UBC BSN September 2019 Applicants

mb96, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2018

This is my very first time applying!

I've started the application, and my CASPer test is scheduled for February 24, 2019 at 2pm PST. Currently, I'm a fourth-year student with second year standing in the Food, Nutrition, and Health major at UBC due to a certain course snag. So I'm sorry for the following long descriptions:

1) MATH 105 is what I must take so that UBC can promote me to fourth year at the end of winter term, however I hesitate, because right now, my GPA based on my most recent 30 credits is around 78% NOT including my Term 1 grades, which UBC Nursing will count. I should be able to bump my GPA up to an A- after completing my Term 1 grades (I currently have high grades in them). I'm not good at Math at all, and if I fail, I'll be wasting money. I also struggle with mental health issues and wonder if I should do academic leave for the upcoming term so that I can focus on myself and do some more volunteering.

If I do not get an offer for the September 2019 cycle and must apply again for September 2020, I'm afraid my GPA will not be competitive enough if I take MATH 105 next semester. At the same time, if I keep pushing back MATH 105, I will graduate late and will remain in second-year standing for the second year in a row after this 2018/2019 winter term. I also feel anxious and perhaps not as invested as I should be in my FNH major program because I'm focused on getting into UBC Nursing School. I plan to talk to my Academic advisors in the following week about this. Again, will I be wasting money?

I completed UBC BIOL 153 with an A- over the 2015-2016 academic year, as well. In other words, at the time of application, I have taken BIOL 153 in the last four years. Will I still need to retake it if I apply for September 2020 intake?

2) Membership in Organizations, Volunteering, Leadership:

I'm afraid my supplemental may not be up to par once I complete them. I am stuck on Membership in Organizations, considering I am NOT a member of HOSPITAL/HEALTHCARE settings, nor have I done A LOT of volunteering experience in these settings.

Instead, I was involved in volunteering UBC summer camp during Summer 2018, and recently joined AMS VICE at UBC (but I had to take a break for this semester because of a family emergency). I have done a few years of Youth Ministry volunteering as a Youth Leader (leadership role) and Nursing home volunteering as well.

However (this may be a "unique" quality): I'm quite involved in online fandom communities. For example, I recently founded a tumblr blog focused on racism and white privilege in fandom dialogue. I am also a fandom writer who is working on a submission for a fandom magazine that will be published and distributed in 2019. Will UBC look down upon fandom passions in Goals/Interests? I may have to include this in hobbies. I'm also an artist and play the piano in my spare time.

Challenging life experience: I intend to write that I was inspired by my parents, who are both care aides. I also plan to describe their struggles as immigrants in a developed country, but is this too generic? And I'm not sure what kind of "life experience" I must put in here. Is adding a personal issue and how I dealt with it e.g. mental health or parents divorcing a NO for the application?

In terms of academic accomplishments, can I list my high school awards? I do not have university academic recognitions. This semester, we currently completed a project with a Vancouver community partner/non-profit organization that focused on racism and white privilege. Is this considered an accomplishment? Or does this section solely ask for medals/special notations? I was also acknowledged by my Sociology professor, who sent me an email telling me that my media analysis essay was one of the top 3 in class.

3) How can I prepare for CASPer? Do I need to dedicate lots of time in preparing for it? A few friends already in UBC Nursing told me that they did not do preparation, and they asked questions that aren't related to Nursing but mostly "group" scenarios aka What must you do during x y z? Someone else also suggested that I use the STAR method when answering.

Anyway, thanks everyone for reading!! This is just a rundown of what kind of applicant I am! I don't know if I'm "competitive", except I have no idea what UBC looks for. If any of you can help, thank you! I'd like to know what all of you are writing for your application!!

Please use this discussion board to keep up the questions! I definitely would appreciate it!

vanessabeaa · Dec 6, 2018

Hey mb96! This is my first time applying too! I've signed up for the test on February 12 at 2 PM, wasn't really sure what to choose so I chose that to get it over and done with. I'm currently at Douglas College completing the Academic Foundations in Potential Nursing certificate, this is my last semester so I've applied to UBC for nursing and midwifery! In terms of preparing for the CASPer test, I suggest doing their practice test (I think it also mentioned in the email UBC sent you) or searching on google for questions regarding "what would you do in this situation" kinda deal! That's what I'll be doing at least :)

Nurse.ubc · Dec 7, 2018

Hey. I applied to the program last year and got accepted however I had to defer my admission to September 2019 intake due to a family emergency.

Let me know if you guys have any questions regarding the admission process. Good luck :)

vanessabeaa · Dec 7, 2018

Hey. I applied to the program last year and got accepted however I had to defer my admission to September 2019 intake due to a family emergency.
Let me know if you guys have any questions regarding the admission process. Good luck :)

Thank you so much! That's awesome :) Congratulations on getting in as well!

sumad · Dec 13, 2018

Hello fellow applicants!

It is my first time applying too.

I don't have a bachelor's degree yet, but I do have a diploma from Douglas College and have taken courses at both SFU and UBC. It took me awhile to find out what I really wanted to do, but here I am now!

I have hospital experience with the geriatric community and have worked as a medical office assistant at two different medical offices.

I just finished A&P II through TRU and am going to start working on my supplemental! I'm also writing my CASPer test at the beginning of February.

Best of luck to everyone applying! We're in this together :)

sumad · Dec 13, 2018

Sorry to hear about your need to defer last year, but congratulations on being accepted! Out of curiosity, what were you applying with?

Nurse.ubc · Dec 14, 2018

Hi, I applied with a BSc in Psychology. Good luck with your application.:)

buddyy · Dec 19, 2018

Does anyone know if we have use abbreviations? also, im finding it so difficult to seperate my activties! they all overlap!!! can anyone give examples of what they're looking for with "working with others"? thanks!

Nurse.ubc · Dec 19, 2018

Hey. I know what you mean, it is hard separating all of your experiences. I don't think there really is a best way to separate them. You just have to find the best fit for each. Think about how you have worked with people who have different communication, learning or leadership styles. Maybe example of conflict resolution or mediating a problem. They are looking for how you handle/communicate with other people. Hope this helps. Good luck.

JayKayAay · Jan 16, 2019

Hello! This will be my first time applying as well.

I have a BSc in Health Studies from the University of Waterloo completed in 2018. I'm glad that maintenance for the site has ended! I am struggling with the supplementary application because it is just so overwhelming. If I don't get into any nursing programs this year (applied to University of Toronto, McMaster, Western as well), then I'm not sure what I will do! UBC is my first choice as I live in Vancouver now, and if I don't get in, one of my courses will be over 4 years old and so I will have to retake the course which I don't want to do.

Based on the website, they only take the most recent 30 credits (i.e. the last ten courses) and don't take into account the prerequisites if they do not fall within the last 10 courses taken.. Is this correct to assume?

mb96, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2019

On 12/18/2018 at 11:03 PM, buddyy said:
Does anyone know if we have use abbreviations? also, im finding it so difficult to seperate my activties! they all overlap!!! can anyone give examples of what they're looking for with "working with others"? thanks!

My activities overlap as well!! Working with others can be any situation ranging from situations that involve teamwork (workplace) or working FOR others (customer service).

For example, I may not have stellar healthcare-related experience like working in a hospital (I have very little healthcare experience save for Nursing Home volunteering), but I have many experiences with children and other adults.

I have no idea what UBC looks for in ideal applicants, but don't worry if they overlap - as long as you write cohesive responses, you should be good to go! Personally, I explain what I LEARNED from my activities. Others mention that it doesn't matter how "generic" your application seems (I think mine is, lol) - what matters is HOW you write them!

Good luck!!!