Applying to Waterloo webinar recap

When should I start applying?

The applications are open now on the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) — you can apply anytime and start sending in any documents we need!

How many programs can you apply to?

You can apply to a maximum of three programs with your application to Waterloo.

If I am a high school student in Ontario, do I still need to upload copies of my transcript through the applicant portal?

Ontario high school students do not need to upload their transcripts, your guidance counsellor will submit your grades to OUAC on your behalf.

Do I have until January 15 to complete tasks listed as "outstanding checklist items" and the supplementary application, or have I missed a deadline?

You haven't missed anything! The outstanding message in your portal is a reminder that there is information you need to provide us with. We encourage you to submit all requirements as soon as possible so that we can review your application. Keep track of the deadlines for your program to make sure you get everything in. We highly suggest you complete your Declaration of Academic Experience form as soon as possible.

Can I submit a copy of my transcript to the Waterloo portal right now without my Grade 12 classes being completed?

Yes, you can! You can also continue to update us when you have new grade information. We have students submitting grade information already.

What is a group A and B student in OUAC?

When you apply through OUAC, the answers that you provide in your application will determine whether you are an Ontario high school student (group A) or are studying outside an Ontario high school (group B).

Do we apply to the co-op program when we apply through OUAC?

Some of our programs at Waterloo are co-op only, while others may be regular only. If a program is offered as both co-op and regular, then you would need to select co-op in your program choice on OUAC.

Does it matter how you rank the programs you apply to on OUAC?

No, we do not look at how you have ranked your Waterloo application(s).

How long does it roughly take to complete the full application?

We provide information on how long different components take to complete. Parts of the application, like DAE, will be quick to complete, but other components like the AIF (if required) can take students different times depending on how much time you spend forming the answers and editing before you submit. It also depends on how many requirements you have for your program. We are here to support you if you have any questions at all during the application process!

Is there any disadvantage to applying early?

No, there’s no disadvantage to applying early. We will get updated marks throughout the application process.

Do we include Grade 9 to 12 courses for the DAE?

Yes, your four most recent years of education should be outlined on the DAE.

Do my AIF answers need to be related to my program and faculty to benefit my application?

It will not hinder your application if your answers are not specific to your program! We are looking for you to talk about all the things you are passionate about outside your courses. It's a chance for us to get to know you better as a student.

Do I need to complete the AIF with well-structured sentences?

Yes, we recommend taking the time to structure and edit your responses. We do not recommend submitting answers in point form.

Do you have to do multiple AIFs or just one if applying to multiple programs requiring an AIF?

The AIF is the same for all programs so you'll only complete one.

Is the AIF about your experiences, your accomplishments, or your personality?

All three! Overall, we want to get to know you as a person outside your grades.

Question 5 on the AIF asks for hours involved in the past 12 months. Can I still add activities I did earlier?

We are only looking for 12 months from the date you complete the application. While we know you were likely involved in activities before those months, they do not need to be included in the AIF.

For question 5, do we list our extracurriculars, or do we explain them all in paragraph form?

Question 5 will be a list format! It does not need a paragraph form.

For the AIF, do we need to connect the answers to all questions, or can we answer each question independently?

Your answers to each of the questions do not have to connect. The more variety you have in your answers, the more we learn about you!

Can you use the same experiences to answer multiple questions on the AIF?

Yes, there is no right or wrong way to complete the AIF — just do your best!

If I have plans to do more community involvement soon, should I hold off on submitting documents until I'm comfortable that I have completed all that I plan to? 

If you are applying to a program that requires the AIF/supplemental forms, you have until the document deadline to submit. You're welcome to wait to submit your AIF if you intend to include specific information, so long as it is submitted by the deadline.

For the outside the classroom section, can you add your work experience as well?

Yes, please do! You can include any experiences you have had to answer the AIF questions.

There is a question in the supplementary form asking if math contests were written in 2025 and the marks obtained. What if the student has written a contest prior to 2025?

We are specifically looking for the most recent year. You could possibly incorporate earlier contests into your AIF if applicable.

Are the AIF and math competitions very heavily weighed for Computer Science?

Admission decisions for our Math programs are based on a combination of your grades and the AIF. Math competitions are recommended but not required, they are typically used for scholarship decisions.

How important is having design, arts, or well-rounded experiences for applying to Systems Design Engineering compared to grades?

All applicants are able to discuss any interests or accomplishments on their Admission Information Form (AIF). This is the only place you will be able to share this information when applying. Find out what questions are on the AIF.

If I apply for the co-op Health Sciences program, would I still be able to switch to the regular Health Sciences program later?

Yes, absolutely! If you are interested in co-op, please apply to that on the application. It is easier to move from co-op to the regular program but much more difficult to try to get into co-op later if you apply to the regular program.

Are math competitions essential to being considered for Computer Science?

Your application will not be disadvantaged if you do not participate in our math contests. Learn more about maths contests.

How do I prepare for the Engineering interview? How does the interview influence my accessibility?

Learn more about the Engineering interview. If you need support with the interview, you can review our special consideration process where we can support you through the process.

When applying to Engineering, do we get two choices? One primary choice and a second choice for an alternative offer?

If you are applying to an Engineering program, in your applicant portal you will be asked to complete an alternate choice form where you can tell us your second choice engineering form.  You will have two other program options at the OUAC.

