Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO)

The Ivey Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO) extends conditional pre-admission to the HBA Program to students who choose to study at Western or one of its affiliated university colleges, in a faculty of their choice, for their first two years of university.

Approximately two thirds of our Ivey HBA class have AEO status. The remaining one third are students from Western and other universities who discover an interest in business during their first two years of study.

There are other benefits to having AEO status in addition to the conditional pre-admission to the HBA Program.  The Ivey HBA Program Office hosts several events during your first two years of university so that you have the benefit of being familiar with the school before entering in third year.

Admission Criteria

A competitive Ivey AEO application includes:

• A low 90% average in your best Grade 12 high school courses, including English
• Completion of a mathematics course for university-bound students
• Demonstrated leadership in extracurricular activities, community involvement, and work experience

Your achievement both inside and outside of the classroom is very important to our decision. In fact, only at Ivey is your achievement outside of the classroom as important to us as your academic achievement – it is truly a 50/50 balance between academic achievement and leadership contribution.

Leadership Criteria

We want you to pursue your personal interests and we value each area of leadership equally, from student government, to athletics, to music, to community events, just to name a few. For example, if you are passionate about athletics – lead within your chosen sport(s); if you are passionate about student government – lead within your student councils.

What is most important to us is that you show a well-rounded dedication to your community and that you can achieve in positions of leadership and increasing responsibility. It is not the number of leadership involvements you have that are important to us, but rather the degree of achievement, commitment and balance.

Admission Average

Ivey doesn’t calculate the admission average, Western central admissions does. In addition, they will calculate several different averages throughout the admission process. Ivey does not have a cut off average to apply. We will assess all applications regardless of the overall average.

For Ontario students, they will calculate your admission average using your 6 highest courses including English. They will also include the required prerequisites for your program as specified by Western. Western will also provide Ivey with the average of your 6 highest courses including English and we will typically use the highest average. For more details about the admission average calculation, please contact Western Central Admissions at welcome@uwo.ca or 519-661-2100.

Western will not use your math grade in your average for AEO unless it is one of your top grades.

University-level Math Requirements

For Ontario students, any one of the three “U” level grade 12 math courses (MHF4U Advanced Functions, MCV4U Calculus and Vectors, or MDM4U Math of Data Management) will fulfill the math requirement for the Ivey HBA program. One is not preferred over another.

For students outside of Ontario, the admission requirement is similar: any grade 12 equivalent math course for university bound students. Please also ensure that you meet any math requirements for the program you choose to study for your first two years at Western or its affiliated colleges. Math does not need to be within your top grades when you apply to Ivey – it simply needs to be completed before entering the program in third year.

Apply to Ivey AEO

Please note that applying for AEO status is a two-step process:

1. Apply for admission to Western or one of its affiliated university colleges through the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC). Choose any academic program or module at Western for your first two years of university study. Please indicate your interest in Ivey AEO status on your Western application.
2. The AEO application is a separate online application that is accessed through our website. Ivey AEO status is a separate decision and notification process from your admission to Western. The Ivey AEO application will require both an essay component and KIRA video assessment.

You should see a confirmation pop up message as soon as you successfully submit your Ivey AEO application online.

I checked off the Ivey AEO box on the OUAC website – does that mean I have applied for Ivey AEO status?
No, checking the Ivey AEO box on the OUAC website indicates to Western that you also intend to apply for Ivey AEO status. You must still complete the Ivey AEO supplementary application, which can be found on Ivey’s Inside Track. This application allows you to provide details of your achievements in extra-curricular activities.

I just received an admission offer from Western, does that mean I also have an Ivey AEO status offer?
No, your Ivey AEO status offer will be communicated separately and is an independent admission decision from your Western offer. However, Ivey only extends offers of Ivey AEO status to students who have received an offer of admission from Western.

How can I ensure Ivey has my most up-to-date grades? Current Ontario high school students will have their grades sent to Ivey by OUAC. Out of Province and International applicants (105) can send updated transcripts to hba@ivey.ca in order to ensure their most up-to-date grades are received and assessed.

