UBC admissions blog

It’s fantastic that so many of you are currently working on your online application to UBC. Starting early means you’ll have time to reflect on your answers to the personal profile section: an important part of UBC’s admissions decision.

The personal profile asks you six or seven questions about challenges you have overcome, significant achievements in your life, your academic pursuits, and what you have learned from these experiences. The questions differ depending on the degree program you are applying for, and you’ll find out what you’ll be asked when you begin your application.

Does everyone have to submit a personal profile?

Not all applicants are required to submit a personal profile, and others will have additional requirements, such as portfolios or auditions. To find out if your degree requires a personal profile, start the online application process and follow the instructions.

How do we assess your profile?

When we evaluate your application, two trained UBC readers will look for four qualities in your personal profile: engagement and accomplishment, leadership, substance, and voice. This is a chance for us to find out more about you and your experiences beyond academics. We want to hear about your life and achievements – what have you learned, and how have these moments allowed you to grow?

We are not looking for a particular experience, and there are no right or wrong answers. Be authentic, and focus on what you want to say about yourself and how you want to say it, rather than writing what you think we want to hear.

Do you need to record a video interview?

If you are applying to the UBC Sauder School of Business’s Bachelor of Commerce degree, you will be asked to provide video responses to interview questions in addition to your personal profile. You will be prompted to create your video responses within your application, including detailed instructions on how to include the video interview in the personal profile section of your application. Read our tips and watch a video about creating your video interview.

If you have not started working on your application yet, we encourage you to begin as soon as possible to make sure you have everything you need to submit your application on time.

Your personal profile and disruptions outside of your control

We know that disruptions can arise that may affect your access to extracurricular activities at school or in your community. We will be as flexible as possible to ensure that your personal profile is not disadvantaged by disruptions caused by things outside of your control.

Remember that when we assess your personal profile, we take into account all of the activities you’ve done across multiple years, not just the ones you hoped to complete in Grade 11 or 12. Your examples can come from any aspect of your life, including within your family or smaller community. There are no right or wrong answers – we’re not looking for certain activities or a long list of achievements, but rather your reflections on what you’ve experienced.

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

If you’re applying to UBC’s 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 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:

1. Read all instructions thoroughly.
2. Allow yourself ample time to test your recording equipment.
3. Try a practice question before recording responses to two pre-recorded interview questions.

Please keep in mind that you’ll only have one attempt to respond to each 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. You can review your video submission after answering each question, to ensure no technical errors occurred and that your answers were successfully uploaded but re-recording is not permitted.

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 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.

Now that the new school year has begun, it’s time to shift your focus to what comes next for you academically. If your sights are set on a future at UBC, now’s the time to start thinking about applying.

Important deadlines

UBC’s online application for the 2025/26 academic year is now open.

Admission to UBC is not granted on a first-come, first-served basis, so you can take time to think about your application. The deadline to apply is 11:59pm PST on January 15, 2025.

Your application deadline will be earlier if you’re a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada and you’d like to be considered for a Presidential Scholars Award, or you’re an international student who’d like to apply for the International Scholars Program awards. For be eligible for each, you must apply to UBC by at 11:59pm PST on December 1, 2024.

Note: to be considered for the International Scholars Program awards, a separate application is due by 11:59pm PST on November 15, 2024.

Before you begin

You’ll need to make sure that you fulfil all the admission requirements before you apply to your degree.

Review the key steps on how to apply to get a sense of the process. When you’re ready to get started, click Apply to UBC.

Where will you go?

Choosing which universities to apply to isn’t easy. Your friends might be set on one school, your parents might be insisting on another, but something about a different university really caught your eye. How do you know which one is right for you? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Consider how the school stacks up

A university education is a big investment, and the school you choose sends a signal to the world. At a top-ranked school, you’ll enjoy one of the best educations in the world and join the workforce with a wealth of options. Graduating with a degree from a top 40 research university like UBC says something about you, and can open doors around the globe when you’re looking to begin your career.

Check out your academic options

If you have a program in mind, check out what and where you’ll learn. If you’re still not sure what to study, look for a school and degree that will give you lots of options down the road. Some universities provide the opportunity for combined programs, or let you select from a range of different electives across multiple subjects while still fulfilling the requirements for your degree. At UBC, you can choose from among 43 undergraduate degrees and hundreds of opportunities for specialization.

Choose a place you want to live

It’s important that the campus you choose has the right vibe for you. Universities can be rural or urban, in a major metropolis, or form a mini-city of its own. Some schools place more of an emphasis on academics, while others have a tradition of excellence in sports or the arts. UBC’s Okanagan and Vancouver campuses both have inclusive, well-rounded communities that will welcome and support you in whatever you’re passionate about, and each one offers a distinctive experience and unique path to a UBC degree.

Picture yourself on campus

Most schools offer campus tours, and many also offer online events for you to get to know the campuses you’re considering. At UBC, we have in-person campus tours, where you’re invited to check out the facilities in person. If you’re unable to make it to Vancouver or the Okanagan, you can take advantage of a live virtual campus tour from home or a self-guided virtual tour that you can take at any time. You’ll get a sense of where you could be going to lectures and studying for exams, eating lunch, and hanging out with friends between classes.

Crunch the numbers

Going to university is an investment in your future, and the costs can add up. Tuition varies across schools, as do the living costs, financial assistance, and awards available to you. You can usually find out all you need to know about planning your finances from a university’s website. For UBC, you can easily do the math with our cost estimator.