The Confusion

We are finding that students in BC are getting mixed messages about doing online (or distance learning) courses and how they impact their admissions to UBC.

Official messaging on how UBC considers online courses is found on THIS PAGE, under "Distributed Learning" (near bottom).

If you have any questions about how UBC will consider your online courses, you are invited to contact UBC at 1-877-807-8521 or recruitment.ok@ubc.ca.

Clarifications

There is one application cycle each year for UBC. Students interested in being considered for Major Entrance Scholarships and first round offers need to submit the UBC application before December 1.

• First round offers. If a student applies before Dec. 1^st, their application will be reviewed for early consideration. If the application is strong enough, based on a combination of the grades included in the application and the Personal Profile, they may receive a "first round offer." Typically, about 25-30% of offers are issued at this point. No one is refused admission in the first round. In progress courses, online or in classroom, are not considered in the first round.
• The majority of BC students receive an admission decision in March/April after UBC receives additional grade information in the spring. If students want a grade from a DL course to be used in the calculation of their admission average, the DL course needs to be 100% complete by February 1 to allow enough time for the grade to be added to their official report card or transcript and subsequently received by UBC. In the same way, classroom courses finished after Feb 1 are not used (eg. semester #2 courses).
• A DL course completed after February 1 can still be used to meet a prerequisite for your UBC program.
• Classroom and DL courses are treated equally in the admission decision.

Advice for Students doing DL Courses

If any of the DL courses you're taking are part of the requirements for your desired program at UBC, here is some advice.

• Ensure all required courses are finished by the June deadline.
• Only courses 100% complete at the time of your application, DL or in classroom, are used for first-round offers.
• If you want a grade for a DL course to be used in your admission average, complete the course by February 1.
• Note that you should include eSchoolBC as one of your secondary schools in your "Academic History" on your application.