After supporting hundreds of students through the Ivey AEO process, we’ve built a clear, proven approach to help you navigate the portal, craft compelling activity essays, and position your experiences strategically. Here's exactly how the process works — and where we come in.
You can create an Ivey application portal profile before or after submitting your OUAC application. Once the portal is live for the year, you can begin your application anytime.
When applying on OUAC, choose Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies (BMOS) at Western (Main Campus or Huron). To be considered for AEO, check the box that indicates interest in the Ivey program.
Note: Huron applicants will also be required to complete Huron-specific supplementals.
To receive an AEO offer, you must first be accepted into BMOS. While you can technically study any program in your first two years (e.g. MIT, Arts, Engineering), the vast majority of AEO students pursue BMOS at Western’s main campus.
Your Alpha advisor will help you navigate both the OUAC and Ivey portal timelines so nothing slips through the cracks.
The Ivey application asks for:
Two main activity essays (500 words each)
Up to five additional optional activities (bullet point descriptions)
School clubs or leadership roles
Sports teams (as player or coach)
Part-time jobs
Internships or summer programs
Volunteer positions or passion projects
Position Title
Organization or Association
Start/End Dates
Hours per week
Reference Name + Contact Info
500-word Activity Description (main essays only)
Optional activities require shorter bullet-point style entries, but should still showcase impact, initiative, and diversity of experience.
Guiding, motivating, and empowering others toward a shared goal. Think: team captain, committee chair, peer mentor, or even initiating change within an existing group.
Collaborating effectively, adapting to others’ strengths and weaknesses, staying accountable, and helping your group succeed together.
Going beyond what’s expected — starting something new, improving a system, or stepping up without being asked.
Did you reach a measurable goal? Surpass expectations? This could be qualitative (great feedback, promotion) or quantitative (growth %, awards, performance results).
How long and how consistently were you involved? Weekly hours, duration, and effort beyond the minimum all matter.
Are your experiences diverse? Avoid overlap — for example, don’t choose "hockey player" and "hockey coach" as your two main activities. Show range in both the types of activities and the scope within each.
Here’s how tChoose two activities that:he written section works:
Best align with the rubric
Offer strong, specific examples of impact
Show contrast between each other (to demonstrate breadth)
Focus on storytelling. Start with a hook. Include detailed examples.
Use action verbs and show reflection. Avoid vague, list-style answers.
Your Alpha advisor will help you map your activities, outline your stories, and give feedback at every stage.
For each activity, you must include a reference — with name, email, position, and phone number. Your reference will receive an email to confirm the accuracy of your submission.
Make sure the reference email is correct.
If your reference declines or doesn’t verify, your application will be disqualified.
In recent years, some references were asked to write a short paragraph about you.
We’ll guide you on how to choose the right references and how to follow up so nothing gets missed.
You can submit up to five more activities in a bullet-point format.
These won’t include essays, but they still matter.
Treat them like a resume — action verbs, clear results, and rubric-aligned phrasing.
Example:
"Launched fundraiser for animal shelter, recruited 12 team members, raised $1,200 in 3 weeks — led weekly meetings and coordinated social media outreach"
We’ll help you maximize these entries for impact, even in short form.
This year, the video portion is not scored and is not part of the admissions decision — but it’s still required in order to submit your application. You’ll find the link inside your Ivey portal, under the “video response” section.
You must complete your video in Kira Talent before you can submit your Ivey application
Practice questions are helpful to get used to the platform, but are not reflective of the real questions
If you have an IEP, you can request accommodations (Ivey will send you a new Kira link with adjusted settings)
Be sure the email you use in Kira matches the one on your AEO application
Your Alpha advisor will help you prep for the video platform and walk you through the tech and tone.
At the end of the application, you’ll have the chance to share more about your identity, including:
Gender identity
Sexual identity
Disability
Racial identity
Indigenous identity
First-generation student status
We help you approach this question with thoughtfulness and clarity if you choose to include it.
We work 1-on-1 with students to build strategic, standout Ivey AEO applications. That means:
Choosing the right activities and references
Writing essays that actually hit the rubric
Structuring your stories for maximum impact
Prepping your video response and tech walk-throughs
Reviewing every word before you hit submit
Spots are limited each year. Book your free 20-minute strategy call to see if we’re the right fit.