The admissions process at the University of Waterloo

[LadyOfTheSith]

Hello! I'm wondering if it is too late to apply for a Social Science program at the University of Waterloo. On the Waterloo website, under Admission Deadlines, it states, "January 11, 2012 (Still accepting applications)." To my knowledge, this is for Ontario High School students such as myself. I have already applied to other programs at other universities through the OUAC, however will I still be able to apply to Waterloo?

[experiencewaterloo]

@LadyOfTheSith Hi! You can still make changes to your applications online through OUAC. You will need your OUAC Reference Number and PIN/password to access your application. Hope this helps!

[TheJamaMamba]

Hey I've been accepted to my program and I wanted to know if i still need to do my AIF ?

[experiencewaterloo]

@TheJamaMamba Hi! It's strongly suggested for you to submit your AIF because some programs base their faculty-specific scholarship decisions on this information. Congratulations on your offer!

[WhatsBboy]

Hey I'm trying to activate my watiam account, totally forgot to fill- in the AIF :(. I didn't sign up for quest because my watiam account won't activate because I do not understand what to fill in for the Sectiong "Home Page" It says about some URL. I put a URL that I thought to be the correct one, however it gave me this "Only alpha numeric characters are permitted in this field"

[experiencewaterloo]

@WhatsBboy Hi! When you're making your WatIAM account, the only information that's required is your name, student ID, date of birth, and gender. Everything else is optional, so in your case, I would leave the rest blank. Hope this helps!

[tuyu0515]

Hello! The admission average is calculated from my top 6 U/M courses correct? How do I know which of my classes are U/M (Saskatchewan curriculum) ?

[experiencewaterloo]

@tuyu0515 Hi! You are correct that your average is calculated from your top 6 U/M courses. There's a chart found at findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/admis­sions/canadian.php#saskatchewa­n that tells you the Saskatchewan courses equivalents. Hope this helps!

[tuyu0515]

@experiencewaterloo It does, but the list is so short! Will my Psychology 30 and Band 30 be taken into consideration as well?

[experiencewaterloo]

@tuyu0515 They sure will! At the bottom, it says the minimum requirements are a high school diploma with 6 30-level courses. So any courses you've taken at the 30-level will count towards this average. Cheers!

[tuyu0515]

@experiencewaterloo Thank you so much! :)

[experiencewaterloo]

@tuyu0515 Not a problem at all! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Good luck with the rest of the application process!

[shrillionaire]

Hi, I was accepted into the UofW but I haven't finished the AIF yet.

Does this mean I still need to hand in my AIF? Is it mandatory?

[experiencewaterloo]

@shrillionaire Hi! It is strongly recommended to still submit the AIF since some scholarships are awarded based on this information. Congratulations, and welcome to Waterloo!

[threeclock]

Still waiting for my admission. The longest wait of my life so far. Every day seems like a year! Good luck to all! :)

[TheAliyev]

what about foundation program how much score i need to apply?

[experiencewaterloo]

@TheAliyev Hi! The admission requirements vary by program. Is there a specific program you applied to?

[ollieolivelau]

I applied to the life science program. I know that the average acceptance grade is 85% for co-op and the prerequisites are chemistry, biology, adv. functions, calculus and English. Let's say I got around a 70% for chemistry but I still have an 85% average, would they still consider me?

[experiencewaterloo]

@ollieolivelau There's no minimum grade for chemistry, so as long as you have your 85% average, and at least 70% in Advanced Functions and Calculus and Vectors, you should be fine! Hope this helps!

[ollieolivelau]

Hey! Do the admission officers only look at the average of your top 6 or do they also consider you for individual marks in the prerequisites?

[experiencewaterloo]

@ollieolivelau Hi! This depends on which program you've applied to. For instance, if there are required courses, some of them have a minimum grade. Which program have you applied to? Once this is established we can figure out the requirements. Cheers!

[Xplozzion]

Hello,

I am a high school and college graduate. I originally planned on just going to college and most of my grade 12 courses were applied. I have retaken the 4 mandatory courses (English, Advanced Functions, Calculus, and finishing up Physics). The problem is by the time i write my Physics exam, exam gets marked, my marks reach the school.. It will be very close to the March 7th deadline. Is it possible for me to hand my marks in person to reduce the time it takes for them to reach Waterloo?

[experiencewaterloo]

@Xplozzion Hi! If you email Donna at donna.woolcott@uwaterloo.ca she can help. She's eager to help you out! Hope this helps!

[Xplozzion]

@experiencewaterloo thank you very much :)

[Valiantay]

I applied through OUAC already and obtained my 8 digit code, do i have to send in a separate transcript? My councilors insist OUAC automatically sends it and there is no need to send a transcript. Is that true?

[experiencewaterloo]

@Valiantay Hey! If you're enrolled in an Ontario high school, OUAC will send your transcript. However, if you're outside of Ontario, you will need to do this on your own. For more information on this, you can go to findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/thene­xtstep/applicants/marks.php Hope this helps!

[habsfan111oya]

Hey, I applied in mid-December to two programs at Waterloo but haven't received an email back yet that they got my applicant. Should I call in about this, or have they just not sent out any emails yet?

[experiencewaterloo]

@habsfan111oya Hi! Because we send lots of email to students, some email systems occasionally filter our emails into the junk mail folder. Please check there for any emails from us. If you don't find anything there, please email myapplication@uwaterloo.ca with your: OUAC reference number, first and last name, date of birth, and program(s) applied to, and we will resend the acknowledgement email to you.Sorry for any inconvenience. Hope it helps!

[spurrya]

Hey! Can you tell me more about requirements?

In the websites, I checked, (Being from Indian Curriculum), is the marks all that counts? Well apart from the essays? I don't get this system much, just hope for some help.... Does extra curriculum activities count? Like sports etc...Thank you for all your time!

