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Your UBC Okanagan orientations

By Crissy Campbell on May 15, 2024

Your UBC Okanagan orientations

Congratulations on your offer of admission to UBC Okanagan! Once you’ve decided UBC is the right place for you and accepted your offer, it’s time to take a look at your orientations before classes start.

This summer, these activities and events will help you build your community and meet your first friends, learn more about campus life, and get ready for your first day in September!

UBC 101

As a new-to-UBC-Okanagan student, you’ll be automatically enrolled in UBC 101. This course has two streams: an Indigenous student stream and a general student stream. Both streams contain a series of online modules that will help you discover the history, traditions, and culture of UBC Okanagan, learn about the academic transition to university, be introduced to on-campus support services, and take care of essentials. Make sure you don’t miss the module that provides important information about course registration.

UBC 101’s modules will be released every week between mid-May and mid-August. Completing the modules will take about 1 hour each week and your learning will be led by an upper-year UBC Okanagan student who can answer your questions and help you take care of the essentials before classes start.

Who should take part

All undergraduate students coming to UBC Okanagan, except Bachelor of Education students.

Dates and deadlines

If you’re eligible, you will be automatically enrolled starting in mid-May.

Jump Start at UBC Okanagan

Jump Start at UBC Okanagan will help you discover campus life and your new community, learn about opportunities, and connect with other students. This three-day event is a great way to make friends before the first day of term through fun social activities and educational workshops in small groups, led by upper-year peers.

You can take part in Jump Start’s commuter stream or residence stream, depending on whether you’ll be living on- or off-campus in your first term. Whichever stream is right for you, you’ll enjoy academic success workshops designed to welcome you to your degree, as well as the chance to connect with faculty members, staff, and other students who are available to help you throughout your time at UBC. You’ll find out what it’s like to learn in a university environment and can take part in sessions hosted by UBC Okanagan staff and faculty to show you the campus resources and services. By getting the fundamentals out of the way, you’ll have more time to focus on what matters on your first day.

Who should take part

All first-year undergraduate students coming to UBC Okanagan from high school.

Dates and deadlines

Jump Start at UBC Okanagan runs from August 28 to August 30. Residence students may move in on August 27.

Register now!

Create

Kick off your first year at UBC Okanagan with Create orientation. This free, campus-wide event is here to help you build connections to the people, places, and resources that will support and shape your university experience. Over the course of the day, you’ll meet other new students and connect with upper-level peers who are ready to answer all your questions.

You’ll learn about UBC Okanagan and be welcomed by UBC’s leadership. You can also discover more about the campus and Kelowna community at the Showcase Information Fair. After you’ve registered for Create, you will receive an official email in late August with your personal schedule, including your group number and other important information about the day.

Who should take part

All new-to-UBC Okanagan undergraduate students.

Dates and deadlines

Create takes place on September 2. Register now.

Indigenous Student Orientation

Indigenous Student Orientation (ISO) is designed to help undergraduate and graduate students prepare for a successful start at UBC and develop connections and meaningful relationships.

Join the Indigenous Programs and Services team during a fun-filled day where you will learn more about campus, get to know your peer mentor and other new-to-UBC Okanagan Indigenous students, and enjoy a lunch together while being entered to win some great door prizes.

Who should take part

Indigenous Student Orientation is open to all First Nation (status and non-status), Métis, and Inuit students new to UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Dates and deadlines

ISO takes place on Sunday, September 1, 2024. Registration now.

Your UBC Vancouver orientations

By Crissy Campbell on May 15, 2024

Your UBC Vancouver orientations

Your first day at UBC Vancouver is coming up fast! Once you’ve accepted your offer, you’re ready to start thinking about the orientation options available for you this summer. Together, they’re designed to help you meet your first friends, get ready to learn in a university setting, and hit the ground running as soon as classes begin in September.

Academic Essentials

Academic Essentials is an online program that will prepare you for academic success as you transition to university. There are three courses you can take: Reading and Writing at University, Readiness for University Mathematics, and Live Well to Learn Well. You can take one, two, or all three. Each is offered online as a self-paced and self-directed online course, and you’ll be guided by facilitators who are current UBC undergraduate students who can help you with the course material, share their first-year learning experiences, and give you some helpful tips for success. In all your Academic Essentials courses, you’ll build your academic skills, develop confidence in your academic readiness, and get access to a library of learning and wellness resources to help you get the most out of your first year and succeed at university.

