Update: We have removed the sorting feature to avoid confusion. Please enter your non-academic activities and employment history in the way that is easiest for you.
We’ve been getting some questions about the application. Hope this helps to answer them!
Employment History – The Help Guide says to complete this section starting with your most recent position first because that is what is easiest for most people. However, the system will automatically arrange your entries in chronological order, so if you want to enter them in a different order, that’s fine.
Non-Academic Activities – You can enter your activities in the order that is easiest for you. Because of the entry limits it might be easiest to enter them according to category, but if you prefer to enter them chronologically or some other way, you may. The system will automatically arrange your entries in chronological order.
Activities completed before post-secondary – This year, we have removed our previous guidelines about including secondary school activities. We want to see your most significant activities and are leaving it up to you to decide what those are.
MCAT status – It’s ok if you see “MCAT not found.” Please check your MCAT status starting July 11. As long as you correctly released your scores on or after June 1, you don’t need to re-release them.
Proof of BC Residency status – This will be available online starting July 11.
Update: Please remember the blog is for general comments and questions. We will not respond to questions pertaining to your particular situation or application here. For these types of questions, please email us through the online application system instead.
Regarding the system “automatically arranging entries in chronological order”, does this happen after the application is submitted? I’m wondering this because the entries don’t seem to be sorted now, as I’m entering them.
Thanks!
The sorting feature caused some confusion, so we removed it. You may enter your activities in any order you prefer.
Does the order of entries matter, or will they still be sorted after submission?
Rephrased, should we be thinking about the order we are presenting our activities in? Or does it not matter in the end, if all applications will be looked at chronologically (or some other standard method)?
Your entries will be automatically sorted in a certain way when we are reviewing your file (we will see sorted entries, but you won’t — to you they will appear in the same order you entered them). So, it doesn’t matter how you order your entries. Please choose a way that makes sense to you.
I was trying to sign up for the application but the system wont let me-it says Im not inputting the password information correctly even though I followed the requirements (ie. upper case, lower case)?
This sounds like something that happens with Internet Explorer 7 or earlier. Using a different browser or a more recent version of Internet Explorer should solve the problem.
Hi,
I know that you have taken Chem 286 off as a pre-req for SFU students but I recall that if we already took it that it will still be used in our pre-req GPA calculation. Can you confirm on this? If it is true, then do we check off the “pre-req” box when entering our courses for this course?
Thank you!
Because this was a recent change and only fair to those who had taken CHEM 286, we will include the grade in our calculation of the pre-requisite average, so yes, check it in the “pre-req” box in your application.
Do you know whether the inclusion of CHEM 286 in the prerequisite average will stand for only this year, or will it be carried through to next year’s cycle as well? (I have taken CHEM 286 prior to the announcement of the change solely because it was a listed prerequisite, but will not be applying until next cycle.)
If applicants had previously taken CHEM 286, we will include it in the prerequisite average next year as well.
If we are using our BC Secondary School transcripts to prove our BC residency, do they need to be officially sealed by the school or can we submit a photocopy of our official grades? For UBC students, we have a record of our secondary school grades online, is this accessible by your office? Thanks.
A certified copy of your secondary school transcripts is ok, but we will not accept a photocopy you make yourself. UBC students need to submit secondary school transcripts if they are using them to prove BC residency. We don’t access secondary school grades electronically.
Hi,If you applied multiple times to the program before is there a way to distinguish that-on the application it asks if you have applied before but not how many times?
If you click on the “yes” button where the application states, “please indicate if you have applied before” a drop down menu should appear where you may indicate the specific cycles.
“Activities completed before post-secondary – This year, we have removed our previous guidelines about including secondary school activities. We want to see your most significant activities and are leaving it up to you to decide what those are”
Does that mean we can include activities done during highschool?
Please use your discretion about which activities to include. We would like to see the activities that are the most significant to you.
If we are using our BC Secondary School Transcripts to prove our BC residency, do they need to show the four consecutive years? I ask because my secondary school only shows from grade 10 to grade 12 (2007-2009), which is only 3 years but my University transcript from SFU shows from (2009 – present). Are these two sufficient to prove BC residency? Would I check off the residency type of 3 years prior to application? Thank you!
We recognize that not all high school transcripts have the full 4 years on them, which sometimes you will not know until they are shipped to us. Please send them anyway. If we have questions or concerns regarding your BC residency once we have obtained these transcripts, we will contact you and ask you to provide further documentation.
University transcripts are an excellent way to show your residency. If you have studied in BC for the three years prior to the application deadline (2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011) choose the residency definition, “Lived or studied in BC for three consecutive years immediately prior to the application deadline.” This way, when you submit your transcripts you are also submitting your BC residency documentation.
If you have less than 3 years of university in BC immediately prior to the application deadline, you will need additional proof of residency (such as a high school transcript) and will need to choose an alternative residency definition.
Hi, I have a question regarding your last comment in the third paragraph. I have studied at UBC for five years (2004-2009), had a year off while still living and working in BC, and then resumed full-time studies at UBC in September, 2010 (current status). I therefore have a total of 6 years of university in BC prior to the application deadline. In addition, my employment history and non-academic sections will include activities during the one year I had off. Hence, will my UBC transcripts (UBC is the only university I have attended) be sufficient to prove BC residency or should I still submit my high school transcripts? Thanks!
Sorry, but this is not the forum for answering questions regarding personal situations like this one. Please email us your questions and concerns through the OAS and we can correspond with your there.
For a poster presentation, are we supposed to enter the poster that was authored in “Research publication” and the actual presentation of the poster in “Non-academic activities”. I’m not quite sure how to enter this information without repeating myself.
You do not not need to enter the details twice – as you authored and presented the poster, just enter the information under non-academic activities. Don’t worry that it is not listed under research publications.