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If you’re looking for Waterloo Applicant Information Form (AIF) questions, examples, and prep tips, then you’ve come to the right place.
This Application Prep guide is fully updated with the 2022/2023 Waterloo AIF (i.e. for applicants planning on starting their program in Fall 2023).
Before you dive in, it’s important to understand that Waterloo admissions committees receive thousands of applications every year. To help you stand out from the crowd, you need to demonstrate a clear sense of self, strong life experience, and exemplary communication skills.
Our ‘full student’ coaching process will help you improve in all these areas (and more!).
If you’re not working with a coach, be sure to read the Self-Awareness, Goal-Setting, and Narrative Communication & Deductive Communication Skills Guides. All of these resources will empower you with the skills you need to show the admissions committee who you are, what you want to accomplish, and why you’d be a great fit for Waterloo.
You’ll also notice that all our templates use the Narrative/Deductive Approach (access your blank template here) so you can see an effective general structure for your AIF answers.
COACH’S TIP: You can choose either of these communication styles for your AIF answers. Typically the Narrative Approach is for Arts/Business programs, or for questions where you want to tell a unique, authentic, and memorable story that creates an emotional connection with the reader. The Deductive Approach is typically used for STEM programs, where you have to provide an argument in a logical and structured way. This is just a GUIDELINE so you can learn to communicate in a way that’s most familiar to you. Choose the approach that you’re most comfortable with (and get in touch with us if you need some help deciding which approach is best for you).
COACH’S TIP: You can choose either of these communication styles for your AIF answers. Typically the Narrative Approach is for Arts/Business programs, or for questions where you want to tell a unique, authentic, and memorable story that creates an emotional connection with the reader. The Deductive Approach is typically used for STEM programs, where you have to provide an argument in a logical and structured way.
This is just a GUIDELINE so you can learn to communicate in a way that’s most familiar to you. Choose the approach that you’re most comfortable with (and get in touch with us if you need some help deciding which approach is best for you).
REMEMBER: There are some components of the AIF that are the same, regardless of the program you’re applying to, as well as program specific AIF sections. Make sure that you do your research and complete the entire AIF for your program.
All the examples are from the Waterloo Engineering, Waterloo AFM, and Waterloo Computer Science AIF. For program-specific guidance, connect with a coach any time for support.
Table of Contents
The Admissions Information Form (AIF) is an online form, typically with 3 or more sections with multiple short answer questions.
It takes the place of the traditional Personal Statement that other universities use.
The Waterloo AIF is mandatory for some programs and highly recommended for others.
The programs that require an AIF are:
REMEMBER: There are some components of the AIF that are the same, regardless of the program you’re applying to. There are also program specific AIF sections/questions (see those at the bottom of this page). These programs are: Engineering, Global Bus Digital Arts, Math Computer Science, CAP, Optometry, Pharmacy, and Social Work). Before submitting your AIF, make sure that you do your research and complete the entire AIF for the program you’re applying to (or connect with us if you need some help).
REMEMBER: There are some components of the AIF that are the same, regardless of the program you’re applying to. There are also program specific AIF sections/questions (see those at the bottom of this page). These programs are: Engineering, Global Bus Digital Arts, Math Computer Science, CAP, Optometry, Pharmacy, and Social Work).
Before submitting your AIF, make sure that you do your research and complete the entire AIF for the program you’re applying to (or connect with us if you need some help).
The deadline for the Waterloo AIF is February 17, 2023 for all programs EXCEPT Optometry (deadline October 24, 2023 and Pharmacy (January 23, 2023). Make sure to check for other admission requirements (e.g. interview, transcripts, etc.) for your specific program.
To access your AIF, create an account in Quest and then log in to complete it before the deadline.
Access your Waterloo AIF here.
The Waterloo AIF is a way for programs at Waterloo to get a better sense of who you are beyond your grades.
Without it, you’re just a name on a page, and it’s really hard to differentiate you from other applicants, especially when everyone has good grades and is a competitive applicant.
This is why we HIGHLY recommend that you complete the AIF, even if it isn’t mandatory for the program.
The Waterloo AIF asks you to talk about things like your:
The admissions committee for the program you’re applying to uses all these details to see if you’d be a good fit for the program.
They’re looking to see if you have skills like communication, teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, time management, and more — and they want to know about the experiences where you learned these skills. They want to figure out what makes you, you.
The AIF will help make your application more competitive (especially if your average is a bit lower) because you can emphasize the fact that you’re a well-rounded student who has the drive, skills, and passion to succeed in the program.
