Admissions timeline and deadlines

This page contains important dates and deadlines for engineering and architecture applicants, as well as timing for our September 2024 offers of admission.

Offers of admission

Engineering - Ontario secondary school students

Offers of admission for Waterloo Engineering are decided in two rounds. The early consideration round of admissions is posted in mid-March, and the second in May. The timing of offers is dependent on the number of completed applications received in time for decisions in each round. All final decisions for first-year Engineering will be posted to applicants’ OUAC accounts by late May.

If you’re an Ontario high school student and you confirm an offer from another Ontario university before you receive ours, you still have until June 3, 2024, to amend your decision and accept a later offer, without penalty. No Ontario University can require a financial commitment from you before June 3, 2024 - this is the earliest date Ontario universities may require a response to an offer of admission and a financial commitment of any kind (ie: registration deposit, residence deposit, etc.).

All Ontario applicants applying to universities outside of Ontario are strongly encouraged to apply by the early consideration deadline.

Engineering – all other applicants

Offers of admission for Waterloo Engineering are decided in two rounds. The early consideration round of admissions is posted in mid-March, and the second in May. The timing of offers is dependent on the number of completed applications received in time for decisions in each round. All final decisions for first-year Engineering will be posted to applicants’ OUAC accounts by late May.

Applicants not currently attending an Ontario high school have until June 3, 2024 to respond to an offer from Waterloo. Other universities may require you to make a financial commitment to them prior to this date, so read your offers of admission carefully before accepting.

All applicants applying outside of Ontario are strongly encouraged to apply by the early consideration deadline.

Architecture

Following an initial screening of applicants, the School of Architecture will schedule interviews with short-listed candidates, including portfolio reviews and a précis test. For more information, please see Architecture's Undergraduate Admissions page.

Following the interview process, offers of admission will be sent out in early May.

Important deadlines

Important dates - Engineering admissions

Date

Milestone

December 15, 2023 Deadline to apply online and pay fees through the Ontario University Application Centre for early consideration.
January 15, 2024 Deadline for submission of the Admission Information Form (AIF) for early consideration. We strongly recommend that you also submit all of the required documents and complete the online video interview by January 15.
February 1, 2024

Deadline to apply online and pay fees through the Ontario University Application Centre.

Note: You should submit your Admission Information Form (AIF) within 3 weeks of receiving the email that we will send you upon receiving your application.

February 16, 2024             

Deadline for submission of all required application documents, including the Admission Information Form (AIF).

Mid March, 2024             Early consideration round of offers of admission appear on OUAC website and offer letters will be available on Quest.

Mid May, 2024

Final round of offers of admission appear on OUAC website, and offer letters will be available on Quest.

June 3, 2024

Deadline to accept an offer of admission via the OUAC website.

Note: If you confirm an offer from another Ontario university before you receive ours, you still have until June 3, 2024 to amend your decision and accept a later offer, without penalty. No Ontario University can require a financial commitment from you before June 3, 2024 - this is the earliest date Ontario universities may require a response to an offer of admission and a financial commitment of any kind (ie: registration deposit, residence deposit, etc.).

June 3, 2024 

Deadline to submit the co-op stream request form.

Important dates - Architecture admissions

Date

Milestone

February 1, 2024

Deadline for all students to submit applications to Architecture via the OUAC website.

February 16, 2024

Deadline for submission of all required application documents.

Mid March, 2024

Invitations for applicant interviews are released.

April 2024

Admission interviews for top 450-500 Architecture applicants take place.

Early May 2024

All offers of admission appear on OUAC website, and offer letters will be available on Quest. All offers will be made by the first week of May 2024.

June 3, 2024

Deadline to accept an offer of admission via the OUAC website.

Important events

Date

Event

Ongoing

Ask an Engineering Warrior - chat with our current students to learn more about what it's like to study at Waterloo!

Ongoing Campus Tours - join us on campus for a tour of our facilities!
February 22, 2024 Grade 10 Family Night - learn more about preparing for university!

March 23, 2024

March Open House - speak with current faculty, staff, and students, attend an information session, tour our campus, and more!