Beyond the Academics
September 12, 2008
Contrary to popular hype, you need more than the right courses to get into the B.Ed. program.
We advisors are just as guilty for harping on academic requirements, so this post is an effort to shift the attention to the “softer” aspects of the B.Ed. application. In other words, we’re going to focus on the personal essay, experience summary, and references.
First off, the personal essay: it’s no secret that the prevailing essay topic has remained the same from year to year. And I can guarantee that this year, you will be asked to reflect on your experiences with children and youth and their potential to prepare you for the teaching profession. Don’t underestimate the impact of a cogent, thoughtful, and readable composition. It personalizes your application and also demonstrates your ability to write effectively and correctly. Use examples or illustrations to make a point. Academic-style essays are not de rigeur; but try to avoid a casual tone. And please — please proofread and edit your essay before submitting it.
If your personal essay is like a cover letter, think of the experience summary as your resume. Here’s where you give us the bare-boned details of the related experiences you’ve had interacting with kids and teens. You’re not beholden to report every single related experience . Think of the most suitable ones; be choosy. And yes, please be accurate when reporting the number of hours per activity (I know high school babysitting was a long time ago — if so, perhaps under-report your hours to be on the safe side.)
And lastly, references (CLICK HERE to find a reference report template): it may seem early, but I would suggest that you start thinking about possible referees. Make sure that you’ve taken a look at the reference report before approaching individuals. Do they know you well enough to comment on your skills and abilities? Are they prepared to assess you based on your experiences with children and youth? When it comes time to request a reference, your referees will appreciate early notice. Starting the process in advance means that if the reference you were counting on isn’t available, you’ve still time to pursue plan B.
What are you doing right now to prepare for your application? Feel free to share your to-do list, ideas, and plans in the comments.
Entry Filed under: Admissions. Tags: advice, pre-admissions.
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1.
vw | February 8, 2009 at 2:49 am
If UBC already has my transcripts from previous institutions I attended and I have now graduated from UBC (with my BA), do I still need to order transcripts from the insitutions again to send directly to the Education Office?
2.
Dilys Chiew | February 9, 2009 at 9:57 am
Yes, you must re-order these transcripts and send them directly to Teacher Education Office. We do not have access to Enrolment Services’ records.
3.
L. | April 8, 2009 at 9:25 pm
So, does that mean that UBC focuses more on the experiences, essays, and references than the GPA? And as for the GPA for the secondary school education program, do they only focus on the GPA of the major that is applied for or do they focus on the overall GPA? I am an English major and my GPA for English is 2.92, which I think is about a 71% at UBC ( I am not sure). Is it considered a low gpa in regards of admission criteria?
4.
Dilys Chiew | April 9, 2009 at 10:01 am
No, both academic and experience requirements are reviewed equally. You may wish to consult the Admission Statistics to find out the competitive range of GPAs of successfully admitted applicants: http://www.teach.educ.ubc.ca/stepstoapply/requirements/selection_info.html.
5.
Girl. | April 30, 2009 at 1:01 pm
My GPA is about a 3.0, I applied to the 2 year elementary program. I was emailed asking to come in for an interview, they wrote that selected applicants get interviewed as part of the process. Does the interview count for the application as well? They told me they interview “selected applicants” does that mean I’m partially in?
6.
Jennifer Stewart | April 30, 2009 at 3:08 pm
A sample of applicants were interviewed this year as part of the admissions process. The interview is part of the application evaluation. Most admission decisions will be sent in May.
Jennifer
7.
Girl | April 30, 2009 at 4:23 pm
So does the interview have a heavy weight for the application? and why only a sample?
8.
Jennifer Stewart | May 1, 2009 at 2:52 pm
The interview is part of the evaluation of an applicant’s experiential qualifications, which are assessed on a pass/fail basis. Due to the large number of BEd applications which we receive (typically 1200 to 1300) we are not able to interview all applicants.
9.
L. | May 1, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Does that mean that the applicants who did not get interviewed would not pass the admission process?
10.
Dilys Chiew | May 5, 2009 at 9:35 am
No. An interview is not required for all applicants.
11.
girl | May 1, 2009 at 4:22 pm
If one doesnt pass the interview but passes everything else (grades, references, etc.) than would they still be accepted in?