Put simply, the Waterloo AIF can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.
That’s why we created this guide. Keep reading for a breakdown of the various sections of the AIF (non-program specific), as well as templates, examples, and prep tips.
We get a lot of questions about how the Waterloo AIF is used to evaluate applicants.
Every AIF is read by a team of reviewers, who are very familiar with the business/industry you’re applying to. For example, Waterloo Computer Science AIFs are evaluated by retired high school math teachers, and Waterloo Engineering uses program alumni to help them review.
Usually your personal information is removed, including your name, gender, location, school name, grades, etc. before the reviewers are given your AIF. This helps to ensure an impartial and completely objective evaluation.
Then, the reviewers read the AIF and give it a score, which is added to your admission average and other components of your application (e.g. video interview).
This score is then used to rank you against other applicants.
The grading rubric depends on the program you’re applying to, so if you want to learn more about this, we suggest that you connect with someone at the admissions office at Waterloo with your questions.
Usually you will be graded on things like: how well you communicate your skills, interests, accomplishments, experiences/extracurriculars, goals, commitment, and overall potential.
It’s key to get these things across on your Waterloo AIF (keep reading to learn how).
The Waterloo AIF typically has 4 main components if it’s mandatory, and 3 components if it’s recommended:
In this guide, we will provide breakdowns, templates, and examples for Sections 1-3 (these are a bit more general and less program-specific).
IMPORTANT: If you don’t see all the questions in this guide, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to complete them in your AIF. This guide is general, and some questions may be added to be a bit different depending on what you’re applying to. Make sure that you answer ALL questions in your AIF, even if they aren’t listed in this guide. For program-specific guidance, connect with a coach any time for support.
Some of the questions in AIF Sections 1-3 are optional and some are required. However, we suggest that you complete ALL of the questions and lists, even if they are optional.
As mentioned above, we will use AIF templates and examples from the Waterloo Engineering, Waterloo AFM, and Waterloo Computer Science AIF. You can also check out these guides for a complete breakdown of the entire AIF for those specific programs (including Section 4).
All our templates use our Narrative Communication & Deductive Communication Approaches, so you can see what an effective structure looks like for the answers. We will use both approaches throughout this guide.
Click here for your template, with options to use the Narrative Approach or the Deductive Approach.
If you are looking for Waterloo Engineering essay examples, video interview questions, and general guidance on the Admissions Information Form… Read more
AIF Section 1 asks you to describe your interest in the Waterloo program, as well as details about your extracurriculars and employment activities.
Here are the questions:
“Tell us about your education goals, your interest in your chosen program(s), and reasons for choosing to apply to the University of Waterloo. If you have applied to more than one program please discuss your interest in each program (maximum 900 characters).”
This question is designed to help the admissions committee in the program you’re applying to get a better sense of who you are, where you come from, and where you want to go.
Seems pretty straightforward, right? Well guess what…they write the question like this on purpose!
Most applicants will give the same types of answers, listing their interest in a career in their particular area of interest and choosing Waterloo because it’s a top program in this field.
However, Waterloo wants to see applicants who have thought deeply about their goals, their future, and their interests beyond the surface level. Simply saying that you want to graduate and get hired straight out of school will not get you into the program. Instead, you need to come up with a few points that show your uniqueness and authenticity.
Luckily, you’ve already done most of the heavy lifting for the first part of this question (‘tell us about your education goals’) if you’ve completed Youthfully’s Student Identity Blueprint. When you did this, you worked with your coach to create audacious yet authentic goals based on your interests and aspirations, and you found ways to take them to the next level — and this is exactly what the Waterloo admissions committee wants to see in this section. If you haven’t completed your Blueprint yet, connect with a coach now.
For the second part of this question (‘your interest in your chosen program(s), and reasons for choosing to apply to the University of Waterloo’), do some research on EACH of the Waterloo programs you’re applying to specifically and the university as a whole.
See if there are specific professors, clubs, mission statements, courses, etc. that stick out to you, and discuss these for each of the programs you’re applying to. This will show that you have done your research and made an educated decision in choosing Waterloo, and that you have just as much to offer them as they will offer you.
Get started on your template here (Click File > Make a Copy within the doc). This template doc has BOTH the Narrative Approach (starting on p.2) and Deductive Approach (starting on p.14) templates listed below.
REMEMBER: There is a 900 characters limit for this answer.
Here’s a template that follows our Narrative Communication Approach.