What Happens After Applying

Ivey’s admissions team will review each application carefully. Once we receive, from Western’s Registrar’s Office, admission averages and notification that you have been admitted to Western, we will begin making offers. As a result, the first round of AEO offers is at the end of March while the majority of offers are made in April and May.

Grades for AEO applications are reviewed at a few different points, grade 11, first term and mid-year. We do not make offers on Grade 11 grades, but will make offers to some students with strong applications with competitive first term Grade 12 grades.

Program Progression

To progress to the Ivey HBA Program in third year, Ivey AEO students need to:

• Enroll at Western or one of the Affiliated University Colleges for Years 1 and 2 with a full course load (5.0 credits) during each regular academic year (September – April);
• Achieve an overall two-year average of at least 80.0% in 10.0 full university credits (5.0 in each year; excluding pass/fail courses) in any faculty, in any program. The required two-year average for AEO students registered in the Faculty of Engineering is 78.0%;
• Pass all courses in the first two years;
• In year 2, enroll in a module (e.g. Major, Honors Specialization, etc.) and take a minimum of 2.0 of the required courses for that module plus Business Administration 2257; students may not be ‘undeclared’; consult with your faculty as some modules may require more than 2.0 courses in year 2 for progression within that faculty;
• Take all senior level courses (numbered 2000 and higher) in Year 2 including Business Administration 2257. Permission to register for a first-year course in Year 2 will be granted by the HBA Program Services Office only under special circumstances;
• Take Business 2257 between September and April of year 2, achieving no less than 70.0%. Given the participative nature of the HBA program and its case-based learning methodology, students are strongly encouraged to demonstrate a satisfactory level of class contribution in Business Administration 2257. Feedback from instructors will also be taken into account;
• Complete the equivalent of a Grade 12 U-level mathematics course, if not previously taken during secondary school (such as Mathematics 1229A/B);
• Continue involvement, achievement, and leadership in extracurricular activities in Years 1 and 2;
• Adhere to all student code of conduct regulations at their respective institutions. Violations of such codes will be considered as part of the admissions process;
• Complete an Ivey AEO Activity Report at the end of year 1 so that Ivey can provide feedback on progression to date;
• Complete the Ivey AEO2 Intent to Register application in Year 2 to confirm intention to join the Ivey HBA Program in Year 3.
• Participate in an online video interview as part of your Ivey AEO2 Intent to Register application, if requested.

Please refer to the AEO Handbook for further details.

Ivey AEO Student Handbook

It is important to follow the requirements of your particular program. Review the First Year Calendar, attend Summer Academic Orientation, or consult with an academic counsellor to make sure that your course selection in first year will allow you in second year to enter the module/program that interests you. If possible, Business 1220E, while not mandatory, is a useful introduction to Ivey’s case method.

Approximately 80% of AEO students wanting to continue on to the HBA program make it to the program. Some students decide that their interests lie elsewhere and they pursue Masters programs or professional programs like Medicine, Law, etc.

I have been given 5.0 Advanced Standing credits. Can I come to the HBA program after one year if I meet all of the progression requirements?
As part of the Ivey AEO status, you will be required to complete 10.0 full university credits during your first two years at Western. While credits may be obtained through Advanced Standing, these credits cannot be counted towards the 10.0 full courses required for Ivey AEO progression, as each year you will be required to enroll in 5.0 full courses. You may decide to apply after one full year of university if you have 10.0 full courses, (for example, 5.0 Advanced Standing credits and 5.0 Western credits) but you would no longer have AEO status and would be considered with the regular HBA applicant pool. We find students who pursue this option are rarely competitive for the HBA program as they do not have the breadth of extracurricular involvement we are looking for. In addition, some students will overextend themselves with their courses and hence do not perform academically as well as they could have if they had enrolled in a more balanced course load.

What is the minimum accepted grade required for entrance from high school through the IB program?
Generally IB ranges at 36-37 points and higher (including bonus points) will meet the 93% AEO average. For more information on Western and the IB, please click here or you can contact Western Admissions directly at 519-661-2100 or e-mail welcome@uwo.ca.