Western Ivey AEO Requirements: 2027 Application Guide

Western’s current admission-deadline schedule lists January 15, 2027 as the Ivey AEO application deadline for Fall 2027 entry. Treat this as a separate submission from the Western, Huron, or King’s application: an OUAC application does not submit the AEO supplement, and an Ivey application does not apply to a university faculty.

Complete both applications early enough to resolve account, reference, upload, accommodation, or video-assessment problems before the deadline. Follow the instructions in the live Ivey portal if a portal timestamp or requirement differs from a planning guide, and save the confirmation for each submission.

Apply through OUAC to a Western faculty or eligible affiliate program you would genuinely study for two years, indicate the intention to apply for AEO, and complete the separate Ivey supplemental application. AEO is a status rather than a Western program choice. Western or affiliate admission is required before Ivey can finalize an AEO decision, but neither decision guarantees the other.

Create the Ivey portal account with a durable personal email rather than a high-school address. Track the OUAC submission, Western applicant account, Ivey essays, activity references, video assessment, awards, documents, offers, and acceptance steps as separate checkpoints.

Ivey currently describes a low-90% average in the best Grade 12 courses, including English, as competitive and expects a university-bound mathematics course. Applicants must separately meet every prerequisite and competitive requirement for the Western, Huron, or King’s program chosen for Years 1 and 2.

A low-90s average is guidance, not a cutoff or promise. Ivey says academics and leadership experience each receive 50% of the current holistic AEO review, so neither side of the application can compensate automatically for a weak or ineligible record.

The current application asks for two activities in essay format, with a maximum of 500 words for each, and allows up to five additional activities in point form. Applicants can therefore present as many as seven activities. Activities earning academic credit, including a school co-op placement, are currently ineligible.

A strong response gives only the context needed to understand the challenge, then centres the applicant’s judgment, actions, influence, results, and reflection. Leadership can come from paid work, entrepreneurship, family responsibility, service, teams, clubs, sport, arts, advocacy, or a sustained project; a prestigious title is not the evidence by itself.

Ivey currently requires a reference name, role or position, phone number, and email address for every activity submitted. Its public guidance says applications without verified references will not be considered.

Choose a person who directly knows the dates, role, responsibilities, and contribution. Share accurate context early, preserve records, and never ask a verifier to support an inflated outcome, invented time commitment, or contribution that belonged to the wider team.

The mandatory current video assessment contains five questions with preparation time and a timed response for each. Ivey says the complete process normally takes 20 to 30 minutes, can be practiced repeatedly before starting, and must then be completed in one sitting and one formal attempt.

Practice organizing a clear answer under time pressure instead of memorizing scripts. Test the desktop or laptop, webcam, microphone, connection, lighting, and quiet space before beginning. Applicants requiring accommodations should contact Ivey admissions before the deadline.

AEO students spend two years in another program before HBA. Compare curriculum, workload, grading, community, cost, and career value independently from Ivey, and choose a program you would still attend if interests or progression plans changed.

The current 2026 AEO handbook requires a full 5.0-credit load in each regular academic year, a declared Year 2 module, senior-level Year 2 courses, Business 2257 from September to April, and other specific rules. Map these onto the actual program calendar before accepting an offer.

The current two-year average requirement is at least 80.0% across 10.0 credits, or 78.0% for AEO students in Engineering, with at least 70.0% in Business 2257. Students must pass every course, continue leadership involvement, follow conduct rules, submit the Year 1 Activity Report, and complete the AEO2 Intent to Register process.

Progression rules can change by cohort. Use the handbook issued for the student’s own AEO year. Seek written clarification from Ivey before changing course load, taking an online or lower-level course, repeating a course, or making another decision that could affect eligibility.

Ivey's 2+2 structure means the first two years use the tuition and fees of the chosen Western or affiliate program. The published 2026–27 HBA rate applies separately in Years 3 and 4: $25,704 annually for Ontario domestic students, $32,160 for out-of-province domestic students, and $70,040 for international students.

Those HBA figures exclude ancillary fees, which Ivey estimates at about $1,800 per year for domestic students and $2,600 for international students. Course materials, a suitable computer, housing, travel, and personal costs are separate. Treat the table as date-labelled evidence, not a Fall 2027 guarantee.