I wish to be a waterloo student soon! :D <3

[experiencewaterloo]

@spurrya Hi! Which program are you applying to? There are different requirements for certain programs, but in general, the process involves applying through OUAC, sending in your transcript, and filling out an Admissions Information Form (AIF). With the AIF, you explain a bit about yourself, your interests, and any extra-curriculars you have. For a full explanation, it may be helpful to check out the video on our channel called "Applying to the University of Waterloo". Hope this helps!

[mzperfectshawty35687]

Hey there ! I was wondering about what the process of admission is if students are planning to apply for private school in their second semester, to retake a course they had in first semester (in grade 12). Does this affect their acceptance because they are retaking the course?

[experiencewaterloo]

@mzperfectshawty35687 Hi! Yes it might effect it depending on the program you are applying to. Please contact the specific faculty representative to which you are planning to apply for more information. Their contact information can be found at findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/conta­ct/

[keeponrockin999]

I came back to high school for one more year to get the prerequisites for the Civil Engineering course (chemistry and physics) but i want to take Calculus for a second time in order to refresh my knowledge before going into University. Are there any penalties for taking a course again? Also which mark will be taken into account, the first or second?

[experiencewaterloo]

@keeponrockin999 Hi, there. Philippe Bézaire would be the person for you to contact regarding questions about engineering programs, Call: 519-888-4894 or Email: admissions@engmail.uwaterloo.c­a. Hope this helps!

[keeponrockin999]

@experiencewaterloo Thank you very much, i appreciate the help

[narutolrd]

Hi, I was wondering if Waterloo has transfer options from Seneca for their art programs?

[experiencewaterloo]

@narutolrd Hi, thanks so much for your interest in Waterloo! Please visit findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/admis­sions/collegetransfer.php for information on College transfers. Hope this helps!

[123has4561]

I want to apply in Waterloo but my 1st language is not an English ..should its possible for me?

[experiencewaterloo]

@123has4561 Yes, it's definitely possible. You will just need to full fill some English language requirements. Please visit findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/admis­sions/elr.php for more information. Hope this helps!

[ggmm117]

Hi I am interested in applying for engineering at Waterloo. I have a few questions about the AIF. When writing the AIF, should we include information such has the Waterloo math/physics contests we've written? How much does the AIF affect admissions? Are the Extra-Curricular portion of the AIF the most important?

[experiencewaterloo]

@ggmm117 Hi there. You can definitely talk about your contests in the AIF, especially if you've done well in them. It's your chance to brag! Engineering looks at the AIF very closely and its a very important part of the admissions process. All parts of the AIF are equally important.

Hope this helps!

[physmanify]

Hi i'm in grade 12 and i'm planning on applying for computer engineering. The prerequisites are Grade 12 Chemistry, Advanced Functions, Calculus, English and Physics. From those 5 courses, I only have Chemistry and English this semester. Will the fact that I have Advanced Functions, Calculus and Physics next semester decrease my chance of getting accepted?

[experiencewaterloo]

@physmanify Hi, there. This will in no way decrease your chance at all. As long as you are taking all the prerequisites, it does not matter what order you take them in. Hope this helps!

[wesleymccloy]

when filling in the form on the ouac website, i am only allowed to apply to one program. I was wondering if I am only allowed to apply/do only one program. As I am interested in Mechatronics, System Design and Nanotechnology

Thanks

[experiencewaterloo]

@wesleymccloy You are allowed to apply to 3 programs per university through OUAC. You can apply to more, but you have to pay extra for every program you apply to after. However, you can only apply to one engineering program at Waterloo other than architecture.You can rank your preferences for engineering programs when you fill out the admissions information form & an alternative offer can be made to you if you don't get into your first choice. Hope this helps!

[assyrianbouqta28]

should I be worrying if I haven't heard anything yet? mid term marks got sent almost 2 weeks ago, and my friends have been getting accepted to other universities this week. Has waterloo sent out offers of admission this past week or are they still reviewing applications?

[edwrodrig]

How about the process of review for graduate programs?

[saifs4i7]

Hey! So..

I have really bad predicted grades for my IB. I was wondering if the admission is based just on the predicted grades or the final grades also?

[srkambbs]

@saifs4i7 I am in IB too. If you have very bad predicted grades you might not get early acceptances and probably the mid-march ones (Hope You'll get it) Your school will send one more round of predicted marks in march based on your mid-term. If you still don't get an acceptance, work hard in the final exam and you can get a late acceptance in May or June. Good Luck!!!

[SUPERCRAZYSAIF]

@srkambbs Thank you very much!

But fortunately due to the IB conversion to the Ontario scale my final mark is an 89.4! Gotta love the conversion!

But yeah I had shitty IB grades..

Thank you! Good luck to you too! :)

[208am208]

@SUPERCRAZYSAIF

Hey, How did you submit your IB grades to waterloo? I'm currently trying to submit mine, but I don't know how, and as well, how did you get the conversion scale from IB marks to Ontario marks? Thanks in advance for the help !

[SUPERCRAZYSAIF]

@208am208 Hey! Did you apply to waterloo through OUAC? Or do you live in some other province..

I just know how to apply to the university through OUAC and they send your grades to the universities automatically..

You just need to go to the OUAC website and fill out all the information about yourself..

and if you are studying in an Ontario school then don't even worry about it...your school will convert your grades from IB to Ontario and they'll send it for you...

[SUPERCRAZYSAIF]

@208am208 and you also need to go to fill out the application information form called AIF that university of waterloo sends to you...They ask for your grades in that form..

If you haven't filled it yet then you might want to get started with it because the deadlines are going to pass soon..

Good luck with your admission process!

Hope to see you in Waterloo :)

Peace!