UBC Personal Profile: Explain how You Responded to a Problem and/or Unfamiliar Situation. How are you Positively Impacting your Community?
Applying to the UBC Sauder School of Business requires students to go beyond the standard UBC Personal Profile and complete additional supplemental application questions. These responses give applicants the opportunity to demonstrate qualities that are particularly important in business education, including leadership, initiative, problem-solving, communication, and self-awareness.
While academic achievement remains important, UBC Sauder is also interested in how students approach challenges, work with others, and learn from their experiences. The supplemental questions are designed to uncover these qualities through real examples from a student’s life, making thoughtful reflection and clear storytelling essential.
In Part Three of our guide, we will break down the UBC Sauder Personal Profile questions, examine what admissions officers are looking for, share practical advice from our writing coaches, and provide sample responses to help you develop strong and authentic answers.
1. Explain how you responded to a problem and/or an unfamiliar situation. What did you do, what was the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience? (1500 characters)
What it’s asking:
- This is a classic “problem-solving” question. It asks you to demonstrate how you approach challenges, think critically, and learn from experiences.
- The admissions team wants to see how you handle adversity, adapt to new situations, and reflect on those experiences.
Things to think about:
- Choose a specific situation in which you faced a challenge, whether academic, personal, or in extracurricular activities.
- Focus on the steps you took to address the problem, any obstacles you encountered, and the outcome of your actions.
- Reflect on the lessons learned—did you develop resilience, improve your communication skills, or gain new perspectives?
Tips from our Writing Coaches:
- The biggest problem we see with this essay is too much time talking about the problem and not enough time discussing the resolution and what students learned.
- We often recommend students write long first drafts, so if you’re well over the character count on your first draft (or even your second or third), that’s okay, but once it comes time to cut words, look to the exposition (the part where you explain what the problem was). Can you cut out some details here so that you have more room for your reflection at the end (which is arguably the more important part of this essay!)
Sample essay:
During high school, I was part of the organizing team for a charity event aimed at raising funds for a local homeless shelter. A few weeks before the event last year, we discovered that our primary sponsor had backed out, leaving us with a significant financial gap. We were on a tight deadline, and I knew this situation would require quick thinking and collaboration from our entire team.
Instead of panicking, I took the lead in organizing a team meeting where we discussed how we could turn the situation around. We decided to launch a social media fundraising campaign and reach out to local businesses for smaller sponsorships. I worked closely with my team to divide the tasks: some of us focused on crafting messages for our social media platforms, while others contacted local businesses to request donations. Throughout the process, we all communicated constantly, keeping each other updated on progress and troubleshooting any challenges that came up. The teamwork and flexibility of our group made a huge difference, and we managed to exceed our fundraising goal by 20%.
This experience taught me the power of teamwork and creative problem-solving. By collaborating effectively, we were able to find a solution that not only met our original goal but also made a greater impact than expected. I also learned that leadership is not about doing everything yourself but guiding and motivating others to work together toward a common objective. This experience reinforced my interest in business, as I saw how important collaboration, adaptability, and communication are in achieving success, especially when facing unexpected obstacles.
2. How are you positively impacting your community? How do you plan to leverage your UBC Sauder experience to enhance these efforts? (1500 characters max)
What it’s asking:
- This question asks you to showcase how you’ve made a difference in your community, whether through volunteering, leadership, or innovation, and then to connect those efforts to your future at Sauder.
- UBC is looking for students who are community-minded. They want to admit students who contribute meaningfully to the community and who also see their business education as a way to expand their positive impact.
- Sauder wants you to show how well you know their school, program, and values.
Things to think about:
- What does community mean to you? I could be your school, neighbourhood, cultural or religious group, sports team, or another community that’s meaningful to you.
- How do you contribute to that community? Have you led any initiatives that have made a difference?
- Focus on impact. What changed because of your involvement?
- For the second half of the question, think about how Sauder will amplify your impact. How will you use clubs, specific programs, courses, or experiences at Suader to reach your goals for your community?
- How will you apply what you learn at Sauder to create broader or more sustainable change?
Tips from our Writing Coaches:
- First, take a look at your activities. Are you involved with any communities that you genuinely care about? What problems have you faced within this community, and how have you worked to overcome them?
- Students often spend too much time describing what they did without showing why it mattered. Don’t forget to emphasize your impact (the outcome of your actions) and connect it clearly to your motivation (the reason you did anything in the first place).
- Do the second part of the essay justice. Spend about half your character count connecting back to Sauder and avoid vague statements like, “Sauder will help me grow as a leader”. Instead, be specific and show the admissions team that you understand how your community work and the business education that Sauder offers fit together.
Sample essay:
As captain of my school’s girls’ soccer team, I noticed a clear imbalance between our program and the boys’ team. There were fewer resources, smaller crowds at our games, and less recognition for our achievements. In tenth grade, we didn’t even have a designated coach, while the boys had two and a few support staff. At first, it was merely frustrating to see our hard work and success overlooked, but over time, I realized that change wouldn’t happen unless someone spoke up, so I decided to take the lead in addressing this issue.
Working with my teammates, I organized a campaign to raise awareness about gender disparities in school athletics. We met with our school administration to discuss funding priorities, created social media posts highlighting our achievements, and ran skills clinics for younger students. As a result of our efforts, the school committed to more equal support for all teams, attendance at our games grew, and younger players told us they felt inspired to join.
This experience demonstrated how advocacy, teamwork, and communication can create real change within a community. At UBC Sauder, I hope to continue this work by learning how organizations can build equity and inclusion into their culture. Through courses like Values, Ethics, and Community, and involvement in the Young Women in Business club, I hope to learn from peers and professors who are passionate about using commerce to create equitable business practices, and to eventually apply those lessons by developing programs that support women in sports and business. By combining my passion for advocacy with the tools and insights I’ll gain at Sauder, I aim to empower others to challenge inequality and build stronger, more inclusive communities.
Successful UBC Sauder Personal Profile responses do more than describe a situation or achievement. They demonstrate how an applicant thinks, responds to challenges, and grows through experience. The strongest essays show maturity, reflection, and an ability to communicate lessons learned in a clear and meaningful way.
As you prepare your responses, focus on providing specific examples and thoughtful insights rather than trying to present a perfect image of yourself. Admissions officers want to understand your decision-making process, your ability to adapt, and the qualities you would bring to the Sauder community. By approaching these questions with honesty and reflection, you can create responses that leave a lasting impression. Looking for support with your UBC Personal Profile this fall? Contact us today to meet with one of our experienced writing coaches.