COACH’S TIP: Don’t worry about writing complete sentences in your template at first. Just write 2-3 bullet points under each section, just to get your ideas down. You can edit and perfect your answers later. If you’d like some more tips about writing these essays, check out our Narrative Communication Approach™ Guide.
Here’s a template that follows our Deductive Communication Approach:
Here are some examples of how to answer this question, using both of our communication approaches.
REMEMBER: This is an EXAMPLE ONLY and is NOT meant for you to copy. Why? First and foremost, this is plagiarism and is a serious offense. Plagiarizing these essays will result in immediate disqualification from the admissions process. This can be easily detected using technology and application reviewers are usually trained and/or able to spot when an application isn’t original and does not align with an applicant’s background, personality, values, etc.
Example 1: From the Waterloo AFM Program AIF, following the Narrative Communication Approach:
Example 2: For the Waterloo Computer Science Program AIF, following the Deductive Communication Approach:
Want to see some more AIF examples for this question? Check out these Waterloo Engineering AIF examples.
“Please list any extracurricular activities or areas of significant interest. These could include leadership or participation in school organizations or projects, athletics, travel, community, social activities, drama, music, clubs, personal hobbies and/or significant volunteer work.”
Get started on your template here (Click File > Make a Copy > Save it to your computer).
This section is one of the easier ones to complete. Simply fill in the:
Here’s an example of how this section might look:
Do you have a bunch of extracurriculars and you’re not sure which to include? Connect with a coach for help.
If you are looking for guidance, examples, and prep tips for the University of Waterloo’s Applicant Information Form (AIF) for… Read more
“Provide any additional information about anything in the table above. (600 character limit)”
This question gives you the opportunity to provide more information about the ECs you listed in Question 2.
We highly recommend completing this section because it will allow you to give the admissions committee some personal insight, like who you are, what you’re interested in, what experiences you’ve had, and what you care about. All of this is key if you want your application to stand out.
COACH’S TIP: You only get 600 characters (including spaces) for this question. When writing your essay, focus on your extracurriculars as a whole, and briefly reference 1-2 specific activities as examples. Looking at the big picture (i.e. what you learned, skills you gained, passions you developed, etc.) will show your purpose for taking part in these extracurriculars and how you grew as a person by doing them.
Use this section to focus on the impact your extracurriculars have had on you, what you’ve accomplished, and what you’ve learned along the way. Focus on traits that Waterloo looks for, like being a leader and innovator or being organized and able to manage your time. Drive home the idea that you have real-world skills and that you are using the extracurricular activities as a way to set specific goals that will help you have a positive impact on the world both now and in the future.
REMEMBER: There is a 600 characters limit for this answer. Your answer should be ONE PARAGRAPH in the end.
Here’s a template that follows our Narrative Communication Approach:
COACH’S TIP: Use the structure below to develop ONE PARAGRAPH paragraph highlighting your best extracurricular achievements. Make sure to demonstrate problem solving, time management, leadership, and commitment within each.
REMEMBER: Please note that all of the examples in this guide are EXAMPLES ONLY and are NOT meant for you to copy.
Example 2: For the Waterloo Engineering Program AIF, following the Deductive Communication Approach:
Want to see some more examples for this AIF question? Check out our Waterloo Computer Science App Prep Guide and Waterloo Engineering App Prep Guide.
Need some help choosing which extracurricular activity to focus on and writing a standout Waterloo AIF answer? We can help! 🙂
“Please list your most significant part-time or full-time employment in the past 2 years, beginning with the most recent.”
If you have been away from school or university for more than two years, you can send a current resume to myapplication@waterloo.ca (make sure to include your Waterloo ID#).
Get started on your template here (Click File > Make a Copy).
Enter your employment experience in reverse chronological order (i.e. your older experiences at the bottom and your most recent at the top).
Fill in these components:
Here’s an example of what this section might look like:
“If you have received any academic or non-academic awards or distinctions, please list them below. Please provide the Size of Competition if you know how many people participated.”
Enter your special achievements/awards/distinctions in reverse chronological order (i.e. your older experiences at the bottom, and your most recent at the top.
Here’s a Waterloo Essay Example of what this section might look like:
Alex
Waterloo AIF Expert & Youth Coach™
This section of the Waterloo AIF asks you to describe your prior education, and you’ll have the opportunity to discuss any relevant outside circumstances or additional personal information.
