Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP)

CAP students wearing baseball caps

CAP Overview​​​​​​

Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP) status is a unique opportunity for outstanding high school students to be pre-admitted to the University of Waterloo’s Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Normally, applications to the PharmD program are considered from university students who have completed at least two years in an undergraduate science program.  CAP students who are successful in maintaining their eligibility criteria begin the PharmD program in their third year of university studies.


CAP Benefits

If you are a well-rounded student, who is community-minded, and passionate about pursuing your dream of becoming a pharmacist, then CAP status may be the right path for you!

Dedicated academic advising

  • CAP students are assigned an academic advisor in the Faculty of Science’s Undergraduate Office and academic advisors at the School of Pharmacy. Each of these advisors support and guide students to be successful throughout their pharmacy journey.
  • Pharmacy advisors hold a prep session for CAP students in advance of their PharmD interview and Fundamental Skills Assessment

TWO DEGREES!

  • Waterloo students who complete 2 years (at least 10.0lecture units) of any Science program at Waterloo and then complete the PharmD degree at Waterloo are eligible for theGranting of Bachelor of Science (Honours Science)upon completion of the PharmD degree.

Peer support and mentorship

  • First-year CAP students are assigned a second-year CAP student buddy/mentor to help them transition to university life and share their experiences with

Guaranteed interview and FSA if CAP requirements maintained

  • This guarantee applies if CAP students maintain their CAP requirements throughout their first two years as a Science student which includes achieving a satisfactory performance on Casper.

Connection to the School of Pharmacy

  • Throughout two years in CAP, there are various opportunities to participate in social and educational events and activities organized by the School. These experiences enable students to build relationships with current pharmacy students, faculty, and staff before they begin pharmacy school.


CAP Admission Requirements

Applicants currently in grade 12 or year one CEGEP students (with a minimum of 12 semestered academic courses) are eligible to apply for CAP status. Regrettably, due to programming structure, applicants currently in university, college, or year 2 and 3 of CEGEP are unable to be considered.

All of the admission criteria listed below must be satisfied and completed by the deadline in the application timeline for an applicant to move forward for consideration by the Admissions Committee. Applicants must submit two applications to the University of Waterloo (see How to Apply for more details).

High School Average

CAP applicants must have a high school admission average of 90.0% or greater, as calculated by the Faculty of Science at Waterloo.

CAP applicants in year one CEGEP (with a minimum of 12 semestered academic courses) must have an admission average of 85.0% or greater, as calculated by the Faculty of Science at Waterloo.

See How to apply for CAP for more information on the programs eligible for CAP status and visit the program sites to learn more about the required courses.

Casper & Duet

Successful completion of Casper and Duet is mandatory in order to maintain admission eligibility for the CAP program. These assessments will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. Through the use of these assessments, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.

Casper is a 90-100 minute online open-response situational judgement test which assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics. We believe these skills and characteristics are important for successful students and graduates of our PharmD program.

Duet is a 15-minute value-alignment assessment that compares what you value in a program with what the program has to offer. There is no set time or place you are required to complete it.

How to complete Casper and Duet

  1. Please go to https://acuityinsights.app/ to sign up for Acuity Insights Assessments for CSP-10202 Undergraduate Health Sciences, under your specific country, and register using your Waterloo ID and a piece of government-issued photo ID. 
    • When you book your Casper test, it will ask you for a Waterloo ID number. You will need to first submit your CAP application through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC). Once submitted, Waterloo’s Registrar’s Office will email you within 2-3 weeks with your Waterloo ID number. If you have applied to other Waterloo programs, your ID number will be the same.
  2. Select a Casper test date from the available testing dates and times. We recommend using the same email address for both your Acuity account and your application. Please use an email address that you check regularly; there may be updates to the test schedule. To account for identity verification and payment processing timelines, ensure that you register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
    • Available test dates for CAP (2023/2024) - CSP-10202 Undergraduate Health Sciences:
      • Nov 2, 2023 - 8:00 PM EDT
      • Dec 5, 2023 - 8:00 PM EST
      • Jan 18, 2024 - 8:00 PM EST
      • Feb 1, 2024 - 8:00 PM EST
      • Mar 5, 2024 - 8:00 PM EST
        (Last possible test date available)
        These are the only testing dates available for CAP applicants. There will be no additional tests scheduled. You can only take the test once (from the dates above).
  3. It is recommended that you complete Duet within 14 days of taking Casper at https://acuityinsights.app/. However, you can complete this assessment at anytime providing your responses are submitted before the final deadline.
  4. Ensure you have selected University of Waterloo for distribution before the posted distribution deadline.
  5. Input your Waterloo ID number on your Acuity profile.
    • It is the applicant’s responsibility to update their Acuity Insights account with their Waterloo ID number before the distribution deadline.
    • Casper test scores and Duet results will automatically by transmitted to Waterloo, for applicants who have included their Waterloo ID number on their profile.
  6. Please direct any inquiries on Acuity Insights Assessments to support@acuityinsights.app. Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen on the https://acuityinsights.app/ website.

Accommodations

Applicants requiring testing accommodations to complete their Acuity Insights Assessments should submit an Initial Request Form (Part 1 and 2) at least four (4) weeks prior to their scheduled Casper test date. More information regarding the accommodations policy can be found in this help article here.

Resources to help you prepare

  1. Online Test Prep resources
  2. 2023/24 Casper and Duet Webinar for Applicants
  3. Casper test day
  4. Frequently Asked Questions

Admission Information Form (AIF)

The AIF provides the Admissions Committee with insights into the applicant’s personal qualities, extracurricular accomplishments, and motivation for a career in Pharmacy.

