natural language.

Grounded in your business data. AI-powered LLMs are trained on a large but limited corpus of data. The key to unlocking productivity in business lies in connecting LLMs to your business data — in a secure, compliant, privacy-preserving way. Microsoft 365 Copilot has real-time access to both your content and context in the Microsoft Graph. This means it generates answers anchored in your business content — your documents, emails, calendar, chats, meetings, contacts and other business data — and combines them with your working context — the meeting you’re in now, the email exchanges you’ve had on a topic, the chat conversations you had last week — to deliver accurate, relevant, contextual responses.

Built on Microsoft’s comprehensive approach to security, compliance and privacy. Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 and automatically inherits all your company’s valuable security, compliance, and privacy policies and processes. Two-factor authentication, compliance boundaries, privacy protections, and more make Copilot the AI solution you can trust.

Architected to protect tenant, group and individual data. We know data leakage is a concern for customers. Copilot LLMs are not trained on your tenant data or your prompts. Within your tenant, our time-tested permissioning model ensures that data won’t leak across user groups. And on an individual level, Copilot presents only data you can access using the same technology that we’ve been using for years to secure customer data.

Integrated into the apps millions use every day. Microsoft 365 Copilot is integrated in the productivity apps millions of people use and rely on every day for work and life — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more. An intuitive and consistent user experience ensures it looks, feels and behaves the same way in Teams as it does in Outlook, with a shared design language for prompts, refinements and commands.

Designed to learn new skills.  Microsoft 365 Copilot’s foundational skills are a game changer for productivity: It can already create, summarize, analyze, collaborate and automate using your specific business content and context. But it doesn’t stop there. Copilot knows how to command apps (e.g., “animate this slide”) and work across apps, translating a Word document into a PowerPoint presentation. And Copilot is designed to learn new skills. For example, with Viva Sales, Copilot can learn how to connect to CRM systems of record to pull customer data — like interaction and order histories — into communications. As Copilot learns about new domains and processes, it will be able to perform even more sophisticated tasks and queries.

Committed to building responsibly

At Microsoft, we are guided by our AI principles and Responsible AI Standard and decades of research on AI, grounding and privacy-preserving machine learning. A multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers and policy experts reviews our AI systems for potential harms and mitigations — refining training data, filtering to limit harmful content, query- and result-blocking sensitive topics, and applying Microsoft technologies like InterpretML and Fairlearn to help detect and correct data bias. We make it clear how the system makes decisions by noting limitations, linking to sources, and prompting users to review, fact-check and adjust content based on subject-matter expertise.

Moving boldly as we learn  

In the months ahead, we’re bringing Copilot to all our productivity apps—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Viva, Power Platform, and more. We’ll share more on pricing and licensing soon. Earlier this month we announced Dynamics 365 Copilot as the world’s first AI Copilot in both CRM and ERP to bring the next-generation AI to every line of business.

Everyone deserves to find purpose and meaning in their work — and Microsoft 365 Copilot can help. To serve the unmet needs of our customers, we must move quickly and responsibly, learning as we go. We’re testing Copilot with a small group of customers to get feedback and improve our models as we scale, and we will expand to more soon.

Learn more on the Microsoft 365 blog and visit WorkLab to get expert insights on how AI will create a brighter future of work for everyone.

And for all the blogs, videos and assets related to today’s announcements, please visit our microsite .

