Required documents and how to submit them

After you apply, you may need to submit documents before we can review your application for admission.

Once we receive your application, we'll send you instructions for logging into the Waterloo applicant portal, which will list any documents you'll need to provide.
All documents are due by the documents deadline for your program.

Form / document	Applicable to	Notes
Declaration of Academic Experience	Required for all applicants	The DAE (available in the applicant portal) takes less than five minutes to do. Completing it will update your application checklist to show which documents (if any) you'll need to provide. We recommend completing it as soon as you can log in to the applicant portal. Common questions about the DAE.
Transcripts	Required for students who are not registered in an Ontario high school	You can submit unofficial transcripts for us to review your application. Current Ontario high school students: Your transcripts will be sent to us automatically.
Admission Information Form	Required for applicants to Engineering programs, Faculty of Mathematics programs, Geography and Aviation, and Science and Aviation.	The AIF is a series of questions that explore your interests, experiences, and abilities.
Supplementary Information Form	Required for applicants to Engineering programs and Faculty of Mathematics programs.	Two to three questions specific to your faculty.
English language test scores and exemptions	Required for students whose first language is not English
English-language copies of your documents	Required for students whose transcripts are not in English	If your transcripts and documents are not in English, we require English-language copies, including predicted and/or mid-term grades as soon as they are available.

Documents deadlines

Please ensure you submit all required documentation by the document deadlines for your program.

How to submit documents

Ontario high school students

If you're an Ontario student applying directly from an Ontario high school, your school will automatically send us your grades.

If you also attended a high school outside of Ontario, please send us your hard copy transcripts. Please check your applicant portal on a regular basis in case the admissions committee asks for more information.

Canadian high school students (outside of Ontario)

If your transcript does not include your last four years of study, please check your applicant portal for any additional documentation requests.

If you have graduated from high school, please upload a copy of your final transcript to Waterloo's applicant portal. If you have attended college or university since graduating, please follow the instructions for post-secondary students.

Alberta

Please upload a copy of your Detailed Academic Report (DAR) with final first semester grades and enrollment in second semester courses. You can obtain your DAR and official documents through MyPass.

British Columbia, Yukon

Please order your transcript through Student Transcript Services (STS) by selecting "Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC)" when ordering. The OUAC will forward your transcript to us.

Quebec CEGEP

No action is required for your CEGEP grades; your school will send them to us automatically.

Saskatchewan

Please order your high school transcript through the MyCreds™ system. You should also upload a timetable or schedule showing proof of enrollment in the courses which are required for admission to your program of interest.

All other provinces

Please upload a transcript listing your first term final grades, your second term mid-term grades, and/or proof of enrollment in courses (as soon as they are available).

International high school students

System	You're required to upload the following to Waterloo's applicant portal.
American (US) system	High school transcript Mid-term grades (as soon as available) Proof of enrolment for next term's courses (as soon as available) Any AP examination results. You can also request AP examination results be sent by the College Board (Waterloo's AP institution code is 0996). If your school uses Parchment/Naviance, you can request that official transcripts are sent electronically to us.
British system (A Levels)	High school transcript Advanced-level (A2) predicted grades GCSE/IGCSE (O-level) certificate(s), e.g., Pearson EdExcel, AQA, Cambridge, British Council, etc.
CAPE	CSEC awarded by the CXC Any previous CAPE Unit 1/Unit 2 examination results CAPE Unit 1/Unit 2 predicted grades (as soon as available)
Chinese system	High school transcript Current mid-year grades (as soon as available) If you receive an offer of admission, you'll be required to submit China Credentials Verification (CSSD).
Indian system	Class X board results Class XI transcript Class XII predicted grades (as soon as available)
International baccalaureate (IB)	High school transcript Predicted IB scores (as soon as available) If you're not completing the full IB diploma, you must meet admission standards from an accredited high school curriculum.
All other international high school students	An English language copy of your high school transcript An English language copy of your current mid-year grades (as soon as available) If math or science is required for admission to your program(s), you may be asked to submit your course descriptions for evaluation. Please check your email regularly in case we ask for more information.
Have you graduated from high school?	Please upload copies of the documents requested above and include final transcripts/examination results. If you have taken college and/or university courses since graduating, please follow the instructions for post-secondary students.

College and university students

You are required to upload the following documents.

A transcript from each high school you attended (if more than one).
Transcripts from each college or university you attended and/or are attending.
- For universities and colleges in Ontario: You can request transcripts through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) or through MyCreds (if your school uses it).
- Canadian universities and colleges outside Ontario: through MyCreds (if your school uses it)
- All other schools: Upload transcripts to the Waterloo applicant portal.
If you're currently studying at college or university, we'll need your fall/first term final grades (as soon as they're available) and proof of enrolment for courses next term (as soon as available).
If you've taken a break in your studies, we may request an outline of your activities and/or a résumé/CV.

