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Introductory Statement and Form for Business and Economics Co-op Applicants
You will receive a link to the Introductory Statement and Form via email. Complete the statement and form only once.
Before You Begin
We are providing the contents of the form so you know what to expect because the form will time out after one hour of inactivity. To help you prepare, see the sample introductory form.
Ensure you are ready to complete the entire form, provide employment history details, and upload your resume. Please do not submit the form more than once.
During the Interview
The interview will last no longer than 15 minutes. You will have an opportunity to verify the information you have entered in the form during your admission interview
Although we require you to submit a resume and complete the introductory form, we will consider only what you tell us during the interview when evaluating your suitability for admission to co-op.
We urge you to answer each question fully during the interview, and to provide examples from your own experience.
Interview Location
Your admission interview will take place as an online video call over Microsoft Teams. You must arrange to have access to the Internet and a device with a webcam and microphone. We will provide a link to information on using Microsoft Teams.
Evaluation Categories
The interviewers will evaluate your strength in each of the following four categories:
- paid work experience in the last three years
- volunteer service and extracurricular activities in the last three years
- academic record in your first year at Laurier
- performance during the interview
We give equal weight to each category.
Your interview is your only opportunity to tell us about your paid work experience, as we use your resume and introductory form for reference only.
We will evaluate the work you performed during the last three years. For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year at Laurier.
When comparing you with other candidates, we consider both the quality and quantity of your work experience.
Quality of work experience
During your admission interview, tell us about your duties and assignments in each position. We especially value jobs in offices or professional environments, and supervisory roles or positions with significant responsibility.
Quantity of work experience
Many candidates work full-time each summer, and some have part-time jobs year-round. In 2022, most of the candidates to whom we offered admission had paid employment in at least the most recent summer.
If you have any gaps in your employment, please be prepared to tell us how you spent your time. We want to hear about courses and volunteer work, and about any skills or knowledge you gained and that you could apply to co-op jobs.
If you were not able to find employment at some point in the last three summers, be prepared to tell us:
- How you used your time.
- Certifications you gained.
- Volunteer work you participated in.
- Any skills or knowledge you gained and that you could apply to co-op jobs.
Your interview is your only opportunity to tell us about your volunteer service and extracurricular activities.
We will consider your volunteer service and extracurricular activities at school and in the community in the last three years. For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year at Laurier.
What We Expect
List your roles and tell us about any significant contributions you made.
We will consider all activities, but we tend to value leadership roles more highly than general membership and we tend to value varsity sports more highly than intramurals.
When evaluating your interview performance, we will consider:
- The quality of all your answers.
- Your ability to communicate your skills and accomplishments.
- Your ability to be concise and stay within the 15 minutes allotted.
Tips
- When telling us how you have developed specific skills, use examples from experiences other than class competitions such as the New Venture project. (It is challenging to stand out when referring to a project required for all BBA students).
- At the end of the admission interview, we will ask you to tell us anything you wish to add in support of your application. Tell us about any accomplishments or experience you have not had an opportunity to mention earlier, especially about things that set you apart from other candidates.
Verifying Information
We expect you to present your skills and experience truth fully and factually. We reserve the right to verify information you provided. Any students who have misrepresented themselves will be ineligible for enrolment in the co-op program. We also reserve the right to review your academic status and history with the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.
Admission Decisions
You will receive an email to your Laurier email address if you are offered admission to co-op.
If you receive an offer of admission, you will receive instructions on how to accept the offer by the deadline.
Arts Co-op, Science Co-op, and Business and Economics Co-op
- We will notify candidates of our admission decisions by email at 2 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023.
- The deadline for accepting an offer of admission to Arts Co-op, Science Co-op, or Business and Economics Co-op is 10 a.m. on Monday, October 2, 2023.
User Experience Design Co-op
- We will notify candidates of our admission decisions by email in the afternoon on Monday, October 2, 2023.
- The deadline for accepting a conditional offer of admission to User Experience Design Co-op is 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
Computer Science Co-op and Data Science Co-op
- We will notify candidates of our admission decisions by email in the afternoon on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.
- The deadline for accepting a conditional offer of admission to Computer Science Co-op or Data Science Co-op is 12 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 2023.
Sample Introductory Form
I, the Undersigned
- have read the introductory statement.
- verify that the information in my resume, to be submitted below, and in the introductory form is accurate and factual.
- have provided the name and contact information (phone and or email) of my direct supervisor on my resume agree to provide accurate and factual information during my admission interview
- acknowledge I do NOT have permission to record the co-op admission interview by any means
For international students:
At any point in the last three years, was there a time when you were not eligible to work in Canada?
- Yes. I was not eligible to work in Canada for a period of time
- No. I have been eligible to work in Canada the entire time I lived here within the last three years.
Form Format
Provide details about your work experience over the last three years in reverse chronological order (i.e., start with your most recent job and work backwards).
Indicate, when prompted, whether you were paid for each job.
Most Recent Job
Employer:
Job Title:
Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year (e.g. May 2023 - Sept. 2023)):
Number of hours worked per week:
Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no):
Previous Job
Employer:
Job Title:
Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year (e.g. May 2023 - Sept. 2023):
Number of hours worked per week:
Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no):
Job Before That, Within Last Three Years
Employer:
Job Title:
Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year (e.g. May 2023 - Sept. 2023):
Number of hours worked per week:
Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no):
Job Before That, Within Last Three Years
Employer:
Job Title:
Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year (e.g. May 2023 - Sept. 2023):
Number of hours worked per week:
Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no):
Any Additional Employment information from the past three years must follow the same format as above.