IMPORTANT: If you’re completing the Waterloo Engineering AIF, there’s an optional essay question at the beginning of AIF Section 2, About You Part B that asks you to discuss any issues or circumstances that might have affected your academic record. Click here for the breakdown, template, and example for that question if you see it on your AIF.
“The name and location of the secondary or post-secondary school(s) you are now attending or have attended should be listed below. Are any secondary or post-secondary schools missing from the list? If yes, please add them in the space below.”
Simply select your Institution as it appears on the list. Answer ‘Yes’ if an institution is missing from the list, and then write it in the space provided. If your institution appears on the list, select ‘No’ and do not write anything in the box provided.
“Have you taken or are you currently taking courses at a college or university?
Simply answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
If you answer ‘Yes’, give the name of the college or university, the start and end dates of your studies there, and the number of courses you took. You are required to submit all official final college or university transcripts.”
“In addition to the specific information requested in all of the AIF questions, please tell us anything else about yourself that you would like us to know when we review your application.
Please make sure to complete all sections of the AIF before submitting this page. (900 character limit)”
Think of this essay as your chance to sell yourself to the admissions committee, focusing on why you should be accepted to the program you’re applying to.
There are thousands of applicants — what makes YOU different?
Is there a certain trait that you’re known for, like your unwillingness to give up, your epic accounting skills, or your ability to see the world in a unique way? That trait is exactly what you should focus on here.
Digging deeper into this will drive home the point that you are different from other applicants and that the admissions committee would be crazy not to let you in to the program(s) you’re applying to.
Using this essay to explore differentiating traits will also show that you have self-awareness and have an interest in constantly improving. If you’ve filled out our Student Identity Blueprint, then you probably have a pretty good idea about all the cool things that make you, you — and now it’s time to share them (keep reading to learn how). If you haven’t filled out your Blueprint, connect with a coach to get started.
We designed this template so that you can choose one thing that differentiates you from everyone else, like your creativity, perseverance, or your wide range of experiences, which are all things that the admissions committee looks for.
Not sure which differentiator(s) to focus on? Connect with a coach to choose the best one.
Example 1: From the Waterloo AFM AIF, following the Narrative Communication Approach:
Want more examples for this question? Check them out here.
Example 2: For the Waterloo Computer Science AIF, following the Deductive Communication Approach. You’ll notice that these this essay has the same content as the one above, just communicated a bit differently depending on the Narrative/Deductive style:
For more examples, go to our Waterloo Computer Science App Prep Guide.
If you are looking for guidance, examples, and prep tips for the University of Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance… Read more
This section focuses on the coursework you’ve completed in school, as well as additional outside courses.
“List your current courses and courses that you will complete by the end of the academic year.”
COACH’S TIP: There are specific instructions for Ontario students, students outside of Ontario, and all students, so make sure you read the instructions carefully to ensure you’re giving the correct information. Also, do not try to convert your grades from 1-100 (e.g. 91%). AP uses grading from 1-5, so under “level” list AP and then put the actual grade in the course mark section.
If you need help with this section, connect with a coach for support.
You are required to list the following information:
“List all the courses you’ve taken in Grades 9-11.”
COACH’S TIP: Just like in Question 1, make sure you read the instructions carefully for Ontario students, students outside of Ontario, and all students.
“If you are not attending high school, CEGEP, or equivalent, list courses relevant to our admission requirements for the program(s) you applied to. Please explain your background in this section. (900 character limit)”
This essay does not need to be extremely detailed, but it is meant to provide the admissions committee with a brief explanation about additional courses you’ve completed and why you completed them.
Answer these questions in your essay:
Do this for every course that falls into this category, making a separate paragraph for each, for a total of 900 characters.
Get started on your template here (Click File > Make a Copy > Save to your computer).
Complete this section if you took courses outside of high school that weren’t repeated or upgrade courses.
We designed this template in a way that will help you organize your thoughts and give the necessary background for each course, so that you can easily turn it into an essay.
You’ll see sections for: When, Course Name, and Background.
Add bullet points in each section, and when you’re done, take out the bullet points and make complete sentences for a complete essay. It’s that easy!
Here’s an example of this question using the template, and then easily turning it into an essay:
Here’s an example of an essay from the above example:
In the summer of 2017 after I graduated high school, I took a C++ course. We never had a specific C++ class in high school, however, I wanted to broaden my skills and therefore while I was out of high school, I took a C++ course that I believe will assist me in Software Engineering at Waterloo.Moreover, in the fall of 2017 while I was working, I took a computer engineering class. Although there was a computer engineering class in high school, since it was not a requirement for any programs, I did not take it. Now that I want to attend Systems Design Engineering, I believe this will be a valuable class to take.