Tags: AI , Microsoft 365 , Microsoft 365 Copilot

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Want To Get Into The Ivy League? Here’s How Long The Application Process Really Takes

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One of the main gates on the Brown University campus, decorated with the University crest. (Photo by ... [+] Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)

While the college admissions process begins in earnest during a student’s junior year of high school, a standout college admissions profile is the result of years of strategic and intentional planning. This is especially true for students with Ivy League dreams—joining the ranks of students at Yale, Princeton, and Harvard requires time, dedication, and consideration long before students start their applications. Even the most talented, qualified students underestimate the amount of time that goes into planning for and completing the application process. Starting early and planning ahead are crucial for crafting stand-out Ivy League applications.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how much time you should realistically expect to invest in the Ivy League admissions process, from start to finish:

Developing Your Hook: 4 Years

A “ hook ” is the element of a student’s profile that “hooks” the attention of admissions officers—it is the X factor that distinguishes a student from thousands of other applicants. It should be the anchoring interest around which all other elements of an application coalesce. Developing this defining passion requires time and dedication, so the earlier a student starts intentionally exploring their interests to develop this hook, the better. Beginning in freshman year, students should explore activities, courses, and volunteer opportunities in their schools and communities, thoughtfully weighing what they most enjoy as they do so. Over the next few years, students should hone their hook through continued involvement in extracurricular or volunteer opportunities that align with their guiding interests, seeking leadership opportunities when applicable.

Building an Independent Project: 2 years

One of the most effective ways to showcase a hook is through an independent passion project. Sophomore, junior or fall of senior year, students should craft an initiative that uses their passions to better their communities, as this will demonstrate self-motivation, genuine passion, and leadership acumen to Ivy League and other top colleges. Their project could take the shape of scientific research, a nonprofit, a community initiative, or a startup business. Students should spend a few months brainstorming, planning, and setting clear goals before entering the implementation stage. They should be sure to document their progress meticulously as they overcome hurdles and meet their goals, as this will enable them to relay their successes clearly and specifically on their applications in the future.

Researching Colleges & Structuring College List: 6 months–1 year

During their junior year, students should consult a variety of resources and rankings and begin to develop their college lists. As they do so, they should keep in mind that every ranking system takes unique factors into account—for instance, while U.S. News and World Report focuses on metrics related to academic quality such as academic reputation and graduation rates, Forbes is heavily focused on financial metrics , considering ROI, average debt, and alumni salary. In addition to weighing schools’ rankings, students should also seek to balance their college lists by comparing their academic standing with the academic profile of admitted students. If a student’s GPA and test scores fall within the middle 50% of admitted students, the school is a match; if they are above the 75th percentile, that school is likely a safety, and if their scores are below the 25th percentile, the school is a reach.

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Studying & Taking Standardized Tests: 6 months–1.5 years

Typically, students will have completed the mathematics coursework needed to take the SAT and ACT by the spring of their sophomore year and should sit for diagnostic ACT and SAT tests around that time. Once they receive their diagnostic scores, students should create a study plan that will enable them to reach their goal score, which should be set relative to their college aspirations; students with Ivy League dreams should aim to earn a 34+ on the ACT or a 1550+ on the SAT. The amount of time needed to prepare for and ace standardized tests often varies greatly depending on students’ diagnostic scores, goal scores, and how much time and effort they devote to studying.

Writing Essays & Assembling Applications: 6 months

Finally, completing the actual application is perhaps the shortest stage of the process—though it is the most important. Students who have dedicated time and effort to building their applicant profiles throughout their high school careers will reap the benefits of their long term planning; they will be able to approach the process with a clear understanding of the unique story they wish to convey through their application components. Students should kickstart the process in the spring of their junior year by requesting recommendations from their teachers, school counselors, and other non-academic mentors. The summer before senior year is a critical time to work on the personal statement, which tends to be one of the most time consuming elements of the application process as it requires lengthy brainstorming, drafting, and editing. Supplemental essay prompts for specific schools are generally released in August, so students should plan to devote the remainder of their summer and fall to completing those essays. Finally, with focus and dedication, students can complete the activities list in one to two weeks, but they should devote concerted attention to the activities list like all the other elements of their application and be sure not to save it until the last minute.

While every student is different and will need to assemble their own timeline, the college admissions process is a demanding one—particularly for students determined to gain admission to the most elite universities in the country. Students should begin preparing early in order to give themselves some leeway and submit applications that they are truly proud of.

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