How to Nail Your York University Applications

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Are you eyeing York University for your university career aspirations but are scared or simply do not know much about the application process? Do not worry, a lot of current York University students felt the exact same way when they were also applying to get in, but look where they are now! I will tell you all the things you should focus on to also successfully get into York University so you can nail your applications. 

Pick Your Program

The first important thing to note is that admission varies greatly depending on which York University program you apply to. There are over 200 programs at York University, so unfortunately, all of them cannot be detailed here in this article. However, York University has provided a master list of all their program offerings and admission requirements here: https://futurestudents.yorku.ca/requirements. So if you have an idea of what program you are interested in, I highly suggest going to that website to see the specific requirements that your program of interest asks for.

General Requirements

Nonetheless, there are some requirements that are in common for most, if not all, York University programs as identified in the master list. First of all, in order to be admitted into York University, students must have attained their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), in other words, you need to graduate from high school. York University also only looks at your top 6 courses, and the average of these courses ranges depending on the program but the lowest would be an average in the mid 70s, with some programs asking for high averages in the mid 90s. Within these top 6 courses, there may be specific courses that must be included regardless of the mark you got in them. The required courses to be included in your top 6 varies depending on the program, but most programs require that you successfully completed ENG4U which is your university level English course in grade 12. Your other courses in the top 6 should be a mix of university and mixed level courses. There may be a cap on how many mixed courses you are allowed to include in your top 6, so again, double check with your specific program requirements. 

Possible Additional Requirements

Some York University programs may ask you to complete supplementary applications which could consist of video interviews, timed-written interviews, leadership portfolio, and more. I recommend that you make a list of some programs that you are interested in and keep track of these additional requirements so that you can prepare for them while you are still in high school, and you won’t be surprised when they come up in your application.

Conclusion

Just the fact that you are doing the due diligence and research by reading this article proves to me that you are more than capable of passing the York applications with flying colours. Prepare well and study well in your classes and I have no doubt that the York University campus will be blessed with your presence!

How to Nail Your Schulich Applications

If you want to get into business and have a chance to study abroad for a semester at one of 60 of Schulich’s exchange partners worldwide, you may be wondering how to successfully apply and get into the Schulich School of Business. Since Schulich only offers honours program, it is a rigorous educational experience where you have to meet certain mark requirements each year in the program in order to move on to the next year. Since it is a very disciplined and rigorous program to be in, Schulich wants to make sure that you are ready for it, and thus the application process asks for more than what some other programs may require. These special requirements will be detailed below so you can prepare for them while you are still in high school.

Academic Requirements

Schulich requires that your top 6 average should be at least in the high 80s or low 90s however, from personal experience, it will be better to aim for mid 90s or high 90s in order to be a more competitive candidate. However, your top 6 courses must include your grade 12 english, advanced functions, and at least one of calculus or your data management course. Both your english and advanced functions mark cannot be lower than 70%. In addition, these required courses must all be at the university level and not at the mixed level However, the other three courses in your top 6 can be a mix of university and mixed level courses but you cannot have more than two mixed level courses. This also means that no college level courses should be a part of your top 6 marks. 

Supplementary Requirements

The supplementary application is just as important as your academic requirements since Schulich wants students who are involved in their school community and can demonstrate leadership. Schulich’s supplementary application consists of a video interview and timed writing exercise where questions will be asked and you must answer them on the spot. This is just so the school can know you better and can evaluate your communication skills. They will ask questions about what you have done in high school and try to gauge what inspires you and how you handle stressful and difficult times in your life. Schulich also requires that you fill out a leadership profile which asks you to fill in a maximum of five leadership activities you have partaken in during high school. This includes any school club you were in, with an extra focus on your leadership roles in these clubs and what impact you were able to make while you were in high school. So now that you know how important these leadership experiences are, make sure you get out there and find opportunities in your high school where you are able to demonstrate your amazing leadership. Not only will this be beneficial for your Schulich application, but it would be a great learning experience to you as well!

Published on September 10, 2021

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