Hey ParadoxMind,

I actually just graduated from Waterloo, and have also done a couple of admissions interviews for incoming first years.  In my opinion, the ones the applicants that stood out the most were those that showed a plethora of their individual creative abilities.  There were students who brought in large paintings, sculptures, some played guitar, wrote songs, a harp even.  The goal is to show the panel how you think creatively, through any medium that you feel comfortable with.  Sketchbooks are usually a big asset as well, as it shows process work etc.  Hope that helps!

if sketchbooks were a requirement for admission portfolios, most would be denied admission xD  so if you're good at sketching, definitely bring your sketchbook along

Hi guys ,

I go to waterloo right now, for architecture. I just want to share some things that I've learned studying here. I had a 93% average going into the program, it was a dream come true, I've always wanted to be an architect. But after 3 years of this "education" , I realized that studying architecture was probably the biggest mistake of my life.

First of all, the program is RIDICULOUSLY time consuming for ZERO gain whatsoever. We have class all day everyday and work till 2-3 am everyday. This makes me mad not because I'm lazy , I'm mad because the work this "school" makes you do is so pointless and time consuming and often expansive. I can go on for days and days about the weird stuff I've done here.

Second, the school is in Cambridge ( aka an hour from main campus) and you're stuck with the same 70 something people for 5 years!!! Take my word when I say you do not want to be associated with these people! It's a horrible place to be. The students are mean and extremely competitive , and since having so much work leads to zero social life, you're seriously stuck with only associating with these people.

Lastly, EVERYBODY I've spoken to during coop always say the same thing, " I wouldn't go into architecture if I could have a do over " These are licensed architects with many years of experience. Just to give you an idea of reality, new architects make about $ 35 000 for many years and rarely make more than $ 80 000.

I could go on and on about how much I regret being here, I have no intentions other than just hopefully answering someone's question. Again, these are just my experiences, I'm sure others would have a different story. I'm not trying to make you do anything, just telling you my story.

Best of luck in whatever you do!

Waterloo-Arch,

I have a Loo degree and even taught studio and drawing. I can understand your frustration but your views of the program and profession are rather subjective if not bluntly wrong. Perhaps it was a mistake to join the program, but the fault lies upon you, not the school. Students like you are a dime a dozen and it really unfortunate they do not fail students anymore. Perhaps you do not have the maturity for university studies let alone a pre-professional degree.

I think that you are able to include this audiovisual exhibit in your portfolio, you will be a shoe-in at Waterloo.  It will show you're creative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj_9CiNkkn4

Couldn't resist.  And good luck with the process.

Observant, singing is an acceptable entrance portfolio for the Waterloo undergraduate program. Every year there is one or two students (out of 2000 interviews) who stand up and and sing or dance instead of showing us high-school drawing assignments.

NS, not being Canadian, I don't know where this school is, except that it's in ON, nor whether or not it's in a city actually called Waterloo.  So, when I hear Waterloo, this is the "random association" that comes to mind.

I hear that it's a respectable and practice-oriented program, but if I was Canadian and smart, I'd have a thing for McGill.

Observant, Waterloo University is in Waterloo Ontario, roughly 1.5hr west of Toronto on the 401. The school of architecture is in Cambridge... which itself is a decent 30min drive south of the main campus as the OP points out.

The school of architecture is on par with Mcgill. Where both differ would be that McGill has a far greater focus on visual arts and design where Waterloo puts much effort in preparing its students early for practice (often at the cost of design development skills in my opinion).

Hello :) so currently I am in Grade 11 and I was wondering if anyone would tell me my chances of getting into Waterloo (honestly is preferred, lol).

So I have probably an 87-89% average. I do digital art, sports (figure skating) for 7 years, piano (and I write my own songs), photography, and I am planning on building a bookshelf/ladder that I designed.

Thanks!!

Sammy, first you need to secure an in-person interview. This is normally base on two things: overall average and the quality (as decided by the university) of your high-school. High 80% will be a the lower end of the applicant pool however. Work on getting that average as high as you can.

Only Once you're invited for an interview, then you can present your portfolio and extra curricular involvements.