In the summer of 2017 after I graduated high school, I took a C++ course. We never had a specific C++ class in high school, however, I wanted to broaden my skills and therefore while I was out of high school, I took a C++ course that I believe will assist me in Software Engineering at Waterloo.
Moreover, in the fall of 2017 while I was working, I took a computer engineering class. Although there was a computer engineering class in high school, since it was not a requirement for any programs, I did not take it. Now that I want to attend Systems Design Engineering, I believe this will be a valuable class to take.
“Please provide a reason why any Grade 12 (or equivalent) courses listed above were not taken at your regular day school. (900 character limit)”
This essay does not need to be extremely detailed, but it is meant to provide the admissions committee with a brief explanation about courses you’ve completed outside of regular school and why.
Do this for every course that falls into this category, making a separate paragraph for each.
If you checked “Night School”, “Summer School”, “Saturday School”, or “Distance Education/Online” for any courses in Question 1 and/or Question 2, explain why you took those courses here.
Like Question 3, we’ve created a template that will help you create bullet points under “Course Name” and “Explanation” for each course, and then use that to easily create an essay afterwards.
Do this for every course that falls into this category.
I took ENG4U in summer school. As a result of playing Junior Hockey, my workload during the school year is intense. As a result, I need to take courses in the summer to balance the workload during the school year. Even though I am taking one less class during the year, I still have an above workload during the year as a result of hockey.
“Please provide a reason why any Grade 12 (or equivalent) courses listed above were repeated. (900 character limit)”
This essay does not need to be extremely detailed, but it is meant to provide the admissions committee with a brief explanation about courses you’ve had to redo and why.
If you took a class again, like Grade 12 Math or English, explain why you did that here.
REMEMBER: If you repeat a required course, Waterloo will either take the original grade OR the new grade, and then deduct 5 points off that. For example, if you got an 80 the first time you took Grade 12 Math and then you took it again and got a 90, Waterloo will record it as an 85. If it is not a required course, there will be no adjustment.
Use this template for every course that falls into this category.
You can write bullet points under each of these components, then simply remove the bullets to create complete sentences when you’re done.
Here’s a Waterloo essay example of this question using the template:
“If you have been out of school and are in the process of refreshing your academic skills for admission to the University of Waterloo, such as by taking pre-university-level mathematics courses, please list the course(s) below. (600 character limit)”
If you have the character space, briefly emphasize your passion for the program you’re applying to. Showing willingness to upgrade so that you can pursue a degree in your chosen field will showcase your passion, dedication, and interest in this field.
Like Question 5, we’ve created a template that will help you create bullet points under “Course Name” and “Explanation” for each course, and then use that to easily create an essay afterwards.
Here’s a Waterloo sample of an essay from the above example:
After graduating high school, I took MHF4U at an adult high school. Originally when I graduated high school, I wanted to go into Political Science and therefore I did not require this course. However, I have since realized that my passion lies in computer science so I took MHF4U in order to be a strong applicant for the CS program at Waterloo.
If you are unsure about what category your courses fall under for Questions 3-6, or you’re unsure about how to create simple and informative essays to explain each course, connect with a coach for help.
***DON’T FORGET: Although we’ve covered Sections 1-3 in this guide, the program you’re applying to (e.g. Engineering, AFM, Computer Science, etc.) might have a program-specific Section 4. Make sure you complete the ENTIRE AIF before submitting it!***
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IMPORTANT: Want to share information and/or images from this resource on your own website, blog, article, etc.? Please ensure you reference content of any kind published by Youthfully Inc., in whole or in part, using the following statement: (1) Our Organization (Youthfully Inc.); (2) The title of our content/resource; and (3) the URL to our webpage where the content was originally posted. For example: “Sourced from: Youthfully Inc., “University of Waterloo: AIF Tips, Questions & Examples”, https://youthfully.ca/waterloo-aif-tips-example-sample-answers.” Not doing so is an infringement of copyright and is illegal. We spend significant time developing resources for students, so please take a few seconds to ensure they are referenced properly.
DISCLAIMER: While the information in this blog is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, and although our team makes every attempt to ensure that the information is accurate and vetted by university staff, Youthfully is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information printed and stored or in any way interpreted and used by a user.
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AIF Overview
AIF Section 1: About You, Part A
AIF Section 2: About You, Part B
AIF Section 3: Courses
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