There was a recent article in the New York Times about the panic and anxiety surrounding applicants trying to get into the “elite” U.S. schools like Stanford and Harvard. It contains this interesting little comment:
I also spoke with Sam Altman, the president of Y Combinator, one of the best-known providers of first-step seed money for tech start-ups. I asked him if any one school stood out in terms of students and graduates whose ideas took off. “Yes,” he responded, and I was sure of the name I’d hear next: Stanford. It’s his alma mater, though he left before he graduated, and it’s famous as a feeder of Silicon Valley success.
But this is what he said: “The University of Waterloo.” It’s a public school in the Canadian province of Ontario, and as of last summer, it was the source of eight proud ventures that Y Combinator had helped along. “To my chagrin,” Altman told me, “Stanford has not had a really great track record.”
Here is the link to the full article.
A Professor in Waterloo Engineering 
Is it true that Waterloo lowers your average if they see that you took a online course? If I don’t use the online course as part of top 6 will they still look down on it? Also if the reason I took the online course is because I have no space to take it in grade 12, will they not penalize me for it? I am taking AP English this year and plan on taking AP Economics and AP Calculus next year. If I mention that will they know that I am not trying to take a “easy course?” I am considering taking the online course (International Business) out of interest and desire to learn more. Moreover, I am deciding between going into engineering and going into business. As a result, I feel like I should take enough courses to be flexible either way.
An online business course is not an issue, especially since it is not a required subject.
In my opinion, I feel like this should be broadcasted better throughout Canada. This was one of the main factors (other than CO-OP) why I decided to enter Waterloo engineering instead of U of T’s or UBC’s
Yes, this message is starting to get more attention recently.