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Arts & Science Program

Supplementary Application

We are pleased that you are considering the Arts & Science Program at McMaster University.

Admission to the Arts & Science Program is limited and by selection only. All Arts & Science Program applicants are required to provide additional information on the Supplementary Application form to assist us in making decisions on admission. The purpose of the Supplementary Application is to help us learn more about you and your ideas, interests, and activities.

There is no formula for a “good” Supplementary Application.

Please note before beginning:

  • To be considered for admission, you MUST complete and submit the MANDATORY supplementary application form.
  • You must have applied to Arts & Science 1 (MX on the OUAC application form).
  • You will need a valid MacID and password in order to access and submit the Arts & Science Program supplementary application. Your MacID credentials will be available to you approximately one week after submitting your OUAC application and payment. 30 minutes after activating your MacID you can log in using your MacID and password. Please add ‘@mcmaster.ca’ to your MacID. Your username will look like this: YourMacID@mcmaster.ca.
  • We need to know about YOU, so please complete all sections of this form without help. Please also note that you must NOT use generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to help complete your application. Doing so will be considered an infringement of academic integrity.
  • Please note that italics, underlining, bolding and certain special characters (such as Wingdings) can NOT be accommodated on the form.
  • There is a 1500 character limit for each section. Please avoid using indentations, line breaks and paragraph breaks as they will affect your character limit.
  • You should NOT include your name in any of your responses to the supplementary application questions (listed below)
  • You can save your work or return to make updates at a later time. However, all supplementary applications must be submitted by 1 February 2025, 11:59pm EST.  Please ensure you complete your application and submit by this deadline.
  • Please download a copy of your supplementary application form for your records.
  • If you are a Current Ontario High School student, your status on the applicant portal may not reflect the successful submission of your supplementary application for up to 3-4 weeks after the 1 February deadline.
  • If you are Not a Current Ontario High School Student, your applicant checklist will be updated within an hour of submission.

2025 Arts & Science Program Supplementary Application Questions

  1. Why have you decided to apply to the Arts & Science Program at McMaster? What specifically about the program resonates with your hopes for your undergraduate education?
  2. Imagine you have the opportunity to develop a self-directed research/inquiry project for one of your Arts & Science courses (see the program course list here). What question or topic might you like to investigate for this project, and why is that question significant and interesting to you? Please note that you do NOT need to propose an answer for the question you generate, and that you should pick something about which you are genuinely curious).
  3. What book, play, film, or other piece of media has had a significant impact on you over the last year or two? Please provide the title and a brief description of the work, and explain why you have found it meaningful.
  4. Tell us one way you spend time outside of school and explain why that activity is important to you. Please feel free to discuss any activity that matters to you; we recognize that people need/choose to spend their time in a variety of ways.  
  5. Tell us more about yourself and, in particular, please tell us something you learned this year. Please do NOT provide your name or any other information that would directly/definitively identify you.

The supplementary application will also provide you with an opportunity to indicate whether you would like to opt in to the Arts & Science Equitable Admissions Process for Black and/or Latin American/Latinx students, if you are eligible.

If you have any questions about your submission, please contact Shelley Anderson (anderso@mcmaster.ca)

If you have any questions about the Equitable Admissions Process, please contact Dr. Beth Marquis (beth.marquis@mcmaster.ca)