Once I’ve submitted the OUAC application and further documents requested for Architecture, what’s the process after?

Your grades will be reviewed (both 11 and 12) for consideration if you haven't completed all of your Grade 12 courses. If you meet the average and minimum required course requirements, you will move to the next round of the process (interview). You will be contacted letting you know if you are moving to the next phase.

Are there any supplementary applications for the Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) program?

We no longer have any supplementary applications for AFM — the admissions decision will be based on grades only.

What are the main differences between the Health Sciences and Biomedical Sciences programs in terms of career options?

Both Health Sciences and Biomedical Science can lead to a career in medicine. We highly recommend speaking with our representatives in the Faculties of Health and Science to learn more about what these programs mean and the different options they can lead to.

Are the earliest acceptances for Computer Science and Software Engineering also sent in December, or are they specifically sent later?

We do not have an early application deadline. Offers of admission go out on a rolling basis starting in December with most of our offers being made by mid-May after we receive second semester midterm grades.

If I applied to AFM and completed the DAE, do I just wait now? Is it possible to review what I have entered for the DAE?

You are unable to see what was submitted on the DAE, but your portal will indicate if there are other documents needed. If everything is complete, we'll wait to receive your grades. Our offers of admission will start in December and run until May.

Does the timing of when you submit your full Waterloo Engineering application (including the AIF and video interview) affect when or how your application is reviewed?

We will not review applications until an applicant completes all requirements for the program. This means that we could see your application in our earlier admission cycles. However, in December we provide fewer offers than some of the later admission rounds. If you don't receive an offer in one of our earlier rounds, that doesn't mean you won't receive an offer, it just means that we may need further information or updated grades. Offers for our most competitive programs are often made later in the cycle.

Will we know the video interview question prior to the interview for the Engineering program?

Yes. View the questions.

Are video interviews for Engineering conducted as a live interview via video chat or are they pre-recorded?

These are not live with another person. You will log in, prep for the question, and be given 90 seconds to answer. Get more information about the online interview.

What is the adjustment factor?

Waterloo Engineering does apply an adjustment factor based on historical performance from a given school (first-year university averages minus final high school averages) over the past 6+ years. This helps us select applicants with the highest likelihood of success. This adjustment is only a small part of the overall admissions decision. The weight of academic performance, the Admission Information Form, and the online interview will have more of an impact on an applicant’s probability of receiving an offer.

When does the online interview start?

You should be able to access the interview by the end of this week (October 17, 2025)!

If there was a contest that I performed poorly on, will it affect my application negatively?

Doing poorly on one of our math contests or not taking a math contest will not negatively impact your application.

In the early application, are academics for Grade 11 included as well as the midterm of Grade 12 courses?

We don't officially have "early applications" but the earliest we start our admissions is in December with the latest being in mid-May. We will use a combination of Grade 11 and Grade 12 grades for the earlier admissions cycles. As we continue through the admissions cycle, we will receive more Grade 12 grades and that will form the basis for admission in the later rounds. If you do not receive an offer for us in the earlier rounds, that does not mean you won't be admitted — we might just be waiting for additional grades from you!

What if my school doesn’t do midterms?

That is okay. If your school can send us updated grade information, we can use that with a combination of grades you have from Grade 11.

What grades do you need for international (American) students? Are 12th grade mid-semester grades enough or do you need semester grades?

Yes, we will also be looking at your grades from Grades 11 and 12. We are looking for Grade 12 senior level or AP courses. Midterms will be reviewed and if an officer needs more information they will be in touch.

If I submit my application earlier, will I get an earlier decision?

When you receive a decision on your application depends on how much grade information we have available for you. For many high school students, we will wait until we receive second semester midterm grades at the end of April before we can make a decision.

If you don’t currently have the Grade 12 class completed, will you look at the Grade 11 prerequisite?

We can make a conditional offer of admission using Grade 11 grades and mid-term/predicted grades for courses you're taking if you have not completed them before applying, which is common. Your Offer of Admission would then list the conditions you need to meet, i.e., the final grades you’ll need to achieve.

Does taking a fifth year in high school impact the chance to get an offer from Waterloo? If you're accepted, then decide to take a fifth year, can you defer your start date?

There is no impact if you have taken a fifth year. There may be an impact if you are repeating courses if you are applying to Math or Engineering.

Would Waterloo consider extenuating circumstances for a dip in grades?

Possibly. We have a special consideration process that can be submitted depending on if you meet the requirements for the process.

How does Waterloo weigh grades, the AIF, and math competitions like the Euclid?

The AIF is used alongside your grades to make an admission decision. Our math competitions are used for scholarship decisions. We recommend emailing the faculty directly if you would like further information about how they make their admission decisions.

Is there an advantage if I take IELTS rather than Duolingo?

No, all English tests meet our requirements, one is not better than the other and neither would advantage or disadvantage you.

When applying to three programs, is it possible to get more than one offer from Waterloo?

For sure! You’ll get an admission decision for each program you apply to.

Is there any deadline to accept the first offered program, or can we wait to hear from other programs?

You can accept or wait to hear from all of your schools or programs. You can also accept a program while you wait and go back and change your mind right up until the confirmation deadline of June 1 for Ontario students.