Your AIF should demonstrate:

  • Motivation and passion to pursuing a career in the profession of pharmacy.
  • Recognized contributions to leadership activities and community involvement through extracurricular activities.
  • Pharmacy experience (work or volunteer) and if possible, work experience (either part-time or full-time).

For guidance on how to complete your AIF, please visit the Waterloo AIF information web page and watch the Waterloo AIF video series.

References

A section within the AIF asks you to provide the name and contact information for two individuals who will serve as your references:

  • One academic (e.g., teacher, principal, or guidance counsellor).
  • One from an employer or volunteer agency (someone you had a contractual responsibility with to either provide a service through employment or a service through a volunteer agreement).

Once you complete the AIF, your references will automatically receive a link to complete an online form.

Note: Applicants who do not submit exactly two references will not be considered for CAP status.

References will not be accepted from relatives of the applicant.

Supporting documents

If the last four years of your education have not been taught completely in English, you must provide a score from an acceptable test of English proficiency. More information can be found on the English language requirements web page.

High school transcripts are required for out-of-province and international applicants only.

Virtual Interview

  • The virtual interview will be an asynchronous assessment completed using the Kira Talent online platform.
  • Applicants who have successfully completed all other admission requirements by the specified deadlines on the Application Timeline, will receive an invitation to participate in the virtual interview process on March 12.
  • Candidates will be given a window of time to complete the virtual interview process with a final submission deadline of April 1. The virtual interview will be compromised of both video and written responses where candidates will be given the opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee more details about themselves and demonstrate their intent, motivation, and fit for the profession of pharmacy and Waterloo’s CAP status program.


How to apply for CAP

Submit two applications to the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) website:

  1. Waterloo science degree program* application:

  2. CAP status application

    • The CAP application is available on the OUAC website. You will need the username and password you created when applying to Honours Science or the Life Science program above.

CAP applications for September 2024 are now closed. Information about the next cycle will be posted in late summer 2024.

* Students admitted into CAP will be automatically moved to the regular stream of their chosen science program if they have selected a co-op stream when they applied. It is not possible to complete all PharmD prerequisite courses in two years if enrolled in a co-op program

** While each of these programs are eligible for CAP status, Honours Science provides the most flexibility for students to  meet the prerequisite requirements for the PharmD program.

Indigenous admissions pathway (CAP)

Waterloo Pharmacy is committed to cultivating a sense of belonging and inclusion, and attracting members of equity-deserving groups and supporting their future admission to the PharmD program.

Waterloo Pharmacy recognizes that deliberate equitable admissions procedures are required to increase the admission of students who identify as Indigenous. The School is committed to improving the representation of Indigenous peoples descended from the first inhabitants of North America including people of Métis, First Nations, and Inuit heritage.

If you would like your application to be considered through the Indigenous Admissions Pathway, the first step is to complete the Indigenous identification section on the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) application for Waterloo’s CAP status program. Applicants who wish to pursue the directives of this policy, will be required to submit one form of supporting documentation that is confirmed by the University of Waterloo’s Office of Indigenous Relations.

Once your application is received by Waterloo, a representative from the admissions team will reach out to applicants who identify as Indigenous to provide next steps. The table below lists the application options available through the Indigenous Admissions Pathway:

  Indigenous Admissions Pathway Non-Indigenous Admissions Pathway
Admission fees OUAC fees are waived.  OUAC fees are at the expense of the applicant.
Admission Average Meet the Honours Science admission requirements (i.e. low 80’s) as calculated for the Faculty of Science at Waterloo. Meet the minimum CAP admission average of 90.0% as calculated for the Faculty of Science at Waterloo.
Reference

Two letters of reference:

  • No conditions on the type of references submitted.

Two letters of reference:

  • One academic (e.g., teacher, principal, or guidance counsellor).
  • One from an employer or volunteer agency. 
Experience No experience requirement.

Demonstrated leadership, community involvement, and, if possible, pharmacy experience (work or volunteer). 

Casper and Duet

Register and complete Casper and Duet assessments required for the given admission cycle.

Registration fees will be reimbursed by the School.

Register, complete, and achieve satisfactory performance on Casper and Duet.

Registration fees are at the expense of the applicant.

Indigenous applicants who elect to pursue the CAP status Indigenous Admissions Pathway will receive reimbursement of all fees associated with their application (i.e. OUAC application fee; Acuity Insights fees).

If you would like to discuss the Indigenous Admissions Pathway before submitting your OUAC application, contact pharmacy@uwaterloo.ca.


After you apply for CAP

You will receive an email from a member of the Admissions team which will contain details on how to submit your supplementary information and supporting documents. This email may take up to 2 weeks to be received. Reach out to sci.admission@uwaterloo.ca if you have not received an email within the time frame specified. 

Check out theCAP Supplementary Informationweb page for next steps and important information.


CAP application timeline

  1. 2023
    1. Oct
  2. 2024
    1. Feb
      1. Thu Feb 1

        Application deadline

      2. Fri Feb 16

        1. Admission Information Form (AIF) deadline
        2. Supporting document deadline:
          • High school transcripts (only for out-of-province and international applicants) 
          • English Language Requirementsscores(if applicable) 

    2. Mar
      1. Tue Mar 5

        1. Last Casper date
        2. Duet deadline
        3. Reference deadline

      2. Tue Mar 12

        Virtual interview invitations sent and first-round refusals

    3. Apr
      1. Tue Apr 2

        Virtual interview deadline

    4. May
      1. Thu May 9

        CAP status decisions released

    5. Jun
      1. Mon Jun 3

        Final day to accept your CAP status offer