Ivey AEO Video Interview: Scripts and Frameworks (2026)

You opened the Ivey AEO application, saw the words "video interview," and your stomach tightened. That reaction is completely normal. Most applicants would happily write a third essay before talking to a webcam.

Take a breath. The video component is learnable, and the skills behind it are the same storytelling skills you need for the written essays.

This guide covers what the Ivey AEO video interview actually is, what evaluators listen for, the prompt archetypes worth preparing, sample scripts with full annotations, and how to deliver your answers with confidence.

One honest note before anything else: every script in this guide is a model composed by AdmissionPrep's Educators to teach structure. None of them comes from a real applicant, and none should ever be memorized or copied. Your stories are the raw material. These frameworks show you how to shape them.

What Is the Ivey AEO Video Interview?

Many families search for "Ivey video essay examples," but the official component is a video interview, delivered through the Kira Talent platform. Ivey's admissions page calls it a video assessment, and it sits inside the AEO Supplemental Application alongside your written activity essays and awards section.

Here's what Ivey publishes about the format for the current cycle:

1. The video interview is mandatory for all AEO applicants.
2. It consists of five questions, each with preparation time followed by a timed response.
3. The whole process typically takes 20 to 30 minutes and must be completed in one sitting.
4. You can complete it anytime before the application deadline. No scheduling is required.
5. You may practice as many times as you like before starting the formal interview. Once you begin, you must answer all five questions in one attempt.

You will need a desktop or laptop computer, a working webcam and microphone, and a stable internet connection. Use the equipment listed in Ivey's official AEO application guidance and test it before starting.

The video interview is one piece of a larger application. The AEO Supplemental Application also asks for two extracurricular activities in essay format (maximum 500 words each), up to five more activities in point form, and a reference for every activity. The application fee is $200, and the deadline for the current cycle is January 15, 2027.

Remember the other half of the process too. You apply to Western University or an affiliate through OUAC, and you indicate your Ivey AEO intention on that application. Ivey must receive your Western offer before it can decide your AEO status. For the full picture, read our Western Ivey AEO application guide.

Why Does Ivey Ask You to Talk on Camera?

Ivey states the purpose directly: the video interview helps the admissions team understand your personality, your communication skills, and the experiences that may not come through in the written portion of your application.

Think about where you're headed. The Ivey HBA classroom runs on case discussion, and your voice counts toward your grade. Explaining your thinking on camera is a small preview of that world.

There's a second reason this component matters. Ivey weighs academic performance and leadership experience equally, a 50/50 balance the school describes as unique to its admissions approach. Your transcript carries half the decision. Your ability to show leadership, on paper and on camera, carries the other half.

What does that mean for you? Your low 90s average gets you into the conversation. Your stories, told well, are what set you apart.

What Is Ivey Actually Evaluating?

You don't have to guess. Ivey publishes the qualities it wants demonstrated across the supplemental application: leadership, teamwork, initiative, achievement, commitment, integrity, resilience, and breadth of involvement.

Read that list again slowly. Notice what's missing? Nothing about founding a company or winning a national title. Ivey's own guidance points to volunteer work, paid employment, entrepreneurial ventures, clubs, and sports as equally valid sources of these qualities.

The academic bar is real, though. A competitive AEO application shows a low 90% average in your best Grade 12 courses, including English, plus a mathematics course for university-bound students.

And the stakes are worth understanding. Roughly 75% of the Ivey HBA class enters through AEO, and Ivey consistently sits at the top of any honest ranking of the best business programs in Canada. This is one of the most sought-after pre-admission statuses in the country.

If you're building toward an application like this, structured preparation makes a measurable difference. AdmissionPrep's Advisors work with Scholars on exactly this kind of profile building, and spots fill on a rolling basis. You can apply to the program waitlist to secure a place in line.

Which Prompts Should You Prepare For?

Let's be precise about something important. Ivey does not publish its video interview question bank, and this guide makes no claim to know this cycle's exact prompts. What follows are prompt archetypes: the recurring question patterns that timed video interviews use, mapped against the qualities Ivey says it evaluates.

Prepare these four archetypes, and you'll walk in ready for almost anything the camera asks.

