Appealing an admission decision

If you were denied admission or transfer credit for an undergraduate program, you may want to consider submitting an appeal. This enables you to tell us about any extenuating circumstances that affected your academic performance and your application to UVic.

You may also wish to appeal if you were penalized for submitting falsified documentation or failing to disclose attendance at other institutions.

Should I appeal?

If you're thinking about appealing, contact the admission officer who evaluated your application (as stated in your decision email). They'll identify other options that may be available, and help you determine if an appeal is your next step.

If you decide to submit an appeal, your admission officer can provide advice and guidance on how to prepare it.

Reasons for appealing

Your appeal must be for circumstances that affected you personally and include new information that was previously unknown to UVic.

UVic will consider admission appeals due to:

• unforeseen extenuating circumstances
• significant physical affliction or psychological distress
• significant distress or responsibility as a caregiver, resulting from an immediate member of your family suffering from serious trauma or illness
• incorrect advice or administrative errors by authorized University of Victoria personnel, with evidence that your studies were adversely affected
• new information that you were unable to provide in your application, and which could reasonably be expected to alter the decision.

UVic will not consider admission appeals due to:

• dissatisfaction with UVic regulations
• disagreement with how your application was evaluated (e.g. calculation of GPA)
• disagreement with how transfer credit is awarded
• failure to meet published deadlines
• comparison of offers you received from other post-secondary institutions.

Letter of appeal

Your appeal must include a written statement of the reasons and grounds for your appeal, and your plans to ensure academic success if you're admitted to UVic.

Supporting documentation

Your appeal must include supporting documentation that provides evidence of your circumstances. Examples include (but are not limited to):

• a note from a physician or other health care professional
  • the note should confirm your circumstances, but does not need to provide detail on your medical or health concerns
• evidence of incorrect advice or errors of administration by UVic
• documented significant distress or responsibility as a caregiver
• a letter from an educator addressing the reason your academic record may not reflect your academic potential.

How to submit an appeal

1. Complete the Notice of appeal (admission) form. 
   • Make sure that you clearly justify why your application should be reconsidered with the new information you are providing to UVic.
2. Prepare your letter of appeal and supporting documentation.
3. Send your appeal to admsappeals@uvic.ca and copy your admission officer (CC:) in the email.

Appeal deadlines

Appeals are heard by the Senate Committee on Admission, Re-registration & Transfer Appeals (SCARTA), which meets throughout the year. The committee will consider the information you provide in your appeal and your academic record.

In most cases, an appeal must be submitted two weeks before a SCARTA meeting to allow time for staff to review your information. Your admission officer can advise you on the dates for upcoming SCARTA meetings.