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HBA · Alan Guan, Roberto Armena, Alice Peng, Alfred Shi

A Guide to Acing Your AEO Application

Jan 6, 2022

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Highlight Your Impact

​​Show the outcome of your actions rather than simply listing responsibilities

Looking back at your time in high school, you might think: I did this and that. It is easy for one to think of activities they partook in; however, truth be told, it’s not the number of activities you were a part of that’s important. Rather, it is the impact and value you generated through your participation in a given activity.

For example, I co-founded a robotics team at my high school with a couple of friends as I saw an opportunity for excellence. Because our school did not have any robotics clubs or teams, this made the task particularly challenging. However, my passion and drive allowed me to put the work in acquiring sponsorships from local enterprises to fund the equipment, and lead several teams to success in competitions. This initiative directly impacted our school and community, empowering and allowing current and future students to exercise and develop their interests in STEM at an early age.

Look back at your experiences and those extracurriculars you were genuinely passionate about. How did you make a difference? What role did you play? Did you do something different that affected the trajectory of the initiative? Make sure to highlight your individual value-add in your application! Admission officers want to hear your story, not someone else’s.

Tell a Story

Be concise, make sure there’s an overall point or message you want the admissions team to take away from your essay

It’s hard to keep things out. When you have plenty of history with a certain activity, you naturally want to include it all. However, doing this can simply confuse and overwhelm the reader. Instead, it’s better to keep it concise, and for each activity, to focus on your most important achievements. Take these and use them to tell a story.

Think of what a story entails—a beginning, middle, end, and (ideally) a clear message the reader takes away. Give depth to the situation and explain what led to it, how you responded, and what came out of your actions. For example, I wrote about volunteering at a summer camp and a key change in its structure I helped implement after gathering feedback from campers over the years. There were definitely more things I could’ve talked about, but rather I focused on, and gave more depth to, this one aspect. Telling a story like this, rather than vaguely glossing over a number of random events, makes it much easier for the reader to understand who you are and the impact you’ve had on your organizations.

Stay True to Yourself

Break the mold and highlight your unique experiences! These help you stand out from the typical “business extracurricular” type applicants

What comprises a business student, and what defines a leader? Each year, countless students learn of Ivey’s unique 2+2 degree structure, in which students choose to study and graduate with 2 degrees in 5 years. The reality is, business skills are applicable in an array of industries and fields, and for students who have interests and passions that lie in intersectional careers, this may be the perfect option for you!

In the AEO application, Ivey does not necessarily seek individuals who have extraordinary business experiences such as case competitions and involvement in business-related clubs like DECA, but rather students who demonstrate the core values of initiative, leadership, and collaboration. The admissions team loves uniqueness, so highlighting your standout experiences will distinguish you from the typical extracurriculars. You absolutely do not have to conform to the cookie-cutter mold of a typical business student, whatever that may look like to you. You merely have to have a good grasp of what it means to be a leader. Leadership does not always have to be presented outright in the form of individualism. Leadership implies initiative and teamwork. Focus on being a role model in your community because the individuals that do are the ones who prioritize their potential in becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

Ultimately, students who have the motivation, will, and drive to learn and contribute to community involvement are highly prized. The brightest minds and the most charismatic personalities will prevail when it comes to the AEO application, so do not be afraid to think outside the box and challenge your limits when it comes to reflecting on your extracurriculars and experiences!

Get Down to the What and Why

Understand what you want out of university and why you’re applying to Ivey

Your experiences breed wisdom; it’s not necessarily the prestige of your experience that cultivates maturity. You don’t need to intern at an investment bank or work at a startup for a meaningful or significant experience to write about in your application. Instead, wisdom comes from reflection. What did you take away from the experience that impacted you the most? Why did you enjoy it? What motivated you to pursue the opportunity originally?

Once you begin to start asking yourself these questions, you’ll start to identify patterns in the type, field, or motivations of your experiences. These patterns are indications of your fundamental characteristics. For Ivey, it’s most pertinent to focus on a guiding belief or extrapolate one from your experiences, as this will act as the basis for your application. Don’t be afraid to approach your guiding belief with creativity; how does it fit within the context of being an Ivey student? How will Ivey help you achieve your goals, or your mission, based on your guiding belief? A central philosophy will allow you to determine what you want to achieve, not only with the help from Ivey, but ultimately from your lifetime.