How to Apply

Contact us if you have any questions about applying as a certain type of student.

Students applying to SFU must meet the GPA admission requirements outlined in our undergraduate admission requirements. The GPA required for admission can change from semester to semester and depends on the program. If you do not meet SFU’s regular admission requirements, you may apply as a mature student.

The application deadlines for admission to SFU are as follows:

If the deadline has not yet passed, apply following normal admission procedures.

Contact us with any questions.

SFU has recently changed its application form (as of October 15, 2012). There are now two places through which you can access the SFU application: ApplyBC and the SFU Admissions page.

You may find our video tutorial helpful.

The application consists of six sections. SFU Admissions will not review your application until you pay the $75 application fee.

 Section 1 asks for your personal information. Once you have completed this section, you will receive an email with your login name and password—this does not mean your application has been completed! You have to complete the entire application and pay the $75 application fee before SFU Admissions officers can review your application.

Section 2 asks for your contact information.

Section 3 asks for your academic history. Your academic history includes information from your high school and all of the post-secondary institutions you've attended.

Section 4 asks for your program selection. This section also requires the following:

• The term for which you would like to be admitted.
• The applicant category that best describes you (if you’re unsure, review Step 1 of the SFU NOW Step-By-Step Admission Process).
• Your first and second choice of program.
• Satisfaction of SFU’s English Language Requirement
• Satisfaction of SFU’s Quantitative Requirement

Note: SFU NOW scheduling allows students to complete a Bachelor of Arts (BA), but you are able to apply for any degree you would like: simply choose the faculty and program you are interested in. You need to select a “First choice” faculty to move forward in your application, but you do not have to select a specific area of study if you are unsure—simply select the Bachelor of Arts (or related degree). You can then choose a major or minor at another time.

 Section 5 asks for additional information. If you would like another person to have permission to view your application, this is the place to make that note. 

Section 6 is the confirmation and payment page. You can make edits here. Again, until you pay the $75 application fee, your application will not be reviewed by the Admissions department.

If you lose your Internet connection while completing the SFU application form, contact the university for help at gosfu@sfu.ca.

Soon after applying for admission to SFU, you will receive an email acknowledging your application and giving you a student ID and password. The user ID is your nine-digit student number.

The ID and password will allow you to log in to SFU’s Student Information System (SIS). Once you’ve logged in, you will be able to track the status of your application under Admissions. On the right side of the screen, you will see a To-Do list that you must complete.

If any of your official academic documents (e.g. original copies of university, college, or high school transcripts) are required for admission or transfer credit, mail them as soon as possible to the following address:

Admissions, Student Services

Simon Fraser University

8888 University Drive

Burnaby BC

V5A 1S6

If your academic records are not in English or French, SFU will require official translations certified by an educational or embassy official, or prepared by a certified translator. For applicants residing in BC, translations should be completed by the Society of Translators and Interpreters of BC or MOSAIC Translation Services.

Have your English-language test scores sent to SFU (if applicable).

Applicants to SFU must meet English-language competency requirements. You may fulfill these in one of the ways outlined on SFU’s Curriculum Requirements page.

If you cannot show that you have met the English-language requirements through scores from high school or college/university English classes, there are several testing options. We may also require a foundational literacy course (FAL), which is available at SFU. Contact us for more information.

Check your To-Do list in SIS to confirm that SFU has received your transcripts.

Contact us if you are unsure about an item on your list or you need help with your application.

Help is also available at 
students.sfu.ca/help/sishelp
, 778.782.6930
, or gosfu@sfu.ca.

Once your To-Do list is complete, please allow several weeks for your application to be evaluated. If your application is successful, we will send your offer of admission by email and regular mail.

Please note that offers of admission are valid for only one semester. If you are admitted but do not enrol in classes, or you enrol in but withdraw from classes before or during your first semester, you must reapply if you wish to attend a subsequent semester.

We recommend that you get comfortable with the Student Information System (SIS)—you can complete almost all post-admission tasks through it. When you log in to SIS, you will see your Student Center. Through the Student Center, you can manage most of your school-related activities.

A set of short but helpful SIS video tutorials is available for students. Now is a good time to view the videos under "Things to know before you enroll,” "Getting Started," and “Enrollment.” You’ll also find a link to the video tutorials in SIS, to the right of your Student Center under "Self Service Video Tutorials."

Paying your $250 admission deposit lets SFU know that you have accepted their offer of admission. The admission deposit is non-refundable, but it is not an additional tuition fee—it will automatically be applied to your tuition once you enrol in courses.

Confirm that your admission deposit has been processed by looking at the balance in your account summary in SIS. If you see -$250, your deposit has been processed.

After you pay your $250 admission deposit, you’ll receive an email from Academic Computing Services about your SFU computing ID. It replaces the temporary student ID and password you previously used to access SIS.

Normally, your SFU computing ID will be ready to activate within three days. It may arrive before or after enrolment begins, depending on when SFU receives your $250 deposit.

Your SFU computing ID gives you access to SIS so you can enrol in classes. It is also your official SFU email account. All important SFU-related emails go to your SFU email address. This ID allows you access to campus labs, the SFU modem pool, the SFU Library, and other services.

Once you’ve received the email about your computing ID, here’s how to activate your account:

• Visit Academic Computing Services: SFU Computing Account Activation.
• Read the terms of use and click “I Accept.”
• Enter and “Submit” your personal information.
• Create your password. (Choose a password that is easy to remember and that only you know.)
• Print the confirmation page and/or write down your computing ID and password.

Once your account is activated, you can use your computing ID when you log in to SIS. Your nine-digit student number was a temporary user ID and should not be used as a computing ID once you’ve activated your permanent computing ID.

Be sure to log into your SFU email (connect.sfu.ca) account often to read your emails. Notices from your professors, classes, and the university administration are sent only to your SFU email address.

Enrolment for each semester normally begins about two months before classes start. However, not all students are released into the enrolment system at once.

You will receive an enrolment date and time, which will be available online through SIS, for when you can start selecting classes.

To enrol in classes, log in to SIS. See Enrolling in Classes Step by Step for more information.

Tuition fees for SFU NOW courses and regular undergraduate courses are the same.

Typically, you must pay tuition and student fees by the second or third week of classes. For more information, see How to Pay Your Fees.

Find out about deadlines for all important activities, including adding and dropping classes, as well as related penalties.