Who should take part

All incoming first-year students to UBC Vancouver.

Dates and deadlines

Academic Essentials runs from July 2 to August 9. Registration will open in June.

Jump Start at UBC Vancouver

Jump Start at UBC Vancouver is a multi-day academic orientation program designed to give you a first look at university life, let you meet your professors and academic community, and help you make your first friends at UBC Vancouver. This year, depending on whether you’re planning to live on or off campus in your first term, you’ll be able to participate in Jump Start’s residence or commuter stream.

You can take part in Jump Start’s commuter stream or residence stream, depending on whether you’ll be living on- or off-campus in your first term. In both streams, you’ll enjoy scheduled group events with your classmates, as well as sessions and offerings you can take part in at your own pace. You’ll be assigned to a learning community which will be led by two upper-year students and a faculty fellow. Together, you’ll take part in fun activities like trivia nights, sports, dance tutorials, and art activities, as well as opportunities to explore campus and learn how to successfully transition from high school student to university scholar.

Who should take part

All first-year students coming to UBC Vancouver from high school.

Dates and deadlines

Jump Start at UBC Vancouver runs from August 28 to August 30, and residence students may move in on August 27.

Register now! Registration closes June 27 at 11:59 PST.

Imagine UBC

Imagine UBC is an exciting full-day event that welcomes new students to the campus community and helps them get acquainted with university life. For most students, Imagine UBC replaces the first day of classes. If you are a first-year student, you will have the chance to meet other students in your faculty, your Dean, and some of your future professors. You’ll also have an opportunity to learn about support services available on campus and get introduced to hundreds of student clubs and groups to help you make friends and get involved. If you are coming to UBC from another university or college, Imagine UBC is also for you! By participating in Imagine, you’ll be able to make connections that will help kick start your UBC experience.

Who should take part

All first-year and returning undergraduate students coming to UBC Vancouver.

Dates and deadlines

Imagine UBC happens on September 3. There is no need to register.

In late August, every first year student will receive an email outlining their detailed Imagine Day schedule. If you’re already participating in Jump Start, your Imagine Day schedule will be included in your Jump Start program schedule.

Choosing your first-year courses

By Crissy Campbell on May 6, 2024

Choosing your first-year courses

As soon as you’ve been admitted to UBC, you can begin thinking about the courses you’ll take in first year. If you familiarize yourself with how to read course descriptions now, you’ll have a head start when it’s time to build your course timetable. Registration for courses at UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver begins in June. UBC will email you with your assigned registration date and time two weeks before you’re eligible to register.

Review your degree requirements

It’s important to be aware of your degree requirements. These are the courses you must complete to graduate with your chosen degree. Step seven of the Next steps for admitted students guide lists the basic requirements for each degree, but some degrees may require additional courses.

For a full list of your degree requirements, check out the Academic Calendar and your faculty website:

If you have questions, you can contact Academic Advising at UBC Okanagan or an academic advisor for your faculty at UBC Vancouver.

Pay close attention to any English requirements

Most undergraduate degrees at UBC also have an English, communication, or writing requirement that applies to all students, regardless of first language or citizenship.

Most UBC faculties on either campus will require you to take three or six credits of first-year English, and you should check your faculty requirements before you register to be sure that you are taking the right ones for your program.

Start exploring your options

Most students are able to fit in a few courses beyond their degree requirements – and there’s a wide range to choose from. Taking courses outside your faculty is highly encouraged at UBC, so don’t be shy about choosing electives that take you beyond your degree and help you pursue other interests. Start exploring the Academic Calendar and see what you find!

Frequently asked questions from Canadian high school applicants

By Crissy Campbell on April 30, 2024

Frequently asked questions from Canadian high school applicants

We’re close to finalizing all first-choice decisions for all Canadian applicants in the Applicant Service Centre. If you were offered admission, congratulations! If you were not offered admission, thank you for submitting an application and giving us the opportunity to get to know you better through your academic successes and personal profiles. We wish we could admit all qualified applicants, but with more applications than spaces, it’s just not possible. If you’re curious, here’s how UBC evaluates your application.

At this point, you might have a few questions:

 

What should you do if you’ve been placed on a waitlist? When will you receive a final decision?

