EPLT Online

After the heaviness of yesterday’s post, I thought I’d go a little lighter today and offer up some tips that will make your application process go a little smoother. These are small things that aren’t really enough to warrant their own post, yet are still important.

1) If you include it on your application, we need to see it.
This pertains to transcripts and basically reinforces the requirement that you submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions that you have attended. If there isn’t a transcript because it was a non-credit program or something like that, then don’t put it on your application. We’ve had students who put, for example, the University of Calgary as one of their post-secondary institutions attended. But when I ask why the transcript hasn’t been submitted to us, I’m told that it was a week-long professional development program that didn’t issue any grades. Not including this on your application means that I won’t be bugging you for a transcript.

The most important transcript is, of course, your bachelor’s degree transcript, as that’s the first thing we look at as far as your grades are concerned. Even if you already have another Master’s degree, we still need to see your bachelor’s degree. Please make sure that you have it sent to us as soon as possible. One of the biggest delays in evaluating MET applications is trying to track down transcripts like this.

2) Keep on top of your application
In the last year or two, UBC Graduate Studies has made it easier than ever to stay on top of your application. Now when you apply for a graduate program, you create an application account. One benefit is that, if you are applying to multiple programs, all of your applications are in one spot. But even more important is that the application account has a checklist of documents needed for each application. It uses the information you provide about post-secondary institutions and references and creates a list that we use to mark what we have received, what we have not received, what we have waived, and what is not required. Make liberal use of this, as I update this very quickly when I receive documents. If you notice something isn’t checked off, feel free to contact me. Occasionally I miss something and forget to check it off, but if I didn’t miss it, that means we don’t have it. And if I don’t have it, that means we can’t evaluate your application.

Staying on top of your application will allow you to see what is still outstanding and what you may need to follow up on. Because of this ability for the applicant to look at their own checklist, I don’t send out reminders as much any more. It is your responsibility to keep up with all of this, and track down any missing documents (or re-order them). And don’t act surprised when, if you haven’t been checking, you get an email from me 6 weeks after the deadline saying that we can’t consider your application because we didn’t get all of your documents.

3) Make sure that your documents go to the right place
As a corollary to #2, one of the major reasons for documents not arriving here is not because they weren’t sent, but because they were sent to the wrong place. My address is on the MET web site if you plan on arranging your documents before you apply, and it is on the response email when you submit your application. Please make sure that this is the address that you give everybody when you are arranging your documents. UBC is a big campus, and the systems don’t always talk to each other, so it may be impossible to track your transcript down if it went to, for example, Forestry. If it at least has my name on it, somebody may be able to track me down even if it goes to the wrong address.

4) Make sure your references are sealed!
I know I mentioned this in my reference post, but I’m going to reiterate it. If your references don’t use the e-reference (which is much better and easier for both them and me, but I digress), then we must receive them in sealed envelopes with the reference’s signature on the seal. This is doubly important if your references send them to you first. If the reference’s signature is not on the envelope, we cannot accept them and they must be resubmitted. This is especially inconvenient for international applicants with foreign references which can take a long time to reach us.

Of course, if you decide later that you want your references to use the e-reference, just send me their email addresses and I can arrange to have the link sent to them.

These are just some tips that will help you avoid some of the headaches which can happen when you’re applying for a graduate program. Of course, I’m available if you have any questions. Just email me at david.roy@ubc.ca