1. The leadership experience prompt. Some version of "tell us about a time you led something" or "describe a situation where you took initiative."
2. The teamwork and disagreement prompt. "Tell us about working with someone who saw things differently" or "Describe a team challenge and your role in it."
3. The setback and resilience prompt. "Describe a time something didn't go as planned" or "tell us about a failure and what you learned."
4. The motivation prompt. "Why business?" or "Why do you want this opportunity?" or a getting-to-know-you opener about your interests.

Could a question fall outside these four? Of course. But an applicant with strong, practiced answers to these archetypes can adapt to almost any variation, because the underlying skill is the same: telling a true story with structure.

Pro Tip: Build a story bank before you script anything. List six to eight real experiences, then tag each one with the Ivey qualities it demonstrates. The strongest applicants draw on leadership they started building as early as Grade 9, which is exactly why we tell families the best time to start is years before the application opens.

Sample Scripts and Answer Frameworks

Every experience-based answer should follow the STAR method. It's the same framework that powers strong Ivey activity essays, and it translates perfectly to video.

Situation: Set the scene in one sentence. Where were you, and what was the challenge or opportunity?

Task: State what you were responsible for achieving. One sentence.

Action: Describe the specific steps you took. This is the heart of your answer and deserves the most airtime.

Result: Share the outcome with numbers where possible, then close with one line of reflection.

A note on timing. Ivey publishes the overall format (five questions, 20 to 30 minutes total) but not per-question response times.

Build answers you can deliver comfortably in 60 to 90 seconds. If the timer gives you more room, you can breathe and expand. If it gives you less, trim your Situation and Task, never your Action and Result.

Archetype 1: The Leadership Experience Prompt

Answer framework: One sentence of situation, one of task, three to four of action, then a result with a number and a single reflection. Spend at least half your time on Action.

Sample script (a model composed for teaching, not a real applicant's answer):

"In Grade 11, I coordinated my school's Peer Tutoring Club. Our math tutoring stream had forty students on the waitlist and only six tutors, so sessions were getting cancelled weekly.

As coordinator, my job was to triple our tutor capacity within one semester. I pitched at three senior class assemblies to recruit, built a shared scheduling sheet so tutors could swap shifts instead of cancelling, and paired every new tutor with an experienced one for their first two weeks.

By March we had nineteen tutors and the waitlist was cleared, and our supervising teacher kept the pairing system for the following year. What I took from it is that leading rarely means doing more myself. It means building something other people want to join."

Why this works: The Situation takes ten seconds, not forty. The Action names three concrete moves, each one a decision the speaker made personally. The Result has two numbers and an externally verifiable outcome (the teacher kept the system).

The reflection is one sentence, earned rather than announced. Spoken at a relaxed pace, this runs about 55 seconds, leaving buffer for nerves.

Archetype 2: The Teamwork and Disagreement Prompt

Answer framework: STAR again, but the Action must show how you handled the person, not the project alone. Evaluators are listening for respect, curiosity, and movement toward a resolution. Never make your teammate the villain.

Sample script (model answer):

"Last year I co-led our school's charity gala with a classmate who wanted a formal dinner format, while I believed a carnival format would sell more tickets. Instead of debating opinions, I suggested we each survey two homerooms and let the numbers decide.

The results surprised us both: students wanted the carnival, but parents preferred a seated event. So we merged the two, a casual carnival with one ticketed dinner table for families.

We sold out at 300 tickets, about forty percent more than the previous year. I learned that most disagreements are really incomplete information, and going to get the missing data works better than winning the argument."

Why this works: The disagreement is stated without blame. The Action shows a repeatable habit (test, don't argue) rather than a lucky compromise. The Result credits the pair rather than the speaker alone, which itself demonstrates the teamwork being asked about.

Archetype 3: The Setback and Resilience Prompt

Answer framework: Name the failure honestly and quickly, then move to what you rebuilt. The ratio matters: one part setback, three parts response. Ivey lists resilience among its published qualities, and resilience only shows up in what you did next.

Sample script (model answer):

"In Grade 10, I ran for student council and lost by eleven votes. I had assumed my platform would speak for itself, so I skipped most of the campaigning.

