I have various posts in mind, but not much time to write lately. So here are just some random things that are going on.
- March Open House: we’re busy planning for our open house event on Saturday March 1, when applicants and others (like Grade 11 students) can visit, have a look around, and talk to students, staff and faculty. In previous years we held this on a Tuesday during the Ontario high school March break, but it has become too big (traffic and parking!), so it’s been moved to a Saturday this year.
- A couple of weeks ago I visited St. John’s NL on research-related business. I also took the opportunity to meet with a few of our engineering applicants and their parents. It was nice to meet with people who wouldn’t usually be able to visit us in Waterloo. I like Newfoundland; beautiful land and nice people.
- Our new Biomedical Engineering program has had an overwhelming response. There are over 10 applicants for every available space, so I suspect that it will be our most competitive program for admission this year.
- Since I teach air pollution control, I’m interested in meteorological phenomena. So here is a picture of a radiation inversion from the other day. You can see the vent emissions from our Engineering 6 building rising vertically, then hitting the inversion layer and moving horizontally. Inversion layers inhibit vertical mixing. I’ll use this in my lecture next year.
- Applications to Waterloo engineering are up significantly this year, which is putting a strain on our systems. We’ll have to ask for people’s patience as we work through all the materials and decision-making processes. The bulk of our decisions will come out in early May, as usual, even if we have to work 24/7 to do it!
- We’re currently working on Ontario student (OUAC Form 101) round 1 decisions. Hopefully we’ll have some decisions going out by the end of this week (although sometimes the process gets hung up and delayed).
A Professor in Waterloo Engineering 
Is it known whether or not early offers will be made, and whether or not there will be approximately the same number early offers this year as previous years?
Yes we’re working on early offers now and throughout March (for out of province applicants). There may be fewer this year, because of the volume and we don’t want to prematurely give away too many spaces.
last year there were about 6000 AIFs submitted according to ur previous post, https://profbillanderson.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/admissions-2013-whats-new/?relatedposts_exclude=654,
is this year similar, or much different?
Probably closer to 7 or 8000 by the time the final deadline passes in March.
Do the early offers come out all at once or is it distributed throughout the last days of febuary (maybe depending on the program)?
The Ontario applicant offers all come out at once. The non-Ontario offers come out later, but all at once (not by program). We do everything in batches to be more efficient.
Hello,
I am a 105 OUAC International Applicant, do you know when (best estimate?) will the offers for international students come out? Also, the 105 offers are going to be sent out all at once regardless of the program applied to right? I’m a Science and Aviation applicant.
PS I have submitted my AIF a long time ago in January and all the required documents, including my english language requirement (I am studying full time in an English speaking school since 2004) have been received by the university since 13 Feb 2014. I’m really looking forward to receiving an offer!
Thank you.
Each program has their own timelines and processes, so they won’t all be sent out at once. I don’t know anything about the Science and Aviation timelines.
Clarification: I meant when will the first round (early decision) of offers be sent out for international students.
Engineering has just sent a few out, and will continue to do a few more later in March.
from what you know so far, have the number of applicants gone up for mechatronics engineering from last year or have the numbers stayed around the same. This is because the 45 added spots would mean that overall admission average may be lower for mechatronics giving me a greater chance of getting selected with an 86% top 6 average, but if more people applied, i might be in a bad position.
Have the number of applicants went up or down for Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering?
It’s looking like the number of applicants have risen proportionally to the increase in spaces, so the level of competition may remain similar to previous years. We won’t know for sure until everything is over. Applications for all programs are up.
Hello Professor,
Would you say the AIFs that were submitted on the old deadline of February 7th be read in time for an early offer to be made?
No, there’s no guarantee that they will all be read in time. But as long as it was submitted the application will be considered.
We are from the USA and our son completed his application back in January. We’ve noticed that in general the schools in the States are on a different timetable than the schools in Canada, as far as the admission process goes. Our son has been accepted to a couple of schools here and they all require a response by May 1. You said “The bulk of our decisions will come out in early May”. Will we have to make a decision before we hear from Waterloo?
Yes, Canada and the US have different approaches and timelines for admissions. For anyone that has pending US offers, they can contact us (myapplication@uwaterloo.ca) and let us know. We’ll try to get an answer back to them in an earlier round so they have time to decide.
Is it safe to assume that an ontario applicant who submitted their aif feb 1st will not have it reviewed in time for early offers?
Some may be reviewed in time. It randomly depends on the speed of the individual readers.
What can you do with a Bmath from waterloo? I know you are an engineering professor, but have you heard of any waterloo graduates from the math and business double degree program who succesfully started their own companies?
I was wondering if Math and Business Double degree students teamed up with engineers after graduating to start up succesful companies? For an example, a mechanical engineer who starts a company specializing in something to do with engineering will need a math and business double degree student who has expertise in marketing and gaining business and investment connections to lead the company. In other words, both the engineering and the math and business double degree student become ceo and coo consecutively?
I’m sure what you describe is quite feasible, but I don’t have any personal knowledge or examples. There are literally hundreds of start-ups that have come out of Waterloo, and I just don’t follow the details that closely.
does an 88.33% top 6 average with 3/5 on AIF cut it for Mechatronics engineering?
would it be enough for Electrical Engineering or Systems Design Engineering?
Would these results have gotten a student in last year for any of these engineering programs?
are the chances seeming to have increased from last year? Do I stand a chance with these results for Mechatronics engineering this year? I know I won’t get 1st round offers, but does it look like I have a good chance for the May offers? I haven’t submitted my AIF form yet? I’m going to edit it and make it better to maybe get 4/5 for AIF.
I really can’t offer anything more than what is in the Chances post. Anything else would be pure speculation at this point.
Hi professor,
Is it possible that some of the later submitted AIFs (such as the ones submitted early February) won’t be looked at if the early admission spots are filled by Dec-Jan applicants? Therefore they will not recieve an offer even though their academic performance surpasses some of the early acceptances?
Yes, that’s quite possible. That’s why we don’t commit too many spaces until May, when all the applications have been thoroughly reviewed.
Sir,
How can I know what I got on my AIF and is competition level remained the same as last year for software engineering?
We don’t give out AIF scores, simply because the workload to answer all the inquiries would be overwhelming. The competition for most programs is up, especially software engineering.
Hey Professor,
Have the AIF’s prior to January 10th been marked?
Or a high chance of getting marked so they can be applied for early offer?
And what’s the likelihood that you will hand out offers tomorrow (Friday)
Quite a few are marked, but I don’t know the specific dates. The Ontario first round offers are out.
How was the competition in SYDE changed this year?
The competition is up this year, like for most programs.
is SYDE just as competitive as ECE Or more or less?
About the same.
Hi Professor,
I just received a Software Engineering offer and I am definitely excited to go to Waterloo this upcoming fall! I hope the experience will be even better than my shadow day. Can I ask what are the conditions to keep the offer? And how are engineering faculty scholarships given?
Thanks,
Bo
Scholarships are based on the marks we receive in late April. I think that the standard Ontario conditions are to maintain an average above 80%, with no required course grades below 70%.