SFU Beedie Supplementary Application

Written by Joyce Chung and Matthew Tran

If you are applying to Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, you will need to complete a Beedie supplementary application that includes two additional questions. Don’t worry about these extra components, though! Short and to the point, these two questions aim to assess your strengths and goals, and the ways the university can help you reach them. If you’re ready to write your Beedie supplementary application, read on!

  1. Writing to an audience of Beedie School of Business faculty and staff, please answer: To what activity do you dedicate most of your time? Why is this activity important to you, and how does engagement in this activity support your future aspirations? (maximum 300 words)

Make sure that you’re able to demonstrate your enthusiasm and passion in your essay. Show the committee that you care about your initiative or experience! To begin, your essay should start with a hook. A hook is a powerful statement or personal story 1-2 sentences long that showcases your strengths or values, or a time of your life in which you were motivated to make a change.

From there, use the STAR model to structure your essay! To learn more about STAR, check out this article!

Situation — Place, time and context. (1-2 sentences)

Task — Your role and goal in the story. (1 sentence)

Action — 80%% of your paragraph. Critical steps that you took to help complete the goal or volunteer initiative. (3-4 sentences)

Result — What was the outcome? What impact did you create? What did you learn? What skills did you develop? Make sure to quantify your results where you can (2-3 sentences).

For a stronger impact, you should focus on your most significant volunteer experience here. How did this activity provide you with the skills, qualities, and experience that you need to succeed in your future studies and career?

Here’s an example:

In January 2021, I became the President of the Student Council. 10 hours every week, we improve the lives of the student body by planning events to promote school spirit and create volunteer opportunities for our peers. Through this opportunity, I realized I could channel my mission to help my peers become involved in their communities and find their unique passions.

To raise awareness for homelessness in my city, I coordinated a sandwich fundraiser spanning three weeks. I assigned tasks to my fellow members and assisted in managing our Slack workplace, organizing our staffing schedules, and onboarding 15 new volunteers from the student body. Within a month, we raised $800 and distributed 1,000 sandwiches.

Engaging in this organization has helped me develop my management and human resources skills. Helping build this community of youth leaders across BC has taught me how to lead with confidence and maximize positive impact, preparing me for the Beedie School of Business.

2*. Do you have any additional comments that may assist when adjudicating your application? Feel free to disclose any extenuating circumstances, barriers, or challenges you’re facing or have overcome that have impacted your academics or extracurriculars. (maximum 200 words)*

Extenuating circumstances can include financial, familial, or health challenges, or any other causes that have affected your academic achievement of ability to participate in extracurricular activities. You are recommended to demonstrate your perseverance and character in this section, as the Beedie School of Business admires students who are resilient and innovative!

The recommended structure for this question is a condensed version of the STAR model:

Situation (can be merged with Task) — What was this activity about and what was its goal? (1 sentence)

Task (can be merged with Situation) — What was your role and main responsibility? (1 sentence)

Action — What were the steps you took to fulfill your role and achieve your goal? (1-2 sentences)

Result — What were the positive outcome of your involvement in this activity? How have you impacted the lives of the people involved? What are the tangible results of your actions? (1-2 sentences)

Some points to consider before you respond to this question are:

  • Do you have any health conditions that would affect your studies at SFU?
  • Did you encounter any challenges if your family moved to Canada from another country?
  • If you don’t have competitive grades, this is your chance to explain your situation to the committee!

Here’s an example:

I moved to Canada from Iran in July of 2018. My parents spent much of their lives working to create a better future for me and my younger brother. My mother has been unable to work since our relocation to Canada because her degree and experience as a physician in Iran are not transferable. My father has been unable to work at a reliable capacity because he is self-employed and does not generate steady income every month. While my and my brother’s education remains the main goal of our immigration, acquiring more debt has become more challenging with time. In a worst-case scenario, this may cause us to lose our home.

I have made a goal to maintain my part-time job as a tutor in order to support my family. Over two semesters, I held one-on-one classes on a weekly basis and developed material to improve their mathematical abilities. Through constant support and encouragement, I helped my students raise their academic averages by 15 percent and noticed an increase in their passion for the subject.

I know that going to the SFU Beedie School of Business is the right step towards my goals. However, my family’s unstable financial situation makes my enrolment a very difficult decision. Obtaining a degree in Business and building a career as an entrepreneur is a challenging choice to make while striving to help my family overcome their financial difficulties. Through your support, I will be able to help them restore themselves financially, prepare them for my brother’s post-secondary costs, and pursue my lifelong goal to initiate an organization that reduces poverty in Metro Vancouver.

To bring both questions together, here is a winning SFU Beedie Supplementary application! Take note of the specificity of this student’s circumstances and goals!

Want Extra Support on your SFU Beedie Supplementary Application?

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