Congratulations, Warrior!
Welcome to your Waterloo
You've worked hard to get here. Now it's time to get excited about all the experiences, opportunities, and fun you'll have as a Waterloo student.
Your community will have your back every step of the way! Between exploring Waterloo's campus, joining clubs, and diving into real-world experiences, you've got a lot to look forward to.
Reserve your place in residence
Want to level up your Waterloo experience? Living in residence connects you to a vibrant, supportive community – and your spot is 100% guaranteed.
Process
- When you're ready, submit your Residence Guarantee Application Form and your $500 non-refundable residence deposit by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 10, 2025.
- Before you apply to residence, you'll need to set up two-factor authentication (2FA), which will help ensure the safety of your Waterloo account. You'll use 2FA extensively as a Waterloo student.
Accessible housing in residence is available to students with a documented disability.
Have you been admitted to Architecture?
We strongly recommend that you live in Cambridge and not in a main campus residence. See "Student life in Cambridge" on the School of Architecture FAQ page for details.
Why students love Waterloo
Stay on top of your budget
Don't stress! Start planning your finances with these helpful tips and resources.
Use our cost calculator to estimate your first-year expenses and resources.
Check your Quest account in late July for your fall term fees. You'll also find any scholarship and bursary information, if applicable.
Get tips on ways to help pay for your education.
Say hello to your next chapter
Here at Waterloo, you'll find experiences that ignite your passion, a community that supports you, and countless opportunities to make the world a better place.
First-year Waterloo students are much more likely to join extracurriculars than students at other Ontario universities (71% vs 57%).
National Survey of Student Engagement
Explore careers before you graduate! Gain experience through North America's largest co-op program.
Next steps for international and transfer students
International students
International students
We're here to make your transition to life in Canada a smooth one. Here are some tips.
- You may need to request a letter of attestation to go along with your study permit application.
- If you've been admitted to co-op, apply for a work permit at the same time you apply for a study permit.
- If you need to prepay your tuition as part of your study permit application, use our fee estimator to estimate how much you should pay.
Transfer students
Here are some things to keep in mind if you're making the switch to Waterloo.
- Submit documents, such as final transcripts and course syllabi, for possible transfer credit. Once we've reviewed your documents, we'll email you a transfer credit assessment.
- Looking for a fun, supportive place to live? Take advantage of our residence guarantee for transfer students.