UBC admissions blog

If you’re hoping to attend UBC in September 2024 or 2025, it’s already time to start planning the rest of your high school courses. Here’s a few tips to help you prepare and choose the Grade 11 and 12 or junior- and senior-level courses you’ll need for admission.

Know your requirements

Choose Grade 12 or senior-level courses that meet:

• your high school graduation requirements;
• UBC’s general admission requirements;
• UBC’s degree-specific requirements.

Your general admission and degree-specific requirements will depend on the UBC campus and degree you choose, and the high school curriculum you’re studying as a Canadian student or an international student.

When you apply to UBC, you’ll have the chance to pick a first-choice and second-choice degree. Make sure the Grade 12 or senior-level courses you choose meet the requirements for both degrees.

If you haven’t chosen a degree yet, don’t worry! Just make sure that, at minimum, you meet UBC’s general admission requirements. Every UBC degree has specific requirements beyond the general admission requirements, but some degrees have fewer than others.

You can use these worksheets to help you plan your courses.

Make sure you meet UBC’s English language requirement

Since English is the primary language of instruction at UBC, you will be required to demonstrate a minimum level of English before you’re admitted. There are nine ways to meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard for an undergraduate degree.

Start thinking about your personal profile

UBC will evaluate your application based on a combination of your academic achievements and personal experiences. The personal profile is your opportunity to tell UBC what you are most proud of, what is most important to you, and what you have learned from your experiences inside and outside the classroom. Start thinking about what you are learning – and want to learn – from those experiences in the coming year.

Do your best

A competitive university like UBC receives more applications than offers it can give out. We wish we could admit all qualified applicants, but we just don’t have the space. UBC has a comprehensive approach to admissions that focuses primarily on your marks in academic courses, but also considers the breadth, rigour, and relevancy of your coursework.

Stay up to date

UBC’s admission requirements can change from year to year. Be sure to refer to the Applying to UBC page for the most up-to-date information.

Thinking about applying to UBC? Here’s a quick guide on how best to prepare so you can improve your chances of admission.

Admission requirements

For your application to be considered, you will need to meet the admission requirements. This includes the English Language Admission Standard, general admission requirements, and degree-specific requirements.

Course planning

It’s never too early to start thinking about what you’ll study at UBC. Knowing what degree(s) you’re interested in will help you choose your high school courses that meet the degree requirements. After selecting courses that fulfill the degree requirements, fill out your schedule with other courses that interest you, challenge you, and are relevant to the degree you’ll be applying to.

Find more information on planning your high school courses and use this worksheet to map out your plan.

Experiences beyond academics

In addition to making good course choices, be sure you follow your interests outside the classroom too. You’ll have the chance to tell us about your sports, leadership activities, community involvement and more in the personal profile section of your UBC application. This will tell us a lot about you and how you’ll do at university.

Ready to apply? I’s helpful to understand what we look for when evaluating your application.

Each year, UBC receives approximately 50,000 undergraduate applications like yours from across Canada and around the world. You may be applying directly from high school or transferring from another university or college, studying at a Canadian school, or following any one of a number of international curricula. English may be your first language, or your second or third or fourth.

Each person who applies to UBC is unique, so each of you will have your own way of meeting our requirements. Here are four questions to ask yourself before you begin your application.

Four questions we’ll ask

Do you meet UBC’s English language requirement?

English is the primary language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students are required to demonstrate English language competency before they’re admitted.

Do you meet UBC’s general admission requirements?

Your general admission requirements will vary depending on whether you’re a Canadian high school student, an international high school student, or a post-secondary transfer student from Canada or abroad.

Do you know what you’re interested in studying at UBC?

You don’t need to select a program (or major) just yet (e.g., English or Biology), but you’ll need to identify which degree you’re working toward (e.g., Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science). Choosing what to study will help you determine which degree-specific requirements you must meet when you apply to UBC and help you understand how your application will be reviewed.

When you complete your application, you can select a first and second choice of degree. You don’t have to indicate a second choice if you don’t have one or if you only meet the requirements for your first-choice degree, but it’s always a good idea to keep your options open. Some degrees are offered on both UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver, so one approach is to apply for the same degree on both campuses as your first and second choices.

In the online application, you’ll enter those degree choices in the Program Selection tab. Enter your first-choice degree in the “First Program Choice” field and enter your second-choice degree in the “Second Program Choice” field.

Does your chosen degree require a personal profile or supplemental application?

All high school applicants and some transfer applicants are required to submit a personal profile as part of their application to UBC. Depending on the degree you choose, a supplemental application, portfolio, or audition may be required, too.

Find your admission requirements

No matter where you’re from, what you want to study, or which UBC campus you’re applying to, our Undergraduate Programs and Admissions website can help you find the admission requirements that apply to you.

Still have questions? Contact us and we’ll point you in the right direction.