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Our dedicated admissions and financial advisors will help you through the application process by writing about admission requirements, financial matters, the application, events and visits, and everything in between.
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You’ve been admitted to UBC. Now what?

By Crissy Campbell on March 20, 2025

You’ve been admitted to UBC. Now what?

Welcome to UBC! Your hard work has paid off and you can start planning for university life. Now that you’ve been admitted there’s lots to do – everything from accepting your offer to preparing for your first day on campus.

Accept your offer

To accept your offer, you need to log into the Applicant Service Centre, click accept your offer, and pay your acceptance deposit.

Make sure to accept your offer before your deadline to accept. You can find your deadline on page two of your letter of admission or in your Applicant Service Centre account.

 

Apply for a Study Permit

If you are an international student, you will need to apply for a study permit. Getting a permit can take several months, so be sure to begin the process as soon as you can.

 

Maintain your grades

Your offer of admission is conditional on your final grades. You must submit your final grades by your deadline. We will review your grades to ensure that you completed the requirements and maintained your academic standing. Grade changes on final grades may cause UBC to re-evaluate your application for admission.

 

Apply for housing

If you want to live on campus you will need to apply for housing before the May 1 deadline. First-year students who are graduating from high school are guaranteed housing if they apply by the deadline and accept their offer of admission by their offer deadline.

 

Plan your finances

Use our cost estimator to estimate your costs and start budgeting for your first year at UBC.

 

Register for your courses

Course registration begins in June. One or two weeks before you’re eligible to register online, you will receive an email with your assigned registration date and time.

 

 

You can also explore your academic options, plan your degree and get ready for UBC life by checking out our welcome events.

 

“UBC has truly allowed me to create my own path. They have countless degree programs and great opportunities [and] UBC offers every club you could think of. Whatever your niche is, you will find a group of like-minded people here.” – Georgiana S., Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources

“There are many opportunities available at UBC to customize your own university experience. Right from first year, I have been involved in clubs on campus, participated in numerous events, held campus positions, and so much more. “Rahman G., Manufacturing Engineering

“UBC has given me countless amounts of opportunities and support throughout my academic journey.”- Richelle A-B., Bachelor of Arts

Find your UBC admission decision in the Applicant Service Centre

By Crissy Campbell on March 6, 2025

Find your UBC admission decision in the Applicant Service Centre

Now that you’ve applied to UBC, you might be wondering: “Did they get my documents?” and “When will I receive my admission decision?”

Tens of thousands of UBC applicants from across Canada and around the world have the same questions. The UBC Admissions Office is doing its best to read every applicant’s personal profile and transcript as carefully – and quickly – as possible. We’re swamped with applicant documents, but we’re working very hard to give you a considered and fair decision as soon as we can.

Once we have evaluated your application, you’ll see our decision in the Applicant Service Centre.

If you’ve sent your documents to us within the past five to six weeks, please be patient with us and we will update your status shortly.

In the meantime, you might want to take part in one of our information events or campus tours, where you can get answers to all your questions about life at UBC.

What are rolling admissions?

By Crissy Campbell on March 5, 2025

What are rolling admissions?

UBC evaluates your UBC application once it’s complete, which means we need to receive all your grades and other required information first. With thousands of applications coming in from different school systems around the world, we receive all those grades and supporting documents at different times.

We can’t evaluate everyone’s application at the same time, so we send out admissions decisions as we receive and review information. That’s what we mean by rolling admissions.

If we received your grade information early in the year, we may have evaluated your application in January or February. But don’t worry: UBC uses the same admissions criteria for everyone. Students who received offers by the end of February have to meet the same admissions criteria as those who receive offers in March or April.

 

 

Some UBC degrees closing applications soon

By Crissy Campbell on March 4, 2025

Some UBC degrees closing applications soon

Although the deadline to apply for the 2024/25 Winter Session (September to April) has passed, certain UBC degrees are still accepting applications. If you’re planning to apply, you need to submit your application soon – unless a specific deadline is indicated, degrees will close their application without notice.

