UBC wants to get to know you
I’ve been busy, alright? I’m not doing anything this week for the newspaper since I’ve got to study and do class work and whatnot, so perhaps I’ll finally have a chance to explain my crazy new news writing ideas.
UBC wants to get to know you
New admissions process looks at more than prospective students’ marks
For at least one major Canadian university, prospective undergraduates may soon need more than just good grades to enrol. Starting in September, the University of British Columbia will implement a “broad-based admissions” process at its Vancouver campus. The new method requires students to answer four to six “personal profile” questions as a complement to their secondary school transcripts, enabling the university to learn more about the calibre and integrity of their applicants.
“Universities will probably look at whether [UBC’s broad-based application process] can be proven to add to the predictive value of marks when it comes to predicting the success of students at university,” said Merike Remmel, Assistant University Registrar and Director of Admissions at U of T.
While U of T as a whole does not consider broad-based criteria when conducting enrollment, such as details regarding the life and experiences of prospective students, both Trinity College and Victoria College have required student profiles from its applicants for several years. “This provides us with information on the student’s extracurricular involvement and special interests and accomplishments,” said Susan McDonald, Victoria College Registrar. “Students who do not submit the VIC Profile are not considered for admission to Victoria College. It’s mandatory.”
Similar to the student profiles expected by applicants to Trinity College and Victoria College, specialized faculties such as Music and Engineering also require specific supplementary material in addition to secondary school grades. “That’s simply part of the process,” Remmel explained. “By and large admission to the university to the Faculty of Arts and Science, except for those exceptions, is based strictly on marks.”
Because U of T handles its immense volume of applications electronically, most of which are from the graduating Ontario secondary school population, marks from an array of grade 12 academic level course indicators serve as a useful binary standard for determining admissions to the university. Remmel also explained how, once automated processes have defined the pool of potential applicants to the university, prospective students are given information about how to submit any additional necessary materials their faculty and college of choice may require as soon as their application is received.
While U of T examines marks and any necessary supplementary information concurrently, the university considers only those applicants who exceed the minimum academic threshold for enrollment. “Students might have an impressive extra-curricular profile but if they don’t meet the grade requirements they won’t be admitted,” said Remmel.
Even at UBC where broad-based admissions processes are set to expand dramatically come September, secondary school grades will continue to be a key factor in enrolling future undergraduates. “Success at university requires students to engage with their learning at a deep level and to learn from the challenges they encounter as they work toward attaining their goals,” said Paul Harrison, Associate Dean for Students in the Faculty of Science at UBC, in a recent media release. “We’ll use the personal profile to gather a broader range of indicators to assess an applicant’s potential for success.”
U of T, however, is neither pursuing nor encouraging the expansion of broad-based admissions processes to faculties and colleges other than those which currently utilize them. “We do very well already in terms of admitting students who are successful here, but it doesn’t mean we won’t always be reviewing and looking at additional information where it does seem to point to another factor that might help us make a better decision,” Remmel concluded. “We have a high retention rate and a high graduation rate, so we’re not struggling to find students with the potential to succeed at university.”
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