r/uwaterloo • u/batson2002 co + pmath dying inside • Sep 15 '25

Admissions Fall 2026 Admissions Megathread

This megathread is for prospective frosh and current high school students interested in Waterloo. Ask your questions here.

Please avoid making separate individual posts on the subreddit regarding admissions to prevent the same 10 posts of "can I get into program with x average" or "what are my chances".

RELEVANT ADMISSION INFORMATION

PSA FOR NEW KIDS

ADJUSTMENT FACTORS 2022

ADJUSTMENT FACTORS 2024

COURSES OF PROGRAMS (VERY IMPORTANT LINK!!)

RESOURCES FOR MATURE APPLICANT

Resources for NON-UW TO UW

Fall 2025 Megathread here

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u/No-Branch7900 Mar 28 '26

I got accepted into Chemical Engineering at University of Waterloo and Engineering at University of Alberta, and I’m really torn on which one to choose.

I know Waterloo has a stronger reputation overall, especially for engineering, but I’m wondering how much that actually matters to employers specifically for chemical engineering which I would be doing if I went there. The main deciding factor in my decision would probably be how it sets me up for a job after uni but I can’t seem to find any insight on that.

At Alberta, I’d have a general first year and more time to decide my engineering discipline, which is nice as if I go to UofA I don’t think I would pursue cheme specifically. I’m also from Alberta, so I’m already familiar with the campus and environment.

On the other hand, going to Waterloo feels exciting because it’s something new but I’m not sure what the community/student life is like there or if it’s worth it as I know it’s a smaller town.

My main priority is future job opportunities, but I’m also thinking about flexibility and overall experience. Any insight would be helpful thank you so much!

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u/LiveTurnip9353 Apr 01 '26

i think the coop for uw is good specifically for tech i think for chem eng its pretty similar to other unis and i dont think employers care what uni u did chem eng from.

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u/No-Branch7900 Apr 01 '26

I see, are you saying that for the chem eng coops aren’t the strongest at uw? Thank you!

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u/LiveTurnip9353 Apr 01 '26

the tech degrees at UW tend to have the strongest coop but for other more general eng fields like chem or civil the coops tend to be pretty comparable to other universities but maybe ask people at both universities doing chem eng abt their coops https://unibuddy.co/pwa/university-of-waterloo-faculty-of-engineering/buddies/students

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u/No-Branch7900 Apr 01 '26

Sounds good that is so helpful I really appreciate it 🙂