UBC September 2014 Applicants

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Hello :)

Anyone else applying for UBC's September 2014 intake? If so, let's get through this process by communicating with each other! :nailbiting:

good luck @AgathaKitty !!

Are you applying to other schools as well?

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Hi @amychow0,

The info session wasn't really useful for me..

Let us know if you have any questions, maybe we can help you out?

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Has anyone started their supplemental application yet?

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@skittles12, I'm applying to BCIT but am not sure for August or January (depends if I can finish up my prerequisites on time). I'm considering Douglas but it's a longer program.

I've started the UBC supplemental and it's going very slowly. 300 words seems a lot for each section. I'm going to try to work really hard on it though.

Do others have thoughts about the supplemental? It seems like people with healthcare volunteer experience have the best shot, but from what I've read in the forums it counts that your supplemental is well-written and shows your true interest/self as well.

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Regarding the program, there are a wide-range of backgrounds (Pol Sci and English to BioChem, Business, Health Science etc) and GPA ranged as well. I know someone who got in with a 75% average and others with averages in the 90s. Work/volunteer/life experience is really important. My cohort has former LPNs, people from clinical research, a former mortgage broker etc. UBC definitely wants mature students which is why the average age is 27ish; however there are some people in their early 20s. Your application is KEY - don't leave it to the last minute. Write full, thoughtful paragraphs and in the essay be honest and genuine about why you want to go into nursing. Talk about your goals, past experience, and what nursing means to you. I got in on my first try but there are a few people who applied more than once and a couple people who had deferred. The breaks in the program are December after finals (about 3-4 weeks) and August. However, if you take an ESN job for 4th year then orientation will be a week in mid-August.

One last note is to really consider if the program is right for you, consider your finances, other obligations etc. We had a few people drop out already :( Otherwise good luck with your application! It's a long and stressful process but UBC is great, especially if you are considering further education down the line :)

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Thanks for all the info veggie_girl!!

How do you find living expenses in Vancouver? Can you find affordable places to rent that are near the university?

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Thanks for the info and support veggie_girl! Some questions, if you don't mind my asking.... Do you and your cohorts have time to relax a little on the weekend or evenings? Or do you need to study all the time? I read the program has clinicals starting in the first or second month - is that in a hospital setting or other community settings, or does it vary? Do they try to place you nearer to where you live or is it random? [sorry for all the questions!]

@aje8 - Vancouver is pretty expensive, especially if you don't want to live on campus. UBC is in a more expensive side of town, and rents are pretty up there; one bedrooms are usually $1000+ per month, bachelor suites maybe around $800-ish. You might need to have roommates to make things work. I live outside the city, which is a little more affordable. But it takes me an hour to come to downtown where I work.

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I graduated from the UBC program in May. In term 1 things are a little intense workload wise but you absolutely have time to have a life! It's not difficult to get good grades in your courses once you're in the program (GPA for all my classes was quite high). Things get better after Term 1 (at least I found). Remember that clinical is where you learn the most valuable skills and it's pass/fail. When I was in the program little regard was given to where you were living in the vancouver area when they were deciding placements but things might be better now. All my placements were in acute care hospitals (I was lucky) except for community health which was at a community health centre. Good luck!

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Thanks agathakitty. I live in Calgary so that sounds pretty similar. I am not sure if I would come to live in Vancouver alone or if my boyfriend and dog would come too. We own a house in Calgary so it might be a bit complicated, but I will cross that bridge if/when I come to it.

Anybody send in their supplemental yet? I see they have received my HS and U of C transcripts, so that is good. I am taking A&P at Athabasca U, so I want to wait until I write my first exam to send in that transcript so there is at least something for them to see on it.

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Hi! I just wanted to revive this thread. I sent in my UBC application and I am currently working on my supplemental application. Being a young person, the questions are slightly overwhelming. It seems like they can really only be answered by someone who has a lot of life experiences. I was just wondering how everyone else was answering them.

For the life experiences and accomplishments section, I am not really sure what to put since I am so young. Like, does moving countries and surviving bullying count?

And how are they supposed to be answered? I'm kind of writing them point form, but each point is essentially a paragraph, and I am describing everything in detail (300 words is so little!).

Thanks and good luck to y'all!

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Hi futurenursecanada,

I'm currently in the program so might be of some help. I would definitely talk about surviving bullying if you are comfortable to do so. Unfortunately, nurse incivility/bullying is a big problem and talking about your experiences will highlight your conflict resolution and problem solving skills (hopefully!). Talk about what actions you took, not just that it happened.

I did my application in full paragraphs, but I'm not sure if this is necessary.

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Hiya! Thanks for responding! I have a few more questions if you are able to answer!

What exactly are they looking for ''working with others''? I mean most, if not all of us work with others ALL the time. I'm not really sure how to answer it!

Also, for ''interests and other hobbies,'' how would I answer that? Does it have to specifically pertain to nursing or do we simply write down what they are?

I've finished my raft draft of my supplemental application and I assume that we somehow have to relate our answer with nursing, am I correct?

Sorry for all the questions!

Also, I am unfamiliar what UBC's grading scale. My GPA would be 3.23, what percent would that be? Hopefully I make competitive average!

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