Rather than walk away, I asked the winner if I could lead one of her initiatives, and I spent the year running the school's food drive. I set a weekly collection target, recruited homeroom representatives, and posted our running total by the cafeteria every Friday.

We collected over 1,800 items, the school's biggest drive at that point. The next year I ran again and won, but honestly, the food drive taught me more than the title did. Losing showed me that influence comes from work people can see, not positions."

Why this works: The failure is specific and slightly uncomfortable, which makes it credible. The response demonstrates initiative and commitment, two more items straight from Ivey's published list. The final line reframes the loss without pretending it didn't sting.

Archetype 4: The Motivation Prompt

Answer framework: STAR doesn't fit "why" questions. Use a three-beat structure instead: Hook (the moment your interest became real), Proof (what you've done about it since), Connection (why this program specifically). Vague admiration is the most common failure mode here, so anchor every beat in something concrete.

Sample script (model answer):

"My interest in business became real the summer I helped my aunt price inventory for her bakery. I watched one spreadsheet decision change whether her month ended in profit or loss, and I was hooked on how ideas become decisions.

Since then I've run our school investment club's mock portfolio and taken a part-time job where I handle weekend cash reconciliation. Both taught me that I learn best by doing and discussing, not just reading.

That's exactly why the case method appeals to me, and why AEO fits how I want to grow: two years to explore broadly at Western, with a clear goal waiting in third year."

Why this works: The hook is a small, true-sounding moment rather than a grand claim. The proof shows follow-through across two settings. The connection names the actual structure of AEO, showing the applicant understands what they're applying for.

Pro Tip: Record yourself answering one archetype on your phone tonight, before you feel ready. Your first recording is always your worst, and it's better to spend that rep in private than inside the real interview. Then use Kira's unlimited practice mode until the format feels boring.

Want an experienced set of eyes on your story bank and practice recordings before you sit for the real thing? Our Advisors coach Scholars through every component of the AEO application, and capacity is limited each year. Join the program waitlist to reserve your spot.

Strong vs Weak: One Prompt, Two Answers

Here's the same leadership prompt answered two ways. The difference has nothing to do with how impressive the activity is and everything to do with structure.

Weak answer:

"I've been involved in a lot of clubs at my school, but the one I'm most proud of is peer tutoring. I joined in Grade 10 and became coordinator in Grade 11.

Being coordinator taught me so much about leadership, communication, and time management, and I think those skills would make me a great fit for Ivey. We helped a lot of students, and it was a really rewarding experience that shaped who I am."

What went wrong? Count the specifics: zero. The speaker names skills instead of showing actions, so the evaluator has nothing to picture or believe. "Helped a lot of students" is unverifiable. Half the answer is spent on labels ("leadership, communication, time management") that the story never demonstrates. And notice the tell: weak answers talk about the role; strong answers talk about the work.

Strong answer: The Archetype 1 sample script above, built from the identical activity. Same club, same title, completely different impact on the person watching.

The lesson? You do not need a more impressive life. You need a more specific story.

How Should You Deliver It? Setup, Pacing, and Practice

Content wins interviews, but delivery determines whether it lands. Here's your preparation checklist, in the order that matters.

Setup. Use the equipment Ivey specifies: a desktop or laptop with a webcam, microphone, and stable internet. Place the camera at eye level, face a window or lamp so light hits your face, and choose a plain, quiet background. Do a full tech test days before your real attempt, never the night of.

Framing and body language. Sit so your head and shoulders fill the frame. Look at the camera lens when speaking, not at your own image. Keep your hands visible and let them gesture naturally. Smile when you start each answer, because the first three seconds set the evaluator's impression of your energy.

Pacing. Nerves make everyone rush. Aim for the pace you'd use explaining something to a friendly teacher, and let yourself pause briefly between STAR beats. A one-second pause feels enormous to you and completely natural to the viewer.

If you finish before the timer, stop talking. Rambling past your Result weakens everything before it.

Prep time. Each question gives you preparation time before recording. Use it to jot your STAR beats as four quick keywords, never full sentences. Keywords keep you conversational. Sentences turn you into a newscaster reading a teleprompter.