 

A flood of applications

The UBC Admissions office has received thousands of applications. If you’ve already applied, thank you for your submission. We’ve been busy answering your questions and making sure you’ll receive an email notifying you of which documents you need to submit. We’re eager to evaluate your application so we can send you a decision as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience as we work through all of the applications we’ve received.

 

What comes after applying?

Check the Admissions Blog routinely for timely posts about how to submit your documents, when we’ll send offers of admission, self-reporting, and other important admissions-related details.

 

 

When will you receive your UBC admission decision?

By Crissy Campbell on March 3, 2025

When will you receive your UBC admission decision?

We know that selecting universities to apply to is a huge decision – one that involves plenty of research and preparation. And although that part is done, you still have one big decision left: which admission offer will you accept?

The UBC Admissions Office is meticulously reviewing your application so that we can give you our decision as soon as we can – we want to help you make your big decision in good time. That being said, we’re not going to rush through our evaluation of your application – we want to make sure you get a carefully considered decision from us. As soon as we have evaluated your application, you will see our decision on the Applicant Service Centre under Admissions > Application Status.

 

Why do some students receive their admission decision before others?

The simple answer: we receive grades at different times depending on your school system.

For some of you, we started evaluating your application in mid-to-late January because you applied by December 1 to be considered for a first-round offer of admission. Right now, we are receiving International Baccalaureate anticipated grades for Canadian high school applicants, BC Ministry of Education grades, and OUAC grade information from Ontario, and we continue to receive international documents.

From March 1st to March 15th, applicants from Alberta, Manitoba, the Maritimes, and Saskatchewan will upload their documents so that we can evaluate their applications.

Our Admissions team has been reading personal profiles and evaluating applications as we receive grades and other information, and we will continue to do so until all applications have been carefully reviewed. We’re working as quickly and carefully as we can to give you an admission decision shortly after we receive all of your grade information.

 

Admission decisions are not first come, first served

Most important to you: we use the same evaluation criteria for everyone when their files are complete. If your files are complete in March, we will evaluate your application exactly as we have done for those whose files were complete in January. Our decisions are not made on a first-come, first-served basis, and we take great care to make sure you get the right decision shortly after your application is complete.

 

 

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and the Maritimes: UBC document upload deadline is March 15

By Crissy Campbell on February 28, 2025

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and the Maritimes: UBC document upload deadline is March 15

Have you uploaded your documents to the Applicant Service Centre yet? Document upload will be closing on Saturday, March 15, 2025, so be sure to get your documents in as soon as you have them.

Check out our tips on uploading your documents.

If you are an International Baccalaureate Diploma student in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, or the Maritimes, we will receive your anticipated IB results directly from your IB coordinators, so you do not need to upload documents to complete your application.

Have questions? Email us at admissions.inquiry@ubc.ca with the subject line “document upload,” and remember to include your full name and UBC student number so we can assist you.

 

 

You’ve applied to UBC. Now what?

By Crissy Campbell on February 27, 2025

You’ve applied to UBC. Now what?

Congratulations on completing your UBC application! You’re one giant step closer to joining our vibrant community of students and faculty from around the globe.

 

Submitting your documents

Tens of thousands of UBC applicants like you have begun – or will soon begin – submitting their documents. The UBC Admissions Office is doing its best to read everyone’s personal profile and transcript as carefully and quickly as possible. We’re swamped with incoming documents, but we’re working very hard to process each one and give you a considered and fair decision as soon as we can. It may take a while for us to acknowledge that we’ve received your documents, so thank you for bearing with us at this busy time.

 

To find out what documents you need to send to us, check your email for a message from UBC, or log in to the Applicant Service Centre.

