The deadline to submit a Special Consideration request has passed.
You can request special consideration for admission if you have had significant circumstances that affected your grades and that were not accommodated through your school or relevant services (e.g., Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or were informally accommodated by your teachers). This additional form will give our staff information about your background and circumstances when reviewing your application.
If you had a known disability, or circumstances that you were accommodated for (e.g., you received an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or were informally accommodated by your teachers), you’re not eligible for special consideration and will be considered for admission through our normal application process.
While we realize that school has been different for the last few years, a change to how and where you took your courses due to the COVID-19 pandemic does not qualify as a special circumstance.
Requests must be submitted by the document deadline. Submissions that are incomplete or received after the deadline may not be considered. For questions please contact specialconsideration@uwaterloo.ca.
For students applying for winter or spring term through our part-time and online learning application, please follow the deadlines listed on our part-time and online degrees page .
Submitting requests
- You must apply on the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) before requesting special consideration for unaccommodated circumstances.
- To complete the form, you'll need your Waterloo username and password, which are the same you use to access Quest, our student information system. (Learn about creating your Quest account)
- Requests must be made directly by students due to privacy regulations. Parents or guardians cannot make requests on behalf of their child.
- Information you submit will be added to your application file. We will not follow up with each request unless we need further documentation.
- Most admission decisions are made in early May so there may be considerable time between your request and an admission decision.
Types of admission accommodations or consideration
Do you need assistance with the admissions process?
If you require an accommodation for Waterloo's admission process (e.g., supplementary assessments such as interviews or entrance assessments).
Unaccommodated (or suspected) disability/illness/trauma
The term ‘disability’ covers a broad range and degree of conditions that can be permanent, temporary, episodic, and suspected, including temporary disabilities, chronic conditions, disabling illness, as well as the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of a trauma (e.g., sexual violence).
This category applies if you were not accommodated during your studies for a disability, illness, or trauma and/or you were unaware that you had a disability.
Other unaccommodated circumstances
If you have or had a significant circumstance or event that affected your grades and for which you did not receive support or accommodation, you can request special consideration for admission. This information is most relevant if your grades are slightly below the range we require for admission. Our staff may consider this information (along with your overall academic record) when reviewing your application.