Practice reps. This is where you actually win the interview. Run at least five full mock sessions: pull a random archetype, take realistic prep time, answer on camera, then review the recording once for content and once for delivery. Kira lets you practice as many times as you like before the formal attempt, so arrive at the real five questions with the format already feeling routine.

Pro Tip: Complete your video interview at least five to seven days before the January 15 deadline. Deadline week is when laptops update themselves, wifi wobbles, and stress peaks. Ivey lets you complete the interview any time before the deadline, and early completion costs you nothing.

Common Mistakes That Undermine Good Applicants

1. Memorizing scripts word for word. Evaluators can hear recitation instantly, and one forgotten word can derail your whole answer. Memorize your story beats, never your sentences.
2. Answering the question you prepared instead of the question asked. If the prompt asks about a disagreement and you deliver your all-purpose leadership story unchanged, the mismatch shows. Listen first, then adapt a story from your bank.
3. Skipping the Result. Applicants love describing what they did and forget to say what changed. End every experience answer with an outcome and, wherever truthful, a number.
4. Repeating your written essays with nothing new. Your two activity essays already cover two stories in depth. The video is your chance to show breadth, one of Ivey's published qualities, so bring different experiences or a genuinely new angle.
5. Treating the practice mode casually. Applicants who wing their practice reps freeze in the real recording. Treat every rehearsal like the actual interview, and the actual interview will feel like a rehearsal.
6. Waiting until deadline week. One technical failure with no buffer is a self-inflicted crisis. Book your interview sitting early, on a day you feel rested.

Ivey AEO Video Interview FAQ

Does the Ivey AEO application include a video interview?

Yes. Ivey's admissions page confirms the AEO Supplemental Application includes an essay component and a video assessment, delivered as a mandatory video interview through the Kira Talent platform. All applicants complete it.

How long does the Ivey AEO video interview take?

The interview consists of five questions, each with preparation time and a timed response. Ivey states the full process typically takes 20 to 30 minutes and must be completed in one sitting.

Can you redo your Ivey AEO video interview answers?

You can practice as many times as you like before starting the formal interview. Once you begin the real attempt, you must complete all five questions in that single sitting, so treat your practice reps seriously.

What is Ivey looking for in AEO applicants?

Ivey weighs academics and leadership equally, a 50/50 split. Across the application, it looks for demonstrated leadership, teamwork, initiative, achievement, commitment, integrity, resilience, and breadth of involvement, paired with a low 90% average in your best Grade 12 courses.

When is the Ivey AEO application deadline?

For the current cycle, the Ivey AEO application deadline is January 15, 2027, the same date as Western's OUAC equal-consideration deadline. First-round AEO offers typically go out in mid-March, with the majority following in April and May.

Do you need business extracurriculars for Ivey AEO?

No. Ivey's own guidance lists volunteer work, paid employment, entrepreneurial ventures, clubs, and sports as valid activities. The qualities you demonstrate matter far more than the activity category.

Can you hold AEO status in any program at Western?

Yes. AEO students spend their first two years in any faculty at Western, Huron, or King's, which is part of what makes the pathway so flexible at one of Ontario's best universities. You then enter the HBA Program in third year if you maintain the progression requirements.

Your Camera Is a Door, Not a Wall

The Ivey HBA Class of 2025 has 778 students, and roughly three out of every four earned their place through AEO. Seven-hundred-seventy-eight. Every one of those seats went to an applicant who paired a strong average with stories worth telling, and you're reading this because you intend to be one of them.

AdmissionPrep works with ambitious Scholars aiming at exactly this kind of program. Our Educators have refined 173,000+ applications over 15 years, and 80% of our Scholars earn admission to a Top 5 Canadian university. That preparation can help increase your odds where it counts.

Start by completing our Program Assessment to see where your profile stands today. If you're ready to secure a spot before this year's capacity fills, apply to the program waitlist.

You have the frameworks. You have the stories, even if you haven't shaped them yet. Prepare with intention, press record with confidence, and maybe we'll see you on campus as a Western Mustang.