Applying to Vancouver Island University and taking the first steps towards fulfilling your career goals can be an exciting time. That said, there are processes to learn, deadlines to remember, and new systems to navigate. It’s normal if you feel a bit anxious and have lots of questions about your college application.
Students reach out to our Recruitment Team every day, wanting to know what they can do to help create a clear path towards becoming a student. Submitting your university application can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are the top 5 questions we get about this every year (and what you can do if you miss an application deadline):
1. What happens when you miss a deadline to apply for a specific program?
No one ever wants to miss a deadline and have things fall off track before you even get started. It’s a yucky feeling that leaves many people in an awkward spot. What you should know is that you don’t have to wait until next year to start the application process again.
If you miss a program application deadline, the first thing to remember is that you can likely get started on course work such as electives and other pre-requisites for your program of interest. It might not be the exact path you expected to be on, but it's a good way to get started.
How would that work?
Let’s say you wanted to apply to the Bachelor of Science program, but you’ve missed the deadline (March 31). You can still apply to the Bachelor of Arts program and start taking science classes. You can later transfer programs and use those courses towards your Bachelor of Science degree. Each program is a little different, so the best way to find out what your options are is to ask.
Pro tip from Jordan: If you’ve missed the deadline, don’t stress. There are probably a lot more options than you might realize.
2. How are late applications handled at Vancouver Island University?
This depends on the program. For example, our trades programs will do continuous intakes throughout the year, which means that if you miss a deadline for one of their programs, your application will roll to the next available session. Other programs will often accommodate late applications if they have space.
If you miss the application deadline for your program or end up on the waitlist, don’t get discouraged. Set up an appointment to talk to VIU’s Educational Advisors about your options.
3. Who should you reach out to if you’ve got questions about a full class?
Your first step should always be to reach out to our Admissions and Registration staff.
Your second step should be to reach out to our Educational Advisors. They can walk you through all of the options and (if needed) help you find alternative solutions. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to navigate the entire system on your own and that there are supports in place to help incoming students.
Pro tip from Dylan: If the class you want is full, sign up for the waitlist anyway. Large waitlists can look really intimidating but you never know how things will look on the first day of class.
4. What do I need before applying?
You only need to have two things ready before applying to Vancouver Island University. You’ll need your personal education number and your application fee. That’s it!
Once that’s been submitted, VIU’s Admissions and Registration staff will work with you to let you know exactly what you need for your specific program. The main thing to know is that you don’t need everything ready at once.
You’ll have time to prepare your documents once you’ve applied.
5. Now that I’ve applied, who do I talk to? When will I know?...and what does as soon as possible mean!?
Breathe. The admissions process to Vancouver Island University will vary for every program.
It’s important to remember that there’s a difference between the application deadline and the documentation deadline. The application deadline is where you need to focus. At this part of the process, you won’t need transcripts, pre-requisites, recommendations, or anything like that - just the application.
For the documentation deadline, you’ll need to follow the instructions sent to you by our Admissions and Registration team.
Pro tip from Andrea: If you have any questions or get stuck, make sure to reach out as early as possible.
Conclusion
A lot of future VIU students think it’s too late and that once the application deadline is done there are no other options. The reality is, if you miss a deadline, there’s a lot of different paths you can consider and a bit of research left to do. It’s not too late. It’s important to remember that late applications are accepted all the time (the specifics of how this works will hugely depend on the program you’re interested in).
Don’t stress. If you have any questions, ask. Email us directly
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Got an article idea for the blog? Email students@viu.ca.