We may request course outlines/syllabi at any time during the application process. Please check your applicant portal regularly.

How to apply and submit documents as a transfer student →

Applying from China?

We require your high school graduation diploma and official final documents sent directly through China Credentials Verification (CSSD). CSSD verification results must be sent electronically via Parchment. We will NOT accept CSSD verified results by email.

Mature students

For admission purposes, Waterloo’s definition of a mature student varies by faculty.

If you have previously attended college or university, you are not considered a mature student for admission purposes. You will need to meet Waterloo's regular admission requirements. Please view the college and university student information in the preceding tab.

Once you apply, you'll need to

upload final transcript(s) for all schools attended (high school and post-secondary),
send course syllabi if requested (please check your email regularly), and
email your résumé/CV to myapplication@uwaterloo.ca.

Most faculties and programs have additional requirements. Please view our mature student admissions for details.

Home-schooled students

We consider applications from home-schooled students on an individual basis. Please review the required home-school documentation.

Notes for all students

Please check your applicant portal regularly for status updates and to see if we require and documents.
Recommendation letters, letters of achievement, and non-academic certificates will not be reviewed, and we discourage you from submitting these types of documents.
You can mention any relevant achievements or awards you’ve received on your Admission Information Form.

Please do not upload the same documents multiple times as this will delay the review of your application.
Offers of admission are made between December and May as we receive updated grades from high schools.

Unofficial vs. official transcripts

We can use unofficial transcripts to review your application and make an admission decision.
If you receive an offer of admission, we'll need official documents sent directly from your school, ministry of education, testing centre, etc.

Submitting documents

Uploading unofficial transcripts

Once you log in to the Waterloo applicant portal and complete the Declaration of Academic Experience, you can upload transcripts and any other documentation listed in your application checklist.

Transcripts and other academic documents uploaded to the applicant portal will be considered unofficial. We can use unofficial documents to review your application for admission. Transcripts will not be accepted via email.
To upload transcripts, just follow the instructions in the applicant portal.

Need to upload additional transcripts?

Once a transcript has been added successfully to your file, the "date received" field in your application checklist will be updated. You'll be able to see the dates for all files that have been successfully uploaded.

If you receive a conditional offer of admission, you'll need to submit official versions of the documents listed in your portal checklist.

Submitting official documents

An official transcript is a complete academic record issued by your educational institution or Ministry of Education. We will need official documents if you receive an offer of admission.

Official examination results and test scores must be sent directly to Waterloo by the appropriate external examination agency.
Emailed, faxed, and/or uploaded academic documents will not be accepted as official.

Digital documents

Documents received electronically through an external transcript service (such as MyCreds, Parchment) or an external examination agency will be considered official.

Studying/studied at a college or university in Canada?

When requesting transcripts from your previous school, request these be sent using MyCreds. Emailed documents will NOT be considered as official.

In MyCreds, be sure to select "send my documents to a registered organization." Do not select "generate a link to my documents" as we will not receive your transcripts this way.

Paper documents

A paper document is considered official only if it is received by the University of Waterloo in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution or external examinations agency.

All transcript information is confidential, and envelopes must not be opened by the applicant. Photocopied, scanned, and faxed transcripts are not official.

If you're sending documents by courier, the documents must be in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution or external examinations agency within the courier package.

Mailing address

Office of the Registrar
University of Waterloo
200 University Ave W
Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 CANADA

Documents which are not in English

Any document that is not in English must be accompanied by an English translation and an affidavit stating the contents of the translation are a true representation of the contents of the original document.

Translated and notarized documents must be sent directly to Waterloo from a notary public in a signed/sealed envelope in order to be considered official.

The affidavit must come from the person who translated the document(s). We can accept only translations produced by a certified translator whose certification can be confirmed by a stamp or a membership number of a professional translation association. Translations by family members or friends are not acceptable.

Transcripts issued by institutions within Canada do not require a translation.

Important notes

All students

All documents and transcripts submitted to Waterloo become the property of the University and will not be returned.

All transcripts/documents will be verified for authenticity. If evidence of misrepresentation or fraudulent or falsified documentation is found, the penalty is severe. The University of Waterloo reserves the right to revoke any offer of admission, residence, and/or financial support.

We may disclose evidence of any misrepresentation, fraudulent, or falsified documentation to all Canadian universities; to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); and to law enforcement personnel when appropriate.

International students

International transcripts may need to be verified by World Education Services Canada as part of the admission process. We'll provide details once you apply.

The University of Waterloo may verify your letter of acceptance (LOA) for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and may provide information about you if necessary to support the integrity of the study permit application process.

By applying for a study permit to attend Waterloo, you authorize the University to validate information about you and your LOA with the IRCC.

Get information about programs, applying, and more!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter

Get valuable updates and tips sent straight to your inbox!