It's about that time. January 31 marks the application deadline for the undergraduate class of 2020, which means there are going to be a whole lot of stressed-out high schoolers desperately looking for answers about whom exactly the best university in BC lets in their ivory gates. Lucky for you, we've compiled some helpful information from UBC's annual Enrolment Report about exactly that. Let's start with the important stuff:
What kind of average do I need?
The mean average for all incoming domestic students in 2015 was 89.95 per cent — for international students it was 89.15. Here's how the averages for incoming students break down by degree for domestic and international students, respectively:
BA: 87.5 / 87.9
BASC: 92.8 / 91.7
BCOM: 92.6 / 90.4
BDSC: 86.3 / (N/A)
BSC: 92.28 / 91.7
Applied Science (Engineering) had the highest domestic admission average at 92.8 per cent. The lowest was Urban Forestry at 79 per cent, which also had the largest discrepancy between international and domestic entrance averages as international students were required to achieve a mean average of 86.4 per cent.
For every other faculty's averages, here's a screenshot of a chart that the Office of Planning and Institutional Research is working on — it's up to date as of January 20, 2016, but there may be slight differences in future versions as they continually work on the data (click to enlarge):
![['']](https://storage.googleapis.com/ubyssey/media/renditions/Screen_Shot_2016-01-20_at_12.27.03_PM.original.png)
How many get in?
In 2014, UBC received 25,306 applications, up from 24,867 in 2013. Of all the applications, 13,688 were accepted and 7,177 registered in courses, meaning the “yield rate” (how many accepted students actually came to UBC) was 52.1 per cent.
How does that compare to previous years?
International student applications have been increasing over the past few years from 4,286 in 2010, to 8,383 in 2014, and registration has kept up that pace. There has been a steady, albeit small, decline in the number of domestic applications from 18,224 in 2010, to 16,923 in 2014, but the number of domestic students who actually register has remained rock-steady in the 5,000s every year. UBC attributes the lower number of applications to the introduction of their broad based admissions scheme.
What are broad based admissions?
Since 2012, students applying to UBC have had to answer a few personal questions, mostly about challenges they've faced and how they've overcome them. The university says this is in order to admit students that may not have had a chance in a solely grades-based scheme and attract students with leadership qualities and high chances of success in the university environment. Here's some more information about broad based admissions and how they affect your chances.
What if my grades drop?
A common fear — what if I get accepted, but my final grade 12 marks fall from the time I self-report to the end of the year? UBC may reevaluate your admission (for BC students) if any of the following happen:
A) Your average drops by five per cent or more
B) Your English or math grades fall below 80 per cent
C) Your grade 11 or 12 English marks go below 70 per cent
D) There is a 20 point or more difference between your English 12 final grade and your English 12 provincial exam grade.
Check this page for more, including information for IB and international students.
So am I going to get in?
Hard to tell. Is your average close to the ones above? Is your personal profile really good (or can you lie really well)? Broad based admissions mean getting into UBC isn't as straightforward as it once was. But if you're confident after reading this, it's a good sign. Best of luck from us at The Ubyssey!