It’s official. In June, the Post-Secondary Application Service of BC, fondly known as PASBC, will undergo a name change to simply “ApplyBC.”

The name change, which has been under discussion for several years and has received widespread support, was endorsed during the January PASBC Steering Committee meeting.

The switch is expected to take place in June, when the service is next updated. We’ve commenced design work in preparation for the updated ApplyBC application and a new logo will be included in institutional links to the service.

The ApplyBC.ca domain name was acquired some time ago, and users can currently use either PAS.bc.ca or ApplyBC.ca to access the service. Notice of the pending name change will be posted on the current service site, so that users will be prepared if they are working on their applications when the new look is incorporated in June.

This name change will also keep BC’s service name in line with the new ApplyAlberta system that has gone live in our neighbouring province during the past year. The Ontario Colleges Application Service (OCAS) has also undergone a recent re-branding to OntarioColleges.ca.

There is a lot to plan to support the name change, and it will take time to raise awareness at BC high schools, throughout Canada and abroad. A previous blog post (Dec 10) reported that 50% of users come directly to the PAS.bc.ca service. International applicants are increasing at most institutions, and switching to a simpler name is one way to assist potential students find and use the service.