 

Your admissions decision

Depending on the degree you applied to, the standard of your application, and when your grades become available, high school applicants can expect an admissions decision any time between the end of January and May and post-secondary transfer applicants can expect an admissions decision any time between February and late June. Be sure to check your application status often in the Applicant Service Centre under Admissions > Application Status.

If you’re itching to know what comes next in the admissions process, check out the video below:

 

 

Until you hear back from us, take this time to learn more about the degree that you applied to. This is also a great opportunity to envision your future at UBC and have your questions answered by joining a campus tour, attending an event for applicants, or taking part in an online info session.

 

 

Which Arts first-year study option is right for you?

By Crissy Campbell on February 21, 2025

Which Arts first-year study option is right for you?

After you’ve been admitted to the Bachelor of Arts degree, you’ll have to decide which courses to take when registration opens in June. That might seem like a long way off, but it’s worth thinking in advance about how you might like to structure your timetable.

There are three ways to shape your first year in the Faculty of Arts. Arts One and the Coordinated Arts Program (CAP) offer curated course schedules, where you’ll take most of your classes with the same group of students—helping you build connections with peers and professors from the start. These programs provide a more structured, interdisciplinary learning experience with built-in academic support, making them a great way to transition into university. You can also choose to create a Custom Timetable, selecting individual courses and building your own schedule.

 

What are Arts One and CAP?

Arts One and CAP allow students to study together in small seminars (up to 25 people) and larger lectures (up to 125 people). Each brings courses and ideas together across different disciplines – for example literature, history, psychology, economics, and philosophy – by focusing on a shared topic or theme.

Both programs are worth 18 credits, but you can take up to 12 additional credits (2 classes) each semester to explore other subjects you’re interested in.

 

Why should you choose Arts One or CAP?

Arts One and CAP will help ease your transition from high school to university by offering:

  • A pre-selected timetable — most of your first-year requirements are included, so you don’t have to worry about picking courses to fulfil your degree requirements
  • Coordinated assignment deadlines, which means your major assignments won’t overlap or cause too much stress
  • Dedicated academic support with program-specific advisors who are there to help you throughout your first year
  • Access to exclusive study spaces where you can connect with your classmates and professors

The small-group format makes it easier to form friendships and build a sense of community, while close interaction with your professors helps you build personal connections and sets you up for a variety of degree pathways across different disciplines.

What’s the difference between Arts One and CAP?

Arts One

Arts One is a single, integrated course led by five instructors who work together to create the assignments and a reading list centred on a shared theme. The program is capped at 100 students, and then divided into five seminars each with up to 20 students. You will also meed regularly in smaller groups to present and discuss the papers you’re writing, offering a more personalized way to refine your work and ideas.

Rather than taking six separate one-term courses, you’ll take one cohesive course with multiple components that let you approach the materials from a variety of perspectives.

You’ll explore classical and contemporary texts from novels and philosophical writings to political texts, films, drama, and graphic novels to discuss their impacts on culture and society. The professors will take turns giving the weekly lectures, and you’ll work closely with one instructor who leads your seminars and tutorials each week.

 

CAP

In CAP, you’ll get to choose from one of five streams, each offering a different combination of courses from across the Faculty of Arts. This year’s streams are: Environment and Society, Individual and Society, Law and Society, Media Studies, Philosophy and Economics, and Political Science.

While courses in your CAP stream are separate, the faculty members work together to make sure the themes and concepts you study in each course are connected. They will also coordinate deadlines for your major assignments and tests, making it easier to stay on top of your work.

Like Arts One, CAP offers smaller classes than you will find if you create a Custom Timetable, with seminar-style courses typically having 25 students, and lectures ranging from 100-125 students.

 

How to register

Registration for both Arts One and CAP is first-come, first-served. Both programs simplify the process by offering easy-to-use forms on their websites, or you can register directly in Workday when first-year registration opens in June. Find out more about registering for Arts One and registering for CAP on their websites.

Looking for more information? Read what it’s like to be an Arts One student and a Coordinated Arts Program student and why students chose each program.