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Better Know a University – University of Waterloo

Today’s installment of Better Know a University is in keeping with our alphabetical “U of W” theme: University of Waterloo. The recent Macleans.ca article You Got in With What Grade? describes the “school adjustment factor” employed by Waterloo when evaluating university admission averages.

This is not a new practice, nor is it a secret one. Even when I was applying to university in my OAC year, and yes, Waterloo was one of my choices, we knew the implications of writing Waterloo on our application forms.

First things first
If you were going to put Waterloo on your application, rank it first. It didn’t matter whether Waterloo actually was your first choice, but all schools would see the order in which you ranked their school. Glendon, I was assured, would think it was an honour “just to be nominated.” But Waterloo, we were told, expected to be ranked first.

An “A” by any other name
Even back in the early 90′s, we knew that Waterloo would adjust our Top Six average based on the high school from which we applied. We also knew that we would likely benefit from this curve. O’Neill CVI was one of two high schools in the Durham Region to offer the gifted program. We also had one of the strongest math programs in the region and wrote every math contest available to us. So, Waterloo certainly knew who we were. We never knew (as no school really does know) exactly what the adjustment factor was, but we all were pretty confident that the average we submitted to Waterloo admissions would be bumped up at least a little bit. Other schools might suffer the opposite fate, based on the performance of that high school’s graduates once they arrived at Waterloo.

Come on down! You’re the next contestant
Waterloo is not the only school to keep these kinds of records, but it is the only one to publicly and unashamedly use them in its admission decisions. And, you really can’t fault a university that makes their criteria public. Waterloo also, however, uses data such as CEMC competition scores in maths and sciences and is the only university to require that applicants to certain programs take the Euclid math competition (formerly requiring the Descartes, from the OAC days).

These extra requirements are completely understandable, since Waterloo is the premiere math/science/co-op university in Ontario and as you can imagine, they receive a ton of applicants with marks in the mid to high 90′s. Differentiating between candidates from an applicant pool such as this is no easy task!

What does this mean for home schoolers?
Waterloo is used to looking at a “bigger picture” than other universities, at least when it comes to their competitive programs, so home schoolers have an opportunity to showcase their academic achievements and interests in a broader context than simply high 12U grades. Waterloo will be interested in students who take an academic initiative and have taken advantage of opportunities such as AP examinations, mentoring experiences with a professor, writing/publishing of an academic nature, participation in talent-based programs and personal research.

Waterloo still maintains high admission standards, however, and students with less than shining academic records in traditional 12U courses or standardized tests scores are definitely going to have to demonstrate their academic worthiness and readiness for admission to some of Ontario’s most demanding undergraduate programs.

With no “high school” to use in the adjustment factor calculation, 12U marks from home schoolers applying with the Top Six will generally not be adjusted one way or the other. (Unless they have begun using data from AMDEC and other similar applicants. Note to self, look into this!) This puts home schoolers, strictly speaking, at neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in the admissions average calculation.

But, in terms of seeking out those other opportunities that will make a student stand out in the application process, being home schooled could be a double-edged sword. Home schoolers generally have the flexibility to schedule their time to include mentorship programs, 12U credits earned at the Ontario Science Centre school or self-directed research. Yet, without the guidance or experience of teachers and counselors, home schoolers may not be aware of the programs that exist. Some programs may also have a “current secondary school student” requirement built into their criteria that hasn’t evolved to keep pace with the growing number of homeschooling high school students.

It is also worth noting that while Waterloo is primarily known for its Math and Computer Science programs, it also has fine programs in the Arts, making it a perfectly acceptable choice for seekers of B.A.s and B.Sc.s/B.Math.s alike. Since university admissions is a game of competition, you’ll find that entry into many arts programs is significantly less competitive than entry into the maths and sciences. This, as always, is more a statement of demand than of program quality.

So without further ado . . .

The University of Waterloo ~ http://www.uwaterloo.ca

200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 • Tel: +1 519 888 4567
Size: Large – 23,000 undergraduates

Admissions Website:
http://www.findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/admissions/index.php

Home School Admissions Requirements (scroll down):
http://www.findoutmore.uwaterloo.ca/admissions/requirements.php

From their website (emphasis mine to highlight key points):

• Applications from home-schooled students will be considered individually by the appropriate Admission Committees.
• Evidence that studies have been completed at an academic level equivalent to the minimum standard required for your programs(s) of application. This evidence may include a letter from the principal of a traditional and accredited high school confirming that the equivalent of an OSSD has been completed and indicating an estimated overall standing/average based on a typical final year of high school studies.
• Courses equivalent to the specific course requirements and recommendations listed in the program requirements section.
• It is preferable that you complete your final year of studies at a traditional and accredited high school.
• You are strongly encouraged to present test scores in related high school prerequisite subjects such as the Euclid Mathematics Contest, the Sir Isaac Newton Physics Contest, the Chem 13 News Contest.
• Test scores such as the SATs, ACTs, and provincial or state college entrance examinations will better enable the Admission Committees to assess your background.
• An Admission Information Form is required.
• If your first language is not English, see UW’s English language requirements.

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