If your application has been waitlisted, your application status will indicate when you can expect to receive a final – yes or no – decision. For the majority of programs at UBC, the deadline to accept offers of admission is May 1 (or June 1, depending on your campus), but you should check the date specified to you in your offer letter to find out when your deadline is. Once those dates pass, we’ll know how many students have accepted their offers. If fewer students accepted their offers than expected, we’ll make a few more offers to waitlisted applicants. If enough students accepted their offers, we’ll notify students on the waitlist that no additional offers will be made.

Our best advice is to move forward with other post-secondary plans in case we don’t make additional offers in May and June. If we do make more offers, we hope they’ll be considered, but we understand if students have made plans to study elsewhere.

 

What about your second choice?

Our goal is to have all second-choice decisions to students as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience as we continue to review the second-choice applications.

If you received an offer of admission for your first choice, we’ll stop there unless you contact us to request otherwise.

 

If you accept your second choice but you’re waitlisted for your first choice, will UBC still evaluate your first choice?

Yes, we always evaluate first choices, whether you accept or decline your second-choice offer. All waitlisted applicants will receive a final decision by the end of June.

 

You’ve been admitted to your first choice, but now you would prefer your second choice. Will UBC still evaluate your second choice?

We always assume that your first choice is what you prefer. If you’ve received an offer of admission for your first choice, we’ll only evaluate your second choice if you contact us and if there is still space available in your second-choice degree.

 

Where can you find your application status?

The best source of information on your application is always the Applicant Service Centre. When you log in to your account, you’ll find an up-to-date status for each of your degree choices.

 

 

Don’t forget to accept your offer of admission

By Crissy Campbell on April 29, 2024

Don’t forget to accept your offer of admission

If you’ve received an offer of admission to UBC, congratulations! Getting into UBC is no easy feat, so all of your hard work paid off. The next step is to formally accept your offer and pay your acceptance deposit before the deadline to confirm your spot.

 

How do I accept my offer?

To accept your offer:

  1. Log in the Applicant Service Centre.
  2. Click Admissions followed by Accept or Decline My Offer.
  3. Select Yes, I accept this offer.
  4. Pay your acceptance deposit ($500 if you’re a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or $1,000 if you’re an international student). This deposit will be credited to your first term’s tuition.

Why do some students have different deadlines?

The deadline for you to accept your offer will depend on when your offer was made, to which degree you’ve been admitted, and which campus you will attend. Please refer to your letter of admission or your Applicant Service Centre account for your specific deadline.

 

Where do I find my deadline to accept?

You can find the deadline to accept your offer in two places:

  • Your letter of admission (see page 2)
  • Your Applicant Service Centreaccount (click Admissions followed by Accept or Decline My Offer)

Be sure to accept your offer on or before the stipulated deadline. Spaces at UBC are in high demand, and if you miss the deadline, your offer is likely to be withdrawn and made to another student.

 

 

International students: Remember to apply for a study permit

By Crissy Campbell on April 25, 2024

International students: Remember to apply for a study permit

To study in Canada, you’ll need to apply for a study permit well in advance and receive approval before you travel to Canada and start your UBC classes. You’ll also need to ensure you have a valid study permit throughout your studies. Study permits are issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and allow you to study and stay in Canada. Learn more about study permits at UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver.

Depending on your country of citizenship, you also need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada (US citizens are exempt). If you apply for your initial study permit application outside Canada, you will automatically be issued a TRV or eTA when your study permit is approved.

You can’t apply for a study permit until you’ve received your letter of admission. For new study permit applications from outside Canada, you must also receive a Provincial Attestation Letter before you can apply for your study permit.

When do you apply?

You should apply for a study permit online as soon as you receive your letter of admission to UBC and Provincial Attestation Letter, if required. Applications can take several months to process.

You cannot travel to Canada until you’ve received your Letter of Introduction (study permit approval letter).

 

How do you apply?

To prepare your application, visit UBC’s step-by-step initial study permit tutorial for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver. Here, you’ll learn about the application process, how to fill out the application form, and what documents to provide.

If you are currently a resident of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or Vietnam, you have the option to apply through the Student Direct Stream (SDS). Learn about pre-payment of tuition for SDS for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver.

If you are a US citizen, US permanent resident, or a resident of Greenland or St. Pierre and Miquelon, you have the option to apply for a study permit at the airport or land border crossing on arrival.

