Applying | Admissions

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for admissions to CFM, you will need to submit an application to the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC).

Helpful tips for your application

• Be sure to apply by the application deadlines.
• Within two weeks of submitting your application on the OUAC, you'll receive an email from Waterloo providing you with next steps in the application process. Please add myapplication@uwaterloo.ca to your email safe list to ensure you receive our communications.
• View our videos on tips for applying to Waterloo.

Application deadlines

Applications and supporting documents for September 2024 admissions consideration must be submitted by the dates below. Please mark these important dates in your calendar. As we are a competitive program, CFM will not extend these deadlines.

These deadlines are the same for all other Faculty of Mathematics programs (including Honours Mathematics and Computer Science). Other programs at UWaterloo may have different application deadlines. Please make sure to note our important dates in your calendars. 

Admissions Information Form (AIF)

Once we have received your application, you'll be asked to complete an Admissions Information Form (AIF). An AIF is required for your application. If you do not submit an AIF with your grades, you will not be considered for admissions to CFM.

The purpose of the AIF is to tell us about yourself including your extra-curricular involvement, part-time work, volunteer experience, awards and certificates, clubs and associations, sports and more. We want to know what makes you different from our other applicants. This is also your opportunity to disclose any information around repeated, online or summer school courses.

The scoring of the AIF is a Waterloo secret that is not shared out with applicants. We simply ask that you tell us what we should know about you!

Learn tips and tricks from our admission experts on completing your AIF (videos).

English language requirements

If English is not your first language and your four most recent years of full-time education have not been in an English-speaking school, you will be required to submit an English language score with your application. Find out which English language tests and programs are accepted for admissions.

Math and computing contests

The Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo has a long history of exciting high school students and teachers with the study of math through its Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC). In addition to providing in-class learning and outreach, the CEMC offers mathematical contests to test students, up to grade 12, on their mathematical problem-solving ability.

Like our CEMC math contests, our CFM program aims to teach our students to become problem solvers. As we want to ensure that we're selecting the best students to participate in our learnings, we highly encourage you to participate in one, or all, of our grade 12 math and computing contests below to show us how you can succeed as a problem solver. The results of your contests may be used in either your AIF, application average, scholarship consideration or all of the above.

General notes about participating in our contests

• Contests are open to both Canadian and international students.
• Registration dates close roughly two weeks before the contest opens - make sure to register early.
• Contact your high school Math department if you'd like to participate.
• Contest preparation workbooks are available for purchase through the CEMC. Check online for our free past contest problems for you to practice.
• You can write any of the contests above as early as you like but only contests written in grade 12 will qualify for admissions and scholarship consideration.

Repeated courses and non-day school courses

If you repeat one or more of our required courses for admissions or take a course outside of your regular day school (i.e. summer school or private school), you may significantly jeopardize your chances of admissions to CFM. For full consideration, you should take all of your courses in regular day school and do well on your first attempt.

You will not likely be penalized for taking online courses for your high school studies as long as you can show that you are also taking a full course load of classes during your semester and your online course(s) are offered through your school or school board.

If you have already repeated a course or have taken a class outside of your regular day school, you can use your AIF to comment on your reasons for doing this. If you are planning to repeat a class or study in summer school, we ask that you change these plans to increase your chances of admissions.

Transfer students

If you are interested in changing your current UWaterloo student plan to CFM, you will be considered a transfer student. If you have completed a degree or are working toward completing a degree at another college or university, you will not be eligible to apply given the structured nature of the program. 

Offers of admission

While CFM is part of both the Faculty of Mathematics and the Faculty of Arts, our admissions decisions are managed by the Faculty of Mathematics. As a result, you can expect to follow the same application deadlines as other math and computer science programs.

You can expect to hear back about the results of your application to CFM in May of the application year. All of our offers will be sent out at this time. Decisions will be based on your application average - a combination of your grades, AIF score, and possibly the results of your math contests, if applicable.

Questions?