Ivey AEO & HBA
Western University
Ivey Business School has one of the most comprehensive applications in Canada, with multiple written components and video responses.
What Ivey AEO and HBA are — and how they differ
The Western Ivey Honours Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (HBA) degree is a two-year business program taken in years three and four of a typical undergraduate study. Students may study any program for their first two years, after which they transition to commerce studies at the Ivey Business School. The HBA also offers two combined-degree opportunities:
HBA Dual-Degree
One extra year — conditional on acceptance to the dual-degree program — so you graduate with both the HBA and your original degree from years one and two.
HBA + JD
Two extra years — conditional on admission to Western Law, which you apply to in HBA1 (year three) — so you graduate with both an HBA and a JD.
AEO status, and the conditions behind it
“AEO (Advanced-Entry Opportunity) status” is awarded to a select group of high-school students entering year one of a full-courseload undergraduate degree at Western University, Huron College, or King's College. It is a conditional acceptance to Ivey's HBA program in third year. To turn AEO status into automatic entry to Ivey HBA, students must:
- Achieve an overall two-year average of at least 80.0% across 10.0 full university credits (78.0% for Faculty of Engineering students).
- In year two, enroll in a module (Major, Honours Specialization, and so on) and take at least 2.0 of its required credits — no “undeclared” students.
- Take Business 2257 in year two and earn at least 70.0%.
- Stay engaged in at least two extracurricular activities.
How Ivey evaluates you
Admissions officers at Ivey read your application and evaluate it primarily against seven traits. It's not important to explicitly state each of them — an ideal application will demonstrate how you embody them through specific stories.
- Leadership
- Initiative
- Achievement
- Teamwork
- Commitment
- Integrity
- Resilience
Application components
OUAC application — marks & transcripts
Two 500-word activity essays
Five additional activities
Four non-academic awards
Five rapid-fire Kira Talent video questions
Optional special-circumstances essay
How we coach for it
The Ivey application asks a lot of you across many small parts. We build the underlying skills — not scripts — so every essay and video sounds like you, at your most prepared.
Essay writing & storytelling
Two students can share the same activity, title, even the same school and year, and still write essays of very different impact. We teach you to present your story so it shows your unique strengths and the nuanced lessons behind them.
Video interview skills
Answering an introspective, multi-part prompt completely and distinctively in 60–90 seconds is hard for anyone. We give you school-specific frameworks plus the time-management and improv skills our coaches use as professional public speakers.
Whole-application view
Any single essay is already a lot to weigh. We help you decide which of your many skills, interests, and activities belong in which parts of the application — so the whole reads as one coherent profile.
Introspection & self-discovery
Many impressive students carry lessons and emotional depth beyond their years but struggle to express it — underrating how unusual their experience is, sounding “cliché,” or fearing they'll seem boastful. We help you find honest, specific language.
Extracurricular planning & passion projects
When two applicants share the same activity, little may separate them. Planning ahead and spearheading distinctive initiatives builds your story over years — so by application season you already know the narrative you've been building toward.
Ivey-relevant ecosystems
Ivey invests more in the high-school pipeline than any other Canadian business school, yet high-potential students routinely miss these opportunities. We make sure you don't overlook the high-value experiences that can lift your chances later.
Frequently asked
After the latest cycle — which saw more uncertainty in selection — we can't say with confidence. In past years, mid-to-low-90s averages were the norm for admission.
Very. AEO status goes to a small, select group of incoming first-years, and converting it into HBA entry still requires meeting Ivey's academic and engagement conditions. We coach for the application and the multi-year path behind it.
Bill 33 applies to the new admissions cycle and pushes schools to be more transparent about their criteria. It doesn't guarantee that admit rates will be published, and “merit-based admissions” remains loosely defined — so we plan around what Ivey actually asks for, not speculation.
Your program lead
Evelyn Zheng
Lead Coach | Head of Canadian Admissions · HBA '22, Ivey Business School · Western University
Selective business programs reward clarity, not noise. With Ivey AEO & HBA, my job is to help you find the one or two things you genuinely care about and build an honest, competitive story around them.Read Evelyn's biography
Ready to start your Ivey AEO & HBA application?
Speak with a coach who specializes in this program.