Be sure to check our Canvas application review course for the regular process or Student Direct Stream (SDS) to go over your application before you submit it.

What if you’re already studying in Canada?

You do not need a Provincial Attestation Letter if you apply for a study permit extension inside Canada before your study permit expires.

You are coming to UBC from a Canadian high school

You should apply for your study permit extension as soon as you receive your letter of admission. You can include a letter of explanation to request conditions to work in Canada.

If your study permit expires more than 6 months from now or you have more than 150 days between schools, contact International Student Advising for support.

You can only apply for a study permit extension when you are in Canada. In this case, a Provincial Attestation Letter is not required. If you are in Canada, apply for a study permit extension by reviewing the step-by-step study permit extension tutorial for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver as soon as you receive your letter of admission. Check the Canvas application review course before you submit your application. If you will not be returning to Canada before your study permit becomes invalid or expires and your Temporary Resident Visa expires (if applicable), contact International Student Advising for support.

You are transferring to UBC from a Canadian college or university

If your study permit is still valid, you can use the same study permit to study at UBC. However, you must notify IRCC by changing your DLI number online.

Contact International Student Advising for support with your study permit validity if you completed a program in Canada, as well as with your status in Canada if you will have more than 150 days between institutions.

What do you need to prepare before travelling to Canada?

Before making travel plans, be sure to review our Travelling to Canada Guide for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver to learn about when to travel, what to bring, ensuring your study permit allows you to work, and more.

If you still have questions

The UBC International Student Guide for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver is a great resource and reference handbook for everything you need to know about coming to UBC.

If you still have questions, our International Student Advising team at UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver is here for you.

We also recommend that you enroll in iPREP, a pre-arrival course designed for new students to learn about immigration documents, health insurance, banking, cell phones, and more.

International high school students in Canada: Remember to extend your study permit

By Crissy Campbell on April 25, 2024

International high school students in Canada: Remember to extend your study permit

If you’re an international student coming to UBC from a Canadian high school, you’ll need to take action to extend your study permit while you are in Canada and before it expires.

You can start your studies at UBC if you applied for a study permit extension before your study permit expires and you’re waiting for your new study permit, as long as you don’t leave Canada after your study permit expires.

If your study permit expires more than 6 months from now, or you will have more than 150 days between finishing high school and beginning studies at UBC please contact International Student Advising for support.

 

When do you apply?

You should apply as soon as you receive your letter of admission from UBC. You do not need a Provincial Attestation Letter if you are extending your study permit in Canada. You must apply before your study permit expires.

How do you apply?

If you’re in Canada and your existing study permit is still valid, apply to extend your study permit by reviewing the step-by-step study permit extension tutorial for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver, then complete the Canvas application review course. Be sure to apply before your study permit expires.

You can only apply for a study permit extension when you are in Canada.  Plan ahead if your documents expire soon and you have travel plans. In general, it’s best to extend your study permit and Temporary Resident Visa (if you need one) inside Canada before you travel, or that you return before your documents expire to extend your study permit from within Canada. Contact International Student Advising for support with planning your document extensions and travel plans, or if you are outside Canada.

What if you still have questions?

To find out more about your study permit requirements, check out our UBC International Student Guide for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver.

If you still have questions, our International Student Advising team at UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver is here for you.

What you need to know about registration deposit deferrals

By Crissy Campbell on April 23, 2024

What you need to know about registration deposit deferrals

In most cases, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit in the Applicant Service Centre when you accept your offer of admission to UBC. The acceptance deposit counts as your first registration deposit, and is applied to your tuition fees after you register for classes.

There are some exceptions, though. If you’re receiving a major award or sponsorship funding – from UBC or a third party – and that funding is delayed, you can request for your registration deposit to be deferred until when your tuition fees are due, by contacting an advisor on the Okanagan campus or your Enrolment Services Advisor on the Vancouver campus.

For Indigenous students who have self-identified in their online application to UBC, your registration deposit will be automatically deferred in an effort to support students who are being funded by third parties, including their Band or Nation.

 

Who can help you with financial planning?

If you have financial concerns or you’re facing financial challenges, please contact an advisor on the Okanagan campus or your Enrolment Services Advisor on the Vancouver campus. We can help you plan how to finance your studies at UBC.