UBC September 2014 Applicants

A_Axelrod · Mar 25, 2014

The fact that I received an interview is definitely testament to the fact that non traditional applicants are being asked for interviews. I have a very tumultuous relationship with school, switching from a degree in Material Arts and Fashion at OCAD to Psychology at Ryerson, and finally graduating after 6 six years with a 3.33 GPA.

Despite this rather torrid journey through Academia, I do have extensive research experience in Fashion, working on functional clothing design for women who have had mastectomies, as well as in psychology and health, working in Prison Health Care provision, HIV/AIDs and sex worker populations. I presume that my supplementary is really what carried me through. I wish you the best of luck and I hope to meet all of you at the interviews!

smanou · Mar 25, 2014

First off, thanks for starting this forum! So nice to not feel alone.

I just wanted to post that I just received my interview email. I don't know how they decide who goes first, but I'm in Vancouver and graduated from UBC in HKin. So I don't fit the profile of those before me. Last name is M. I hate to say it, but my guess is its either going out by score or at random.

Good luck everyone!

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 25, 2014

The interviews are earlier than last year (which started around April 15th I think), so travel arrangements will have to be made, and very quickly too.

That's probably because Easter is 3 weeks later this year.

calilauren · Mar 25, 2014

Hi everyone!

I just received my interview invitation today. I am a second year college student at Sonoma State University in California. I'm a dual-citizen but still probably recognized as out-of-province. I am way less educated than a lot of you so far, I don't have a degree but have lots of experience in volunteering, internships, and working as well as a 3.45 GPA for college and a 3.7 GPA from high school. My interview is for April 15th! Looking forward to this as my family lives in Vancouver and I just fell in love with the area. Good luck everyone!

kliu · Mar 25, 2014

Hey everyone,

I just got an interview too, but I was surprised as reading all you guys' achievements, I thought I would not get one at all since my gpa is only 77% for the latest 30 credits and my supplementals are way less dashing then the ones posted. I am a 2nd year student studying food, health and nutrition at ubc. My interview is on april 15. So for those who are still waiting, don't lose heart :)

ogormankelsey · Mar 25, 2014

Hi All!

Yay just got my interview offer! It is on April 16th at 1:40pm - so see some of you there! My last name starts with O, so maybe that's why? I didn't have the best GPA (I think when I calculated it out my last 2 years came out to 80% or something, maybe 83%)) and I definitely did WAY better my first 2 years (probably 90%). I have done my own research projects at UVic and VIU for several years, got accepted to several medical schools but decided that wasn't the direction I wanted to go in so I have been working in a Mental Health clinic for several years. I used to work on the Assertive Community Treatment teams with homeless and severely mental ill populations (high police and hospital encounters) and it was getting a bit too dangerous (I live downtown so would never feel like I quite stopped working) and ended up working in the Early Psychosis Intervention program at Royal Jubilee Hospital in an outpatient mental health clinic. I have a wide range of volunteer experience from working in Asia as a surgeon's assistant (assisting my uncle in surgeries at the hospital as well as helping to deliver babies) and running blood drives at my university, volunteering in the cancer clinic, and at various charity events around town. I hope you all get in and if not, I'm sure the right opportunity in Nursing or another career will present itself. Good luck in your interviews everyone :)

johnp90 · Mar 26, 2014

Hello everyone! I haven't posted in here yet, but I've been following the thread religiously. I received my invitation at around 1:40pm EST today. I am from Ontario, therefore out-of-state, and graduated with an honors degree in Biological Sciences with a fifth year. My cGPA is on the lower end of the spectrum in the 70s, but my last 30 credits equate to about a 84%. I have quite a bit of volunteer/shadowing experience and I also work in a health care environment within a pharmacy. I'm assuming my supplemental may have made up for my mediocre transcript. My interview is on April 11! I look forward to meeting to those of you who have it on the same day! My last name starts with a J* also, for those of you who want to know.

For those of you who are still waiting, I'm wishing you all the best and don't give up! I know it's very nerve-wrecking, but good news comes to those who wait.

IslandnurseG · Mar 26, 2014

Hey johnp90! when is your interview on the 11th? I'm at 11 on the 11th!

Where did you study in Ontario? I went to Carleton :)

STAR LITE · Mar 26, 2014

Hi there everybody,

This is my first time to write on the UBC forum, but I have been checking it daily since discovering it back in November. Thank you everybody for contributing your posts, as they have REALLY helped get me through the stressful, and hopefully rewarding, process of applying to nursing school - specifically UBC - as it is my first choice. I was surprised, and so very grateful, to receive an interview invitation today at 11:00am BC time. In fact, there was a point in January where I almost didn't follow through with my application after realizing what my GPA was. I have a 3.2 or 75% GPA, however I feel that my supplemental is decent. I am a mature student in my 30's with a B.A from SFU, joint major in Psychology and Gender Studies. I also have a certificate in Mental Health and Addictions and a Diploma in Acupuncture. I have 2 years experience as a community mental health worker in the DTES, 5 years experience working as an ESL/EFL teacher both locally and internationally, working with a variety of populations including immigrants and refugees, as well as some administration experience in health care. For volunteer work I have taught a yoga therapy group in a mental health setting and worked in a community garden project with Coast Mental Health. I have also volunteered in a community acupuncture clinic and been a literacy worker in a Cambodian orphanage. To all of you still waiting, I imagine it is so challenging and stressful to be checking emails every 5 minutes, I was doing the same today until I heard, and probably failed my Biology quiz as a result, but don't give up! It appears that UBC is really looking for an eclectic, diverse and committed group of applicants. My interview is April 15th at 13:40 (right after my Biology final)! If anybody would like to get together in Vancouver to prepare, I am open to that. For those trying to understand the selection process, I would have to say at this point it seems to be random. I am from Vancouver, low GPA, last name starts with a K????? Theories most welcome. Good luck to everybody and thank you for your contributions to this forum.

Sparklet15 · Mar 26, 2014

Hi All,

I'm slightly in shock that I get to post this message BUT I also received an invitation to attend a selection interview today around 12:45 PM PST! My interview is scheduled for April 16th - hope to meet some of you then!

I agree with some of the previous posts that this forum is both a helpful and harmful resource...I haven't checked it since last week because I didn't want to see all of the interview posts and get discouraged. After reading the post and stats for this year's and last year's thread, the only piece of advice I want to pass along is DON'T GET DISCOURAGED when you read everyone else's accomplishments! To me, the extensive supplemental application we had to submit was the School of Nursing's way to discover our outlook on nursing, related experiences, and commitment to the application process. I spent a lot of hours on my supplemental and I like to think that it showed and is why I'm fortunate enough to have received an invitation.

But regardless, for those of you who are still curious about stats (I know I would be!), these are mine:

- Bachelor of Commerce (cumulative avg 77.4%, last 30 credits avg approx. 81%)

- Anatomy and Physiology prereqs (87% and 91%)

- 4.5 years work experience as a business analyst and project manager

- Fairly extensive volunteer experience but only in the health care field in the last 8 months (Vancouver costal health, social media consultant, United Way campaign, sorority president, CIBC Run for the Cure team captain, etc). Quite a few of my volunteer experiences were in leadership roles, not sure if this was a factor.

- From Vancouver, BC

- Last name falls under the 'QRS' part of the alphabet song :)

Good luck to everyone! This is a mentally and emotionally exhausting experience!

A_Axelrod · Mar 26, 2014

Hi @johnp90 I'm also on April 11 @ 11 am! Looking forward to meeting you!

Swaybe · Mar 27, 2014

So I'm hoping by the silence no one else heard anything today?