Request for Special Consideration

You can complete this form if you have, or had, a significant circumstance or event that is not medical or disability-related that affected your grades and for which you did not receive academic support or accommodation of any form.

This information is most relevant if your grades are slightly below the range we require for admission to your program(s) of interest.

Requests must be submitted by the document deadline for the program(s) that you have applied to. If you have any questions, please email specialconsideration@uwaterloo.ca.

Notes

  • Due to the volume of applications, we do not follow up once your submission has been reviewed. All submissions are addressed by the appropriate individuals based on the situation and the outcome is relayed to the admissions committee and added to your file.
  • If you received an accommodation such as an individualized education program (IEP) through your school, or were accommodated for your circumstances in another way (extra time, extended deadline, etc.), you are not eligible for special consideration.
  • Requests must be made by the applicant due to privacy regulations. Parents or guardians cannot make requests on behalf of their child.
  • Requests must be submitted by the document deadline. Submissions that are incomplete or received after we’ve made an admission decision will not be considered. 
  • If you applied to a part-time or online program, follow the deadlines for your program, available on the Undergraduate Programs' website.
  • All documents will be verified for authenticity. If evidence of misrepresentation or fraudulent or falsified documentation is found, the University of Waterloo reserves the right to revoke any application, Offer of Admission, residence, and/or financial support.

Questions? Email our admissions team at specialconsideration@uwaterloo.ca.

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Personal information
(starting with 2026)
Medical details
Medical circumstances
Are your circumstances medical in nature, disability, accident, mental health, anxiety, depression etc.?
Medical professional
Have you seen a medical professional with regards to this situation/circumstance?

Your answers above require you to complete the Unaccommodated (or suspected) disability/illness/trauma form.

Extenuating circumstance details
Outline the timeframe where your circumstances impacted your academics (up to 100 words).
Outline the specific impact on your academics, including the affected term(s) and course(s) (up to 100 words).
(up to 400 words).
If possible, provide documentation that supports your extenuating circumstances request (i.e. obituary). Note: Do not upload personal medical documentation.

One file only.
5 MB limit.
Allowed types: jpg, png, pdf, doc, docx.
Reason for request
Reason for request
Academic reference information
You must supply an academic reference (teacher, guidance counsellor, principal) that can confirm the challenges you described and can verify whether any accommodations were in place.
Including an area code.
Declaration and privacy
Indicate you have read and understood the statements below by checking each box.

Privacy statement

In accordance with Section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, 1990 ("FIPPA"), the information within the form is collected under the authority of the University of Waterloo for the purpose of admission consideration. All personal information collected will be used, stored, and destroyed in accordance with the University's Information Protection and Access Policy.